Stories are powerful. They give meaning and understanding. Stories directly influence how we see ourselves, our neighbors, and the world around us. One of the stories dominating politics and society today is that of chaos. “Chaos breeds cynicism and despair. It pushes us toward withdrawal, inaction. For this reason, those who perpetrate injustice often choose … Continue reading
We believe what we believe. There is no doubt that most of us have a very hard time changing our mind on most things. When it comes to our understanding of the Bible, that might be the most difficult for thing for people to change their mind. When we are confronted with ideas that so … Continue reading
CNN’s John Blake has covered the intersection of race, religion, and politics for decades. His work has won him multiple awards, elevating him to one of the senior writer roles at CNN. Just in the last few weeks, you’ve written on the great Harry Belafonte, the expulsion and special appointment of the two Tennessee state … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed Over the course of their vocational lives, many pastors find themselves charged with leading a church staff. This is not only true for senior pastors, but associate pastors can also function in the same way within their more specialized ministry areas. The supervisory role is challenging. Most pastors enter ministry expecting to … Continue reading
Where did you get your concept of what the Bible is and its function in our lives? Where did that idea passed down to you come from? Just how old is it as a concept? The theology established in the early church and later confirmed by various councils was that God is Father, Son, and … Continue reading
Human emotions are fascinating. And, if we believe we are made in the image of God, then all emotions are God-given. What do we do with shame, then? What’s the emotional design behind that powerful emotion? “Shame is often associated with wrongdoing, but the older I got, the more I realized that I didn’t have … Continue reading
For many, the association between certain an American political party and Conservative Evangelical Christianity is synonymous. Why is that the case? Is that the mischaracterization by outsiders? Or an unfortunate accurate matching? Whatever the case may be, we must consider the full ramifications of our political persuasion as Christians in America. How we vote directly … Continue reading
What do missions look like in a post-colonial world? So much of our understanding of missions has been shaped by the way that Euro-Americans have done it for the last several centuries. “As we broaden our thinking about how we might go into the world, we also need to be wise about the minefields that … Continue reading
Christians Expect Both Government Regulations and Church Involvement to Address The Issue of Payday Lending WASHINGTON, D.C. — Faith for Just Lending (FJL), a diverse coalition of faith-based organizations, announced April 13 the results of new polling from Lifeway Research on payday lending, which details congregations’ and borrowers’ experiences with payday loans. The Lifeway survey data of 1,000 Christians … Continue reading
I’m sure you have heard a line like this before, “It was so much easier to raise kids back when…” The real question is, when was it easier to raise kids? And why do you think raising kids in that era was easier? For whom? Contextually and generationally, being a parent is difficult, no matter … Continue reading