According to the Houston Chronicle, attorneys for the city of Houston have subpoenaed sermons given by prominent local pastors opposed to what the paper calls an “embattled” equal rights ordinance. Their subpoena seeks “all speeches, presentations, and sermons” related to the new ordinance, to the mayor of Houston, Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity “prepared by, delivered by, revised by, approved by you or in your possession.” Regardless of the issues at stake, this is beyond troubling. Any politician who... Read more

In the ancient world and in this brave new one, Jesus hangs on a tree, a God who bleeds and a sinless man. He hangs there from the foundation of the world and through every passing age. To one side, looking on, are those who deny God, or who worship gods they fashion, or who seek a life for themselves apart from the Love that fashioned them. On the other side, the leaders of churches, synagogues, mosques, and still yet... Read more

Victor Vasnetsov (Russian, 1848-1926) The Gospel can be stated this simply, really…God made human at the considerable suffering of a woman. I love the incarnate poetry: that God involves both sexes in our redemption. In fact, it was the only way we could participate, male and female, in God’s remaking of humanity in Jesus Christ. Some may object to the “whiteness” but Jesus took on humanity, every flesh tone and difference, every face and shape. He is the Everyman. Read more

We live, in fact, in a society that is so subjective and individualistic in character that it finds itself less and less able to tolerate anything like a church. Philip Turner III Bingo. The origin of our turnoff about church is in us. The church is first not something about me. I come to the body of Christ—the people of God yet alive from centuries past, a gathering of all the saints, seated before I was born, that yet continues... Read more