Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
November 28, 2019
Evangelical Groups Urge Supreme Court to Reconsider Roe v Wade (Baptist Standard) Museum Highlights ‘Slave Bible’ that Focuses on Servitude, Leaves Out Freedom (RNS) Dad Who Lived in North Carolina Church Loses Bid to...
Advent Hope: When All Appears Bleak, God’s Grace Abounds
As Advent begins Sunday, remember God does what we cannot do. When today is barren and tomorrow is bleak, God draws near with surprising grace to bring new life and fresh beauty.
These 3 Truths Will Help You Help Others
Helping people with complex problems is in itself complex. However, these 3 truths drawn from Galatians will help you to ease others’ burdens and establish appropriate boundaries.
Report: Tax Policy Can Help Promote Racial Equality
The tax policies of state and local governments can move the U.S. toward racial equality, undoing the racial wealth gap that has hindered generations of people of color from improving their economic status, a report says.
November 27, 2018
In 2008 There Was Hope. In 2018, There is Hurt. This is America’s State of Hate. (CNN) Franklin Graham: Trump Defends the Faith (The Hill) Trump’s Christian Apologists are Unchristian (Slate) Arizona Supreme Court to...
Let it snow!
By John D. Pierce For the last couple of years I’ve stayed firmly on the same message: that many who claim the name Christian pay little or no attention to what Jesus actually said and did. Especially what he called...
GIVING VOICE
By John D. Pierce Never have I claimed to speak for anyone other than myself. But I’m always honored when told that my words have conveyed the thoughts and concerns of others as well. Shaping and sharing perspectives...
Emerging Voices | How 2 Pro-Life Camps Can Work Together
The two camps claiming the term “pro-life” are often in opposition to each other. If each can see where the other comes from, can they find common ground to preserve the dignity of human life across the board?
4 Strategies to Allow Your Church to Remain Vital, Relevant
While signs abound that many churches are in a state of decline, a way forward exists. Churches can survive and prosper in the days ahead. Here are 4 strategies that will help.
‘The Prince of Peace in a World of Wars’
David Kerrigan’s excellent and realistic book, “The Prince of Peace in a World of Wars,” shows us that peace is not just a fragile stillness but something that can envelop us as we ride the roller coaster of life.
November 26, 2018
America’s Epidemic of Empty Churches (The Atlantic) A Giant Ark, a Bible Wax Museum and Prayer: How Religious People Take Their Beliefs on Vacation (Tennessean) American Missionary Believed Killed by Isolated Tribe...
Not just plain vanilla
A paper presented at the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) meeting last week put me in the mood for pound cake. Really. I didn't get to hear the lecture, because my teaching schedule renders it impractical...
Author/pastor Jim Dant takes the stage in ATL Jan. 17
By John D. Pierce Nurturing Faith's bestselling book, This I Know: A Simple Biblical Defense for LGBTQ Christians, has become a go-to resource for those willing to take a serious look at the biblical context for the...
Why You Should Tell Your Story on Black Friday
StoryCorps has designated Black Friday as a National Day of Listening, a time when families – however you may define that – come together to tell and hopefully record family stories. Here’s mine.
Why Your Church Must Make Reconciliation a Priority
In our starkly divided nation, it’s more crucial than ever for churches to become peacemakers in the most basic sense of the word, breaking down dividing walls of hatred and resentment.
Ozone Conditions Improve, But New Challenges Emerge
While global temperatures continue to rise, ozone conditions have improved since 2014 as a result of an international agreement to reduce ozone-depleting substances.
November 21, 2018
Survivors of California’s Unending Fires Cook up Thanksgiving for Latest Victims (Religion News Service) They’re Preparing for a Race War. And They See Trump as a ‘Ray of Hope’ (CNN) At Mother Emanuel, South Carolina...
Goodness is a good way to express thanks
By John D. Pierce Thanksgiving reminds us that many of life’s daily gifts go unrecognized. It is more than a phrase to say, “We pause to give thanks...” This annual pause in our routines and rat races gives us the...
What Word Must We Recover This Holiday Season?
We often see those with different political, social or religious views as misguided at best and evil personified at worst. What we need this holiday season is to put into practice this word.
Why It’s Healthy for Your Pastor to Have Time Off
When pastors set boundaries in their lives, they can maintain their emotional, physical and spiritual health so when they are “on,” they bring the best they have to the situation.
Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes in U.S. Spiked 37% in 2017
Anti-Semitic hate crimes in the U.S. increased by 37 percent in 2017, according to the FBI’s annual Hate Crimes Statistics report. Islam also saw a double-digit percentage of hate crimes.