Recent Articles
U.S. Growing Pessimistic About Addressing Climate Change
A majority of U.S. adults believe climate change is taking place, but fewer say their personal actions can have a positive impact on climate change than did so three years ago, according to a report from AP-NORC.
August 31, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: BYU Dallied. The Bills Waffled. Then Public Shame Forced Them to Act.; Poll: Black Americans See Racism as a Persistent Challenge, and Few Say the Country’s Racial Reckoning Has Brought Change; DNA Analysis Solves Mystery of Bodies Found at Bottom of Medieval Well (and more)
A Great Reversal Too Damaging to Ignore
The language, priorities and public witness of Americanized Christianity have changed significantly in recent years. Most astonishing is the baffling reversal from the long-espoused values of so many who confess the Christian faith.
Protecting Children in Conflict Zones
Children are too often casualties of war. Recent headlines out of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, reporting the deaths of nearly 40 children, is the latest example of this tragic and deplorable trend.
Few U.S. Adults Say Religion / Faith Became More Important During Pandemic
Personal and public health increased in importance for one-in-four U.S. adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Pew Research Center report published Aug. 18. Few said religion / faith had become more important.
August 30, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Conservative Christians’ Opposition to Homosexuality is Not an Ancient Teaching; Christian Nationalists and Religious Leaders Vow to Throw Trudeau Out of Power; Roanoke’s Belmont Baptist Church to be Sold, Become Affordable Apartments (and more)
Before Summer Officially Ends, Add This Book to Your Reading List
Summer is nearly over, but there’s still time to add one more title to your reading list. That book is ‘Under the Skin’ by award-winning journalist Linda Villarosa.
How Conflict Can Be a Positive Agent of Change
Conflict is a natural part of being in a community. It cannot be avoided or controlled by anyone, but it can also be an agent of change. Here are four principles that can help leaders positively navigate conflict.
Wisdom Wherever You Find it: Saving the World
I am delighted to discover something I learned from the Bible or Midrash has an analogue in the Qur’an or Hadith. That wasn’t always true. It’s amazing how possessive you can feel of something you claim as universal truth.
August 29, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Why Pastors are Burning Out; Pagan and Witchcraft Festivals Confront Growing Christian Harassment; A North Texas School District Says a Book Chapter By its Namesake About a Lynching is Not Appropriate for Some Students (and more)
Theological Education, Debt and Jubilee
With my childhood faith beginning to crumble, I enrolled in seminary and took out several student loans. As I sat and “pondered anew what the almighty could do,” those loans also sat and waited.
A Drive-by Reflection of Heritage and New Vision
An unexpected detour onto rural backroads took me past several churches, some of which seemed to have a history based on their names. Often church splits result from a separation between heritage and vision.
Look Back | As New School Year Begins, Let’s Praise Teachers
Teachers show up each day and do their best to teach and take care of their students. Their work is as simple and as complex as that. Let’s support, and praise, our teachers.
August 26, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: How the Southern Baptist Convention Became a Safe Haven for Abusers; How a Far Right, Christian Nationalist Cellphone Company ‘Took Over’ Four Texas School Boards; A New Challenge for Schools and Teachers: School Prayer; Conflicts in Global Anglicanism Become Black and White (and more)
Why Christian Nationalists Want to Ban Books
Books are being challenged by parents and removed from public school libraries across the U.S. This is another manifestation of Christian nationalism, in which adherents desire to force everyone to think, act and believe just like them.
Re-Enchantment: A Return to Comic-Con
We live in a world of disenchantment, according to author Andrew Root. He suggests that Comic-Con is a place for re-enchantment. Here was my experience attending the 2022 gathering of Comic-Con International.
Climate Change Is Exacerbating Pathogenic Disease
Pathogenic diseases that impact humans are being exacerbated by climate change, according to research published in mid-August. Of the infectious diseases studied, greenhouse gas emission heightened the negative impacts of more than half.
August 25, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Why Does an Episcopal Church in an Alaskan Town Have a Prominent Star of David Window?; How Stokely Carmichael Speaking in a Black Baptist Church Helped Inspire the Creation of C-Span; ‘New America’: Avowed White Nationalists, LGBTQ-Hater Pushes Vision to Catholic Right; Extremely Rare Discoveries are Helping Archaeologists Paint a Picture of This 2,000-Year-Old Roman Temple (and more)
Are We in a New Civil Rights Movement?
Are we in a new civil rights movement? A recent webinar hosted by Equal Justice USA and featuring historian and author Jemar Tisby, explored this question and others related to race, criminal justice, the legal system and Christian nationalism.
Reflecting on Inflection Points
The mathematical concept of an inflection point has been adopted, and adapted, into popular parlance to refer to a change in the direction of a process. What insight does the concept offer in the covenant faith journey?
Is Disagreeing Agreeably on Facebook Possible?
Nearly two years after creating a private Facebook group to promote constructive dialogue, the experiment hasn’t gone as planned. Here is what I’ve seen as the group’s moderator, as well as three lessons learned.
August 24, 2022
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Why the Evangelical Movement is in Disarray After Dobbs: An Interview with Russell Moore; The Right-Wing Christian Sect Plotting a Political Takeover; Texas Church Forced to Pay Unspecified Damages for Altered ‘Hamilton’; Taliban Impose ‘Harsh’ Limits on Afghans’ Religious Freedom: U.S. Panel (and more)
Have You Raised Your Ebenezer and Taken Time to Be Holy?
Christian hymns often move us deeply, inspire us to live more fully and faithfully, and sustain us through life’s challenging times. But do we take time to consider what we’re singing?
When Pastors Go Through Seasons of Doubt
Pastors go through seasons of doubt. During my current sojourn through such a season, I found respite and renewal in an unlikely place. Here is what I’m learning from this journey.
Faith Seeking Understanding | Love Your God; Love Your Neighbors
With the phrase “your God” pinging in my recent thoughts, I began to seek greater understanding of the divine call to “love your God” and “love your neighbor.” This imperative is found in multiple faith traditions.
New Resources on Baptismal Identity and The Raceless Gospel
Baptism offers a radical theology of liberation. Yes, too often it is seen as only one of the requirements for church membership and an addendum to the regular worship service. It is so much more than this.
The Threat of Christian Nationalism to U.S. Democracy
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s statement about the church directing the government is historically incorrect. Keeping church and state separate is essential to a functioning democracy.
Creation Care and Seeking the Welfare of the City
Jeremiah 29:5-7 offers an ongoing word for God’s people in every age. It is a call to seek the welfare of the land we are in. This imperative also applies to caring for creation.
Remembering Frederick Buechner and His Permission to Be Fearless
Facing a difficult prognosis several years ago, Frederick Buechner’s words reminded me not to fear becoming or letting go because God was there — in the terrible and the beautiful. I’m thankful for his life and ministry.
Why the U.S. Must Adopt a Prevention-Focused Approach to Public Health
The United States spent over $4 trillion on health care in 2020, a number that is expected to increase in the years ahead. The nation’s focus on treatment rather than prevention must change to improve public health.