Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
God bless Lamott
My car is only five-and-a-half years old, but it has a lot of miles on it, and things have started to fade away -- like the gas gauge, which hasn't worked in more than a year. I checked on having it fixed, but two...
Walk Before Me
Sermon delivered by Randy Hyde, pastor of Pulaski Heights Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark., on Mar. 8, 2009. Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Romans 4:13-25 It was a strange and new idea, that Abraham “ that anybody “ would...
Chosen People, Chosen Ways
Sermon delivered by Randy Hyde, pastor of Pulaski Heights Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark., on Mar. 15, 2009. Exodus 20:1-17 It is really very simple, you see. We “ you and I “ are descendants of the...
Firebombing of Mosque in Rural Tennessee Sparks Baptist-Muslim Interface
Standing on the sidewalk outside the courthouse in Columbia, Tenn., on a windy morning, a deputy sheriff asked with a smile, “Is there a relationship?” I had asked him directions to a Baptist church as he eyed Cliff...
Dreamers, Like Runners, Grow When They Push Their Limits
On a recent visit to Charleston, W.Va., I had enough time to get a nice run in while the sun was still high in the sky. There's no better way to explore a new city than by running through its downtown and along its...
Diversity Reigns Among So-Called Liberal Clergy
One of my teachers would frequently remind us that categorizing people by means of narrow labels is just another way of not having to think deeply about them. It happened to me a few years back as I was trying to make...
Baptists and Muslim Scholars Meet in Jordan
(BWA) A number of Christian and religious groups were convened by the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) at the Kempinski Hotel in Amman, Jordan, on the morning of Thursday, March 19, to discuss common interests and to...
Improving one’s image
Dried fruits and assorted nuts have become my favorite snack in recent weeks. Nestled in the grocery display among the cranberries, raisins and mango was a bag touting "Premium Pitted Dried Plums."It took me a moment...
“All God’s Children”
“How many African souls were worth my soul?” That’s the question of a former missionary kid in Africa, whose abuse at a boarding school for missionaries’ children in Mamou, Guinea, is the subject of a chilling new...
Treating God’s Life-Changing Gift Like a Misplaced Tool
“We have a leak!” Those are frightening words to hear if you live near or work in a facility that produces or stores hazardous material. They can be just as frightening, dreadful and troublesome when the leak is not...
The Real Problem with the Sin Tax “ Not Big Enough
North Carolina is among the states that are looking at "sin taxes" as a relatively easy means for increasing revenue – easy, so long as they can get by the powerful tobacco and alcohol lobbies. There's just one thing...
Trusting
This sermon was delivered by Julie Pennington-Russell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga., at McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta, Ga., on March 17, 2009. Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not...
The Future’s in Good Hands with Today’s Teenagers
Whether we are parents, teachers or just adults observing teenagers at the mall or the movie theater, it is easy to give in to the sentiment that kids today are a real mess, and therefore our society is headed for...
Ministering to Members with High Needs: Don’t Do It Alone
Every church I have served has had some high-needs members. These are the folks who have personality disorders, mental challenges or barriers to living that require the help of others regularly. Your church probably...
British Mission Group to Offset Carbon Emissions
One of the oldest Protestant mission organizations has become one of the most forward-looking religious groups when it comes to fighting climate change. BMS World Mission in Great Britain, the world’s oldest Baptist...
The problem with the “sin tax”
North Carolina is among other states that are looking at "sin taxes" as a relatively easy means for increasing revenue -- easy, so long as they can get by the powerful tobacco and alcohol lobbies.There's just one thing...
LEARNING FROM BAPTIST HISTORY: The Migration of Baptist Women to Other Denominations
Eighth in a series: In 1882, May C. Jones was ordained to the gospel ministry by a Northern Baptist church (now ABC-USA), making her the first woman ordained in that denominational body. In 1964, Addie Davis was...
Celebrate, But Don’t Rest On Our Laurels
Sunday marked the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade in the United Kingdom. What is surprising about the observance is the heat the issue raises, even so long after the event. White British people had...
Celebrating Associational Missions
This year marks the 300th anniversary of the first association of Baptist churches formed in what is now the United States of America. Inspired by a book by Paul Stripling, who outlines 10 Turning Points in the History...
Learning About Christians and Race in 1965
Doing some cleaning and rearranging at our house, I came across a paper I wrote when I was in college. OK, I haven't saved all the papers I wrote in college or seminary, but this is a very special paper to me. In 1965,...
The Castle and the Wall: A Reflection 19 Years Later
George Arthur Buttrick, the legendary Presbyterian preacher of the 20th century, insisted that all preaching is venue specific. Indeed it is. The day I preached the Southern Baptist Convention annual sermon in downtown...