Blog Archives

Are you opening — or closing — your children’s hearts?

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Rabbi Rami Shapiro — No Comments ↓

There are only two ways to raise your children: you either shut them down or you open them up. If you shut them down you raise them in a zero-sum world of winners and losers. You teach them that the…

Looking for our fathers

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Roger Lovette — 1 Comment ↓

Somewhere I read of a young man who in a fit of rage killed his father. That night when everyone was asleep in the jail, the jailer heard the boy sobbing: “I want my Father. I want my Father.” Almost…

Tagged with: father, fathers, Fathers Day
Posted in Faithful Living, Family, Parenting

The stress of the movable Sabbath

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Alan Rudnick — No Comments ↓

Someone at church once asked me, “When is your day off?” I replied, “Friday.” “Wow.” He said. “I wish I could have Friday’s off. Must be nice.” “Well, I don’t get many Sundays off. That must be nice to have…

Making (theological) sense of natural disaster

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Mike Smith — No Comments ↓

Like many, I’ve followed the story of the tornado-spawned tragedy in Oklahoma. The images called up memories of when an EF-4 tornado swept through Murfreesboro, Tenn., where I served as a pastor at the time. A young mother and her…

Tagged with: Moore, Okla., Oklahoma City, tornado
Posted in Death, Grief, Ministry, Religion, Suffering, Theology

Remembering Will Campbell, a spiritual brother

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Todd Heifner — 2 Comments ↓

Some years ago, songwriter and poet Mickey Newbury sat down to pen a song about Cortelia Clark. With the background full of sounds of distant trains and despair dripping from the trees, he led with this verse . . .…

Time to count our blessings

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Tommy Deal — No Comments ↓

My ministry “day job” is to give leadership to my church fellowship’s national disaster response. In this role with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, I interact with our churches, other churches and faith-groups, NGO’s and voluntary organizations active in disasters. I…

Tagged with: Blessings, DIY, Gratitude, Oklahoma, Shelter, Tornadoes
Posted in Blog Posts, Faithful Living, Grief, Ministry, Suffering

Good news for exiles

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Chris Robertson — No Comments ↓

My morning routine is pretty standard. After my alarm goes off, I hop in the shower, fix some breakfast, and head to work. Sometimes I find a few minutes to read my Bible and pray, but even then, I have…

There is life after the storm

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Barry Howard — No Comments ↓

In 1994 I was serving at the First Baptist Church of Williams near Jacksonville, Ala. when a tornado touched down on Palm Sunday near Ragland and cut a trail to Rome, Ga., demolishing hundreds of homes, destroying five church campuses,…

Tagged with: Alabama, Oklahoma City, Tornadoes
Posted in Death, Faithful Living, Grief, Leadership, Ministry, Suffering

My marriage fell apart the day the dog died

Posted on May 22, 2013 by George Bullard — 1 Comment ↓

I am sure you’ve heard the old adage that married life begins again when the last child leaves home and the dog dies. Frequently I also hear people say they moved to a new house without a forwarding address so…

Gene Puckett, my father, and the best member of our family!

Posted on May 14, 2013 by George Bullard — No Comments ↓

In 1978, Gene Puckett was the major speaker at the retirement dinner for my father, G. W. Bullard, as executive director-treasurer of the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania-South Jersey. He and dad had gotten to know one another in 1966 when…

Life balance for clergy remixed

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Mark Tidsworth — No Comments ↓

Life balance is important and necessary for sustained ministry over time, but there are some things that life balance is not.

Tagged with: Balance, clergy, Donald Hands, life balance, ministry, normal, Spiritual Wholeness for Clergy, Wayne Fehr
Posted in Faithful Living, Health & Wholeness, Leadership, Ministry

You don’t bring me flowers anymore

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Barry Howard — No Comments ↓

When it comes to observing Mother’s Day at church, traditions vary around the country. Factors influencing a congregation’s contextual practice include geographic location, denominational heritage, liturgical preference, and congregational precedent. In my first pastorate, I inherited that southern tradition I…

Tagged with: Mother's Day
Posted in Faithful Living, Leadership, Parenting

There is no them, only us

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Brandon Hudson — No Comments ↓

As a pastor, even in the free-church, priesthood of believers, Baptist tradition, I feel a need to respond and minister in a profound way when tragedy strikes. If I’m being honest, part of that tug comes from my understanding of…

Tagged with: bombings, Boston, peace, prayer, Tragedy, violence, west
Posted in Grief, Ministry, Religion, Social Issues, Theology