What can the Battle of Jericho teach us?
Recently, I had the opportunity to lead a Bible study with a group of college students on Indigenous Peoples Day. That day seemed to be an excellent day to study Joshua 6 – the taking …
Christianity
Of Might and Memories
Never Forget. As I write this, an estimated 5.3 million posts have used the #memorialday tag on Instagram alone. As it always follows a Sunday, a quick “Memorial Day sermons” Google search yielded over 7.5 …
Semper Reformanda? The symbiotic legacies of Christian reformation and education
Protestant Christians observe two important anniversaries the last week of October. Protestants recognize October 31 as the anniversary of the formal beginning of the Protestant Reformation or Reformations in Europe. This annual observance commemorates the …
The American idol of freedom
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a lot of talk about freedom in the United States. This was especially true protesters began calling for the government to lift shelter-at-home orders. In one thread about this …
Make Christianity powerless again
There are few things as detrimental to a person’s faith as a popular minister “falling from grace.” We enjoy putting our favorite preachers on a pedestal, identifying ourselves with their beliefs, charisma, and conviction. But …
A God big enough for bacteria
The railway forest is changing with the seasons. I recently took a walk through it, now that the bugs have died down enough that I probably won’t get West Nile Virus. Most of the forest …
The “Lean on Me” Ethic, No Bootstraps Required
When Bill Withers passed away it was all over Facebook. The top hit of his illustrious career was Lean on Me. It ranked #7 when it was released in 1972, the year I was born. Withers …
“Anything can happen anywhere” Heeding Margaret Atwood’s warning as the midterm elections approach
In the introduction of her classic work, The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood writes: “having been born in 1939 and come to consciousness during World War II, I knew that established orders could vanish overnight. Change …
Video killed the radio star, don’t let it victimize your relationships
In September of 1979 the British new wave/synth-pop group The Buggles released the single Video Killed the Radio Star; nearly two years later, the song would become a self-fulfilling prophecy when the single became the …
Eastern Christianity: A Journey
The following is a talk which my departed grandmother invited me to give for her Sunday School class at First United Methodist Shreveport and which, due to some confusion, was given in its entirety to …