Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Which is More Important? Loving Attitude or Right Belief
In the interest of best serving small to medium churches, I go to great lengths to build bridges with all constituencies, some with whom I vehemently disagree. Toward that end, I attended a men's conference in...
God Loves Humanity Despite Our Dark Side
I was 12; my brother was 8. We rarely got along. We lived in a big house, which my family had converted into a mission chapel in Grand Island, N.Y. Sometimes, my brother and I played together – or tolerated each other,...
Advocating for Migrant Workers’ Rights in Lebanon
In the spate of 12 days in October 2009, I read in the newspapers of the death – presumed suicide – of four migrant domestic workers. The workers were either Nepalese or Ethiopian. Upon the fourth death, I went online...
Political football worth watching
In an age when "going on tour" commonly refers to musical shows, relics of an 2600-year-old royal rock star have begun a seven-city tour of the U.S., and it's well worth making the effort to see. The Cyrus Cylinder,...
5 Moral Challenges Caused by Food Injustice
Joseph Ratzinger, who recently stepped down as Pope Benedict XVI, was not as popular, let alone as saintly, as his predecessor John Paul II. But he has acquired a well-deserved reputation as the "Green Pope," making...
Creating Worship for People with Learning Disabilities
Is church the only way of expressing a person's faith? Many Christians find comfort in the structure of a church service. They know what to expect, enjoy the opportunity to meet with God, to sing, learn and meet with...
What If Your Church Were More Like Rotary?
I've been a Rotarian now since 1996. Rotary is an international service organization. Our motto is "Service Above Self." In most cities around the world, you can find Rotarians meeting once a week, all seeking to make...
Hungry and Barren
A sermon by Dr. David Hughes, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Winston Salem, NC Psalm 63:1-8; Isaiah 55:1-9; Luke 13:1-9 I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that Christians can be so negative about this human body...
Truth and Consequences
A sermon by Randy Hyde, Pastor, Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ar. Third Sunday in Lent Marathon Sunday* *Worship Note: In addition to today being the Third Sunday in Lent, it is also the running of the...
Who Is Thirsty and Hungry?
A sermon by Michael Cheuk, Pastor, University Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Va., on March 3, 2013. Isaiah 55:1-9 What’s the hungriest you’ve ever been? For some of the kids in our youth group, the answer might be,...
Hey! We are Invited!
A sermon by Wendell Griffen, Pastor, New Millennium Church, Little Rock, Ar. Isaiah 55:1-13 55Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without...
Guest at God’s Table
A sermon by Keith Herron, Pastor, Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo. The Third Sunday of Lent Isaiah 55:1-9 Psalm 63:1-8; I Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9 One could sum up the bulk of what we know about Lent...
Why Nishida Tenko Wants You to Clean Toilets
Not many Americans know about him, but Nishida Tenko was an outstanding man who deserves to be known and appreciated more widely. He died 45 years ago on Feb. 29, 1968, at the age of 96. Even though I never had the...
Is Watching “The Bible” Worth Your Time?
I finally got a chance to watch the premier episode of "The Bible," which aired on Sunday night on the History Channel. I admit that I went into my viewing of the episode with high hopes and low expectations because...
For the World’s Ultra-Poor, Hope is Not Apparent
One of the unexamined assumptions of the Christian faith is a theology based on hope. And yet, I find hope problematic because among the disenfranchised, the ultra-poor, the least of the least, I discover an ethos...
Apologizing to Rosa …
In Washington D.C. for a meeting of the Baptist World Alliance's executive committee, I made a brief pilgrimage to the U.S. Capitol -- not to convince Congress to act like adults and compromise for the good of the...
Tolerance “ Key Ingredient for Interfaith Dialogue
I recently reread a favorite story of mine about three religious teachers: one Jewish, one Christian and one Muslim. Taking a break from their studies, they meet for a walk and conversation in the park just outside the...
“Araboolies” Demonstrates Creative Nonviolence
Sam Swope is one of my favorite writers. His book, "The Araboolies of Liberty Street," was published by Clarkson Potter in 1989. It became an "underground" classic, a favorite for people who live and move and have...
1 in 3 Britons Boycotting Tax-Avoiding Companies
Millions of Britons are boycotting companies seen to be avoiding their fair share of taxes in the United Kingdom, according to new research from Christian Aid, a relief and development agency. A ComRes survey about...
Pop-Tart Baptists
By John Pierce Episcopal priest, church consultant and Religion News Service columnist Tom Ehrich posted a column today about the challenges and, therefore, new ministry opportunities some churches are discovering....
How Does Your Church React to Issues? Fear or Love
As a boy, I spent a great deal of the summer at my grandparent's ranch. It was a child's dream – endless space to roam, all sorts of animals, ponds to swim in, trees to climb and stars to count. One day, I was running...