Just war theory is primarily a Christian philosophy, dating back to St. Augustine that seeks to establish when a war is or is not just. It contains seven basic principles that should be applied. First, a just war can only be waged as a last resort after exhausting all non-violent options. Second, a just war can only be waged by a legitimate authority. Third, a just war can only be fought to address a wrong suffered. Fourth, just war is one that has a reasonable chance of success. Fifth, the ultimate goal......

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We are now entering the Season of Lent which is the forty-day period leading up to Easter (not including Sundays). Easter falls on April 17 this year. Lent is an intentional time of spiritual growth, a time of soul searching, a time of introspection – looking within our own hearts. Lent reminds us of the time that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness where he fasted and prayed for 40 days and overcame temptation. Many will give something up for Lent, others will take something on. We would all admit that as......

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As a madman is aggressively on the march in Eastern Europe, our community just lost an incredible servant leader and peace advocate with the passing of Tallu Schuyler Quinn at the young age of 42. Tallu was a Nashville native, a graduate of Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and the founder of The Nashville Food Project, a thriving non-profit that first started at Woodmont Christian Church and is now headquartered in The Nations. She had a heart for the poor, a passion for justice, and a drive to bring people......

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In recent weeks, I have been intentionally asking different friends and colleagues what they see as the most pressing challenges facing our culture right now. Specifically, what concerns them most about our society, human interaction, and the issues we face? Polarization and division were mentioned often, how we have dehumanized one another and those with whom we disagree. This even affects relationships with close family members and friends. Selfishness seems to be on the rise as we have become a culture of “me and I” rather than “we and us.” Self-promotion and......

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As a church, we are now launching a new visioning initiative at Woodmont for 2022 to prayerfully look ahead to the future. I am recommending a great book by Tod Bolsinger called Tempered Resilience to accompany this. We have accomplished a lot even during the challenges of the pandemic: completed a significant capital campaign, expanded our facility with no debt, enhanced our digital ministries, and now it’s time to keep looking ahead to the future. What will be different about this new visioning process is that it will happen on multiple fronts......

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I spent the majority of this past week in Kansas City at a ministers conference. This was the first time I have been around a large group of ministers since the pandemic started. The stories shared were eye-opening – hearing how fellow clergy have navigated the perfect storm of the pandemic, lockdowns, mask fights, political upheaval, and racial tension. A veteran minister from Ohio who used to live in Kansas City stood up to introduce our keynote speaker, Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton, by saying this: “A few years back, I hit a......

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The length of the pandemic has been very hard on churches and faith communities. Some communities have been able to innovate through technology, adaptive leadership, and new approaches. Others have struggled in many ways. Sadly, many churches in America have been forced to close. Covid has certainly offered a reset opportunity for all congregations and church leaders. Here are some key church trends to watch in 2022. 1. Churches that maintain a focus on Jesus Christ will continue to change lives, offer hope, and provide healing. When churches move away from Jesus,......

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Welcome to 2022! We all hope it’s going to be better than the last two. We have started a new sermon series on Sundays called “Simply Jesus” where we are journeying through the gospel of Matthew. Matthew is the first gospel of the New Testament and the most Jewish of the gospels. We are now offering our Seeking, Sharing, Serving Class on Wednesday nights at 6 p.m. in the chapel. In 2022, our three focus areas at Woodmont will be Worship, Small Groups, and Hands-on Mission. January is an excellent time to......

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