On Monday NBA player Jason Collins made history by being the first gay man to come out while actively playing in a major American professional sports league. Collins' statement was courageous and historic, and it will change things in ways we can't imagine yet. And most importantly, whether he knows...

Today I am praying for my Muslim friends and extended family. Because I know they are afraid.

We don't have any official confirmation yet whether or not the two brothers who Boston Marathon bombers are Muslim. There are many reports, though, and already anti-Muslim statements are being made.

It doesn't...

I often park on the finish line of the Boston Marathon. 364 days a year it's just a paint-worn line on the pavement on Boylston Street. It's right in front of Old South Church, my wife's home congregation, and I sometimes joke that it is the closest I will ever...

I was raised a "none." That is, I was raised outside of organized religion, in a spiritual-but-not-religious home. I hear that "nones" are all the rage now, so I just want to point out for the record that for once in my life I was ahead of the fashionable curve.

The most common question I get asked during Holy Week is about this night, the Thursday before Easter. People get Palm Sunday, and Good Friday, and Easter, but tonight, Maundy Thursday, is unclear. And the one thing people want to know the most, is this: What does "Maundy" mean?

It's...

"Religious liberty" is the buzzword of those who are trying to stop the now nearly inevitable legal recognition of same-sex marriage. Recognition of same-sex marriages, they argue, will constitute a real and immediate threat to the religious liberty of people and churches who oppose it.

I'm not sure what...

The cardinals appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday, and announced that they had chosen Jorge Bergoglio to be the next pope of the Roman Catholic Church. And then they announced his newly chosen name: Francis.

The symbolism was not lost on those of us...

Lent note: HuffPost Religion invites you to share your Lent reflections, experiences, stories and photos with us. Send them to religion@huffingtonpost.com and check out our Lent liveblog.

This morning I was talking to a friend who, like me, is a Southern expat now living in New...

Lent note: HuffPost Religion invites you to share your Lent reflections, experiences, stories and photos with us. Send them to religion@huffingtonpost.com and check out our Lent liveblog.

Last night I stayed up watching the Oscars with my wife, and following along on Twitter. One of the...

When it comes down to it, Jesus only needed two sentences to sum the law up for his followers. First, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." And second, "you shall...

Today it was reported that the Boy Scouts of America are considering a change to their long-held policy which bans gay boys from serving as Scouts, and which bans LGBT adults from serving as Scout leaders. As the Scouts have faced increased public pressure after denying an openly gay Scout...

I pastor a church of strong political opinions, both Republican and Democrat. I have parishioners who support the Tea Party, and parishioners for whom the Democrats are far too conservative. But every Sunday morning, when we pass the peace of Christ in worship, they cross the aisles, shake hands, hug,...

In the wake of the recent shooting in Newtown, the Westboro Baptist Church, perennial anti-gay provocateurs, reached a new low. The group announced their intention to picket at the funerals of the children who had been killed, and blamed their deaths on Connecticut's legalization of same-sex marriages.

The third Sunday of Advent, today, like all the other Sundays in Advent, has a traditional theme. The first week we focused on hope, the second on peace, and next week on love. But the focus today, just as it has been for generation after generation on the third Sunday...

We often have no idea what to say in the face of senseless loss. That is especially true when children are the victims of tragedy. Today's shooting in Connecticut is heartbreaking in so many ways, not the least of which is the staggering loss of children.

My first two years...

December is fast approaching, which means Christians are about to enter one of the most special seasons of the church year.

No, not that one. Christmas can wait. I'm talking about Advent.

Of course, Christmas isn't waiting. It started its arrival just after Halloween and, bolstered by its commercial handlers,...

I'm wearing purple today. I'm sitting at the counter of my small town's diner in Vermont, wearing a purple and white checked shirt, and ordering an omelette. I'm wearing purple as a sign to the LGBTQ youth who are being bullied that someone cares, and that someone is on their...

My grandmother was born in Portland, Maine, the daughter of Italian immigrants. She grew up in a Roman Catholic parish there that ministered to the immigrants and their families. The church was the center of my grandmother's community, and a foundation of the family.

As a young woman she met...

It seems like this election season "religious liberty" is a hot topic. Rumors of its demise are all around, as are politicians who want to make sure that you know they will never do anything to intrude upon it.

I'm a religious person with a lifelong passion for civil...

WEST DOVER, Vermont -- Tonight I'm watching Hurricane Isaac as it bears down on the Gulf Coast. Seven years after Katrina, Isaac has the potential to re-devastate an area that's still recovering, and still will be for years.

I'm watching these developments as I read the results of a...