I had the pleasure Tuesday of interviewing Pastor Billy Benson at Garland Road Baptist Church in Enid, Oklahoma. My favorite part of these clergy interviews is hearing how they discerned their call to ministry, and the path toward surrendering to that call. Benson was called as a teen, during an altar call at Falls Creek, … Continue reading Answering the call: How can we say ‘Yes’ to God today?
Commentary
Keep up the passion, strive for grace
I am, by almost any measure, passionate in my beliefs. Many of you, including some who have written me recently, also are passionate in your beliefs. This passion is a good thing. A republic of free citizens demands for its survival that we form and propound opinions about how our nation should be guided, and … Continue reading Keep up the passion, strive for grace
Our questionable use of words
We, as humans, pride ourselves on our superior communications skills. Next to walking upright and operating can openers, it's the single most important attribute that separates us from our pets and our food. Over the last 40,000 years (give or take) we have refined our communications skills to the point that we now have a … Continue reading Our questionable use of words
Blue Water Navy Vets
During 10 years of the war in Vietnam the United States sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of Agent Orange over Indochina. In 1991 Congress approved the Agent Orange Act of 1991 to provide full medical coverage for Vietnam veterans suffering from a litany of chronic diseases related to Agent Orange exposure. In 2002 the VA … Continue reading Blue Water Navy Vets
The path of peace
Follow the peace that conquers this world Thursday marked the 36th annual World Peace Day, a day dedicated to promoting peace among young people worldwide. World Peace Day was somewhat offset by the president’s speech to the U.N. on Tuesday, in which he threatened to “totally destroy North Korea,” and the redoubled efforts of North … Continue reading The path of peace
Happiness: a matter of balance and focus
What would make an entire group of people -- an entire state, even -- collectively unhappy? Conversely, what could be done individually to reverse this trend, and to find contentment and peace in an environment characterized by discontent and angst? I set out to answer these trivial questions yesterday after reading a report that listed … Continue reading Happiness: a matter of balance and focus
9/11: Daring to dream of a better world
This post is a transcript of an address I gave this morning at my daughter's school, Emerson Middle School in Enid, Okla. I was reluctant to speak on this topic, but the topics we're reluctant to face are the ones we must face. I pray my words had some meaning for them, and that they … Continue reading 9/11: Daring to dream of a better world
The most segregated hour
ENID, Okla. — More than half a century after Martin Luther King, Jr. called 11 a.m. on Sunday the most segregated hour in America, eighty percent of the nation’s congregations still are made up of predominantly one race. That statistic is slowly shifting toward more diverse congregations — in 2012 all-white congregations made … Continue reading The most segregated hour
Poisoning the Body of Christ: The Nashville Statement
Much attention has been given this week to the Nashville Statement, a manifesto on sexuality published Tuesday by the evangelical Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW). I disagree with the CBMW statement. I affirm that all human beings, regardless of sexual orientation, are made in the image of God, all are loved by God, all … Continue reading Poisoning the Body of Christ: The Nashville Statement
Oh, to walk with Christ
John 14:25-26 NRSV “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” Have you ever read the Gospels and wondered what it would have … Continue reading Oh, to walk with Christ
James R. Neal 