Abstract: As the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention exerts enormous political influence, especially in the South. For the past three decades the nature and role of women have been bitterly contested in the denomination. Despite prevailing religious conservatism, feminism has been a significant dynamic in Baptist battles and has influenced even conservative rhetoric about women.
Read MoreOrdinary Time XVI
Many motivations led me to this short remembrance of Nell Magee. She was a salty saint, with a sharp tongue and a sharp wit. She never shied away from conflict, nor was she afraid to admit when she was wrong. She is the kind of person I want my daughter and the next generation of Christ followers to know and to esteem.
Read MoreOrdinary Time XV
A Turn to Lived Experience
The study, practice, and knowledge of big ideas in psychology and religion are shifting and changing in the twenty-first century. One of the most substantial changes is that deep thinking about big ideas demands an engagement with the lived experience of real people and situations.
Ordinary Time XIV
The number of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship churches currently pastored by women?
Five Percent.
Eighteen hundred churches. Ninety women.
You do the math.
This is good news. But somehow laying out the starkness of that figure . . . well, it doesnโt exactly add up to great news.
Ordinary Time XIII
Six Word Stories from England About a year ago I discoveredย Six Word Story Everyday. It’s a fun way to tell a story using only six words. Along the way over the past year, Iโve postedย a number of these short story-pictures,…
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Ordinary Time XII
Ecclesiology and Ethnography: Take Two September is lovely time to visit England. I entered and departed the U.K. through London. The city is Englandโs gateway to the world and recently played host to the Olympic and Paralympic summer games. A…
Read MoreOrdinary Time XI
Beach Memos I took more time away from this blog than I intended. But apparently I needed the rest. Part of my time away was spent at the beach. Over the next few weeks I plan to share a few…
Read MoreOrdinary Time X
rain after days on end of mercury topping the charts it is sweet relief waking to soft drumming rain on leaves outside my window low clouds churn and roil and my daughter says to the thunder thatโs the sound of…
Read MoreOrdinary Time IX
Sermon: โGenerous Undertakingโ Preached at Glendale Baptist Church on Sunday, July 1, 2012 Here it is in full. Sermon “Generous Undertaking” 07-01-2012 (You will need to click the link again on the next page.)
Read MoreOrdinary Time VIII
Sacred Six-Word Stories This idea came from Six Word Story Everyday. At that site contributors offer pictures worth a lot of words, but they only use six to tell each story. Since last fall I’ve posted a number of these…
Read MoreOrdinary Time VII
“Generous Undertaking” (ย II Corinthians 8: 7-15) Sermon Preview Tomorrow’s sermon is ready, but tonight, I’m just giving a preview. The only genuine Olympic event I ever attended was a women’s basketball game in 1996 at the Atlanta Games (pictured here).…
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CBF General Assembly 2012 Top Ten Favorite Moments This year’s Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly was big. For starters it was in Texas where the hats, the egos and the ย Convention Center all compete for biggest and best. But beyond…
Read MoreOrdinary Time V
Traveling Along I’m coming to the end of a three-part trip. It has been too much to cram into one stretch away from home. Each part has been excellent. But back-to-back-to-back has been the challenge. I don’t mind the travel…
Read MoreOrdinary Time IV
Summertime Six-Word Stories* ย To what does this way lead? summer zinnias open to the sun Persephone and Demeter lose their heads ++++++++++++++++++ Theseย six-word storiesย from early summer areย a cool way to say a lot with a picture and just six words.
Read MoreOrdinary Time III
Salary Survey of Baptist Ministers How are ministers getting compensated for their work? And how do they feel about it? What worries them most about finances? I am working on an article for the Review & Expositor thatย takes these questions…
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Off the Grid Until June 11, I’ll be away from my blog. Retreat and extended Sabbath. Peace to you, Eileen
Read MoreOrdinary Time I
Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth I did not grow up in a household that observed saint’s days or many holy days at all, other than Easter and Christmas. I knew about Lottie Moon, who was venerated in the weeks leading…
Read MoreEaster VIII – Ecclesiology and Ethnography I
Ecclesiology and Ethnography (church and research)ย Sitting outside this evening feeling the warm wind and watching the rolling clouds, I’m thinking back over the last couple of days. The Ecclesiology and Ethnography Conference unfolded Monday and Tuesday in St. Paul,…
Read MoreEaster VII
Commencement: Baptist Seminary of Kentucky Today I was honored to join the faculty, trustees, staff and students ofย Baptist Seminary of Kentuckyย at Georgetown Baptist Church for their Eighth Commencement Ceremony. They graciously invited me to bring an address. (For seminary graduation…
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