I like calling North Carolina home. (I know, it sounds like I stole a line from James Taylor or the Allman Brothers, but I actually think it’s from a old PSA for traveling to N.C. … sung by none other than North Carolina’s own: Andy Griffith). But seriously, I like calling North Carolina home. I mean, what’s not to like? We have majestic mountains for snow skiing. Beautiful, uncrowded beaches that are perfect for sunbathing or bodysurfing. Over 120 colleges and universities.... Read more

I wish… I wish for peace. Real peace. If only for a moment.I wish for that space to open uphere on Earth,so that the fullness of that moment may be known – so that humanity may experience, if only for a moment,what it means to love – all. I wish for us to drop our pretensesand our need to manipulate others.I wish for us to find our way pastour games of one upmanship  and to a place where equality reigns-not... Read more

I like the idea of Lent. While it is one of the oldest observations of the Christian Church, it seems particularly helpful for our very busy and very full modern lives. The idea behind Lent is to take a look at our lives, to do an honest assessment of our journey to/toward/with God and to repent of the things that are distancing us from God – to turn away from those things. Considering how many things we have in our... Read more

One of the fun things many bloggers miss out on is figuring out what Google searches bring a person to their blog. Until recently one of my favorites for The God Article was “is Mark Sandlin gay?” I had just posted my Clobbering “Biblical” Gay Bashing piece (which was ultimately picked up by Believe Out Loud) and it would seem that someone thought the best way to to disprove what I said, would be to prove that I am gay.... Read more

Ah…. I LOVE this time of the year! Some people wait with bated breath for duck season, some for deer season, but for me it is all about Christmas season. That’s right I’m one of those lefty, liberals that have declared a War on Christmas. That’s right! Sign me up for the War on Christmas! But maybe not for the reasons you might imagine. You see, while I am signing up to help in a War on Christmas, I’m not on, what... Read more

by Mark Sandlin This is a bit long for a blog post, but some may find it to be a helpful resource. I wrote the piece for another project and it just wasn’t a good fit. Honestly, if you are well read on the issue of the Bible and its take on homosexuality (or lack thereof), there is little new in here. For you, I hope this can be a quick reference. If you are not well read on such... Read more

I’ve mentioned a time or two before, that the Church is dying. And because of the research  presented in books like unChristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, we know a lot of the reasons for it. While some people in the Church like to point to the economy as the chief reason reason for struggling churches, it’s time to get real and just admit that while it really is terribly convenient to be able to say, “Really it’s not... Read more

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”  For Dickens, those lines are meant to set the stage for a novel that takes place during the difficult times of the French Revolution. It is also a novel that struggles with the social injustices that come along with war and the pursuit of power.  It is sort of a call to arms for the characters that will be called upon to live out another of the book’s... Read more