The historical Christian doctrine helps us to see the goodness of God in Good Friday. Good Friday sermons aren’t always easy to sit through. They’re even tougher to preach. Never have I been more moved or more likely to squirm in my seat in church than on Good Friday. Perhaps that’s because they invite us …
Colombo theologian: God gives Christians the freedom to leave the revenge cycle and instead love and bless Muslims. I was not at church in Colombo on Easter Sunday morning, as I was sick and had stayed home. Then text messages began to come about a bombing, then several bombings, in my home town and in …
We’ve never regretted saying no, but his words still haunt me. I was a little over halfway through my pregnancy when my husband and I sat gripping each other’s hands while a specialist gesticulated as he described the options for our unborn baby. We could opt for life-saving surgeries, we could give her comfort care …
Bible scholars, theologians, and philosophers used to work together. N.T. Wright believes they need to do so again. Stop thinking like children.” Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians is even more urgent for us today. Though they should be like little children when it came to evil, he insisted they should be grown-ups when it came …
Even as Jesus struggled, he was resolute about what he wanted most of all. “He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will’” (Matt. 26:39). When we sing the old hymn “I …
The truth of the gospel requires telling the whole story. Sitting across the table from me, he picks up a crumpled napkin. Amid our lively conversation, my friend—who is a pastor—explains his sermon preparation. He is brilliant and creative, deeply concerned with the Bible and why it matters to his congregation. Flattening out the napkin, …
Mary Magdalene both clung to the risen Christ and went out to bear witness. Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me … Go instead to my brothers and tell them ‘I am ascending to my Father …
Jesus’ important addition to David’s cry. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46) Jesus' spiritual life was bathed in the language of the Psalms of David. He was a descendant of David and was hailed on …
Why a growing number of congregations are taking deliberate steps to relearn the habit of talking together. In this age of social media, it is widely accepted that we don’t know how to talk together—and especially with those whose perspective differs greatly from our own. From Washington, DC, where the federal government teeters on the …
The short-term outlook appears grim, says scholar Daniel Philpott, but there are grounds for hope. In the West and elsewhere, views of Islam are sharply divided. To put the matter far too simply, one side describes Islam as a “religion of peace,” while the other contends that it is particularly disposed to violence. Similar strife …