Does Patriotism Have a Place in the American Church?
Were we ever to have such a wedding of the kingdom of God and a kingdom of the Earth anyway? I think it has been a major mistake, and we will see the ramifications of it in our long-term discipleship for the next generation or two in America.
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The Plum Palace: Where Do You Place Your Belief?
This begs the question that transcends automobiles: What conditions dictate your belief? Is your belief in God conditional? We all are answering this question every day by how we live our lives because our beliefs dictate everything – who and what we believe in and why we believe.
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The Gospel Is for Now
Jesus made a way for us to have eternal life with God, and he brought vibrant and beautiful life to people in their day-to-day lives.
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Reflections from My Plantation Visit
It occurred to me in the midst of my reflections that we all construct God in the image we need him to take on to justify things we want to continue to do, believe and participate in. These might not be practices like the wretchedness of slavery, but they are wretched practices nonetheless in the eyes of our creator.
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Is Jesus the Center or Boundary of Your Theology?
A centered-set theology focuses on Jesus being the object of pursuit, study and attention in developing doctrines in the context of a relationship with Jesus and fellow Christians.
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Book Review: ‘Becoming a Just Church’ by Adam Gustine
Does a church have to choose if it must focus on evangelism or justice in its community? Adam Gustine answers this question in his new book, ‘Becoming a Just Church.’
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After Violence Against My New Orleans Church, It’s Time for Forgiveness
Our church and community were shaken last week with the random and senseless attack on two daycare...
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How Should Christians Respond to Public Accusations?
As Christians we are to “seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8), but the intoxicating allure of instant judgment can sweep us into an upsetting fit that results in ill-informed witnesses to God’s justice.
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Love Is Not Just a Conjugation
What might the world be like if each of us made an effort to be swift to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger and respect the rights of others to think what they think? The call is not to agree with others necessarily or to believe what others believe but simply to learn about or from the other, understand the other, value the other and respect the other.
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Christ’s Invitation to Childlikeness
If we truly believe and take seriously the words of Jesus whom we call “the Christ,” then we, too, must see children not as “a stage of life” growing out of silliness into adulthood but a reality of living.
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The Evangelical Razor Edge
Rather than dividing into two camps along a theological fault line of conservative and liberal or personal and communitarian, evangelicals are called to straddle the two, bringing the complete good news that Jesus came to save us not only from our sinful condition, but to bring heaven’s shalom to a broken world.
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How Can the Local Church Advocate for Immigrants?
I work with immigrants and refugees in both ministry and advocacy. When I care about what an immigrant family is going through in relation to their legal status or immigration situation, I have found that the door for prayer, encouragement, scripture and the gospel often opens wide.
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