Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
How Choir Rehearsal is Like Christian Discipleship
I have been blessed with the ability to sing and also blessed to participate in church choirs for many years. During that time, I have sung under a number of choir directors. Some of these ministers of music have been...
How One Church Survived Their Mother’s Day Controversy
When it comes to observing Mother's Day at church, traditions vary around the country. Factors influencing a congregation's contextual practice include geographic location, denominational heritage, liturgical...
Urban Garden Produces Abundant Lessons for Students
T.E.D., which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, is a nonprofit devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading" that shares the ideas of some of the world's most curious, inspiring thinkers and doers. Ron Finley is...
Those who follow
By John Pierce While enjoying afterschool hummus at Mellow Mushroom with my daughter Abigail yesterday, she asked: “What African American became the next Major League player after Jackie Robinson?”...
10 Ways You Can Ruin Your Pastor’s Sermons
Healthy churches are marked by engaging worship. Engaging worship is nearly always marked by excellent preaching. Good preaching comes in a myriad of forms in a multitude of settings. Don't let anyone fool you: There...
Religiously Unaffiliated Hard to Identify, Define
Fifty-two years ago – can it be? – I published "The Infidel: Freethought and American Religion," and have been tracking "the infidel" ever since. Whether he or she was dubbed "free-thinker," "agnostic," "atheist,"...
A Mother’s Love Brings Value to Each Life She Touches
Photos give us a chance to gaze back in time, and I have one that is a special treasure. It is a black-and-white picture of a beautiful teenage girl wearing a simple dress with a look on her face that says, "I love...
Working Mother’s Day into Your Church Liturgy
For churches in the Deep South, the de facto liturgical calendar revolves around Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, Decoration Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July and Veteran's Day rather than Advent, Christmas, Epiphany,...
When Cable TV, Social Media Become Bad
Like all "Baby Boomers," I grew up with television. I cut my teeth on "Captain Kangaroo" and "Sesame Street" and graduated to sitcoms such as "The Andy Griffith Show," "Bewitched" and "Gilligan's Island" On...
Five U.S. Presidents, Five Great Americans
The picture of President Obama standing with the four living former U.S. presidents at the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas is a grand statement for us, and the rest of the world, as to...
Baptists, Muslims Seek Common Ground, Peace
In planning for nearly a year, the Baptist-Muslim conversation held on Saturday, April 20, could not have gone better. It was not lost on anyone in attendance how timely and significant this initiative was. There was a...
“Duck Dynasty” Offers Good, Clean Television Fun
"Duck Dynasty" is the one – and only – TV reality-show that I watch. There, I've said it. I've disclosed to the well educated, culturally urbane, theologically moderate and social justice minded readers of...
12 Sources to Help Your Church Plan for Mother’s Day
141 million and 18.6 billion. These figures represent the average number of cards given and the total dollars spent last year for Mother's Day, respectively. To call it a significant holiday would be a bit of an...
What the World Needs Now
A sermon by Bob Browning, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Frankfort, Ky. April 28, 2013 John 13:31-35 If you knew today would be the last day you would spend with your family and dearest friends, what would you say to...
The Acts of an Easter People: Open Acceptance
A sermon by Jim Somerville, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. April 28, 2013 The Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 11:1-18 “Bless his heart.” Isn’t that what we do in the south when we say hateful things but don’t...
An Expansive Dream
A sermon by Michael Cheuk, Pastor, University Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Va. Acts 11:1-18 Have you ever had a really bizarre dream? I remember when I was in the third or fourth grade and I dreamed that I was on...
How One Baptist Pastor Ended Up in Jail
I went to jail last Friday. It's the fourth time I've done it on First Baptist of Richmond's yearlong, every-member mission trip. I do it because I'm haunted by that verse from Matthew 25 where Jesus says, "I was in...
Albanians Face Personal Odysseys in Greece’s Economy
As students of literature know, "The Odyssey" is the story of one man's frustrated attempt to return home. Nestor, a noble warrior, came home shortly after his battles and discovered that little had changed. Agamemnon...
How a Baptist Associational Meeting Made My Day
When I arrived at the local Baptist association meeting, I parked on the lower level of the lot. As I was walking toward the building, I noticed several parking spaces near the door labeled "elderly." I thought this...
Amazing to see …
Science and space, ancient worlds and beautiful things are all fascinating to me, so I was particularly taken by an online posting in the April 30 MailOnline, published by the UK's Daily Mail newspaper. Cambodia's...
Excuse-Making Hinders Fruitful Discipleship, Ministry
Are you an excuse maker? When someone makes a compelling case for action or movement, are you prone to start your response with the phrase, "Yes, but…"? Do you see yourself as an exception to most rules? Making excuses...