Features
Thunderous yes: Preaching to the Easter crowds
Our guests know that resurrection defies logic. That is why they come sidling through our doors—every one of them comes hoping for it.
Laying one down: Baseball and sacrifice
A runner is stranded on base, in a far country, unable to get home on his own. The batter bunts, aiming to obey the manager.
Light without sight
Seeing has fooled me into thinking I have a clear view of where the road leads.
Welcoming children with disabilities
Read the main article on a worship service with children of all abilities.
I have a child who has a disability. Here are a few ways that congregations can try to embrace families like mine.
Use person-first language. Labels can be helpful, but our children are people first: Tommy, who has autism, or David, who has epilepsy.
Joyful noises: A worship service with children of all abilities
Part church, part support network for families, Salvage Garden strives to create a space where all are welcome.
Books
Scriptures of the East
R. S. Sugirtharajah sees both sides of the mirror: Christian views of Asian faiths and the reciprocal gaze of Asian believers.
The Bonhoeffer Reader, edited by Clifford J. Green and Michael DeJonge
This volume is arguably the best introduction to the theological writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer....
Peacework, by Henri Nouwen
Nouwen, known for his writings on spirituality, was committed to the peacemaking of Jesus and was able to make the connection between the inward journey of spirituality and the outward journey of p...
Flesh Made Word, by Emily A. Holmes
Emily Holmes endeavors, with the help of French feminist theories, to understand several of the medieval mystics who are most alien to 21st-century religious sensibilities.
A Prayer Journal, by Flannery O’Connor
Flannery O’Connor never wrote just for herself, God, and an elite group of peers. She was eager for an audience with ears to hear about grace.
Departments
“Entry into Jerusalem” from the sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican
The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, a popular theme in early Christian art, is depicted on the sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, a Roman prefect who became a Christian convert shortly before his death (ca. 359)....
TV Protestants
In The Walking Dead, there's a crucifix at a Baptist church. Why don't producers check such details with somebody who is actually religious?
A niche of welcome
A. J. is blond and energetic and has autism. His parents instructed me how to take his lead, touch his forearms, and appreciate his motions.
The ultimate mystery
In every age, the crucifixion has compelled artists with its raw human drama, as well as with its deeper meaning.
One calling of many
We all live with many callings in life, and the greatest is not to be a pastor—much less to be in the right job at a particular congregation.
Borderland speech
The best outcome of the tensions in Ukraine would allow the country to develop its unique role as a bridge between languages and cultures.
News
Retired Methodist pastor conducts same-sex union
William McElvaney, a retired Dallas pastor and former seminary president, defied United Methodist strictures against presiding over a same-sex marriage ceremony on March 1 but was uncertain whether he would lose his clergy credentials as a result....
Ultra-Orthodox protest bill to draft them into military
Much of Jerusalem was paralyzed March 2 by a demonstration by hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews against a bill that would require many of them to serve in the military....
African clerics: Gay rights equal colonialism
A call for greater acceptance of gays and lesbians has put African and Western churches on a collision course, with some African clerics likening criticism from the United States and Europe to a new wave of colonization by the West....
Bishop drops case on gay marriage
United Methodist bishop Martin D. McLee of New York announced he is dropping the case against a retired seminary dean who officiated at his gay son’s wedding....
Protestant work ethic not so productive now
America’s vaunted Protestant work ethic is getting a makeover: now it might be more of a secular or atheist work ethic....
Court lets Episcopal Church keep property
The Supreme Court has let stand a Virginia court ruling that allows the Episcopal Church to keep the property of a large congregation that left the denomination over theological differences....
Ministry leader Gothard quits after abuse allegations
Bill Gothard, an Illinois-based advocate for homeschooling and conservative dress who assails rock music and debt, has resigned from the ministry he founded after allegations he sexually harassed women who worked at his ministry and failed to repo...
Evangelical leaders decry Uganda’s antigay law
American evangelicals are denouncing a new Ugandan law that criminalizes homosexuality, reiterating a position that many have held for years but which has nonetheless drawn scrutiny and skepticism from critics....
Megachurch leaving PCUSA despite $8 million cost
Members of one of the largest congregations in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have voted to leave the denomination, despite facing an $8.89 million cost for leaving....
Lectionary
Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday, April 13, 2014: Matthew 21:1-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66
How does a crowd turn from shouts of joy to cries of murder in such a short span?
Sunday, April 6, 2014: Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 11:1-45
God calls us out of the metaphorical tombs in which we are buried: addiction, hopelessness, guilt. But I believe God also calls us out of the tangible tombs of entrenched poverty, poor education, and limited opportunity.