As time passes, I find myself increasingly drawn to old authors and old books. I scour the used bookshops to look for lost treasures. At the back of one such nineteenth-century work I found this old poem by Edward Morris. I don’t know who Edward Morris was or when he lived, but I’m grateful forContinue reading “Three Score and Ten”
Category Archives: Relevant
The Weak Made Strong
We have to be very careful in how we wage spiritual war. Thanks to some fanciful fictions and inspirational clichés, a lot of bad theology has crept into the Church’s thinking on these matters. The way some people talk about prayer owes more to New Age spirituality than biblical Christianity. Many of us were evenContinue reading “The Weak Made Strong”
A Primer on the Church in Africa
1. The African church is growing. It is said that the number of Christians in Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century was about 9 million and that by the end of the twentieth century it was about 380 million. Church structures cannot cope with this kind of growth. So, churches are simply meetingContinue reading “A Primer on the Church in Africa”
The Unchurched Do Not Hate You, Christian
“What’s church?” That’s one question my kids weren’t used to hearing. But one morning, a boy who lived down the street knocked on the front door to play with our sons. Because it was a Sunday, our young neighbor was informed that they’d have to take a rain check because they were headed to church.Continue reading “The Unchurched Do Not Hate You, Christian”
The Black Church in America Survey
Black Americans remain more religious than other Americans, according to a massive new survey. Yet fewer are attending or seeking out predominantly black churches. Among black worshipers: 4 in 10 now attend a non-black congregation—including half of millennials and Gen Z. About half say it’s essential for churches to offer “racial affirmation or pride,” whileContinue reading “The Black Church in America Survey”
Famine Is Back
We picture brutal, grotesque images. Cows’ hips protrude. Babies’ eyes are hollow. Bloated stomachs growl. Skin stretches tight across faces. The skull outline emerges. Joints swell. Grim, despairing stares replace smiles. Hope is gone . . . life is reduced to a harsh existence. Those who have seen it cannot forget it. Those who haven’tContinue reading “Famine Is Back”
Politics Cannot Bear This Load
A little more than a week after the storming of the Capitol, five Americans have died, the House of Representatives has impeached the President for a second time, Twitter and other social platforms have permanently banned the sitting President of the United States, Amazon Web Services shut down alternative social media site Parler, and NationalContinue reading “Politics Cannot Bear This Load”
A Prayer for God’s Provision
Father, we’re reminded of Your absolute faithfulness as we reflect upon the Israelites’ journeying in the wilderness. Even when they were unfaithful and rebellious, in Your compassionate faithfulness, You provided for their daily needs. Your steadfast love never ceased and Your mercies never came to an end, for they were renewed everyday and are thisContinue reading “A Prayer for God’s Provision”
Social Justice Is Not Biblical Justice
Do you remember the Emerging Church? Steeped in postmodernism and marked by more than a little progressivism, it rose to prominence in the early naughts and seemed as if it would present a formidable challenge to orthodox Christianity in the new millennium. Many viewed it as a severe threat to the gospel of Jesus Christ.Continue reading “Social Justice Is Not Biblical Justice”
What If These Are the Last Days?
One of the “joys” of training to become a soldier in the United States Army is pulling what’s called fireguard duty. The Army used to house soldiers in wooden barracks with wood-burning stoves. So soldiers would rotate shifts through the night to make sure the place didn’t burn down. Even though there’s not so muchContinue reading “What If These Are the Last Days?”
