By Blake McKinney I’d like to tell you the story of a church that is making a difference. I tell the story with some trepidation, because I know that Jesus cautioned against announcing our giving with trumpets. But right before that warning about tooting our own horns he told us to let our light shine … Continue reading
“I thirst” These words of Jesus bring us face-to-face with the fullness of his humanity. The extraordinary suffering he is experiencing has left him dry and parched; he is thirsty. Any human being having experienced the cruelty of crucifixion would be thirsty. The fullness of Jesus’ divinity does not diminish the fullness of his humanity. … Continue reading
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Of all the words from the cross, this is the most painful to hear. It is a completely honest cry of lament, lifted from the opening phrases of Psalm 22. In this moment of extraordinary agony, Jesus enters fully into the darkest places of human experience, … Continue reading
“Woman, behold your son; son, behold your mother” Among Jesus’ words from the cross are words of provision for his mother and a disciple whom he loves dearly. As he dies, he models a sacrificial concern for his mother and a tremendously close friend. When we listen to Jesus speak these words, we are called … Continue reading
By Paul Baxley We are at the beginning of a most unusual Holy Week. Even in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic, we Christians are called to remember the final hours of Jesus’ life, so that the Holy Spirit may bring those events powerfully into our present circumstances so that we can experience grace, … Continue reading
“This day, you are with me in paradise” Jesus’ second words, spoken to a thief on another cross, are spoken across a terrible boundary of physical separation and social distance. Jesus and this thief cannot touch each other. We cannot even be certain that by position they can see each other. But the thief reaches … Continue reading
“Father, forgive them; they know not what they do” Jesus’ first spoken words during the darkness of Good Friday are words of indescribable grace. He offers forgiveness to those who crucify him, affirming that they don’t really know what they are doing. These are also powerful words of grace for us to hear early in … Continue reading
By Ruth Perkins-Lee Our elementary teachers staged a parade and I cried! My children were not surprised, and mostly just ignore me when my emotions leak out through my eyes. These teachers decorated their cars, divided up addresses and meandered through neighborhoods of the students in their school. With windows rolled down, streamers flowing, painted … Continue reading
The small town of Camden, S.C., doesn’t have a national reputation like other larger communities in the Palmetto State, but it does hold the distinction of being the state’s oldest inland town. This month, and seemingly overnight, this little place has become the state’s epicenter of a global pandemic. Continue reading
In this special episode of the CBF Stories Podcast, Clark Hill connects with two CBF-endorsed chaplains as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the front lines of where the virus is most pervasive, their ministries of presence are most challenged by the need for physical distancing while needing to be spiritually close. Chaplain Renee … Continue reading