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Continue reading →: Mayapple and Resolutions: Sources of Healing for a Hurting World
By Orrin Morris Many of the resolutions we make for the new year focus on family, economy, and national and global harmony. Resolutions are based on hopes: hope that our sons and daughters will be kept from harm’s way; that we can relate in mutual ways to people whose backgrounds…
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Continue reading →: The long and dangerous road of theological tradition
By Joe LaGuardia As a requirement for her Master of Divinity degree at the McAfee School of Theology, Atlanta, Georgia, the Reverend Karen Woods wrote a thesis on race relations in the local church. In it, she argues that slavery, discrimination, and contemporary conflicts surrounding race did not suddenly appear out of nowhere. Rather,…
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Continue reading →: Snowy, steepled church inspires Christmas blessings
By Joe LaGuardia Just mention the word “church”, and people do not think of auditoriums with coffee shops, but the classic one-room, steepled church set in a snowy, foothills environment. A red door stands ready to greet visitors and large windows provide light even on the darkest of days. Perhaps there…
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Continue reading →: A Christmas Prayer
By Matt Sapp At a recent Wednesday Bible study group at my church, we spent time talking about what we would pray for if we really believed that God came to earth at Christmas to redefine justice, righteousness and peace. I organized the group’s thoughts and wrote them down. What follows is our…
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Continue reading →: Star Wars and its Spiritual Ancestors
By Joe LaGuardia There is a tidal wave of excitement over the seventh installment of the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to be released in a few weeks. Tickets for opening day are nearly sold out, people will camp out to get first dibs on good seats, and costumed movie-goers…
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Continue reading →: Bergamot promotes health, peace, and patience
By Orrin Morris There are four Sundays in the Advent season. The first Sunday, last week, focused on hope. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah wrote words of hope to the Hebrew’s exiled in Babylon: In those days, and at that time, will cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up…
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Continue reading →: The Downside of Diversity (Curated)
[Curated] By Rev. Amy Butler of the Riverside Church in New York, New York. Rev. Butler writes for her blog, Talk With the Preacher. For some time I’ve been of the conviction that cultivating diverse communities of faith is critical to living the gospel. Some tell me creating a diverse…
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Continue reading →: The Offensive Gospel
By Joe LaGuardia In a society where people seem so easily offended, there is no surprise that few call themselves Christians. Christianity is an offensive faith, there is no way around it. Unfortunately, for too many, it has become offensive for the wrong reasons. Several weeks ago, controversy surrounding a seasonal red Starbuck’s…
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Continue reading →: An Interfaith Thanksgiving Blessing
By Wayne Martin, Chair, Interfaith Task Force, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia THANKSGIVING, 2015 Nearly every day—somebody—somewhere in America…is honoring some historic day… Observing a particular occasion or celebrating a noble tradition…whether The “Fire Ant Festival” in Ashburn, GA, during the last full week in March… The National “Hollering Day”…
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Continue reading →: Thanksgiving Reflection: The Fragility of Life and Gratitude
By Joe LaGuardia – A Thanksgiving reflection. Reflecting on the fragility of life and the significance of gratitude, the poet of Psalm 39 wrote, “Hear my prayer, O Lord . . . for I am your passing guest, a sojourner, like my ancestors” (v. 12). This author is not alone…
Engaging Heart, Mind, and Soul
Rev. Dr. Joe LaGuardia
Rev. Dr. Joe LaGuardia is a pastor, writer, and chaplain residing in Florida. He is author of three books and regular contributor to Smyth & Helwys’ Formations Series. His articles have appeared in USA Today, Baptist News Global, Christian Ethics Today, TCPalm, and Rockdale Citizen.
Baptist Spirituality explores the intersection of faith and culture incorporating biblical scholarship, culture and the arts, politics, science, and theology.
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