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Continue reading →: Learning how to care
Caring for others is a habit to be learned. One of the hardest classes I took in seminary was not theology or philosophy. It was not even Hebrew or Greek. It was pastoral care. The aim of pastoral care is to teach students how to listen, confront conflict, counsel and give referrals, and…
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Continue reading →: Illogical Peace, and the need to reach out
By Emily Holladay Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel like giving up? Like your best will never be good enough and you’ll never be worth a place at the proverbial table? Like you can’t seem to breathe hope into the future, because everything around…
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Continue reading →: Simple Truth: “God is Love; Jesus Saves”
By Joe LaGuardia This is the tenth anniversary of my seminary degree. I went to seminary with a love for the Bible; and, although some Christians warned me about learning too much in higher education, I left with a deeper love than I had before. I grew up in a household in which…
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Continue reading →: God’s Invitation to the Table
By Emily Holladay “One day, Jesus said to a host who had him over for dinner, ‘When you throw a party, don’t invite your friends or the well-to-do. They can repay you, so what’s the fun of that? Rather, invite those who can’t pay you back, people that others overlook:…
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Continue reading →: The untamed Spirit
By Joe LaGuardia There is an old Buddhist tale of a farmer who was working in his field. He looked up just in time to see a man riding a horse that was galloping as fast as lightening. The rider and horse zipped by the field when the farmer asked, “Hey, where…
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Continue reading →: Come and see the works of God
By Orrin Morris One of the most important lessons I try to get across to my art students is to truly see what I am having them to draw. There seems to be a giant step for some students between “looking” and truly seeing an object. Have you ever pointed…
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Continue reading →: When criticism gets in God’s way
By Emily Holladay This post was originally featured on Call and Response, a blog sponsored by Duke Divinity’s Faith & Leadership program. Two years after I wrote this post, I find myself searching for ways to extend learning and mentoring relationships so that there is a place for the young,…
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Continue reading →: Preachers: Thou Shalt Not Steal
By Joe LaGuardia In the movie, The Words, actor Bradley Cooper plays a struggling writer named Rory Jansen. Like so many amateur authors, Rory is unable to get published, much less noticed. He marries, and while on a honeymoon in France, he stumbles upon an old, unpublished manuscript in an antique shop. It…
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Continue reading →: The Magic of Baptism
By Emily Holladay “Can I just put my toe in real quick?” the girls squeaked as we waited behind the baptistry for the service to begin. Nervous energy invaded the space between each of us and the girls wanted to do something… anything to feel prepared. With a twinkle in…
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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