Our Weekend Plug-in columnist loves baseball. And he loves reporting on faith. Combining the two? He calls that a home run.
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(OPINION) Angry students threatening campus police. Students holding signs in the lobby of a classroom building. Which do you prefer? Which is the best?
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(OPINION) Colloquially, âmamzerâ apparently can also refer to anybody regarded as strange or an outsider. That would be me. In that sense Iâm definitely a mamzer. And maybe thatâs you, too, if youâre of a certain bent. Weâre those odd souls who see things differently than the crowd does, maybe because weâre always a healthy distance from it.
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Itâs always nice to reconnect with Warren Maye, a long-time EPA board member who runs the communications operation for the Salvation Army. And every time I see him, I remember how â long ago â the Salvation Army changed the trajectory of my family.
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Sure, drinking and cheating songs characterize a whole lot of the country music genre, known for its roots in working-class, blue-collar American life. But faith, too, infuses many Nashville hits, as illustrated by the 60th annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
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(OPINION) While public school Bible initiatives seem commendable, and we agree with recognizing the Bibleâs value as an educational resource for teaching the moral, spiritual and historical context of Western civilization, we believe thereâs a less controversial way to go about encouraging Bible teaching in our schools.
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(OPINION) The criticism of my preaching Iâve heard most across the decades is this: I donât preach enough against wickedness. Iâm too easy on reprobates. I donât threaten rebels with hellfire. Iâm soft on sin.
In a presentation at the Associated Church Press annual convention in Chicago, our Weekend Plug-in columnist reflects on his experience covering natural disasters.
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When the leader of the worldâs estimated 1.4 billion Catholics passes, itâs always banner-headline news.
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(OPINION) I was struck by how similar an Orthodox monk and Baptist preacher seemed, although they live on opposite sides of the planet, speak different languages and belong to vastly different traditions. Theyâre both holy men whoâve stayed faithful to their calling even as the world went off and left them, or maybe never much recognized them to begin with.
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On the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, our columnist reflects on how covering the biggest story of his life changed him.
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(OPINION) There are many right ways to observe Holy Week and to walk with Jesus. I invite you to be intentional and make a plan for how you will observe the rest of Holy Week, each and every day.
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Religion Unpluggedâs readers see Clemente Lisiâs stories all the time. Here are seven facts to help the audience get to know him better.
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(OPINION) At a professorâs nudge, I first attended a conference in the early 2000s. I donât remember what city it was in, or even the exact year. I do remember how awkward it felt. I stood shyly by myself â away from the religion reporters I admired so much â when I should have been networking.
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(OPINION) Every year at Passover, when Jews around the world recite the Four Questions, we begin by asking, âma nishtana halaila hazeh me kol halaylotâ â âwhat makes this night different from all others?â As we approach this yearâs seders, I think that itâs also appropriate that we ask what makes this year different from all others.
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(OPINION) No one cares about the âmistakesâ we make because 99.995% of people donât notice, donât care or care enough about us not to care about such minor flaws. The Japanese have a philosophy known as wabi-sabi, which emphasizes the beauty of imperfection. Among other things, this is expressed through the art of kintsugi.
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(OPINION) My plan for a long time was to fully retire by age 65 from both writing and preaching. But as is often the case, the world didnât conform to my plans. Lately, considering my options anew, I realized Iâm not ready to completely pull the plug on either of my two vocations.
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Religion News Association members gathered this week just outside the nationâs capital for their annual meeting. They discussed topics ranging from AI to reporting on religion in small markets.
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(OPINION) Where does sacrificing end and enabling the irresponsible begin? Isnât it possible that by endlessly serving weâll just burn ourselves out? These are legitimate questions. But living that Jesus kind of life is hard. Itâs risky. It can be deeply frustrating. It requires more faith than I possess.
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As I take stock this year, I feel a foreboding of apocalypse. Maybe my own apocalypse, or maybe this countryâs, or maybe the worldâs. Things are falling apart. The center cannot hold. You can choose to think of all this bad news as great news, in a counterintuitive way.
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