“Here I stand. I can do no other.” So said Martin Luther. At the time he was on trial by the Holy Roman Church for writing heresy. It was 1521. On that day he refused to deny his arguments against…
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Anatomy of a Schism on ClearStory Podcast
The 29th Annual Southern Festival of Books charmed me in ways I did not expect. I met amazing people and had some great conversations. Before I got away, River Jordan interviewed me about Anatomy of a Schism for ClearStory Radio.…
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Clyde Edgerton: 8 Practices for Writing
Southern Festival of Books This weekend I met Clyde Edgerton and got to ask him about his practices for writing. Our interaction was one of many joys I found at the 29th Annual Southern Festival of Books (2017)! On Sunday…
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Public Theology in the Face of Tragedy
This morning as we consider another major tragedy in real time, let’s consider how to do this with more grace and less sensationalism. When responding to tragedy… 1) Lift prayers for peace, love, grief & loss. It’s not the only…
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Pastoral Wisdom Part 1 ~ Mentoring
Seeking Pastoral Wisdom Part 1: Mentoring It is something most ministers want. And it can feel impossible to find. Yet seeking pastoral wisdom is vital for the work of the church and for leading people of faith. Becoming pastorally wise…
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Ordinary Time: “Hangry”
Almost simultaneously this summer I was invited to preach at three churches. My home church, Glendale Baptist would be first, and we spent the summer exploring the Beatitudes. So I took Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst…
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Wednesday Words for Writers ~ P
Planning One of the harder tasks in the world of writing is the planning required. Yet, planning helps spread out all the other tasks, and makes getting started one step. Otherwise, all the overwhelming steps come at you at once. Even writers long…
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Why I Marched – Epiphany
Recently someone asked me: Why did you feel compelled as a person of faith to march on Saturday? I’m a Love-God and Love-Your-Neighbor type of Christian. I believe that love is to be practiced with heart, mind, soul, and strength.…
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Wednesday Words for Writers ~ R
How to Plan Your Writing Retreat Have you ever wished for an uninterrupted time of focused writing or editing? Yet you don’t want to sink back into binge writing that drains your life and energy, making you want to abandon…
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Wednesday Words for Writers ~ E
Eagle’s Eye View When I began my dissertation some moons ago, I attended a workshop where I learned a few strategies and approaches that I still use today when I write. The workshop facilitator, Dr. Cynthia Ganote, a sociologist and life coach, is…
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Review: “The Calling” Documentary
Review: ‘The Calling’ a hopeful portrait of religious leadership* Becoming a pastor, priest, rabbi or imam is no simple matter. The Calling, a new four-hour documentary premiering on PBS, follows seven men and women on their paths to becoming religious…
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Ordinary Time: Wild with Words
The Body Remembers The grass was warm and dry under my bare feet. The labyrinth brought back the familiar feeling of rushing to the center, and long pausing at the middle, and dragging my feet with a desire to stretch…
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Wednesday Words for Writers – G
Go! Go! Gooooo! Sometimes the main thing holding us back from getting our writing done is simple inaction. We just need to go! Sit down. Open the document and go! We know what needs doing and simply need to do it.…
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Wednesday Words for Writers ~ D
Desk A clean desk invites fresh writing. And it can be a ritual or signal that it is the right time and place to write. Recently I visited a man who has started numerous Montessori schools. If he said to me…
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Honoring Molly T. Marshall and Carolyn Blevins
Recently I contributed to festschrifts honoring Molly T. Marshall and Carolyn Blevins. Academic mentors helped me find my way into studies of practical theology, history, and ministry. Many teachers encouraged me and pushed me to do my best. Recently I…
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Honoring Carolyn Blevins
Today at a shared meeting between the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion and Baptist History & Heritage Society meeting in Waco, Texas, we will honor Carolyn Blevins with a festschrift, which is an academic book that honors the writing and contributions of a scholar…
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Wednesday Words for Writers ~ C
Confidence Crisis This is part of the occasional series Wednesday Words for Writers. Check out previous posts on the letter A and the letter B. This post comes from a recent response I made to one of the academic writers that I…
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Introducing Martha – Anatomy of a Schism
When the search committee from Monroe Corner Baptist Church first phoned, Martha said to herself, “This is never going to happen. They are not going to call a woman!” Nevertheless, she took a risk and entered the search process with them. To her…
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A Blessing for the Preachers
Festival of Young Women Preachers April 7, 2016 | Eden Seminary | St. Louis, Missouri A Blessing for the Preachers Bless these hands as they handle sacred Scripture, and sacred stories, and sacred moments of the preaching and pastoral life.…
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Easter – Practice Resurrection
These orchids from Thailand are endangered. Whole regions are absent their beauty although they used to grow wild in many places around the region. I took these photos as I walked the trails in an orchid farm near Chiang Mai.…
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Anatomy of a Schism – Book Cover
I’m a little stunned by this… When I was testing out possible book cover designs last fall, I never dreamed that University of Tennessee Press would take my suggestions outright. But I’m so completely delighted that this will be my book…
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