In a few days America and the world will be observing the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country which occurred September 11, 2001. Already the media is focusing our attention on the tragic events of that day when planes were hijacked, flown into the world trade center and the Pentagon and almost […]

Looking for opportunities to re-connect with our roots down home in Mississippi, we took a few days last week to tour the Delta, that flat, rich agricultural plain along the Mississippi River. Neither of us had spent much time in the region, though we have spoken at churches in that part of the state over […]

I don’t think I am different from a lot of Christians in the tendency to feel deficient in ability and motivation for what I ought to be doing. We know we ought to consistently share our faith with others, should probably take a leadership or teaching responsibility at church or go on that mission trip, […]

Mobs, riots, chaos, government repression. What is going on in the Muslim Middle East and North Africa? Other parts of the world have witnessed political upheaval in the last decade. Ethnic violence has become a common occurrence in many parts of the world. Banana republic dictators are still alive and well in Latin America. But […]

I came into the house after running some errands recently and exclaimed to Bobbye, “I love my church, I love my bank, I love my barber shop, I love my hardware store, I love Clinton!” We have readily assimilated into the community and continue to be overwhelmed by the Southern hospitality and personalized service of […]

No one was more conscientious about praying and religious piety than the Pharisees. But Jesus had nothing but condemnation for their hypocrisy and pretense. It is sad that we, too, have a tendency to allow our Christian life to be reduced to legalistic practices instead of the fulfilling Spirit-led freedom we should have in Christ. […]

Today is “Tujuhbelas Agustus”–that’s the 17th of August in Indonesian, the day of independence for this country with the largest Muslim population in the world. This day also comes in the middle of “Ramadan” which is the month of fasting for Muslims. It is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. The faithful […]

A delightful marker in our new retirement lifestyle is the privilege of returning to Richmond four times a year to participate in the orientation of new IMB missionaries. It is a significant time of sharing a sense of God’s providence in global missions from our perspective as president emeritus and 40 years of experience.  Communicating […]

Jesus tells an interesting story in Luke 18:1-8 that is identified as the parable of the persistent widow. It is about a widow who continued to appeal to a unjust, insensitive judge to handle her case and give her justice against her adversary. The judge was unmoved and disinterested but finally intervened because the widow […]

Family time together is precious because it is altogether too infrequent. We realized this once we were married, began to have children and the demands of job responsibilities diminished opportunities to gather for family reunions. Our siblings and their families were dispersed to various states, and eventually overseas. By the time we all got together, […]