The Christian Century

I’ve appreciated the Christian Century since a fellow divinity student put a copy in my hand. As I step down as editor-publisher, I’m aware more than ever of the need for a steady voice thinking critically and faithfully.

I went to church full of dread after the recent terrorist attacks. Worship included dedicating a new pipe organ. Was it appropriate to be celebrating in the midst of the hatred and fear?

A preacher's nightmare is to be in front of an eager congregation and realize your notes are missing. No wonder one of my favorite Bible stories is about a clergyperson who's rendered speechless.

Virtue, says former senator John Danforth, is what's missing from the current political equation—and the church is a place where virtue can be taught and advocated.

Independent, single-purpose organizations have picked up pieces of what the church used to do.

My wife volunteered as an "accompanier" at Planned Parenthood. She found that each client came with a unique urgent set of circumstances.

It is intriguing that the Republican presidential candidate who's leading the polls and the Democratic candidate who's close to tying the front-runner are both outliers.

There is a time for everything, the preacher in Ecclesiastes observed. It is now time for new leadership at the Century.

Something about being close to the ocean is conducive to reading.