If you ask Howard Thompson why he wears cowboy boots with his suit, he’ll tell you about growing up in Stigler, Okla. But if you ask him about his passion in life, he will tell you about being a pastor. On Jan. 26, Howard Thompson will preach his last sermon as pastor of Burlington Assembly, … Continue reading Thank you, Pastor Thompson
Category: 2013 Column
Have you ever wondered about the particulars of Christ’s birth, and why God did it this way? I have. Caesar Augustus decreed that the world should be registered, so every household had to travel to the city of his ancestry. That meant Joseph had to leave Nazareth with his betrothed, Mary, who was pregnant, and … Continue reading This, this is Christ the King
This is what the angel said who appeared to the shepherds on a Bethlehem hillside many years ago: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The good news was that the Savior had been born. What’s the best news you have ever heard? … Continue reading Christmas is good news of great joy
Many of us were given nicknames by siblings or friends when we were young, most of which were not complimentary. “Bucky” comes to mind from my pre-orthodontic days. We still tend to identify people by their flaws or failures, but not always. You will find the remarkable story of a man in the Bible whose … Continue reading Leaders are made, not born
I have asked my college students this question for several years, sometimes for extra credit in a quiz, sometimes just in conversation: “When the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621, to whom were they giving thanks?” The answers I get never cease to amaze me. Of course, the No. 1 answer every year is, … Continue reading Turn your heart toward Thanksgiving
Twenty years ago, The New York Times ran a full-page ad for Columbia University. It advertised seven fields of study in which a person can get a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies: American, Ancient, East Asian, Islamic, Jewish, Medieval and South Asian Studies. Richard John Neuhaus spotted this ad and wrote an editorial about … Continue reading The ‘dangers’ of Christianity
J. Mark Fox 