M. Craig Barnes
The temporary gift of marriage
"I'm not afraid of marrying you," said the young groom. "I'm afraid of losing you."
The night I learned to take chances
We stood along the highway in a blizzard, trying to hitchhike. We started reciting Bible verses to pass the time.
Glimpses of the beloved community
They were black, Latino, and white. They were whispering and laughing together.
Why I worry about the pastors of politically divided churches
In our current political climate, the preacher struggles to say something both unifying and prophetic.
What waiting reveals about our true selves
An insight I gleaned from Ernest Hemingway rings true for the mainline church today.
Boomers have got a friend in James Taylor
When my wife saw the concert tickets, she wept.
The missing theologians
There are some very important national conversations taking place these days. Few people seem to be saying anything grounded in theology.
Other people’s faith in you
You knew about weakness before you were ordained. Yet something made you get out of the boat and try to walk.
Brides of Christ
If the church is the bride of Christ, then Jesus is married to both Rachel and Leah—to the church he wants, and to the church he has to take.
The post-anxiety church
We church leaders need to stop fretting about our future and immerse ourselves in the baptismal waters that proclaim perfect love.
The church in the whirlwind
At a reunion of our seminary's class of 1965, I talked to pastors who grieve that they have not left the mainline church better than they found it. They were faithful to their moment, but that moment blew away.
When a child leaves
We just took our son to college for his first year. It was hard for me, scary/exciting for him, and wounding for his mother.
Revival without tents
I can still smell the wet canvas and sawdust of my father's revivals. He believed that any self-respecting revival was held in a tent.
Where issues have faces
The mainline has long congratulated itself for being prophetic because it's good at voting for progressive agendas. But change happens at the local level.
Commencement strategy
There is much hand-wringing about the future of theological education. Yet graduates still follow the Spirit's call into some form of ministry.
Lone leaders
What goes on in the mind of a leader who tires of building consensus and just strives to get things done?
Lesser-known heroes
Everyone is ready to bow a knee at the mention of Bonhoeffer’s name. Precious few of us have even heard of Ralph Hamburger.
Good dog, bad dog
There is a black lab—a student's guide dog—lying on the floor during chapel. As I preach, I wonder what the dog is thinking.
Joyful to the end
It appears that my friend Steve Hayner doesn't have long to live. It is breathtaking to watch him prepare to die as he lived.