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…

Being Easter people in the interfaith environment

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Nell Green — No Comments ↓

I sometimes preach a sermon entitled “The Four Little Candles.” The author of the original story is unknown. In it I tell the story of four little candles that were burning softly and quietly. Listening closely you can hear them…

Tagged with: Easter, faith, interfaith, Interfaith dialogue, internationals, Islam, missional
Posted in Blog Posts, Faithful Living, Missions

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…

Creativity and contemplation

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Chris Robertson — 2 Comments ↓

In October of last year, I settled into my old Impala and drove to downtown Duluth, just outside of Atlanta. Filled with excitement, I pulled into the parking lot behind the Red Clay Theatre and checked my pocket to make…

Tagged with: Atlanta, Christ, Civil War, Decatur, Duluth, faith, Greek, Impala, Nashville, O Theo, Van Gogh
Posted in Art, Music, Social Issues, Spiritual Formation, Young Baptists

Would you wear a hijab for a day?

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Nell Green — No Comments ↓

February 1st was World Hijab Day. For those of you who might not know, hijab is the head covering worn by some Muslim women. The idea was to invite women who do not hijab, both Muslim and women of other…

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

Robert Griffin III, the Redskins and dying churches

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Alan Rudnick — 3 Comments ↓

It was awful. It was embarrassing. I couldn’t watch it anymore. My team, the Washington Redskins had started a good fight against the Seattle Seahawks on a recent Sunday night football. The Redskins came out strong and scored 14 points…

Tagged with: Church, community, congregation, congregations, dying churches, faith, Formation, healthy churches, leadership, missional
Posted in Leadership, Missiology

Lessons From Stone Mountain

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Julie Pennington-Russell — 4 Comments ↓

It all started with my teeth. A couple of years ago I was reclining in the chair of my dentist, Dr. Uetsuki, waiting for the nitrous oxide to kick in. “Are you doing anything special for New Year’s?” he asked…