Dr. James Emery White

It’s that time of year again; time to look back at the year that was, and look forward to the year ahead.

In a complex, "always on" world, perhaps what we need to remember is that we need to intentionally unplug every now and then.

When you study the era that Dickens wrote about when he published A Christmas Carol in 1843, you realize that it was dark and evil. And that the Scrooge character was not the buffoonish, almost cartoon-like character some of the movies made him out to be.

A teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., reflecting on the carnage and tragedy of one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, asked the question for the world: “Who would do this to our poor little babies?”

Oprah is more than a celebrity. She is even more than a brand, or a business. She has become a shaping cultural force.

An editorial appeared in the September 21, 1897, edition of The New York Sun titled "Is There a Santa Claus?" It was a reply to a query sent by an 8-year-old girl named Virginia. She asked her father if there was a Santa Claus, and he suggested she write to The Sun and ask, telling her, "If you see it in The Sun, it’s so."

The Mayan apocalypse -- predicted for December 21 -- is looming large. How are we to think Christianly about this?

An intriguing editorial in TIME magazine noted how "A Christmas Story" had become the quintessential American film for Christmas, replacing "It’s a Wonderful Life."

Few have thought more strategically about organizational dynamics than the late Peter Drucker. Toward the end of his life, this turned increasingly toward the non-profit organization.

Who wants to major on the minors? Actually, I know. Most leaders do. It’s the same kind of person who analyzes any number of other people, places or things for mistakes.

The barracks where Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsy were kept in the Nazi concentration camp Ravensbruck were terribly overcrowded and flea-infested. They had been able to miraculously smuggle a Bible into the camp, and in that Bible they had read that in all things they were to give thanks, and that God can use anything for good.

There are two principal concerns brought against Scripture in the secular marketplace of ideas. Forget whether it’s true or not, that’s not the biggest issue in their minds.

One of the most common cultural objections to the Bible, and specifically to ethical stands based on the Bible’s teachings, is the Old Testament.

What, exactly, happened on November 6, 2012? It’s simple. We witnessed the results of a cultural tipping point.

As gunpowder-firing cannonballs ended the age of castles, so the volleys of modern thought have decimated the fortress of faith. Of particular damage were those lofted by Copernicus, Darwin and Freud.

During a question/answer session at a recent conference, I was asked, "What are the three things most important to having an effective and open ‘front door’ to the church?"

It has been deemed the most destructive storm, hitting the most densely populated areas of our country, in decades. So where was God?

The Obama campaign placed an ad on its website titled “Lena Dunham: Your First Time.” Talking directly to the camera, she likens voting for Barack Obama to losing your virginity.

Pastor Appreciation Month does give me the opportunity to say a few things about how to appreciate your pastor in a way that will be meaningful for them. And it doesn’t involve what you might think. Most aren’t hoping to be invited over for a dinner, or having their picture put up in a hallway with candles lit on either side in memoriam.

I was recently asked four compelling questions by Outreach magazine related to the future of the church. They were specific, and as a result, forced me to galvanize quite a bit of "wide" thinking into a concise format.