Recent Articles
Public Schools Ensure a Strong Sense of Community
One of the things that makes America great is our willingness to help each other and support our communities. Whether one acknowledges it or not, we depend on each other in all aspects of life.
Chickens Coming Home to Roost
There have been seventy-seven mass shootings in the U.S. in the first 45 days of 2023. No other advanced economies have seen more than eight over a 22-year period.
March 2, 2023
Outcry After New York Mayor Dismisses Separation of Church and State; How Evangelical Voters Swung from Carter to Trump; Irish Americans’ Connections with Their Heritage Remains Strong Due to Draw of Ireland’s History and Culture (and more)
Wake up and Let Go
Attending chapel at Campbell University Divinity School (CUDS) offers the weekly to hear thought-provoking sermons or lectures, and on occasions when the oration is less than stellar, to admire the impressive “water of life” stained glass window behind the pulpit area. It also got me thinking.
Strong Public Schools Fight Christian Nationalism
As threats to public education proliferate, Public Schools Week is an opportunity for us to celebrate the positive role public schools play in our communities. Attacks on public education are often fueled by Christian nationalism, a political ideology that seeks to merge our American and Christian identities.
Lenten Lectionary| Good News for Those Who Have Trouble Sleeping
I have some good news for you. Staying up late might not be so bad.
March 1, 2023
Jimmy Carter: Family Affair to the White House and Beyond; In Florida, Neighbors Concerned Over Affordable Housing Proposal on Church Land; ‘Our State is at War With Our Family’: Missouri Clergy with Trans Kids Fight Back (and more)
Faith Seeking Understanding | Less Certainty Allows for More Growth
It’s been said that there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. A few years back, I added a third: All tours end in the gift shop. Certainty can be helpful to a degree, but negative impacts can result from too much certainty.
How Making Sand Mandalas Is Like Teaching
Sand Mandalas are created by Buddhist monks, taking years of study to learn the technique and process. This process is a lot like teaching students. Here is why.
Emerging Voices | The Man in the Grocery Store: An Unspoken Side of Evangelism
I am an international student from Japan and Korea, and as most East Asian people often do, I needed soy sauce. During my trip to the store, I encountered a man who tried to evangelize me. I was left scared, confused and sad.
February 28, 2023
A Brief History of the Black Church’s Diversity and its Vital Role in American Political History; Measles Case Confirmed in a Person Who Attended Kentucky Spiritual Revival Event; Conservative Christian and Muslim Groups Want Faith Protections Added to LGBTQ Rights Bill (and more)
Clergy Who Leave Christian Ministry Are Sending a Message
Realizing they cannot hide behind the pulpit, some clergy are looking for the exits at their churches. What message are they sending?
Public Education in the Wake of COVID-19
Public education has long been a petri dish through which society’s challenges, quirks, triumphs and conflicts have passed. To mitigate the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, many high schools adjusted their standards. Though well-intended, this has created new challenges.
U.S. Prison Population Decreases, Jail Population Increases
The U.S. prison population decreased from 2020 to 2021, while the jail population increased. Racial disparities remained, as the percentage of Blacks in both jails and prisons was higher than the percentage of the total Black population.
February 27, 2023
‘Christian Patriots’ are Flocking From Blue States to Idaho; What it Looks Like When Christian Nationalists Take Control of Local Government; The FBI’s Culture and Recruiting Have Long Favored Conservative Christianity (and more)
Under False Pretense
She is an immigrant. But aside from her struggle to speak English, she is like most of her neighbors in an upscale neighborhood in a sunny U.S. city. Her story is harrowing, and it raises many ethical questions.
Our Over-Burdened Planet
There are now over eight billion people on Earth, and we are using up nature’s limited resources faster than nature can replace them. There could be 10 billion in a few decades. What do we need to do to turn this around?
Look Back | Seeking True Repentance for Western Christians’ Colonialism
Christian faith and missions often were complicit. The fact that God used something terrible to bring about something good does not change the fact that colonialism generally brought misery.
February 24, 2023
Netflix’s ‘Waco: American Apocalypse’ Trailer Captures Fallout of David Koresh Cult Takedown; Finding Spirituality on Earth’s ‘Most Secular’ Continent; Rock Art as African History: What Religious Images Say About Identity, Survival and Change (and more)
Depression Pandemic: Its Effects Never Went Away
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman was brave and wise enough to seek professional care. More of us should consider following Fetterman’s lead as depression remains a critical issue now three years into the pandemic caused by COVID-19.
Lenten Lectionary | Through the Wastelands
Places mentioned in the Gospels often enough are laden with greater significance than simply mapping a route. When Matthew tells us Jesus entered the wastelands east of the Jordan, it is more than his being in a solitary place.
Record Number of U.S. Adults Want Less Strict Abortion Laws
Neary half (46%) of all U.S. adults say they are dissatisfied with the nation’s abortion laws and want less strict regulations, according to a Gallup report. This is the highest level in polling history.
February 22, 2023
Southern Baptists Boot Saddleback Church for Having a Female Pastor; The Science Behind Why Conservatives are so Easily Triggered; Why Jimmy Carter’s Pastor Won’t Say ‘Goodbye’ to the Former President; Feds Fine Mormon Church for Illicitly Hiding $32 Billion Investment Fund Behind Shell (and more)
The Raceless Gospel Podcast Launches Lenten Series
The Raceless Gospel podcast provides listeners with a seven-episode Lenten series focused on the testing of Jesus. “Testing, Testing 1, 2, 3” offers a weekly meditation for the journey, beginning today.
Lenten Lectionary | Set Your Plow Deeper: An Ash Wednesday Meditation
“Set your plow deeper” was our congregation’s theme for Lent some years ago. It addresses issues caused by farmer at the same depth every year, a farmer in our congregation explained. Here’s how this advice relates to Lent.
10 Things About Church That Are Not Changing
While we are accustomed to constant changes in our culture, we tend to struggle a little more with changes in our faith communities. For those feeling unsettled by the pace of change, here are 10 things about the church that are not changing.
The Taproot of Humanity’s Harm
There is a clear and consistent answer to why atrocities against human lives continue to occur. The taproot out which this continuing evil grows is a process of dehumanization. And it is indeed a process.
By the Way | Requiem for a College
Trinity International University is “reimaging the future,” which has led to a decision about Trinity College, its residential, undergraduate program in Deerfield, Illinois. It will soon become a fully online program.
Wisdom Wherever You Find It | A Small Cemetery of the Heart
Death and dying are an inevitable part of life. We all experience loss and, deep down, we feel a sense of abandonment. We carry within ourselves a cemetery of the heart.
Rosewood: A 100-Year-Old Reminder of Lawlessness in America
From lynchings to mob violence waged against African American communities, America has a long and tragic history of suspending law and order when it comes to race. The town of Rosewood is a sad reminder.