I never wrote about the September 1999 tragedy at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, when a gunman killed seven people and wounded seven others before turning the weapon on himself. However, three months earlier I had visited Denver to talk with survivors of the Columbine shootings. In January of 2018, I went to Paducah,…
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“Friends” has rattled around in my mind for more than 30 years, ever since songwriter and musician Michael W. Smith released the award-winning song. Especially the start of the refrain, “Friends are friends forever . . .” In terms of eternity, that is true. But when death intrudes, for the time being we are separated…
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Our pastor has been preaching through Genesis lately, which has prompted me to reflect more on heroes. In particular, I was struck by a sermon on Genesis 12:10-20 and the escapades of Abraham. As the father of Ishmael and Isaac, Abraham occupies a special place in three of the world’s major religions. So, one would…
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I have written several thousand articles and had a hand in writing or editing dozens of books. But my skill with words doesn’t extend to painting, drawing, sculpting or other artistic endeavors. I can’t draw a decent stick figure. That’s probably one reason I have such admiration for those who can bring things to life…
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From all indications pastors are having a tough time these days. Hence, the recent survey that revealed nearly one in four pastors admit to having some mental health issues, including depression. A number of pastoral suicides have made national headlines in recent months. Some, like one in our area a few months back, are known…
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The week before the latest NFL, pro football season kicked off, an acquaintance who has remarked several times about my affinity for the Cleveland Browns commented on how good they were looking this year. “When you’ve been a Browns fan for 60 years, you know better than to buy into the hype,” I replied. “And…
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I no longer read a newspaper on Mondays. At least, not the dead-tree variety. Scanning local news requires going online after our city’s paper recently cancelled Monday deliveries. A fate too familiar to newspapers these days. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. Much larger cities—Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Birmingham among them—have gone through print-edition…
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Living in West Virginia, the sight of three crosses on a hillside—the center painted gold, flanked on each side by a pale blue one—is a common sight. However, until I attended a presentation recently by a Marshall University professor, I didn’t know much about the fascinating story behind them. David Pittenger, dean of MU’s graduate…
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Fertilizer. I guess it’s been on my mind a lot this summer as I have surveyed the pathetic output of our side-yard garden. In the past, we often picked tomatoes into October. Not this year. It’s the worst I’ve seen in an on-and-off practice of nearly 40 years. I could say we plucked a dozen…
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With the megachurch movement alive and well—and forecast to see even bigger growth—it is easy to get enthralled with numbers in church life. Namely, the bigger we are, the better. I have discovered that isn’t always the case. Case in point was the recent monthly worship gathering of an interdenominational group that sponsors regular spiritual…
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