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Continue reading →: Five Ways to Encourage Children to journal
There is little doubt that keeping a journal has long been considered a spiritual and personal discipline. Even the Bible have hints of the journal genre–from parts of Jeremiah and Nehemiah and the psalms to first-person accounts in the book of Acts. Christian history is also fraught with examples in which…
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Continue reading →: Advent is a season of anticipation and hope
Churches following the lectionary (a group of Scripture lessons determined by the Christian calendar) may take note of the odd fact that the scriptures in Advent focus not on the birth narratives of Jesus but on his second coming, what Jeremiah calls the coming “day of the Lord” (Jeremiah 33:14). This Sunday’s…
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Continue reading →: Relationships and the sacred space we share
I hear the cliche all of the time: “We are a welcoming church.” No church thinks that they are not welcoming and, no matter the denomination, each one boasts,”All are invited,” on the marquee. But I know of a test that truly determines whether this is true: The “Pew Test.” It is very simple: If…
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Continue reading →: Bringing Reconciliation in a Divided World
Several weeks ago the results of a major mid-term election allowed Republicans to take the Senate, incumbents to get the boot or barely hold on to their seats, and pundits to have a field day diagnosing the issues related to campaigns and candidates alike. While people surmised why votes went one way or another, nearly…
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Continue reading →: Abstinence as a Rite of Passage
By Joe LaGuardia There is something to be said about the importance of rites of passage in a person’s growth and development. A rite of passage is the act of crossing a threshold–traditionally going from adolescence to adulthood–by way of ritual, self-sacrifice, crisis, or sacrament. As such, most rites…
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Continue reading →: Halloween and the Clash of Religion
By Joe LaGuardia For this week’s article, I researched the background of Halloween and All Saints Day. After spending about an hour online, I found myself enjoying the research more than anything else because reading about these two holidays was like following Alice into that mysterious rabbit hole. I didn’t know…
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Continue reading →: Be an example of Christ-like love, “for the good of all”
By Joe LaGuardia You never know who is watching you and what kind of impact you may have on people. I learned this the hard way when I was a rookie youth pastor in college. I, ever the introvert, got to know the kids in my youth group, planned events,…
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Continue reading →: Word and love of God are as sweet as honey
By Orrin Morris The most cherished words ever uttered are, “I love you.” They express the ultimate devotion of two people. The Psalmist had that phrase in mind when he expressed praise to God in Psalm 119: 103, “How sweet are Thy words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey…
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Continue reading →: Building Christian coalitions is at critical juncture in Middle East
By Joe LaGuardia Every week, a group of us from Trinity Baptist Church gather for coffee in Old Town, Conyers, to discuss whatever is on our minds. Sometimes we try to solve the world’s problems. This past week, conflicts in the Middle East came up for discussion. As expected, it focused…
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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