To the Faithful across the Carolinas: Greetings to you in the matchless Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As the eyes of the nation turn toward Charleston we commend her to your prayers.  Our hearts are crushed by this violent act.  Our minds reel as we consider the pain of our brothers and sisters who have lost loved ones—mothers and fathers, children and grandchildren, family and friends—as well as for those who have lost faith and hope from... Read more

What if being fat is not sinful? asks Prof. Rebecca DeYoung. In her book, Glittering Vices: The Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies, DeYoung points out that gluttony in our culture is one of the most oversimplified and misunderstood vices.  Here we must emphasize that what makes gluttony a vice is that it is a habit. We can fall into a groove of repetitive choices to eat and drink for the very pleasure of these activities. Gluttony is a pattern... Read more

What to do? Should we arm the ushers? should we put metal detectors? should we restrict fellowship? Allan Bevere: Hospitality Can Be Dangerous and Even Deadly The shooting that occurred Wednesday night at an historic African American church in Charleston, South Carolina has focused our attention, once again, on several issues– racism, mental health, and gun violence, to name three. These are continued discussions we need to have because they are important. I am quite sad as a write this post. The... Read more

From AP: CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — One was a longtime librarian looking forward to retirement. Another had recently graduated from college with a business degree. At least two died in the church that they had attended for decades. A closer look at some of the nine lives that were cut short by the gunman who opened fire in a black church in downtown Charleston: The nine life stories told. Another link: nine life stories told. Read more

Clementa Pinckney, RIP: Reverend Clementa Pinckney, a South Carolina state senator and the pastor of the Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, was fatally shot in a mass shooting at the church Wednesday night that left nine dead, NBC News reports.…   Pinckney, 41, and several others were shot at the historic black church by a white gunman. The shooting happened during a prayer meeting. Pinckney has been in South Carolina’s legislature since 1996, when he was elected as a state representative... Read more

Jesus is the Keystone of God’s plan to resolve disorder and perfect order, or so claims John Walton in the next chapter of his new book The Lost World of Adam and Eve. But Jesus is more than simply the solution to a problem. He resolves disorder introduced by sin, but his presence and participation was always part of the plan to perfect order. We can begin this discussion by looking at an all important creation text, Colossians 1:15-23. The... Read more

We are saddened by the vicious killing of church folks at a historic African American church in Charleston SC. Our prayers are for the speedy discovery of the perpetrator, for consolation for those who are suffering, and justice in our country where racism continues to flow in spite of the great work of so many. Source A white man walked into a historic African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, and opened fire during a Bible study class, killing nine people... Read more

Don’t Forget Deuteronomy Deuteronomy is one of those books which doesn’t get a lot of air time in our churches. Yes, it moves the OT narrative forward with God’s long awaited Promised Land finally being realized and by handing the baton of leadership of God’s people from Moses to Joshua. However, traditionally, it doesn’t compete with the second chapter of Acts when we look to scripture for help in forming communities of God’s people in our context today. Phillip Camp’s... Read more