Once upon a time (say as late as 1948), the terms "liberal" and "conservative" actually held clearly defined meaning. Conservatives generally regarded change or experimentation via government to be dangerous. They, therefore, sought to slow the pace and scope of change. Liberals for the most part believed the challenges of the time required enormous shifts in the role of government and so pushed for bold action. Nea ...

What do you think of when you hear the term church?

As a child, I thought of a specific building, a small sanctuary at the intersection of two roads in the heart of my boyhood village. The building even had it's name written on it in large, black letters. No doubt about it--the building was the church. As such, the very building was considered holy space. Everything within it commande ...

Not too long ago, a friend from another relgious tradition asked me to summarize my "take on Jesus." This is the reply I shared.

Jesus, ideally, is the center of my life. Traditionally, Christians speak of Jesus as "Lord," "Master," "Teacher," "Saviour," and the like. The simplest way I know to capture the essence of all such terms is to picture Jesus as t ...

The letters of C. S. Lewis have been published in three hefty volumes over the past few years. Thanks to my son's generosity, I've been reading the letters as each volume became available.

Any number of matters clamor to be addressed. The letters offer glimpses into Lewis' personal life and spiritual journey, his career, the development of many of his published works, and how he viewed developments in the ...

Over the past decade or so, I've heard a lot of nonsense about what it means to be a Christian man.

One Texan I know argues that a Christian man ought to be taught to use guns and to hunt. I'm not clear on the connection between hunting and knowing God, but he certainly thinks there is one. Others continue to chew on the matter of male versus female dominance in the household, how much emotion a ...

The March 10 edition of Newsweek featured an article about a Chicgo firm that banned gossip. Sam Chapman, CEO of Empower Public Relations, credits the policy with doubling the company's buisness. According to Chapman, the policy has helped employees focus on work and communicate better with one another.

Here's how it works. First, all the employee ...

The New Baptist Covenant gathering in Atlanta exceeded all my expectations, and I hope it marks the beginning of a new day for Baptists in North America.

I confess I drove to Atlanta in "observer mode." My inner cynic was alive and well. Something unexpected happened. Starting with the first worship service and continuing until the final benediction, I was swept off my feet, drawn into the exper ...

Well over a year ago, my wife and I inherited a black Labrador retriever from our daughter, when she married a fine young man who lived in Fairbanks, Alaska. They married on December 28. According to my daughter, the airlines had a policy against flying animals to Alaska at that time of year--something about it being too cold in the hold. "Don't worry," she told us. "We'll fly the dog to Fairbanks next spring."

Most  pastors spend a great deal of time with hospitalized persons. It's part of our calling (not to mention our position description). Nowadays, some pastoral leadership models argue pastors ought not to spend time on hospital visits. Instead, pastors should invest themselves in promoting the church's vision and preaching.

I disagree.  

Incarnation--that's the theological term we use to describe what happened when "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

Expository, topical, narrative, and other forms of sermons will be preached this week as clergy attempt to communicate a least a bit of the Incarnation's significance in twenty to thirty minu ...