Reaching back for good

Although I have seen the image of a sankofa many times, it’s meaning had never dawned on me. But in the alumni magazine of Columbia Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian school that let me slip through many years ago, Pam Cottrell noted the mythical West African...

On keeping our minds open

Clark Pinnock was a controversial theologian who could get strong challenges from colleagues on both his right and left. Pinnock, who died Sunday at age 73, spent some of his teaching years among Baptists.He traveled some theological distances during his career and...

Sabbath conflicts from without and within

My meager early Sunday morning exercise was done and coffee in hand when a sleepy-eyed crowd began gathering on Market Street in downtown Chattanooga on Aug. 8. Out of love and obligation these friends and family would soon welcome triathletes to the finish line. The...

The Parable of the Potato Chips

(Or “Why Non-Fundamentalists continue to fund Fundamentalism”)By John PierceTo take advantage of age-related discounts, a retired couple does their weekly grocery shopping every Wednesday morning. The schedule is not all that doesn’t change.The list no...

Times change, box size remains

The sturdy 1.5-size boxes used to pack up my office for an upcoming renovation project were ideal. I could clear a shelf or more of books yet still lift the box without injury. Apparently, that is one of two stated purposes for these boxes. While taping up the bottom...