But when one creates a culture which pushes towards mere Christianity, even cast in an `evangelical’ form, or which sees coalition organisations as somehow the places where the real action takes place, there is a problem because the established offices of the church are trumped by the self-appointed or, at least, the non-ecclesiastically appointed. I... Continue Reading

The United States is often referred to as a “post-Christian” nation. In one sense, that is true: The moral and cultural assumptions shaped by Christianity that used to hold sway in American society, can no longer be taken for granted. They must be defended and contended for in the public square. But that’s not the... Continue Reading

September 11th was a humbling day for the United States of America. The World Trade Center was symbolic of the West, and particularly the US and its economic leadership in global trade. Just two weeks before the towers came down on September 11, I happened to be in New York City walking around the World... Continue Reading

The horror of 9/11 left a smoldering pile of dusty rubble, but the gospel of Jesus Christ has overcome the terror in the lives of many New Yorkers, changing lives where the likelihood of change was doubted. Recently, I had another conversation about New York City—this one with a reporter from the New York Times.... Continue Reading

All of the fanfare surrounding the tenth anniversary of 9/11 left the Calvinistic, dour side of me cold and a bit cynical. Part of the problem was the fixation westerners have, with our base-10 system of math, to give more weight to anniversaries that fall on the five’s and ten’s than, say, to the perfect... Continue Reading

“Everybody wants a theocracy,” James Dunn famously said. “And everybody wants to be ‘Theo.’” I probably quote that at least once a semester in Christian ethics class here at Southern Seminary, not only because it’s pithy but because it is so true. Dunn, longtime head of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission and the Baptist... Continue Reading

Please let me know if you will accept this offer. We are already talking about ways to help this pastor move on. It should not be a problem since we’ve helped previous preachers find other calls. Dear Superpreacher, I am writing to you to ask you to consider becoming our pastor. We are a small... Continue Reading

For Halloween, we let our kids dress as astronauts and professional athletes even though their odds of actually becoming one are 13,200,000 to 1 and 22,000 to 1, respectively. It seems like every TV show targeted for children propagates the all important message to “follow your dreams.” It’s become an American virtue. Our children grow... Continue Reading

At the end of the day what I thought six years ago when I graduated from seminary was only partially true. I not only get to read what I want to read but I also read and study what I need to read and study He’s the “Jack of all trades, master of none.” I... Continue Reading

So I must ask: Are you a happy pastor? Let me encourage you not to rely on self-evaluation here. I’d suggest asking your wife: “Am I a happy pastor?” And don’t stop there — ask your kids. As the star of the television series Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe suits up and labors in some of... Continue Reading