Recent Articles
Grateful for the Kindness and Generosity of Roy McCall
P.L. (Roy) McCall Jr. was a kind and generous man — exemplified in his life and legacy. He was a person of high character, exemplary leadership and a gracious personality.
Exposing a Culture of Cruelty
Arkansas has a problem. Actually, we have multiple problems. But this one is fixable. Unlike many problems, this one is not partisan, and I believe would carry the support of more than 90% of our citizens.
Dangers Surround Judge’s Ruling on FDA Approval Process
The approach of the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine to restrict access to abortion medications might be shrewd legal maneuvering but it is also deceitful. And dangers surround a judge ruling on FDA’s approval process.
Faith Seeking Understanding | How We Treat the Past Matters
Sacred Catholic Heart Church in Bowie, Maryland, was once White Marsh Plantation. One of five large Jesuit- owned slave plantations in the state now a place of worship, its members embody a faith that seeks to understand its past and to give it a fitting memorial — instead of trying to bury it.
All Losses Matter
Without a doubt, it’s important for people who are dealing with a particular kind of grief to have a place of their own. Yet, there is also a benefit to gathering people with differing reasons and levels of grief together.
Handling Conflict Is an Area of Concern for U.S. Protestant Pastors
U.S. Protestant pastors wish they had more preparation in handing conflict, according to a Barna Group report published April 19. Younger pastors are more likely than older pastors to cite handling conflict as a key area of concern.
Watering the Land
Ownership of water has become an urgent concern as climate change requires better stewardship of existing resources. With the climate changing faster than earlier imagined, water remains at the center of ecological concerns.
Three New Titles Available From Nurturing Faith Books
New titles on standing up to hate, finding truth in parables and preaching sensible sermons are now available from Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of Good Faith Media.
Look Back | Four Stumbling Blocks to Action on Global Warming
On the environmental front, we know scientists are speaking with near consensus about climate change. We also know that there are stumbling blocks that keep us from engaging in constructive and corrective action.
April 21, 2023
Texas Judge Who Suspended Abortion Pill Failed to Disclose Interview Discussing Biblical Worldview Social Issues; Public Schools Would Have to Display the Ten Commandments Under Bill Passed by Texas Senate; Oklahoma Baptist Preacher’s Blackface Social Media Post Spreads Viral Outrage; Christians in the Holy Land Say They’re Under Attack as Israeli-Palestinian Violence Soars (and more)
Indigenous Origin Stories: A Symbiotic Relationship
My ancestors, Muscogee Creeks, passed down a story about how the world was covered with water except for one mound, Nunne Chaha. This was the home of Hesaketvmese, meaning master breath, who created humanity.
Would Jesus Invest In Our Planet?
The theme of Earth Day 2023 is using business language – “Invest In Our Planet” – to promote sustainable development and care for Earth. At first, this seemed like a poor choice. Upon further reflection, perhaps it is a fitting theme.
Natural Disasters and Our Collective Sin
I was a high school freshman in Tennessee when Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana. I’ll never forget what my immediate neighbor said to me when I stopped by his house to ask for donations to help hurricane victims.
April 20, 2023
Church Discovers it Paid More Than $67k in Power Bills for County Soccer Field by Mistake; Study: Only 30% of Young US-Born Latinos are Catholic; Scholars are Learning More About What the Catholic Church Did – and Didn’t Do – to Save Jews During the Holocaust; Any Religion Allied with Nationalism is Dangerous
Killing Children and Women: When Pro-Life Ideology Becomes a Death Cult
Sacrificing Black bodies on the altar of power and greed. That was white Christian nationalism of old. Today, the focus is on sacrificing the lives of women and children to protect and expand “gun rights.”
We Cannot Live Without Earth’s Bounty
Some Christians are anxious about celebrating the Earth, fearing that it shifts our reverence from the Creator to the creation. But precisely as a Christian, I hold two very simple convictions concerning our relationship to the Earth.
Will Humanity Heed the Warnings and Rise to the Occasion?
Eurocentric thought is rooted in the belief that man (specifically cis-gendered males) is the pinnacle of creation. This has fueled a mindset of domination and exploitation of Earth and its resources. Will we change course before it’s too late?
April 19, 2023
‘Is This When We Disappear?”: Rapture Triggers Haunt the Left Behind Generation; Young, White, Female and Dying of Despair in Rural America; Arab Americans are Not a Monolith (and more)
Confessions of a Jesus Freak Poser
Movie theaters became expensive nap spots for me about six or so years ago. But “Jesus Revolution” intrigued me enough to venture into the unfamiliar land of senior rates and assigned seating.
Urging Big Business to ‘Invest In Our Planet’
Big business has a pretty terrible reputation with environmentalists, and sometimes that is quite justified. How can people of good faith encourage companies to ‘Invest In Our Planet’?
Fewer in U.S. Say Climate Change is Driven Primarily by Human Causation
Less than half of U.S. adults think climate change is mostly or entirely caused by humans, according to a report published April 10 by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
April 18, 2023
Oklahoma Governor Calls on Officials to Resign After Horridly Racist Audio Emerges; SBC’s Ethics Leader, Covenant School Parent Urges Tennessee to Pass Proposed Gun Reform; From Legislative Chambers to Schools, Democracy for Black Americans is Under Attack, Report Finds (and more)
What Can We Do With a Global Population of Eight Billion?
The world’s population reached the eight billion mark on November 15, 2022. The number is mind-numbingly colossal. How can we find a practical, sustainable way of living that promotes the common good?
Has the Pandemic Taught Churches Anything?
Times have changed but many churches have not despite the lessons the pandemic offers. The #PandemicPastoring Report’s study guide offers another opportunity to learn from it.
Religiously Unaffiliated U.S. Latinos Increase, Catholic Latinos Decline
The number of religiously unaffiliated U.S. Latinos is increasing, while the number of Roman Catholics continues to decline, according to a Pew Research Center report published April 12.
Wisdom Wherever You Find It | How Will I Be Remembered?
A question about Passover during my training to become a rabbi offered a lesson in wisdom, humility and character. Most of us have at least one (and maybe many) memories of similar encounters that helped to determine our character.
Bible Engagement Stabilizes in 2023 After ‘Unprecedented Drop’ in 2022
The number of U.S. adults who are ‘Bible Users’ stabilized in 2023 after an “unprecedented drop” in 2022, according to a report published by the American Bible Society.
Look Back | Resurrection’s Hope Amid a World of Death
How do we reconcile the hope of the resurrection with the reminder of death that surrounds us? Why does death come to good people and others who continue to abuse and hurt seem to prosper?
April 14, 2022
Tuscaloosa Church Provides Market-Style Food Pantry; Fox News Writer Pretends that Rising Secularism Means Christian Persecution, When in Reality Aggrieved White Christians are the Persecutors; Holy Land Christians Say Attacks Rising in Far-Right Israel (and more)
Say “No” to Religious Charter Schools
The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted 5-0 to disapprove the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School’s application. This is the latest in a series of efforts to dismantle the wall of separation between church and state.