<p><a href="http://blog.sojo.net/2009/07/13/women-leaders-in-the-early-church-2/">In last week's post</a>, I argued that because the apostle Paul commended the work of Phoebe-a ...

Recently a bunch of people e-mailed me the same <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/opinion/16kristof.html"><em>New York Times</em> column</a>, which cited a variety of ...

I'm currently rockin' in Knoxville, Tennessee. I'm currently rockin' in Knoxville, Tennessee. I have the privilege of being one of the morning teachers of an e ...

<blockquote><p>The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. ...

"When the previous youth minister was here, he always filled in when the pastor was out," Bethany, a youth minister at a church in the southeastern U.S. told me. "W ...

<p>As you may know, the question of whether women can serve as deacons has been recently debated among many evangelicals. Since scripture makes clear that Phoebe served as a deacon in the church in Cench ...

<p>Mauritania is a land of striking beauty, with sand dunes lined against the sky, Bedouins riding camels in the countryside, and flying beetles that look like they come straight from the abyss of the Ap ...

I really hope no one gets offended I really hope no one gets offended I guess i'm a "nice white I guess i'm a "nice white lady", since I have r ...

<blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">"I do the work of justice not out of a disdain for the privileged but out of a love for Life." - <em>Womanist Theologian Dr. Kelly ...

<a href="http://blog.sojo.net/2009/07/06/the-next-evangelicalism-interview-with-soong-chan-rah">[continued from part 1]</a></p> [continued from part ...

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0830833609?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=sojo_blog-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0830833609">&l ...

<p>Last Sunday I got a call at 11 a.m. It was Rachel Pater calling from her home town church (denomination to remain unnamed). It took several minutes before she could form a proper sentence through her ...

I stepped up to the automatic sliding doors, but they didn't open. I knocked. The guard recognized me, waved, and the South Bronx-based special care facility opened arms of welcome. ...

<p><a href="http://www.ryanrodrickbeiler.com/gallery/7664262_f2SVv#494818117_uXdMB"></a>I graduated from a wonderful Christian college about a year ago, and it was a great experienc ...

Conversations can offer creative spaces for questions to be asked and the exchange or exploration of ideas. Conversations can offer creative spaces for questions to be asked and t ...

<p>As our nation mourns the untimely death of the King of Pop, I am grieving over the death of a lesser know man: a man whom many will never know, but whose mark on the world is significant. Two weeks ag ...

Throughout the Bible, God's people are instructed to care for those who often cannot thrive on their own, most often widows and orphans. Throughout the Bible, God's peop ...

It's wild how easily we get sidetracked from Holy days by holidays, and how quickly we can smother our central identity in Christ with other identities such as our national identity. ...

On June 8, Pastor Reinel Martinez Medina testified before the Colombian Congress on the execution of his brother at the hands of Colombian Public Security Forces: "I dare to speak out about my brot ...

"Dad, could we go to the field and practice a little more pitching?" Our Astros Little League baseball team had just won the Northwest Washington, D.C. championship game in the last inning. ...

The world stood at attention as President Obama gave a historic speech to the Muslim world. In mainstream U.S. The world stood at attention as President Obama gave a historic spee ...

About a month ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Rev. About a month ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Rev. Vito Aiuto one early Saturday morning at his church, Resurrection Pre ...

In a <a title="http://www.nae.net/index.cfm?FUSEACTION=editor.page&amp;pageID=569&amp;idCategory=1" rel="#someid0" href="http://www.nae.net/index.cfm?FUSEACTION=editor.page& ...

Jonathan Richard Robert Brenneman’s article (“The Cross and the Crossfire,” April 2009) leaves this reader incredulous. ...

Learning from Shavuot and Pentecost: Can we share our harvest? Can we share our talk and tongues? Can we relearn how to share our work and rest?</p> Learning from Shavuot an ...

Despite the repeated attempts of former President George W. Despite the repeated attempts of former President George W. Bush to renege on his usage of the word "crusade" ...

One of the principles of the Christian community development movement is "relocation." While the principle has depth to it, more times then not it is lived out as people who choose to move their p ...

As friends and I met for dinner to enjoy pictures of mutual friends' wedding, their four-year old joined in the fun. As friends and I met for dinner to enjoy pictures of mutu ...

Scandal has again surfaced in the American Catholic Church, but, gratefully, this time it is not over child abuse or mismanagement of funds. Scandal has again surfaced in the Amer ...

I really like Marlena, but that doesn't mean she is a good person. She is smart and easy to talk to, but only if you are talking about her stuff. I really like Marlena, but t ...

<p>"Jesus Killed Mohammed" was written in Arabic in large red letters on the side of a U.S. Army Special Forces vehicle, armed to kill and rolling through a town in Iraq. It sounds like a bad M ...

I enjoy addressing the contributions of women in history at Christian colleges or universities. I enjoy addressing the contributions of women in history at Christian colleges or u ...

Historically, the number of individuals who say they have no religious affiliation in America ranges between 5-10%, but a new poll conducted by Robert Putnam (of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/p ...

<p><a href="http://www.ryanrodrickbeiler.com"></a>Thank God for mothers! Mother's Day is an opportunity to make life special for them. It is a chance to celebrate family. I tha ...

<p>When I found out A Night of Hope with Joel &amp; Victoria would be playing in New York City, at the brand new $1.5 billion Yankee Stadium, I knew I had to attend this concert. (Sorry, but if you ...

Recently, I had the privilege of spending <a title="http://eugenecho.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/my-official-announcement-to-enter-into-politics/" href="http://eugenecho.wordpress.com/2009/04/3 ...

Many of you have attended a class at church designed to help you discern your spiritual gifts. Many of you have attended a class at church designed to help you discern your spirit ...

I rarely agree with Mark Driscoll. Yet he points to something when he said:</p> I rarely agree with Mark Driscoll. Yet he points to something when he said: This genera ...

As I process the conversations I had recently at EVDC09 (a gathering of emerging church participants to discuss the future of Emergent Village), I realized that one of the topics that keeps surfaci ...

In this clip, Pastor Efrem preaches from the book of Proverbs, specifically chapters 10-18, in which there is a contrast made between the righteous person and the wicked person. I ...

<a href="http://www.urbanfaith.com/images/HoleinGospelCover121x178.jpg"></a> <p>As the pastor of a church with a deep desire to love others as Christ would, I've recently been ...

Do you find yourself reluctant to attend women's retreats because they tend to focus on things like fashion, women's emotions, crafts, and new forms of stomach exercises? ...

Jonathan Merritt may be the most courageous Southern Baptist in America this week for his <a href="http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/04/an-evangelicals-plea-love-the-sinner.html#more"><em& ...

Ministry has its up and downs. Such is life. Ministry has its up and downs. Such is life. But one of the joys of planting and pastoring Quest Church is that it's one of t ...

I often tell people not to ask me for statistics because in this work all the statistics are bad. Ask me for stories instead, I say, because even in the worst of times I always have a good story. ...

In this sermon, Pastor Efrem discusses the focus in April on Martin Luther King's death and the Easter Season, and proclaims that there is no separation between proclaiming the gospel and advancing ...

With the National Day of Prayer coming up (May 7), a lot of folks around the country are organizing prayer services in church sanctuaries and town halls. With the National Day of ...

As we celebrate Easter and Christ's empty tomb, we recognize that Calvary changes everything! As we celebrate Easter and Christ's empty tomb, we recognize that Calvary c ...

I've been asked to comment on churches that are more conservative, predominantly evangelical, and how they are coalescing around poverty reduction. I've been asked to co ...

<p>Last year Naomi Tutu and I met on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to keep vigil on the 40th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Friends joined us from around the cou ...