Apr 27, 2016 | Weekly Words
As one of the pastors of a small progressive Baptist church in Atlanta there is hardly a dull moment, but I must admit that I expected my 10:30 a.m. appointment with the copier salesperson on Tuesday to be just that, dull and uneventful. The part of our meeting that...
Apr 20, 2016 | Weekly Words
Grieving is difficult for any of us at any time or season of life. It’s especially difficult for those of us serving in ministry. How do you offer words of hope to others when you’re not in a very hopeful place yourself? When you’re serving in such a public role in...
Apr 6, 2016 | Weekly Words
When calling changes, the spirit disintegrates. It must. Without letting go of (what are now) the former parts, there would be no room for new growth. The disintegration cannot be rushed, nor can it be made tidy through preparation or pure intention. Perhaps...
Mar 30, 2016 | Weekly Words
Did you hear it? Maybe not . . . after all there was already a generous crack in the mold that shaped The Memorial Baptist Church in Greenville, North Carolina. But that sound was the mold breaking as we ordained the first woman into the gospel ministry in our...
Mar 23, 2016 | Weekly Words
My five-year-old son still asks to go back and visit occasionally. When we drive by a neighborhood church, his view from the back seat will catch a glimpse of an Episcopal church. No, we didn’t change denominations. He remembers when a dream and lots of prayers led a...
Mar 16, 2016 | Weekly Words
Last January, I was given an enormous gift. As a part of a three-year ministry peer cohort, I was gifted a spiritual pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I had no idea how much I needed this experience. In nurturing the spiritual life of a new community of faith, I had...
