Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
Vulnerability and Christmas Eve
Americans feel much more vulnerable at the end of this decade than they did at the beginning. That was the assessment of a panel on an early morning TV news show today.Examples were numerous and convincing with the...
Christmas Fear: What We Can Learn from the Shepherds
Sunday's performance of Rutter's Magnificat teemed with sophistication as the basses and tenors chased sopranos and altos up and down the musical score, accompanied by a full orchestra. This highbrow work was sung in...
Forgetting We’re Not So Different from Those in Need
Their door was paper thin. They had a sheet taped to the wall to cover the front window. The porch light wasn't on, probably because it didn't work. When she opened the skinny door, I let them know that the presents...
John the Baptist’s Pointed Reminder about Christmas
Bill Nieporte is a friend from my seminary days and pastor of Patterson Avenue Baptist Church in Richmond, Va. He's toying with the idea of creating a "John the Baptist" line of Christmas cards. So far, here is what he...
The Contemporary Cries in Palestine at Christmas: Part Two
Last year at around this time (Dec. 27, 2008, to Jan. 18, 2009), there was again a massive attack against Palestinian people by a ruling power, this time in the Gaza Strip, based again on what was seen as a threat to...
When You Love Someone, You Don’t Have a Choice
An 80-year-old lady called me recently to ask if I could help find some help for her son who lives in my metropolitan area. She is a faithful supporting partner in the Lott Carey network that I lead. She was doing the...
Kindergarten Lesson Can Teach Us All about Unity
You can still learn it in kindergarten. My sister does the heroic work that is the public school equivalent to a prep cook in a kitchen, a weight trainer on an NFL team or a computer programmer for NASA. Without them,...
Anti-gays now anti-Warren
Rick Warren is not only pastor of a mega-church (Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California) and the author of mega-selling books (The Purpose Driven Life being the most famous), he has also become a mega-contributor...
Something to ponder
Pondering is one of my favorite activities. Something I have heard or read gets lodged in my mind and doesn't go away for awhile. One of the most thought-provoking episodes to come my way this year was sparked by a...
Pregnant Faith
This sermon was delivered by Wendell L. Griffen, pastor of NewMillenniumChurch in Little Rock, Ark, on December 20 2009. Luke 1:39-45 The gospel lesson about Mary visiting Elizabeth is morally compelling...
Why Don’t We Live By Hymns We Sing? Chronic Lyricosis
I am at times afflicted with chronic lyricosis, which is, on the off chance you have not heard of it, a malady characterized by the habitual misunderstanding of song lyrics. When I was a child, I thought the church...
Past Christmas Days: Historical Facts and Trivia
Christmas Day comes in all sizes. By sizes, I mean our Christmas days have come with memories – good or bad, happy or sad – of all sizes. Beyond the pleasant, peaceful and meaningful day of giving and receiving gifts...
The Ancient Cries in Palestine at Christmas: Part One
Good thing the son of elderly Elizabeth and Zechariah – commonly known as John the Baptist – was born in a "Judean town in the hill country" (Luke 1:39) and not "in and around Bethlehem" (Matthew 2:16). Otherwise,...
“Invictus” Has a Christmas Message
Do you remember where you were the day Nelson Mandela was freed after decades in prison on Robben Island? Remember Mandela was freed on a Sunday, an event that was broadcast live across the world. I remember...
EthicsDaily.com’s Baptist-Muslim Documentary to Air on ABC Stations
A new documentary from EthicsDaily.com on Baptist-Muslim relationships will begin airing on top ABC-TV stations in early January. "Different Books, Common Word: Baptists and Muslims," an hour-long documentary that...
Christmas Hymn Reminds Us Separation Won’t Last
My favorite Christmas hymn is “Joy to the World.” Written by Isaac Watts in the 18th century, the music of this hymn is lively and triumphant. It captures well the celebratory spirit of the season. But it’s the lyrics...
No faith, no service?
I was surprised to learn that the North Carolina Constitution has a provision that disallows persons who don't believe in God from public service. The issue came to light after Cecil Bothwell, who describes himself as...
Fundamentalist fence building is a never-ending task
Parents whose sons and daughters go to Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga., can rest assured that soon every faculty member will have expressed allegiance to the narrow doctrinal confines of the 2000 Baptist...
What’s that number?
I just realized that every post this week has been some sort of back-handed gripe -- on Monday, I wrote in praise of a cussing ban at Virginia Beach; on Wednesday, in support of a congressional move to require...
“A Place for All: Faith and Community for Persons with Disabilities”
Editor's note: The documentary "A Place for All: Faith and Community for Persons with Disabilities" is currently airing on ABC-TV stations. Click here for local listings or here to order it on DVD. Most laypeople and...
Oral Roberts’ Empire Built on Promises of Prosperity
I learned of the death of Oral Roberts through a Twitter post that said: "Celebrating with Oral Roberts as he came face to face with Jesus. Your mansion is sooooo big. I'm sure of it!" The news was jarring. Not that...