Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
December 24, 2015
Christmas in Bethlehem is a Palestinian Message of Hope (Newsweek) Black Lives Matter Holds 'Black Xmas' Protests in Minnesota, California (Reuters) Colonial Williamsburg, First Baptist Church to Ring in New Era (Daily...
Don’t Let Grief’s Darkness Eclipse Light of Christmas
It's dark outside, and Monday seemed even darker than usual. And it should. It was the darkest day of the year. For those of us who live in the northern hemisphere, the shortest day of the year, the Winter Solstice,...
Christ Will Give More Than You Can Contain
The story of Jesus turning water into wine is one of the great surprise moments of John's Gospel. John's word for those surprise moments is "sign." The surprise is only the start. John isn't trying to pique our...
Singing in the Darkness: A Christmas Tradition?
This Advent season has been filled with tragic headlines, making the seasonal songs about hope, peace, joy and love seem disconnected from the worldwide disposition. Yet, Jesus was born in discordant times to a...
December 23, 2015
The Quiet Impact of Obama's Christian Faith (Washington Post) Evangelist Franklin Graham Quits the Republican Party Over Planned Parenthood Funding (Washington Post) Poll: More Republicans View Arabs and Muslims...
Let there be lights …
I've never been one to go whole hog for Christmas decorations, especially the outdoor variety. Our external decorations consist of a wreath on the door: inside, nativity sets on the mantel. The only lights are on the...
Sharing Christmas Truth During a Season of Excess
Our current Christmas celebration habits are uniquely post-World War II phenomena. Much of the excess we experience stands at odds with the way Western society approached the holiday only a few decades ago. This shift...
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
Millions flocked last weekend to watch "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the seventh film in a franchise often dubbed the greatest science fiction movies of all time. The franchise's momentous history is not only due to...
Churches Bear Gifts, Address Multiple Needs During Christmas
Churches are a pipeline for gift-giving throughout the year - and especially during the Christmas season. University Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, pastored by Michael Cheuk, collected groceries to...
December 22, 2015
Germany: A Church Took the 'Star Wars' Frenzy as an Opportunity to Teach a Biblical Lesson (Business Insider) 15,000-Lego Church is Fruit of Michigan's Annual Hobby (Michigan Live) First Baptist Jacksonville Weighs in...
‘Trumbo’
I have looked forward to seeing "Trumbo" since I learned of its impending release. The film depicts the story of Dalton Trumbo, a Hollywood screenwriter who was blacklisted in 1947 along with other artists for refusing...
4 Christmas Gifts for People in the Middle East
What do you want for Christmas this year? Have you created a gift list or made hints to family and friends about what you want? Here is a Christmas gift list, not for me but for the region which I call home and that I...
December 21, 2015
Jimmy Carter Announces Grandson's Death in Sunday School Class (NBC News) New Pastor at Charleston's Mount Zion AME Church Deeply Impacted by Church Massacre (Charleston Post and Courier) Beaumont to Allow Police...
Miracle enough
By John D. Pierce An ecumenical service to honor the remarkable life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta was held in an Atlanta-area Baptist church soon after her death in 1997. It was a fitting tribute — that included...
December 19, 2015
Furor Over Arabic Assignment Leads Virginia School District to Close (Washington Post) Support for Riverheads Teacher and Islam Lesson (News Leader) Muslims Less Likely to Support Religious Violence Than Other...
Climate Change Accord: Another Unfulfilled Promise?
Is the Paris climate agreement an offer of "jam tomorrow," to quote the White Queen's offer in "Alice in Wonderland"? COP 21 sought to build on the agreement of the COP 17 "Durban Platform" adopted in 2011, which...
In a Hate-Filled World, Where Can You Find Peace?
I've been thinking about peace throughout Advent - unfortunately, centering on its absence rather than its presence. I sense a lack of peace in our world, in our country, in churches and, yes, even in my own life. In...
5 Rewards for Bivocational Pastors and Their Churches
Most articles I read about bivocational ministry focus on the challenges often found in this approach to local church ministry. Having served as a bivocational pastor for 20 years and working with many bivocational...
December 18, 2015
Wheaton Students Protest School's Decision to Suspend Laryica Hawkins (USA Today) New Orleans City Leaders Vote to Remove Confederate Monuments (WDSU) Cruz Picks Up Top Evangelical Endorsement (The Hill) The Bible is...
In Fractured Times, Don’t Take Your Eyes Off the Prize
Zephaniah is not one of the more popular baby names nowadays, yet it is an important name to remember in this season of Advent. The biblical prophet Zephaniah spent much of his time railing against the excesses of the...
Baptist Pastors Stand in Solidarity With Muslims at Interfaith Events
Baptist ministers across the U.S. have signed interfaith statements expressing solidarity with their Muslim neighbors and condemning anti-Islamic rhetoric. In Providence, Rhode Island, Tom Wiles, executive minister of...