Dr. Thomas Lane Butts: The Power of Attitude
There are many things in life over which we have little (or no) control, but we do have the power to control our attitude toward what happens to us. Your attitude can make you miserable even in relatively fortunate circumstances, or it can bring you a sense of contentment in the most unfortunate circumstances.
ON Scripture: Eric Barreto on Exodus 20: 10 Commandments--Rules and Regulations?
How many of the Ten Commandments can you name? If you are like most Americans, the number is far below the full ten. A 2007 survey reported that most Americans could rattle off the ingredients of a Big Mac more readily than the Ten Commandments
Bruce Reyes Chow: What Leaders Can Learn about Change from FaceBook
Yes, Facebook has done it again. Not since the great “Rounded Corners Kerfuffle of 2008”³ has there been such an uproar over changes to the design and architecture of our beloved Facebook.
Finding our direction
I find it. I lose it. I seek it. I find it. (again, and again and again!)
How To Ask People to Give More Money to Church
Testifying, then asking, is one of the best ways to encourage others to give more. It is far more powerful than the leader telling others what they should do.
How we live is far more important than how long we live
The psalmist said that “We live for seventy years or so and with luck we might make it to eighty” and then he adds, “Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!” (Psalm 90:10, 12, The Message).
Larry Hollon: The Global Cry for Economic Justice
There is a growing gap between the rich and poor, the need for meaningful work, and the need for economic and labor policies that favor job creation. This need is global, and it's spiritual.
Greg Garrett: Becoming American? A Review
A new book shows that American Muslims embrace America and want to be embraced in return as American citizens.
David Crumm Interviews Paul Franklyn about the CEB
ReadtheSpirit.com editor David Crumm talks with Paul Franklyn about the new Bible translation pitched toward mainline Christians: The Contemporary English Bible (CEB).
Bruce Reyes-Chow: Is God a Christian? A Review
With words and emotions of the the 9/11 10-year remembrance in the air, I thought this would be a great book to help me think about some of the harder questions confronting religion today. I was not disappointed.
Dr. Thomas Lane Butts: Misjudging the Future
It is amusing to see how badly people in the past, some of them very knowledgeable people, have misjudged the future. Here are a few examples which should make us careful about making unequivocal predictions.
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori - Peace in the Midst of Scarcity
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori presided at Eucharist at Catedral del Buen Señor, Quito, Ecuador, and preached in English and Spanish, noting “No one receives more than another, for all we have is a gift from God.” “Nadie recibe más que otro, por todo lo que tenemos es un regalo de Dios.”
ON Scripture: Dr. Greg Carey on Ezekiel 18
In this week's ON Scripture lectionary resource, Dr. Greg Carey writes, "Ezekiel speaks compellingly to the current situation in the United States. But is the prophet’s message true?"
The Rev. Brett Webb-Mitchell: Hope for a Brighter Day
Like my forbears, I too name and call out those who purposefully spread misinformation, fear, and maliciousness toward LGBTQ people, denying us equal rights in the arena of public, religious, and private life.
'Til Death (or Alzheimer's?) Do Us Part
The recent comments from televangelist Pat Robertson have set the Christian community buzzing with quick responses of disgust or defense. What do these sorts of comments (and the responses they create) say about the Christian community to the rest of the world?
Carol Howard Merritt: Church for the 21st Century: Transforming Existing Congregations
We’ve set the landscape: we looked at work, family structures, finances and ethnic make-up. Now, we need to ask, what sort of church would work in a new generation? What is our vision for the 21st Century?
A Welcome Mat of Peace
Interreligious understanding and peace begins in intimate ways: through education, by music, in our homes, with our welcome mats.
Dr. Greg Carey: Were the First Christians Rich or Poor?
In an earlier post I reflected on how the earliest groups of Christians built community and stayed in touch with one another despite the challenges of communication in the ancient world. In this post I will address the diversity we encounter in those earliest churches.
Dr. Jamie Jenkins: We Must Be Faithful to the Task
The final score is 59-0. You are the coach of the team that did not score. What do you say to your players after the game and over the next few days?
Greg Garrett: Who Is My Enemy?
"We are right to be incensed at terrorist acts -- but wrong to ignore our own violation of Just War mandates even in the preservation of our nation." A review of a new book by Lee Camp.