A while back, I had a parishioner ask me, “What is the difference between patriotism and nationalism?” Intuitively, I knew there was a difference, but I struggled to articulate it. Over time, and as the idea of “Christian Nationalism” gained momentum, I continued to ponder the question. Personally, I’m very uncomfortable with the way our political leaders are interpreting…
“From the Beginning”: God’s Design for Marriage (10th Anniversary Edition)
The Story Behind the Statement The legal legitimation of same-sex marriage in June 2015 was an important crossroads in American history and the Anglican Church’s witness in North America. I saw this event coming twenty years ago. I felt led to write a tract for the 1997 Episcopal General Convention titled Two Sexes, One Flesh:…
The Church Offers What the Culture Can’t
As a youth minister, summer camp is a regular part of my life. Every year, we load up the church van and head into the middle of nowhere for a week of sleepless nights, camp food, sunburn, and ruthless competition. While I love all the craziness that comes with camp, there is one experience I…
Politics, Perspective, and the People of God
The church’s duty is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, his reign, and the coming of his Kingdom. Its primary role is not the advancement of an earthly political agenda.
Is Your Church Suddenly Growing? (Suddenly Surging Part 1)
(Part one of five in David Roseberry’s Suddenly Surging series on church growth.) What is Going On? I first read a series of tweets from church leaders citing tremendous and unexpected growth in attendance in their congregations over the last few months. They were not commenting on Easter crowds but on Easter-like trends. Since their…
Readings for Pastors on Race in America
Serving in Christian ministry in America requires a knowledge of the racial history and current reality of our context. We need to understand how people are affected by our racial history and present struggles, especially through the African American experience. I’ve found the following books to be helpful to me for understanding perspectives on race…
Why We Cry for Notre Dame
The horrific fire at Notre-Dame de Paris on Monday has captured many of us. Nearly every tourist who has been to France has visited it. Nearly everyone who has an image of Paris has Notre Dame at the center. Seemingly floating on the Île de la Cité, it actually is at the heart, sectioned off…
Sorry, Benedict, We Need an Augustine Option
Ever since the Mayflower set sail from England, the idea of escaping a corrupt world to build a godly society has been an ever-present strain in American religion. That impulse has led to more than a few schisms since the days of the Puritans, creating the multi-denominational, patchwork America that we know today. Rod Dreher’s…
3 Prayers to Pray During the Election
Because it’s election season here in the United States, I thought I’d share the following prayer I composed for the election: Lord God, Almighty Father: Watch over our nation in these times. Casting a ballot is a privilege given to us by our Constitution and secured for us by citizens and patriots, past and present….
3 Questions to Ask When Preaching from Pop Culture: Avoid My Mistakes
Pop culture is the known world for most people today. By definition, it is the “popular” and dominant culture, heavily influenced by mass media, in America and in much of the world. At Christianity Today, I worked with a colleague who was extremely bright and working on her doctorate in English. One time, she and…
3 Conservative Christian Heresies
In the conservative Christian movement, we hear and talk a lot about liberal or progressive heresies. But those heresies are the low-hanging fruit of theology. That is, it’s easy to point out that universalism, denying Christ’s divinity, re-writing sexual ethics to conform with popular whim, or turning the Bible into a secondary historic curiosity with…
10 Habits for a Generous Church (Giving, Part 2)
From LeaderWorks: helping leaders do their work. As I wrote in part one of this series, a church without adequate resources will soon see their visions become vapors. Money feeds momentum. It is a sign of commitment, involvement, trust, hope, and even worship unto the Lord! It is good to talk about! That is why developing a…
