Articles by Ronnie McBrayer
Ronnie McBrayer was born in the foothills of the North Georgia Appalachians. He claims he barely survived the fire-and-brimstone, fundamentalist indoctrination of his hard shell Baptist-reared childhood. But in the great comedy of God, Ronnie has spent his adulthood in ministry, both preaching in and protesting against; both loving and leaving; both running away from and returning to the church. The faith he is trying to keep isn't in organized religion, however. It is in Jesus. Ronnie has been a pastor, chaplain, leader in social justice ministries, and a writer. His post-Katrina relief work with Habitat for Humanity was featured by the CBS Evening News and the New York Times, and his writings have been featured in various media outlets. He holds degrees in Christian Education and Theology, with post-graduate studies in Bio-Ethics and Critical Incident Stress Management. McBrayer’s weekly syndicated column “Keeping the Faith” is a past Florida Press Association award winner in Religion, and a collection of those articles was published in book format under that same title in 2008. Also released in 2008 was Ronnie’s book But God Meant it for Good, based on the Old Testament character of Joseph, by Smyth and Helwys Publishers of Macon, Georgia. In 2009, Smyth and Helwys released two more of Ronnie’s works: Leaving Religion, Following Jesus, and "The Book of Esther" a Formations Curriculum Teaching and Study Guide. Ronnie’s latest work, The Jesus Tribe, released in 2012.
A Saint Goes Marching In
Years ago my oldest son asked me a question: “What is a saint?” When you’re driving along with a numb mind at day’s end, as I was, that’s not the type of question you are …
Simplify
In Paulo Coelho’s brilliant little book, The Alchemist, the author tells of a young lad sent by his father to a wise man to discover the secret of happiness. The wise man lived in a …
Just Hang On
When I was a bit younger and a bit braver, a group of friends and I shot the rapids on the Ocoee River in southeast Tennessee. The Ocoee, which I think is the Cherokee word …
The Power of Now
There is a Zen parable about a man who surprised a sleeping tiger while walking through the jungle. The ferocious animal pursued the man, causing him to throw down his bag and walking stick, as …
Blowin’ in the Wind
Now that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been installed as Pope Francis, I must say that I could not be happier with the papal conclave’s choice. Not that the College of Cardinals would bother to …
Where Nothing Is Sacred
The words “holy” and “sacred” are sometimes used interchangeably. I don’t think this should be the case, as there is a huge difference between the two. Sacred comes from the Latin, “sacrum.” You might recognize …
Crack Pots and Cracked Pots
There is an Eastern Indian folk-tale about a water bearer who had two water pots. Each pot hung on the end of a long pole which the water bearer carried across his neck and shoulders. …
Bad, Good, and Better News
I have bad news. Researchers have confirmed that planet Earth is headed toward an apocalypse. Yes, I know that the Mayan calendar is in our rearview mirrors, and we have all returned to paying our …
The Carpenter is Dead
Blood runs along what remains of his left eyebrow. The drop hangs there for an instant and splashes to the ground. Stripped naked, on his knees, he lets his face fall forward into the dirt …
Get Humble, Get Holy
Get Humble, Get Holy
In the coming days the world’s two billion Christians will begin celebrating Holy Week. This week, booked-ended by the festive days of Palm Sunday that honors Jesus’ “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem, …
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