To build stronger communities, we need to get in the habit of recognizing what undergirds our relationships. We can't afford to take it for granted.
I recall three times when the churches I served were picketed. The one that was by far the most traumatic had to do with abortion.
If Rick Santorum wins the nomination, this could have at least one positive outcome: a general election campaign in which the candidates actually talk about poverty.
Christopher Hitchens was an unrelenting unbeliever to the end. But Ross Douthat claims that everything about Hitchens points to an embrace of life and a refusal to give in to despair.
Snow can be tiresome, even deadly, but it can also be a sign of holiness and of hope.
Foodie nation
Late in life, my mother confessed that she never enjoyed cooking. "But," she said, "I did take satisfaction in serving simple meals to my family." Well, there's no such thing as a simple meal anymore.
Founding the Fathers, by Elizabeth A. Clark
In this deeply researched and illuminating monograph, Elizabeth Clark examines the development of early church history as an academic field in the U.S.
Inspired preachers
I knew my worst sermon was going to be terrible before I preached it. I want to hold myself to a higher standard, and James Howell's book offers the inspiration to get me there.
Man on a Ledge
Man on a Ledge is a nifty little entertainment about an ex-cop (Sam Worthington) framed for stealing a diamond owned by a ruthless magnate (Ed Harris). He escapes from custody and stages a suicide threat on the window ledge of Harris's hotel as a diversion while his allies break into his accuser's vault to prove the theft was a hoax.