By Karen Swank It was Saturday, hours before the sun would rise, and I was wide awake. Saturday is my sleeping-in morning – the time that absorbs the impact of the other six days, which generally require me to wake up at 5 a.m. and run until what feels like Past My Bedtime. But that … Continue reading Rediscovering Rest
By Lee Adams “Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.” Every great movement? That’s a pretty bold statement from D.L. Moody. Can the prayer of one individual truly bear such power? I mean, Jesus gave us authority over all things, the ability to move mountains and what-not, but most of … Continue reading The Power Of Prayer: From Prosperity to Movement
By Jonathan Foster In the Colorado Rockies a couple of years ago while hiking with my then seven year-old son, we found ourselves in the middle of a stream trying to navigate our way back to our family. At one point our trail divided with one way being noticeably more difficult to hike than the … Continue reading The Failure of Church Marketing
By Harold Vance “The Kingdom of God is within you,” Tolstoy wrote, After Jesus spoke. In a greater statement, Truth never made its home. For the Kingdom of God, The Kingdom of Heaven, Is in your smile; In the way your warmth enters into my soul; In the way the sun cannot hope to burn … Continue reading The Kingdom of God Is Within You
By Jeff Goins, Editor I just saw The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke, on DVD the other night. I had heard interesting things about it, so I thought that it’d be worth the rental. It was not what I expected; however, I still can’t decide if it was worth watching or not. It brings to mind the question … Continue reading Movie Review: Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
By Tom Batterson Where have I witnessed God working lately? I have been sick (influenza). Now, you may be expecting a message about how God healed me, saving me from the anguish of this terrible virus. But that is not what He had in mind. I say, “He had in mind,” because that is exactly … Continue reading Sabbath Rests and Influenza
By Brooke Luby Broken beds hold rotting mattresses Where broken hearts entertain rotting lust Deep pain mistaken as fleeting pleasure Stringy dull hair hangs over battered eye-liner heavy eyes It wasn’t always like this He swept his fathers shop but was beaten when he missed a spot She picked flowers and fetched water for her … Continue reading The Brothel – A Poem
By Joshua Cody I’ve been bombarded by shifts in vocabulary lately. In an accelerating society, it seems like Christian jargon is the one thing evolving faster than technology. Of course, some remain in the Dark Ages and still call themselves Christians, use war rhetoric, preach sermons, and sing hymns. Others, however, have adopted a new … Continue reading The Vocabulary-Centric Gospel: Ashamed to Be a Christian?
By Josh Harrod Casper Continued from Simple Spirituality Interview with Chris Heuertz, Pt. 1: In this second piece, I want to go into a couple of questions that I asked Chris Heuertz about his new book Simple Spirituality, particularly in regard to the Church and social action. I also wanted him to elaborate on his … Continue reading Simple Spirituality Interview with Chris Heuertz, Pt. 2
By Summer Lee Carlson As a consequence of spending childhood in church, my memories are filled with felt boards, puppet shows and substitute “Halloween” parties in which one dressed as a Bible character or animal from Noah’s ark. The recurring theme of those felt boards and Sunday school lessons were usually centered on the men … Continue reading The Church: A Study on Ordinary People