Recent Articles
Ignorance is Detriment to Faithfulness
Teaching the relationship between Christian faithfulness and the embrace of understanding, wisdom, knowledge and discernment is a needed priority in our homes, churches and other organizations charged with spiritual formation.
Films Unite Students Around Common Values
At each semester’s end, my high school students view one of two Denzel Washington films, ‘Glory’ and ‘Remember the Titans.’ It inspires me to see students of different political persuasions and ethnicities unite against injustice.
White US Protestants Least Likely to Link Violent Language, Acts
White Protestants are the least likely religious group to affirm a link between violent rhetoric and violent actions, a report found. Only 39% of white evangelicals affirmed a strong link between violent rhetoric and actions.
January 26, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Boston Can Reject Religious Flag at City Hall; Trump Fueled Conservative Christian Power. But with Biden, That Can Change; Biden Attends Mass at DC Church Where He Worshipped as VP; As Covid Patients are Denied Visits from Their Families, These Hospital Chaplains Provide Vital Comfort; and more
Poem Invites Us to Repair Unjust Past
Amanda Gorman’s poem, ‘The Hill We Climb,’ is both heartbreaking and hopeful, courageously inviting her listeners to step into the harm that has dominated the history of this country so that we can build a future together.
6 Steps to Help Pastors Caught Up in Right-Wing Lies
How can we help pastors and churches who have been drawn toward the destructive influence of Trumpism, Christian nationalism, conspiracy theories and the diminished value of truth? These 6 suggestions may help.
Affirmation of Marriage Importance Continues to Drop
The number of US adults who affirm marriage as very important continues to decline, a report found. For example, 31% said it is very important for couples to marry when they have children together, down from 49% in 2006.
January 25, 2021
In today’s curated news and headlines analysis: In Biden’s Catholic Faith, an Ascendant Liberal Christianity; Reflections on the Biden Inauguration from the Evangelical Environmental Network; Capitol Attack Will Spur Broad Crackdown on Domestic Extremists; Prominent Black Pastor From Texas Ponders Exit from Southern Baptists; and more
People of Good Faith: Jack Glasgow
Jack Glasgow is the pastor of Zebulon Baptist Church in Zebulon, North Carolina, a church he has served for 43 years. He is married to Barbara, and they have a son and daughter, both educators married to educators.
Reaction and Response | Fewer Protestants Want Sermons on Race
Fewer US Protestants seem interested in sermons about racial reconciliation, a report found. Asked if their churches would welcome a sermon on the topic, 74% of pastors somewhat or strongly agreed, down from 90% four years ago.
Look Back | Gospel’s Minor Characters Play Major Roles
The Gospels include stories of characters who appear so briefly, some aren’t even named. Yet, these minor characters serve as major models who often express the ideals of what it means to follow Jesus. One of them is an unnamed widow.
January 22, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: A Sermon in America’s Civic Religion; Biden’s Unity Plea Met with Ample Reminders that America’s Divisions Run Deep;
Biden’s Halting of Deportations Allows Raleigh Man to Leave Sanctuary at Durham Church After Three Years; Technology as Religion: ‘We Sell Our Souls With Faith in Data’; and more
The Triumph of Democracy: The Tale of Two Weeks
Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate, challenged all of us to ‘be’ the light our nation needs. Let each of us ‘be’ the light, shining it brightly for the common good of all people, especially those at the margins of society.
Death Sentences at All-Time Low; Fewest Executions in Decades
Death sentences and executions reached ‘historically’ low numbers for 2020, a report said, despite President Trump’s reversal of a 17-year hiatus on federal executions. Eighteen death sentences and 17 executions had taken place.
Secular, Sacred Aren’t Polar Opposites
Left unchecked, religions tend to coopt the sacred and ignore real-world problems. Secularism critiques religion in light of the categories of the secular, including science and philosophy. The secular and sacred aren’t opposites.
Why Can’t Some Christians Handle the Truth?
Many Christians share and believe conspiracy theories, label legitimate news sources as fake and deny scientific facts about climate change. Why do they maintain these views? A desire for power and control.
We Don’t Do Kings
As Donald Trump basks in a self-designed and elaborate military send-off from Washington and Joe Biden takes the solemn oath of office as our 46th president, it’s a reminder that in America, we don’t do kings.
Avoiding Breaches in Wall of Church-State Separation
Raphael Warnock will serve in the US Senate while continuing as senior pastor of his Georgia church. Is this a breach in the wall of the separation of church and state? On the surface, it might seem so. But let’s look closer.
Time for Church to Serve as State’s Conscience
As Donald Trump’s presidency ends and Joe Biden’s begins, it has never been more important for the faith community to accept its calling to be what Martin Luther King Jr. called the conscience of the state, to speak truth to power.
What Does It Mean to Be a Christian Citizen?
Over the last 40 years, US Christians have been engulfed with Christian nationalism, which has overrun many evangelical churches, especially the last five years. It is time to revisit what it means to be a Christian citizen.
January 20, 2020
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Biden’s Big Bible is Heavy with History, Symbolism; The Rev. William Barber II to Headline Interfaith Inauguration Prayer Service; After Months of Trauma, Vaccinated Health-Care Workers Welcome a Surprising Emotion: Hope (Washington Post)
Philadelphia Church Bell Ringer Remembers Americans Lost to COVID; and more.
Deciphering the Evangelical Lexicon
The redefinition of Americanized Christianity from a primary call to follow Jesus to a fear-based ideology has solidified during the divisive political activities of recent years. To accomplish this, words had to change meanings.
Emerging Voices | The Emerging Church Has Bright Future
The church is changing. The emerging church places emphasis on inclusivity, social activism and care of the earth while embracing science as one way in which God reveals God’s self. But not everyone is excited about the change.
Polling US Religiosity: It’s a Complex Matter
Is the US less religious than previous data suggested, or does current data underestimate US religiosity? A Pew Research Center report seeks to answer such questions with a deep dive into its polling methodology and data sets.
January 19, 2020
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: After Trump, Biden Aims to Reshape Presidency Itself; ‘A Place to Fund Hope’: How White Supremacist Proud Boys and Other Fringe Groups Found Refuge on a Christian Fundraising Site; Rallies Ahead of Capitol Riot Were Planned by Established Washington Insiders, Including the Evangelical Council for National Policy; David Brooks: Trump Ignites a War Within the Church; What Jon Ossoff Means for the South and its Buried South; and more.
King: Churches Preserve, Don’t Oppose Status Quo
While many believe the church is the hope of the world, Martin Luther King Jr. had his doubts. He was right. The US church must give an account for how it has contributed to past and current culture conflicts felt by our nation.
Religious Freedom for All Attacked – Then and Now
Our Founding Fathers sought to protect religious freedom for all from tyrants. Those tyrants are still present today, seeking to impose their beliefs on others. We must defend religious freedom at all costs.
Emerging Voices | Physical Fitness Crucial for Churches
Over 40% of US adults and nearly 20% of children are obese. Ministers need to ensure they do not neglect addressing physical health as they administer pastoral care. Here are 5 ways your church can be more physically fit.
Look Back | King: Religious Freedom Champion
Martin Luther King Jr. was well aware of the Baptist distinctive to ensure the right of all to worship (or abstain from worship) freely, along with the conviction that separation of church and state was essential to such freedom.
January 15, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: The Capitol Riot Revealed the Darkest Nightmares of White Evangelical America; How Self-Proclaimed ‘Prophets’ from a Growing Christian Movement Provided Religious Motivation for the White Nationalist Insurrection; ‘He Groomed Them’: Many Black Philadelphians Don’t See How White People Didn’t See the Insurrection Coming; From the Capitol to Critical Race Theory, White Christians Grieve Declining Hegemony; and more.