When we contemplate the ways in which we might share the good news of the gospel, we might imagine shouting from the rooftops or taking out billboards.  If it is good news, it needs to be shared widely and loudly! We might reach for a megaphone or a bullhorn.  We might yell at the top…

In her book, Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer talks about her parents. They were involved in their local community. Her mother served on the zoning board. Her father was a retired town supervisor. Over dinner one night, her father said, “Good communities don’t make themselves.” He acknowledged what is true about every community. There are…

As we gather around the table of communion, we begin and end with gratitude! We begin with gratitude for the grace of God, as it welcomes us to the table, but we also leave with gratitude as we share the grace that sustains us with others. Since we all have a place at the table,…

We celebrated our inaugural lecture in 2015, and we continue to give thanks for the generosity and legacy of Claude H. and Mary Virginia Moore. Claude and Mary Virginia joined the church in 1957, and they were devoted members. Claude served as the Treasurer of the congregation as well as a Deacon. Mary Virginia served…

When we welcome each other and visitors to worship, we hope and pray that our place will feel like their place. We always hope that our welcome is a reflection of God’s welcome because there are few things more important than belonging. As much as we hold Auburn First Baptist Church dear to us, it…

One benefit of living in a university town, where the academic calendar influences all of our other calendars, is the opportunity to start over throughout the year. Whereas, we all begin again in January, in a university town, we begin again each semester. It is a rhythm, which gives us a chance to reflect on…

Throughout history, people have theorized about the importance of names, as in Shakespeare, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” A rose might smell just as sweet by any other name, but our names, as people, hold greater significance. They are not interchangeable! When…

God is described as a shepherd coming to take care of the needs of the sheep.  Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd taking care of the flock.  We are cared for and tended to by a loving shepherd, where we are led to green pastures, still waters, and protected from our enemies. In her…

The first principal of Regents College at Oxford University was Dr. James Houston.  The college grew out of the root system of the Baptist movement in England.  The nonconformists (Baptists) could not obtain a degree without signing the doctrines of the Church of England, so a school, or education society, was started for these dissenters…

In 2018, the Confirmation Project published its findings.  It was the largest study of confirmation practices in the United States.  It included an ecumenical representation of churches, including AME, Episcopal, ECLA, PCUSA, and UMC churches.  The study spanned three years.  Confirmation is the formal name of educational programs and activities, which teach children and youth…