Browse Archives
Check out news and opinion posts across the years
King’s Call to Remain Awake
Instead of sleeping through this period of change, we need, as King said, "new mental responses." New situations demand new attitudes, new ways, new resources. When Van Winkle left for his trip to the mountain, King...
Rituals Matter for Christians, Congregations
One of the reasons that rituals are so important is because they mark seasons of change. We remember change by recalling the ritual. Someone once said, "We give ourselves permission to change only through the form of...
Appeals Court: OK to Eliminate Religious Jurors
Overtly religious people may not serve as jurors, according to a recent New Jersey state appeals court ruling. Because the decision was not unanimous, 2-1, chances are likely that the case will be heard by the state...
“About Schmidt”
Retirement is anything but blissful for Schmidt. First, he faces boredom, then tragedy. Finally, he takes control, and he hits the road in his RV. This "road picture" focuses on Schmidt as he travels across country...
Barna’s ‘Christian Leader Profile’ Reveals Little Love, Servanthood, Wisdom
Christian leaders were not seen to exhibit a willingness to go out of their way to help the disadvantaged, generously share their resources, or undergo personal suffering or disadvantage to help others. Hence the low...
Rediscover the Psalms
The Psalms have often been called the hymnal of the Old Testament. This collection of Hebrew poetry contains 150 entries that include liturgical expressions of worship, capsules of Hebrew history, honest prayers and...
Scuzzy or Cute? Who’s Looking?
Our family is not "of one accord," to use the King James Bible's phrase for seeing things eye-to-eye. The topic is looks; the subject is young men. We can look at the same guy, but we use different words to describe...
The Great Worship Awakening: Singing a New Song in the Postmodern Church
The Great Worship Awakening is a helpful addition to the conversation about worship. Church leaders attempting to bring about healthy change in worship would do well to work through this book as a group and utilize the...
The Stuff of (Modern) Life
I hope I am teaching my children to care enough about others—and themselves—to live below their means, to use less than they could, to generously share what they have. Before returning to school from the holiday break,...
New York Councilmen Try to Ban Toy Guns
The recent shooting of a 17-year-old who was brandishing a realistic-looking toy gun has rekindled the fire of two New York City councilmen to ban all toy guns. But in New York City, toy guns are nothing to play around...
A Little Hope Goes a Long Way
What lies ahead for our world in 2003? More suffering. I'm sure of it. But I'm not a pessimist because I believe God will continue to supply us with sprinklings of hope. They will swell within a people who continue to...
WMD Takes ‘Word of the Year’
Talk of war with Iraq has revived a decades-old phrase, making it last year's "Word of the Year"—weapons of mass destruction. Or, for those in a hurry, WMD. Each year, the American Dialect Society chooses a word or...
Pastoral Profiling: Break Free From the Mold
Where do we get what we say and what we do to match up? It happens in congregations that allow the winds of the Spirit to blow wherever and on whomever the Spirit chooses. But what if you are 57, single, female, or any...
A Lesson We Can Learn From Lott
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.–Galatians 3:28 Casual, unscripted remarks may be the bane of a politician's existence, but they also are a window...
Famine, Death Recurring Themes for Ethiopia
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told BBC News that about 6 million people were already in need of food, and that the number could reach 15 million early this year if other countries did not come to Ethiopia's...
Share Our Strength
Hunger and starvation can devastate families, but Share Our Strength has made it a priority to inspire the "haves" to share their strength with the "have nots." The hunger-fighting organization's Web site,...
Read the Bible Daily
Often I am asked, "What can I do to grow as a Christian?" Several things may help you grow in your faith, but one of the most important is reading the Bible every day. Sounds simple doesn't it? Consider some of the...
“Gangs of New York”
One can hardly be a fan of cinema and not be acquainted with the works of Martin Scorsese. Many revere him as the best film director alive today. His films "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull," "Mean Streets" and "Goodfellas"...
Courage Seen in Two Sets of Three Women
What do TIME magazine's "Persons of the Year" and Moses' birth have in common? Both involve three women who showed remarkable courage. Recall that TIME magazine named Cynthia Cooper, Coleen Rowley and Sherron Watkins...
Getting Relief From Depression
There are many reasons why winter is often considered an emotional downer. Some counselors attribute this wintry melancholy to post-holiday stress, while others believe it has more to do with isolation caused by...
Critics Awards, Globes Lay Groundwork for Oscars
Oscar nominations will not be announced until Feb. 11. Certainly on that day there will be a few surprises, but even now, a month before the nominations are revealed, a few seem almost "sure things." This time of year...