As the only son of an only son, I was supposed to have sons; it was my duty. I’m not sure how to make a duty out of something beyond my control, of course, but I was supposed to have sons. That was clear. As I envisioned my family, I was supposed to have big, strapping boys who I could teach how to play soccer, the ins and outs of the NFL, the artistic nature of the 1965 Mustang fastback,... Read more

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Christianity is a faith of contrasts. The Bible describes the Incarnate son of God lying in a manger; an elderly, temperamental Moses leading the enslaved Israelites to freedom from the mighty Egyptian empire; shepherd boy David defeating the hero of the Philistine army, Goliath; Joseph now with power over his brothers not avenging himself for their crimes against him; and many others. Perhaps the most vivid series of contrasts, however, can be found on the... Read more

Reynolds Hall on the top of the Hill at Western Carolina I remember it well, but I don’t often speak of it often. I was walking down the “hill” at Western Carolina University from Reynolds Hall down the long, steep staircase to Brown Cafeteria. Not looking carefully enough at the narrow concrete steps, I slowly made the steep descent in deep thought. While the campus has changed significantly since, that walk was a thing of beauty in the spring of... Read more

Photo by Kindel Media on Pexels.com It was an opportunity I did not seek. I was at a local rest home making a visit to a couple of my members who were residents. After my visit, I went to the registry to sign out. I reached in my pocket to grab my keys and was ready to head back to the office. Just then, the Activities Director got my attention. “Do you have a moment?”   “Sure.” I replied. “Our... Read more

https://goodfaithmedia.org/when-life-is-unfair-look-for-signs-of-goodness/ Read more

Photo by D0N MIL04K on Pexels.com In my first year in seminary, my Preaching professor introduced me to the Revised Common Lectionary. For those of you in Baptist or other Free Church traditions, you may not be aware that Mainline (Presbyterian, Lutherans, Methodists, etc.) and Catholic traditions have used lectionaries, cycles of Scripture readings for worship, for centuries. The Revised Common Lectionary, the most commonly used lectionary, is a three-year cycle of readings of the Scriptures based on the first... Read more

My latest piece in Baptist News Global Look at the big picture to see the reckoning happening on sexual abuse Read more

Photo by Maruf Bijoy on Pexels.com If I possess knowledge of the Divine and human world and have no hope, My life is reduced to an empty void. If I have the resources to give to charity and have no hope, My resources will likely remain locked away. If I could speak in the languages of all people and angels but have no hope, I would rest in a silent heap. Hope is what gives life its power. It is... Read more

There are events in life that, even after you know they are true, hardly seem possible. Our mind greets some realities as if they were just conspiracy theories or mere bad dreams. When the real evidence comes in or when the sun rises, the mind wants to conclude, these events will be shown to be mere fictions. For all of its wishing, the mind cannot, finally, alter reality. Events happen. We may not like them. We may wish with everything... Read more