Other Opinions

An advent reflection by Blake McKinney, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Lee's Summit, Mo.

Ordinary couple. Young people. Nearly married. Expectant parents. Gentle Mary. Pregnant virgin. Pregnant virgin!? Round stomach. Faithful heart. Concerned Joseph. Compassionate eyes. Confused smile.

Paul Gibson, executive minister for the Great Rivers Region of American Baptist Churches, reflects on "What Christmas Means to Me."

An advent reflection on the viral image of Omran Daqneesh, a dazed five-year-old boy found in the rubble in Aleppo, Syria.

Light land, hope illumined enthuses the refugee soul.
Forgotten spaces at highway's end host sojourners cast out of home.

Words like privilege, entitlement and equal access have suddenly taken on enormous significance in our culture. Until recently, I viewed myself as very egalitarian. But on board a recent commercial flight, I learned something disturbing about myself: Maybe I’m not as committed to equality as I thought I was.

I don’t know what you were doing the week of Aug. 15, but I had a ringside seat, watching a bit of local history right before my eyes. The Medicaid 23 trial took place just a block from my church office, at the courthouse in downtown Jefferson City, Mo.

Reflecting on the recent annual gathering of the Baptist World Alliance in Vancouver, British Columbia, I was struck by two things: The deep hunger in my own life for corporate worship and the centrality of worship in our common life.

Our church’s recent quarterly business meeting seemed routine enough (if there is such a thing as a routine business meeting). But very quietly, something historic occurred that evening.

The wall in my home office is covered with pictures.

Some of the pictures predate me, like the one of my wife’s grandfather’s family and the picture of my maternal grandmother. Then there are graduation pictures of my wife and me. There are pictures of our children when they were younger and recent pictures of our grandchildren.

Every picture has a story.

Every day, I walk a fine line between servant leadership and people pleasing. Some days, I get it right. Other days, I can’t even see the line.

I smiled when I read the news that long-time Baptist journalist and longer-time friend of the family Bill Webb had decided to retire.

I did not smile because he was leaving Word & Way, or not even because he had chosen to retire and spend time with family and other pursuits of passion. I smiled because of the overwhelming gratitude that I felt watching him end this chapter of his vocation.