by social@thebtscenter.org | Dec 5, 2019 | 21stCenturySpirituality, Bearings Review 2015, From Our Archives
This time of year marks the return of the “C&E” crowd to churches—the folks who appear at Christmas and Easter. I imagine that lots of clergy and regular congregants have mixed feelings about these seasonal prodigals. On the one hand, it’s pretty magical to have a...
by social@thebtscenter.org | Dec 5, 2019 | 21stCenturyCulture, Bearings Review 2016, From Our Archives
In July I was invited to speak about the #BaltimoreUprising at the Duke Summer Institute for Reconciliation. My presentation focused on “Why We Cry, How We Cry and Who Can Cry?” in response to state violence. “Why We Cry” dealt with the systemic and structural...
by social@thebtscenter.org | Dec 5, 2019 | 21stCenturyCulture, 21stCenturyMinistry, 21stCenturyMission, From Our Archives
“Jesus Loves Me” was one of the first songs we taught the twins when they started to put sounds together to form some semblance of words: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong— they are weak, but he is strong. Yes, Jesus...
by Kay Ahmed | Dec 5, 2019 | From Our Archives
It was a damp and windy February day in 1991 when I walked those few solemn blocks. With trepidation I swung open the heavy door and for the first time entered a beautiful but cavernous space. As I slowly made my way down the aisle, about twelve men, some quite...
by Kay Ahmed | Dec 5, 2019 | 21stCenturyReligion, ChurchChange, From Our Archives
This past January, the church I pastor, Pleasant Hope Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland, had its own “come to Jesus” moment during our Annual Church Meeting. I had done my due diligence all year — studying the latest data regarding church growth trends and...
by social@thebtscenter.org | Nov 1, 2019 | 21stCenturyCulture, 21stCenturyReligion, 21stCenturySpirituality, Coping, From Our Archives
As someone who has volunteered in hospice for ten years and has written on the spirituality of dying and death, I am often asked about grief and coping with loss. I used to balk and say, “I do dying and death; not grief. I know nothing about coping with loss.” While I...
