Culture
A Facebook friend of mine recently commented on a trip she took. “It was on our bucket list, so we decided to do it” she wrote enthusiastically. I don’t have a bucket list. Here’s why: 1. The whole thing smacks of the Addams Family. You remember The Addams
Culture
This is undoubtedly my 15 seconds of fame. Huffington Post picked up my article on social media etiquette. Here's the link -- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chuck-warnock/twitter-etiquette_b_3936172.html
Culture
Before social media, a snail mail letter to the editor of your local newspaper was about the only way to make your voice heard. Now Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Wordpress, and Google+ make it easy for anyone to shout out their opinion on any topic, at any time. In fact,
Culture
Yesterday the city of Raleigh, North Carolina chose to make feeding the hungry a crime. The mayor and city council of Raleigh ought to read today's lectionary reading from Isaiah 58:9b-14. Isaiah instructs Israel to stop oppressing people, to feed the hungry and meet the needs of
Colossians
First it was vampires, now zombies. Our appetite for the bizarre and scary seems to know no end. Of course film-wise, it all started in 1968 when George Romero directed the cult classic, Night of the Living Dead. Even the Library of Congress has recognized that film as a giant
Cultural Competency
By now the story that Paula Deen casually admitted she had used racial epithets is old news. Further revelations that she also considered a “plantation-themed” wedding complete with white-jacketed African American men waiters contributed to the narrative of Deen as racially-insensitive at best, and racist at worst. The admission by
Culture
My family -- the Warnocks -- are of Scots-Irish ancestry. According to family legend, we left Scotland and arrived in Ireland just in time for the Irish potato famine. Call it bad timing, I suppose, but from that difficult experience three Warnock brothers came from Ireland to America in the
Culture
Rush Limbaugh continues to hemorrhage sponsors and at least two radio stations as the controversy over his personal attack on Sandra Fluke continues. Whether you like Rush Limbaugh or not -- and frankly I don’t – this is an interesting case study in offense and apology. When Limbaugh’s apology
Culture
Despite the adoption of coffee bars, powerpoint presentations, and full-stage lighting, churches are seldom on the cutting edge when it comes to addressing demographic trends. Here are six dramatic trends that are not being addressed adequately by local churches, church networks, or denominations. If we continue to ignore these trends
Cultural Competency
Almost fifty years ago, a Baptist minister stood before a sea of hopeful people in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial to share the dream God had given him. On that day the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I have a dream that one day on the red
Cultural Competency
I've been busy writing my Fuller DMin dissertation on the church as a reconciling community. Two things are becoming more apparent to me each day that I research and write on this topic. First, the church's primary ministry is reconciliation. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2
Culture
The flood of articles predicting what’s going to happen in 2012 has begun, so I thought I would throw in a small church perspective. Interestingly, I think 2012 will bring us to a unique intersection of faith and politics. Here are the top five issues your members will be