If you had thirty minutes to say something to the most powerful man in the world, what would you say? This is how I started our short series titled “Three Sundays in April.” On April 12, 2020, Donald Trump watched […]
Easter
Three Sundays in April (Part 1)
If you had thirty minutes to say something to the most powerful man in the world, what would you say? Three evangelical ministers–Greg Laurie, Robert Jeffress, and Jack Graham–had this opportunity during the Easter season. On Palm Sunday, Donald Trump, […]
Jim Wallis’s Easter Sermon
If you have time for one more Easter sermon, here is a taste of Jim Wallis at Sojourners: As pastors and churches are living into these new and difficult realities, here are three practical and vocational roles that faith communities […]
Churches Will Not Be Open on Easter. But What If They Were?
Donald Trump is hoping to celebrate three resurrections on April 12, 2020. Here they are in order of how I believe the president has prioritized them: His own political future The American economy The resurrection of Jesus Trump knows that […]
I Think Donald Trump Just Prophesied His Own Resurrection
His political resurrection, that is. In another blatant and perhaps irresponsible appeal to evangelical voters: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_rwSsxiKpA&w=560&h=315] But there may be a Judas in the mix: But Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, appeared less enthusiastic regarding […]
Jon Meacham on Why We Need Religion in Times Like These
Historian Jon Meacham‘s latest book is titled The Hope of Glory: Reflections on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross. In his recent op-ed at The New York Times he argues that “religion is the best hope against Trump.” Here is […]
The Fox News Crowd Doesn’t Like Obama’s Use of the Phrase “Easter Worshippers”
Here is Obama’s tweet in the wake of the attacks on Sri Lankan Christians who were worshipping on Easter Sunday: The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity. On a day devoted to […]
Easter Break
We are taking a few days off while I spend time celebrating Easter with family. “Morning Headlines” and the “Commonplace Book” will be the only posts that will appear here over the course of the next couple of days. See […]
Dolley Madison Did Not Institute The White House Easter Egg Roll
J.L. Bell debunks the myth at Boston 1775. A taste: Even the White House Historical Association passes on that factoid, though fobbing it off on others: “Some historians note that First Lady Dolley Madison originally suggested the idea of a public […]
Canadian Evangelicals on Easter in an Age of Trump
Check out Douglas Todd‘s piece at the Vancouver Sun. He asks leading Canadian evangelicals what they think about all the evangelicals in the United States who support Donald Trump. Here is a taste: Three Canadian evangelical theologians say the politics of […]
Tony Campolo at Messiah College
I don’t make it to Messiah College chapel as much as I would like or should. But yesterday morning I went to see Tony Campolo. It was part evangelical inspiration and part evangelical nostalgia, but I loved the fact that […]
N.T. Wright on Christmas
This Advent season, on the recommendation of several The Way of Improvement Leads Home readers, I am reading Biblical scholar N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. I don’t know Wright’s body of […]
Today's Caption Contest
I think we need a caption for this photo from yesterday’s White House Easter Egg Roll. If you are posting on Twitter use #sessionscaption
Image of the Day
Today is the White House Easter Egg Roll. Here is some history of this event. The Easter Egg Roll is just one example of the White House as the “people’s house.”
Happy Easter
We are taking the day off to celebrate this most important day on the Christian calendar. See you on Monday. In the meantime here is some Charles Wesley: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBNamFYN_6E?ecver=2]
Barack Obama Easter Prayer Breakfasts, 2010-2016
2010: I can’t tell any of you anything about Easter that you don’t already know. (Laughter.) I can’t shed light on centuries of scriptural interpretation or bring any new understandings to those of you who reflect on Easter’s meaning each […]
Tomorrow is Easter. Be Careful Out There
In the Middle Ages bunnies were not nice: See more images of killer bunnies here. Learn more here.
Another Take on the Easter Prayer Breakfast
A few minutes ago we posted Michael Wear’s criticism of Donald Trump for his decision not to hold an Easter Prayer Breakfast this year. Melissa Rogers, who ran Barack Obama’s Office of Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships from 2013-2017, has a different […]
What Happened to the Easter Prayer Breakfast?
Gorsuch is in. The Easter Prayer Breakfast is out. Michael Wear, who directed faith outreach for Barack Obama’s 2012 election campaign, reflects on the fact that Donald Trump will not be continuing Obama’s annual Easter tradition. Here is a taste […]
Abraham Lincoln's "Martyrdom"
In case you haven’t seen it all over social media, today is the 152st anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. It is also Good Friday. Lincoln was killed on Good Friday in 1865, making today one of those years when the […]