Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Starting Over
A sermon by Robert Browning, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Frankfort, Ky. November 17, 2013 Isaiah 65:17-25 What do you say to help someone who is at the lowest point in their life? This was the daunting challenge...
True Loyalty Does Not Gloss Over Shortcomings
Anyone familiar with the life and writings of Simone Weil will, I am sure, agree that she was a woman of exceptional faith. She was also a woman with an unwavering commitment to the poor. But, and this may seem...
Some Pilgrims Seek Balance, Others Seek Refuge
I'm fascinated by pilgrimage. For me, the term connotes earnestness, persistence, solitude, inspiration and a touch of holiness. It's rising above the mundane, shedding the constraints of banality. Pilgrimage is both...
Pope Francis’ Vision Seeks to Reawaken the Church
We are seeing something new in a pope, which I haven't seen in a long time. I am fascinated with Pope Francis' style, which differs from the popes I have seen. However, older observers have compared him to Pope John...
Desert Trip Offers Unique Perspective on Immigration
I collected a rock in the Tucson sector of the Sonoran Desert, near the small town of Arivaca. I was in the desert with Sandra, a member of Southside Presbyterian, who is also a part of the Samaritans, a humanitarian...
Loss of Church Building Doesn’t Cut Short the Memories
I got to the top of the stairs at the New York region office and realized my wedding band was gone. For nearly 23 years, it had been around my left ring finger. I had just finished washing my hands, so I returned to...
When Churches Transition to Bivocational Ministry
What changes occur when a church transitions from having a fully funded pastor to a bivocational pastor? This is a topic that needs to be studied further because it is a scenario that is happening across denominations...
5 Ethical Standards for Christian Outreach
I have read many articles on church outreach in my 30 years of ministry. I've even written a few myself. However, I have never read an article on the ethics of outreach. Maybe it's time for a look at the ethics of...
Why Christians Need to Take a Stand on Human Rights
Human rights concerns should receive constant and consistent attention across the Christian community. The Christian witness, as part of the Judeo-Christian tradition, bears an ancient witness as well as the clear...
Jesus’ Financial Backers Included Philanthropists from the East – The Wise Men
What happened to the wise men's gold given to Jesus after his birth in Bethlehem? I first asked the question in a 2010 editorial: "So, what happened to that wealth? What did Mary and Joseph do with the gold?" I asked a...
Fresh eyes, bright mind lead to discovery
By John Pierce Each April many parents participate in “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” — often called “Take Your Kids to Work Day.” A story published in the Chattanooga Times Free...
WWI Christmas Truce Reflects Humanity at Its Best
A century has almost passed, but it is perhaps one of the most remarkable events to ever occur amid so much hatred and animosity. The significance of the event can only be stated in terms of the miraculous. It was the...
How Do You Live With People Who Offend You?
What do you do when you have to be around someone you really don't like? It's natural to want to hang around with people we like, and few of us would choose to spend time with someone we didn't like, much less groups...
All Baptists Invited to Observe Human Rights Day
On Dec. 20, 1993, the post for a United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was established. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the OHCHR continues its mission to "[represent] the...
Really old stuff …
Thanksgiving came about as late in the month as it can this year, leaving shoppers with fewer shopping days before Christmas. Even so, the only frantic shopping seems to be among those in search of the few deeply cut...
If You’re Truly Thankful, You’ll Go the Second Mile
Seminary "J-Terms" – three-week courses in January, June or July – are always intense, but the one I took in July 1987 was especially memorable. Besides three hours of class daily, my professor required us to visit...
For Christians, Human Rights Rooted in Our Faith
Human rights are commonly understood as fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being. The Baptist World Alliance is promoting Human Rights Day on Dec. 7-8...
Early Harvest Meal Provides Model for Immigrant, Native Relations
What images come to mind when you hear the word "pilgrim"? For me, I see men wearing black, broad-brimmed hats with large belt buckles and women wearing white bonnets and aprons. Often I imagine these folks gathered...
Human Rights, Ecological Wisdom Go Hand in Hand
"Poverty is the worst environmental pollution," said Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India at the United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972. Since then her statement has been quoted and...
Thankfulness Runs Throughout Our Christian Heritage
Christ and Paul regularly thanked God. The four Gospels frequently depict Jesus giving thanks at meal times. Paul often gave thanks, especially for members of congregations under his guidance (see Ephesians 1:16,...
What’s the Title of the Prison and Faith Documentary?
When I was a young lad, I heard Southern novelist and poet James Dickey speak. He was asked by an aspiring writer when he knew that he had finished writing a book or poem. Dickey answered, "I never finish writing...