An excited patriot handed me one of those 10-inch flags that you stick into your lawn on July 4. The plastic red, white, and blue was intact, but the pole that once held it together was broken three stripes from the top.
Connections 11.29.2020: Christian Holism
November 22, 2020 by
I recall a day when I was in fifth grade and it occurred to me that I had to go to school for seven more years before I could graduate from high school.
Connections 05.24.2020: Let Us Pray
May 17, 2020 by
Jesus’ followers had watched him ascend to heaven. Before he ascended, he told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. As they gathered to wait, they “were constantly devoting themselves to prayer…” (v. 14a).
Connections 06.23.2019: Christian Clothes
June 16, 2019 by
Some people try to express their convictions and commitments through their clothing.
Formations 08.13.2017: Persecuted Christian Seeks Asylum
August 6, 2017 by
What does it take to be “persecuted” around here? That’s the question that will soon be before the United States Supreme Court as Chinese Christian Ting Xue’s appeal of a Circuit Court decision moves forward. The former factory worker fled China after his arrest for attending illegal house-church gatherings in his native country.
Reimagining “Church” and “Christians” as the “Jesus Tribe”
September 21, 2016 by
This may be unsettling to some, but the earliest followers of Jesus did not refer to themselves as Christians. I am rather glad about this because the word “Christian” has too much baggage attached to it.
Ecumenical PB&J
June 17, 2015 by
I have often joked that I was Baptist before I was Christian—but it’s not entirely a joke. To me, it all comes down to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Formations 02.01.2015: Caring for Creation
January 25, 2015 by
You might think environmentalists and religious believers have little in common. Though that might have been true in the past, in recent years, more and more evangelical Christians have taken steps to do a better job as stewards of creation.
Why I am a Baptist: A Way of Living in the World (Part 3) – Daniel Vestal
September 24, 2014 by
Finally, being Baptist is a way of confronting culture, interacting with society, and relating to people, that is, a way of living in the world. For Baptists, an individual Christian and a congregation of Christians are to be in the world but not be of the world.
Why I am a Baptist: A Way of Doing Church (Part 2) – Daniel Vestal
August 20, 2014 by
Being a Baptist is also a way of doing church, that is, a way of functioning in a community of faith and living in relationship with other Christians. For Baptists, a congregation is a people gathered voluntarily and willingly.
Are you Religious…or Spiritual?
February 5, 2014 by
Does having your name on the membership roll of a church mean you are spiritual, and does church attendance always reconnect you to your soul? And is there something more than connecting to your own True Self about spirituality? Can you be spiritual and not have a personal, vital, love relationship with God?