“The Episcopal Church has embraced more liberal positions on a variety of issues, including performing same-sex commitment ceremonies since the 1980s and eventually same-sex marriages. Many parishes have broken away, joining different Anglican denominations instead, over the issue of homosexuality.”   The day after Donald Trump was elected president, the Rev. Susan Springer wrote to... Continue Reading

“Missional at its core means to be characterized by mission.  God has a mission to unify all creation under Christ (Ephesians 1:9-10) and to reconcile all of creation through the cross and resurrection of Christ (Colossians 1:15-20). God invites his redeemed people into this mission, commissioned by him as ambassadors of our Savior-King Jesus Christ.”... Continue Reading

“So, as Jesus not only urges the disciples to pray that they would not enter into temptation – ‘stumble in the conflict’ – he also prays with eyes wide open to that looming conflict that he himself would not stumble. And such is the intensity of his struggle in prayer, that the Father provides him... Continue Reading

“Yazidis and Christians have been among the primary targets of the ongoing genocide being carried out by IS in Iraq and Syria, with the United Nations and other major organizations recognizing the extreme human rights abuses religious minorities are suffering there.”   A young Yazidi woman, who has been testifying before the world of her... Continue Reading

“I appreciate Maran’s candor in this article. I do think it is revealing. I suspect that many of those who marched for legal gay marriage in our country weren’t really that concerned about adding traditional marriage norms to gay relationships—norms of permanence, covenant, fidelity, etc.”   Meredith Maran had an interesting essay in The New... Continue Reading

“Some Darwinian thinkers, including Charles Darwin himself, advocated more births by more people, believing that it would boost the beneficial effects of natural selection. But many believed that eugenics required the restriction of births by inferior people.”   The “eugenics” movement, which sought to protect and improve hereditary racial stock, was phenomenally popular in early... Continue Reading

“The biblical witness and the testimony of church history clearly point to the fact that preaching is the church’s survival strategy. By preaching the church expands and by preaching the church remains faithful in a hostile culture.”   With our cultural analysis behind us, I would like to consider the role of preaching in a... Continue Reading

“The Jesus of Scripture never showed partiality to the poor as over agains the rich. The Jesus of Scripture came into the world to redeem rich and poor. A brief survey of the Gospel record teaches us this important lesson–a lesson that we so desperately need to learn if we are to be faithful witnesses to the... Continue Reading

“Attitudes toward homosexuality and sexual identity have been transformed, obviously, with far-reaching consequences for religious movements of all kinds. Religious groups have had to confront gay-related issues in their own ranks and also had to decide their attitudes to public policy.”   What are the most significant changes and megatrends that have occurred in the... Continue Reading

“It is abnormal for men, as effeminate as many are today, to actually be feminine, and frankly, impossible.  What woman has inside her can only be cheaply imitated by a man to another man.  She alone can shine as female from within.  Only Hannah can cry and sing over motherhood.  Only Abigail can slow down... Continue Reading