Samuel Wells
Why did I go to a charismatic worship service in an arena?
I feared it would last a week. Then came the moment of truth.
A parishioner with Alzheimer’s speaks for herself
She came to our events on dementia and faith. She believed we could do better.
Hopes unseen and unspoken
Here he was: prostrate, limp, a huge tube going down his windpipe.
A liturgy for people affected by suicide
One person told me, “It’s the first time I’ve been in a church for 30 years, since that day.”
Terrorist, spy, prisoner, truth-teller
When Sean O'Callaghan joined the IRA, nationalism was his religion. Later he saw how it poisoned his soul.
Why human rights and global ethics are inadequate concepts
In a globalized world, Michael Ignatieff argues, grand moral values have failed. What's left is virtue.
A pastor's job isn't to make bad things seem better
If you have to choose between offering false hope and the truth, go with the truth.
A confession about three nails
"Sam," the voice on the phone said, simply. I was transported back 25 years.
The hunger that no meal satisfies
Isaiah 55 gives voice to the longing we can't quite name.
The day my clergy group let one member down
The story was gut wrenching. Then came the group's response.
Two stories that define our world
One tells us we can have anything we want. The other says our problems are someone else's fault.
A book that has transformed my life of faith
For the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we asked writers to choose one formative book and tell us about it.
A former parishioner shows me the gospel
His life had emerged from chaos, but he didn't have a bad word for anyone.
What two pastors from novels taught me about incarnational presence
Mr. Irwine and Tóti offer lessons in going below the surface.
What people need from their pastors
The ailing young man wanted to be face to face with God. I opened my shoebox.