Blog Archives

Who decides if you are a Christian?

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Alan Rudnick — No Comments ↓

Recently I was a guest on HuffPost Live with Rev. Paul Raushenbush, HuffPost Senior Religion Editor and two other authors. (You can watch the segment here. I come in around 19:00) We discussed the coming out of NBA player Jason Collins and the conversation turned to…

Tagged with: Alan Rudnick, Christianity, congregation, dialogue, faith, Jason Collins, Jesus, spiritual formation
Posted in Religious News Voices

Why Pope Francis is good for Christianity

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Alan Rudnick — No Comments ↓

As Pope Francis starts his papacy, it is very clear that his leadership will set a very different tone for the Catholic Church. Upon leaving Rome, Pope Francis paid for his own room, rejected lavish apparel, and referred to himself more as…

When ‘religious’ isn’t religious

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Alan Rudnick — 1 Comment ↓

As I started my daily read of newspapers, I was shocked (well, disappointed) to learn that our region was one of the least religious regions in America. A new Gallup poll found that, “Only 26 percent of those surveyed in…

Why is it called Maundy Thursday?

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Alan Rudnick — No Comments ↓

Today is Maundy Thursday — no, not Monday Thursday, which would be an interesting concept: society could work Monday through Thursday, with Fridays off! Some Christians misunderstand that this day is only a “Catholic” celebration. Christians both ancient and modern…

Naked church

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Julie Pennington-Russell — No Comments ↓

Dear Church: if you bring good news to your community you won’t need to inform your neighbors. They already know. If you don’t—well, chances are everybody knows but you. Let’s get down to it: a church is either welcome relief…

Tagged with: Baptist, Christianity, Church, community, congregation, God, Jesus, social media
Posted in Blog Posts, Humor, Leadership, Ministry, Technology & Church

Poll: Most Americans feel connected to local church

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Alan Rudnick — No Comments ↓

In an age where cries from denominations about declining membership and church participation, a new poll offers some encouraging news on American’s feelings towards their congregation. A Rasmussen poll found that 54% of American adults feel at least “somewhat connected” to their local…

By way of ashes

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Julie Pennington-Russell — No Comments ↓

I was 24 and living in Mill Valley, Calif., when I first encountered Ash Wednesday. The Christian liturgical calendar had figured not much at all in my Southern Baptist experience to that point. But one February morning in 1983, spurred…

Dear Boy Scouts of America

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Zachary Bailes — 12 Comments ↓

Dear Boy Scouts of America: I hope this finds you well, though all the conversation in the media seems to say otherwise. You’re apparently between a rock and a hard place, at least politically speaking. You don’t want to alienate your base,…

Tagged with: boy scouts, Christianity, Church, community, Grace, Jesus, sexuality, Southern Baptist Convention
Posted in Faithful Living, Public Policy

The perils of being a Christian athlete

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Alan Rudnick — No Comments ↓

In an electrifying game the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers to become Super Bowl champions of 2013. As Baltimore holds celebrations for their winning sons, reporters will look to uncover any tantalizing details into strategy that won the big game. Case in point, The…

Tagged with: Alan Rudnick, Christian, Christianity, faith, Jesus, NFL, ray lewis, Spiritual Practice, super bowl, Tim Tebow
Posted in Religion

Perspectives on immigration – the influence of religion

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Kevin Glenn — 2 Comments ↓

As a native of Florida, there is a certain pride and frustration present in a bumper-sticker message we natives desire to send to the many seasonal residents of the sunshine state. The message is simple and straight-forward, “Welcome to Florida,…