There are Christians who believe we should come to God on our knees as a supplicant. Others stretch their arms aloft like a child, as if begging for their heavenly Father to lift them up. Imagine an average Presbyterian going into a Charismatic service where speaking in tongues is common. The mainline Protestant might wonder... Continue Reading

“The difference between World Vision’s approach to violence in Syria and Israel is so stark that it is impossible to believe that the people who run the organization from their offices in Federal Way, Washington do not see what is happening. People like Kevin Jenkins, the organization’s international president, simply do not get put in... Continue Reading

“One African-American church planter summarized these concerns well. In an interview for a dissertation on African-American church planters, the man said, “It is a struggle to not feel guilty about not being where other people think you should be, especially if you think that it is simply because of your skin tone…This is a struggle... Continue Reading

The military chaplaincy provides a remarkable circumstance for teaching the great truths of Scripture, even in the context of some opposition from those who are hostile to God’s Holy Word, and many who are eager to hear and understand the Bible.  It also presents challenges which can be instrumental in a pastor’s own spiritual growth in grace, discernment and effectiveness.... Continue Reading

“…children learn to sing hymns with help from their parents. This past Sunday I witnessed three different sets of families where one of the parents placed their hymnal low enough for the child next to them to sing and the parent’s finger was sliding along the text and music so the child could learn to... Continue Reading

It’s a sad thing when good institutions and good people are unfairly characterized or misrepresented. It’s the kind of sadness (and anger) that I feel when vitriolic, demeaning or hateful language are directed against people because of their race, gender, or sexual identity. In both cases, we poison our public discourse and undermine our ability... Continue Reading

Leaders who understand their role as shepherds do not peer down at their people from a holy hayloft and drop an occasional bale of sustenance in the form of a finely-crafted homily. Neither do they allow their flocks to live in false peace. Shepherd leaders live among their people and pay “careful attention … to... Continue Reading

“Working multiple jobs is nothing new to pastors of small, rural congregations. But many of those pastors never went to seminary and never expected to have a full-time ministerial job in the first place. What’s new is the across-the-board increase in bi-vocational ministry in Protestant denominations both large and small, which has effectively shut down... Continue Reading

“According to the newspaper, school president Jim Montgomery has confirmed the closing, but declined to comment further pending the issuance of an official statement. Chamberlain Hunt Academy is an old school and has roots in Oakland College, which became Alcorn State after Oakland was sold to the state of Mississippi when it was unable to... Continue Reading

There are always a number of people who have gifts of mercy and are relationally strong in helping others with wise counsel. Often, they have gained these skills and character qualities through the hard knocks of life. You know who they are because people talk about how they have been helped by them.   The... Continue Reading