Blog Archives

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

Medicare, end of life and living our theology

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Gary Cook — 2 Comments ↓

Medicare is consistently a wedge issues for both sides of the political spectrum. The issue becomes even more controversial in the reality that more than 30 percent of the cost of Medicare comes in the last year of life. Unfortunately…

Real hope for tough times

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Barry Howard — No Comments ↓

You can sustain a lot of losses in your lifetime, but when you lose hope, life can become depressing and your previously strong faith can become as weak as stump water. During tough times, hope becomes the fuel that energizes…

Tagged with: Discouragement, hope, Israel, Micah
Posted in Blog Posts, Faithful Living, Suffering

How a Nativity re-kindled a mother’s hope

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Barry Howard — No Comments ↓

During the season of Christmas and Advent, a variety of nativity scenes are being displayed in home, churches, and communities around the world. At First Baptist Church of Pensacola, there is a small nativity scene in the window of the…

In good company (or, the futility of theodicy)

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Steve Harmon — No Comments ↓

It was the innocence of the twenty youngest victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, all the ages of my son and his first-grade classmates, which made this latest mass shooting most enduringly haunting. Their innocence also underscores the…

Mourning with those who mourn

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Garin Hill — 1 Comment ↓

Like the rest of the country, I watched the news in shock and disbelief just days ago as unspeakable headlines scrolled along the bottom of the screen: “School shooting in Newtown, CT;” “Gunman attacks elementary school;” “More than 20 feared…

Tagged with: Connecticut, Crying, faith, Grief, grieving, Jesus, Newtown, Shooting
Posted in Faithful Living, Grief, Health & Wholeness, Mental Health, Parenting, Suffering

Blue Christmas

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Peggy Haymes — No Comments ↓

Last year about this time I was preaching for the Blue Christmas service held at a church in a another city. It’s one of those services where the church gives a nod to the fact that not all people are…

Tagged with: a, Advent, Blue Christmas, Christmas, depression, Grief, holidays, light, loss, Spirituality
Posted in Grief, Mental Health, Spiritual Formation, Suffering

Caring for the caregivers

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Barry Howard — No Comments ↓

Caregiving is a ministry. A caregiver is usually defined as an unpaid friend or family member who provides caring assistance for someone who suffers a long term physical or emotional illness. As my wife and I have journeyed alongside members…

Tagged with: Alzheimer's, caregiving, Grief, grieving
Posted in Faithful Living, Grief, Health & Wholeness, Ministry, Suffering

Beautiful City

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Peggy Haymes — No Comments ↓

As I’ve been doing some writing today I’ve been listening to music on my computer. I’d loaded some new songs and I smiled as the opening notes of “Beautiful City” from “Godspell” began. It’s always been one of my favorite…

Tagged with: Broken Open, change, faith, fear, Formation, Funeral, Godspell, Grace, Jesus, Music, Spiritual Practice, suffering
Posted in Faithful Living, Grief, Mental Health, Suffering