Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
December 20, 2019
Conservative Christian Magazine Founded by Billy Graham: 'Trump Should be Removed from Office' (Christianity Today) Christian Ethicist: Impeachment: Trump is Not Jesus (EthicsDaily) Republicans Tell Trump to Apologize...
Blessings for this good season and beyond
By John D. Pierce, Executive Editor Our celebration of the coming of Christ brings such joy and hope. It reminds us that life has its fullest meaning in relationships beyond our daily tasks. Faith, however, is for more...
Impeachment: Trump is NOT Jesus
During the impeachment debate, US Rep. Barry Loudermilk said President Trump received fewer rights than Jesus before Pilate. Here are 3 reasons such rhetoric, infusing religious narrative into a legal debate, is disturbing.
Too Many of Us Live As If Jesus Comes Only Once a Year
Christmas does not come just once a year. Jesus is not unpacked with the ornaments. He can’t be hung up and taken down like our decorations. But as it was then, so it is now. We still do not have room for Jesus.
Report: Social Safety Nets Effective in Reducing Poverty
Social safety nets have been vital in efforts to lower poverty over the past 50 years, a report says. Without such programs, an additional 37 million people, including 7 million children, would have been in poverty in 2018.
December 19, 2019
Republican Lawmaker Says Jesus Had ‘More Rights’ Before Crucifixion Than Trump in Impeachment Inquiry (CNN) As Impeachment Looms, Evangelicals Defend Trump But Pass on Debating the Issues (RNS) How the 2014 Christian...
Doing good — for free
By John D. Pierce As a campus minister I would often warn students that if they are “too busy” to do good at that stage in life it will be an even easier excuse when they have full-time jobs and families. I was using...
Profiles In Goodwill: Laura Landgraf
Laura Landgraf is a social activist, retreat leader, motivational speaker and the author of “The Fifth Sister.”
4 Hopeful Suggestions When Elections Don’t Go Your Way
What do you do when elections don’t go your way? You can stomp around in a huff, complaining about fairness and how the campaign was fought. Or consider these suggestions to continue to have hope and constructively engage as citizens.
Employment Lower, Poverty Higher in Rural America
The rate of employment is lower and the poverty rate is higher in rural portions of the US compared to metro areas, the USDA reports. Per capita income declined from 2015 to 2017 in more rural parts of the nation.
December 18, 2019
Pope Lifts Secrecy Rules for Sex Abuse Cases (CNN) Beatles Music, Christmas Story Come Together at Suburban Chicago Church (RNS) In This Art Gallery, Conversations About Religion and Spirituality are Welcome (RNS) An...
Charity’s Vital But Don’t Let it Blind You to Injustice
Few virtues are as important as charity. It’s the sign of a good heart. However, being good-hearted alone is not enough. When we live with unjust systems that violate others, we can be blind to our own complicity.
How 2 Dynasties Used Oil Bounties to Usher in God’s Kingdom
Two families, the Rockefellers and the Pews, built their dynasties viewing oil as a liquid blessing of God and marker of ‘celestial hope’ for the US, the world and God’s kingdom. Their descendants have mostly repudiated that view.
So You’re Looking for Short Sermons? Visit a Catholic Church
Christians who appreciate short sermons would find a welcome home in Roman Catholic congregations in the U.S., a report found. The median sermon length by Catholic clergy was 14 minutes.
December 17, 2019
How Long is the Sermon? Study Ranks Christian Churches (Kera News) Hallmark Channel Apologizes for Pulling Ads Featuring Same-Sex Marriage (CNN) Will Young White Evangelicals Turn Their Back on Trump (Religion News...
Pardon my skepticism
Several news outlets have reported what some see as exciting news with headlines like "Relic believed to be of Jesus' manger returned to Bethlehem" (UPI) and "After Two Thousand Years, Jesus' Manger Returns to...
Nurturing Faith publishes 100th book — and still rolling
By John D. Pierce, Executive Editor Three-time author Jon R. Roebuck’s latest book, Creating Space, marked a milestone for Nurturing Faith. It was the publishing ministry’s 100th title. It all began with a casual...
Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Hebrew Mind in Prophetic Mode
When you need a refresher course on compassion, when you forget what holiness looks like and acts like, read the works of Abraham Joshua Heschel, a Jewish theologian and philosopher of the 20th century.
Resource to Help Churches Explain Meaning Behind Baptism
Some Christians see baptism as ‘just something you do,’ a ritual. Others delay the decision until they’re ready to take the plunge. A new resource will help churches put the decision to be baptized in proper perspective.
Medical Costs Cause One-Third of Adults to Delay Treatment
Record numbers of U.S. adults report delaying medical treatment due to the cost, a Gallup report found. One out of three put off any sort of treatment because of the cost they would have to pay.
December 16, 2019
Are Christian Colleges Worth the Debt Burden? (James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal) In North Carolina a Sort-of Socialist Baptist Church is Taking a Radical Approach to Christianity (Buzz Feed News) A Woman’s...