Author: Rev. Dr. Daniel C. Wilburn

Each MLKjr Day I read this letter. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior wrote the letter sitting in jail. The letter’s occasion was to respond to several mainline church white pastors who admonished King to wait and negotiate and give the process more time. King had a different strategy – peacefully demonstrate, and then you get to negotiate. Time had produced no change. Here’s on of my favorite selections of the letter: For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This “Wait” has almost always meant ‘Never.”...

Advent Guide 2018 This Advent I decided to focus on “thriving.” Thriving is the same as flourishing, which is the same as “living the good life.” All parents want their children to thrive and succeed in life. To shape thriving children I make the case for slow repetitive habits. Smart parents figure this out. Bedtime routines allow children to “sleep in heavenly peace” – and parents as well. Mealtime together each evening is one of the best habits of thriving. Research shows that kids who eat dinner as a family perform better in school. Prayer actually wires your brain...

Branding is a necessary yet curious part of church. Branding is necessary because all organizations gain an identity whether they embrace the idea or not. It is a “brand” to put one of those movable plastic letter monument signs out at the curb in front of the church. You know the kind that weekly change the message, usually something like “Know God, Know Peace – No God, No Peace,” or “Turn or Burn,” or “First Church: Where the TRUTH is preached.” Brand is a certain shape of Christian hospitality. Bad signage and poor web presence says “we don’t care”...