Recent Articles
Americans Split on Likelihood of Poll Workers Tampering with Election
With early voting underway in much of the country and in light of widespread unsubstantiated accusations of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, voting safety and integrity are once again at the top of many Americans’ minds.
Pastor Joins Partisans in ‘Sanewashing’ Donald Trump
I find the evangelical Christian desire for a president who has a conversion story and who lives, worships, and prays like we do curious. In my lifetime, only three U.S. presidents have come close to that ideal: Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Bush, however, is the only one who the evangelical community has ever embraced.
People of Good Faith: An Interview with Lisa Cressman
Lisa Cressman is an Episcopal priest, who is committed to ensuring pastors thrive not only in the craft and process of preaching but in the spirituality of it. She is the founder and steward of Backstory Preaching.
Look Back | Self-formation
I doubt that Rockwell would assign any deep mystical meaning to the portrait — I suspect he just thought it would be a cute idea — but it reminds me that we all have physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects to our being.
By the Way | Evangelicals for Harris and Franklin Graham Square Off
The aging Billy Graham did seem to endorse Trump before the 2016 election. However, several people familiar with the situation have suggested that there might have been a bit of manipulation by the younger Graham to make it appear that his ailing father favored Trump.
Glorious Distraction: Some Thoughts About Children In Worship
Ultimately, “children in worship” is not a child issue. It is an adult issue. It is not an isolated “graded ministry” issue. It is a congregation-wide issue. It is a matter of listening to the angels, that is, to the messengers.
Americans Split On the Role of Labor Unions in Country’s Direction
A recent Pew Research analysis of several studies regarding the place of labor unions in the U.S. has revealed that a slim majority (55%) of Americans believe that unions positively impact the country’s direction.
Theology as Technology: Advancing the Idea of the Supernatural Self
“Don’t be so heavenly-minded that you’re no earthly good.” Head in the clouds or feet on the ground, the statement implies that one is better than the other. But what if one is done in service to the other?
Gallup Report Finds Key Indicators of Loneliness
Recent Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index results found that 20% of Americans are experiencing loneliness. The rate of those saying they felt lonely “a lot of the day yesterday” has risen from 18% in May, but is still less than the highs of 25% measured several times during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bursting Bubbles: From Being Kind to Becoming Kin
Whenever I go shopping, I am fascinated by how every other shopper seems to have an invisible bubble wrapped around them. They are so focused on their shopping list that it is all they can manage to see. They pass by intently and quietly, with only the squeaky wheel from their shopping cart breaking the heavy silence.
Election 2024: Regardless of Who Wins
No matter who the president is, I am recommitting my life to standing up, speaking out, and stepping forward, demanding freedom, inclusion and justice for all.
Families and World Leaders See Opening to Free Hostages and End War In Gaza
Yesterday, Israel announced the death of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ top leader, in a battle with Israeli forces in Rafah. Families of hostages taken by Hamas in the October 7, 2023 attacks praised this development. They expressed a belief that Sinwar’s death represents the best chance of hope to attain a deal to release their loved ones from captivity.
Faith and Democracy | Election 2024: What if Harris Wins?
The following Faith and Democracy series does not endorse a candidate or party in the upcoming election. Its purpose is to consider the scenarios that could play out if former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election.
I Had a Choice
Because I was 35 and considered a “geriatric pregnancy,” I was able to visit the OBGYN at the eighth week for an initial ultrasound. During the check-up, I could tell by the faces of my nurse and doctor that something was off.
A Hillbilly Eulogy
There are powers that attempt to dispossess Appalachians, to misrepresent “hillbilly,” to twist the faithful witness of our Lord into a narrow and simple ideology of control and power. To all that, I can say, with love in my heart, this is not the time to grieve like those without hope.
Faith and Democracy | Election 2024: What if Trump Wins?
The following Faith and Democracy series does not endorse a candidate or party in the upcoming election. Its purpose is to consider the scenarios that could play out if former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election.
Will & Harper’: An Ode to Friendship and the Risks It Requires
This is the thread running through “Will & Harper.” If we approach everyone with curiosity, trust that they are who they say they are and give it some time, we may eventually see magic.
Most Voters, Including Less than Half of His Supporters, Don’t Believe Trump Will Concede the Election if He Loses
A recent Pew Research poll found that less than a quarter (24%) of all eligible voters polled believe former President Donald Trump will concede the upcoming election if he loses. Less than half (48%) of Trump supporters say he’ll concede if he loses, with only 4% of those who support Vice President Kamala Harris.
State-Sponsored Spiritual Abuse
People in a country like the United States have every right to practice their religious beliefs. However, practicing these beliefs becomes abusive when they attempt to inflict them on me.
Equal Justice USA Expanding Work in the South and Midwest
Equal Justice USA (EJUSA), a national organization working to transform the nation’s justice system, recently announced it is expanding into four new communities to build new restorative justice initiatives.
“Extreme” Label Isn’t Sticking for Harris or Trump
About half of all voters believe that Trump is too conservative (48%) or that Harris is too liberal (51%). These rates are consistent with national polls, suggesting only each candidate’s base believes the other candidate is too extreme.
A Love Offering: When Writing Requires That You Pay Through the Nose
As the fifth season of The Raceless Gospel podcast ends, I look at my hands and wonder how it came to this. How did it end up costing so much?
First Baptist Church of Asheville Provides Free Market for Neighbors Recovering from Hurricane Helene
First Baptist Church of Asheville is providing free supplies, including food, water, toiletries, pet food, and other items for residents to pick up for themselves or to distribute. The church also provides hot showers, laundry services, and twice-daily hot meals.
Multiracial but Not Multiethnic Churches
But even though the number of multiracial churches is growing, they are not always welcoming places for people of color, especially Black people. Many of them have multiple races but are still not multicultural.
National Coming Out Day: Seeking Refuge in the Oasis of Risk-Taking Love
What would it look like for Christianity to return to its ancient roots of understanding love as a risky endeavor? I don’t mean in the “you could die” sense, but in the “loss of social collateral” sense.
National Coming Out Day: Following the Example of Jesus
Jesus serves as a kind, persistent, yet unyielding example of what it means to come out. The truth about his identity was paramount to the way he chose to exist within the world. And on National Coming Out Day, for Queer folx, that is a source of immense hope and inspiration.
Nurturing Call
God’s call may look different in everyone’s life, but nurturing that call is done through and alongside beloved community. Nurturing call means being open to the hard questions and the unknowns. While difficult, these can be beautiful testaments of what God can do with your life when you don’t hold on too tightly.
Hope for Permanent Peace in Israel and Palestine at Historic Lows
When asked if permanent peace will ever be achieved, around two-thirds of Israelis (66%) and Palestinians in the West Bank/East Jerusalem (68%) responded “no.”
The Anti-Christ Lives Today
Dispensationalism was a bizarre 1870s invention of John Nelson Darby, who divided human history into seven dispensations. Evangelists like D. L. Moody and C. I. Scofield adopted this dispensationalist dogma to create a unique manifestation of Christianity, which was fundamentalist, conservative and very white.
Local Polling Variations Will Once Again Create a Chaotic Election Night
National elections in the U.S. are administered on a local level, which has many pros and cons. The chief advantage is that decentralized control and a diversity of systems provide good checks and balances, making it more difficult for single entities to tamper with an election. A primary disadvantage is that there are 50 different systems to understand, which is nearly impossible for most citizens to keep up with.