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Christians and the hunger for power
Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness, and pride of power, and with its plea for the weak. Christians are doing too little to make these points clear … Christendom adjusts itself far too easily to the worship of power. Christians should give more offense, shock the world far more, than they are doing now. —…
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“Second Half Living”
At the beginning of the year I heart a presentation by Arthur Brooks on professional decline that was given at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Just a few days ago I ran across an article by Brooks laying out the same principles, but adding some different “takeaways”.
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The cultural status of our Christianity
I am taking a bit of a break from my normal daily lectionary reading and going back to something I have enjoyed my adult life walking with Christ. It is to walk slowly through a book of the Bible and pray. I like walking through a book of the Bible and study, pray, think devotionally, theologically, etc. This is something…
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The way home
I am working my way through Daniel 6 as I continue to expand on “Living in Babylon.” (I think it may be a book one day if I can simply overcome one thing: outright fear and terror.)
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The gift of “staying put”
“It’s not enough to be in relationship. White and black people have a long history of relationship. For healing to begin, we must learn to listen with our hearts.” — Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from the Slaveholder Religion
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True justice is not into shaming “the other side”
Today’s cultural environment has a call for “justice.” The danger is that in some segments, that call is also coupled with a “calling out” meant to shame a particular person and drive them from our visual existence. David Brooks has an excellent column HERE to dive into that segment. Justice has to move past vengeance and anger. It has to…
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Reading and listening that is challenging me in this new year
I’ve spent a full year away from ministry and shifting into a new phase of life. I am still in a steep learning curve, but along the way I am always finding joy.
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Incarnation — the work of God in a weary world
I remember hearing the story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the writing of his poem, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”. I was reminded of it again as I read an article by Kristen O’Neal on the subject of the poem. The entire article is well worth your time to read. These last few paragraphs are deeply meaningful to…