First Words
My history in publishing
The “newspaper” I produced when I was 11 had simpler economics than the Century does.
I walked across Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge and saw a synagogue
Visiting Temple Mishkan Israel
When goodness is also lovely
The New Testament has two words for “good.” Knowing the difference between them can help us build a better society.
The power of a swim-in
In 1964, Mimi Ford jumped into a pool—and changed the course of history.
God at the center
A priority is singular. It’s hard to have more than one.
Faith is a gift to relax into
The Greek word for faith, pistis, isn’t about assenting to beliefs. It’s about trust.
The distortions of the God Bless the USA Bible
The conflation of Christianity and American patriotism has never done either one any favors.
Lucilla Goodman and other ordinary saints
Her epitaph, “She hath done what she could,” says a lot.
Limited incentives
Incentivizing good behavior can suffocate morality.
Why do we prize ownership?
Our possessive instinct goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
Patient care means listening to the patient
There’s little excuse for doctors skipping over basic compassion.
It’s time to end our national love affair with guns
Breaking America’s fetish for lethal weapons
Why do we care about the royals?
The monarchy, celebrity, and true greatness
Six predictions for the post-pandemic church
It won’t look the same, but there’s potential for renewal.
Sin is like a suitcase abandoned at the baggage claim
Lent beckons us to claim those forgotten things we’d packed away.
Politics, the pulpit, and my pastoral calling
It’s not easy to avoid the perception of a political motive.
The crumbling myth of American exceptionalism
To believe that moral values and virtuous leadership are self-enforcing is to fool ourselves.
Gratitude, need, and desire
These three stances toward God are the beginning of faith.
Christian liturgy should reflect the unconditional nature of grace
This might mean changing the order of certain elements.
2020 has me thinking about how we experience time
Time ignores our every attempt to harness it.