By Jody Matheson Having grown up in a small town, involved in a small church, one thing will always stand out. Every so often I would receive a letter in the mail. It would be from one of the overseers in the church. The letters were received with trepidation, insecurity and sometimes guilt. But with … Continue reading Book Review: Mark Driscoll’s Death By Love
By Mariah Secrest The human spirit is often muddy, clouded over by misguidance and false beliefs and self-distortion. And it all-too-quickly atrophies into a hardened mold, through which we channel all our thought patterns, behaviors, and hopes. Too many Christians have been living for years in the lifeless mental rut of guilt. Guilt leads to … Continue reading Book Review: Jim Robbins’ Recover Your Good Heart
By Caitlin Woodward I picked up the copy of The Treasury of American Prayer by James P. Moore, Jr. I studied the corners and cover of the outside. I opened it to scan the introductions, meet the author, and read the prologue. “Impress me,” I thought to myself. Picture America for a moment. Thousands of … Continue reading Book Review: The Treasury of American Prayer
By Andrew Greenhalgh Anyone whos dared venture their toes into any waters dealing within the realms of spirituality and the contemplative life will be familiar with the name Thomas Merton. Mertons influence has stretched from the realms of a humble Trappist monastery in Gethsemani, Kentucky, to literally the great reaches of the world. His life … Continue reading Book Review: The Journey of Thomas Merton
By Jeff Goins, Editor After recently seeing Sleeping At Last in concert at the Exit/In in Nashville, I was so blown away by their performance (which included a string quintet) that I wrote them a letter. To my surprise, they wrote back, and out of our little exchange, we ended up with the following interview: … Continue reading Voices in Culture: Sleeping At Last
By Lauren Deville Even though we live in an age of feminism and equality (and I’m no exception: I remember bristling with indignation when boys in college seemed put off by my ambition, instead preferring girls who were more or less paying tuition for their “MRS” degrees), I have to admit that a large piece … Continue reading Book Review: A Beautiful Fall by Chris Coppernoll
By Lorie Newman My most important spiritual lessons were not learned in a Sunday School classroom, a Bible Study group, or a Sanctuary. They were learned in the presence of poverty, death, and suffering. They were learned from the eyes of a hungry orphan, the words of a sick widow, the smile of an abandoned … Continue reading Comfortable Christianity: Lessons from Africa
By C. Holland As the new year comes upon us, many will be going through the age-old exercise of deciding on resolutions to better ourselves somehow. By now we’ve all heard the traditional stable of references to dieting, education, finances, or banishing bad habits. These will continue to be revisited each year, hopefully with increasing … Continue reading New Year’s Confession: My Addiction to Anxiety
By Becca Herndon As I boarded the plane, eager to complete my entirely-too-long journey back to the States, I stared down at my ticket with a confused gaze. 3A was written in bold black ink. But how could I have landed a seat in First Class? I hesitated, imagining the embarrassment if I sat in … Continue reading First Class Citizens: A Story from Israel
By Harold Vance In Christ Being in Christ, My perception is resurrected, Raised from the death of dim, dreary cynicism. I look at the world through new eyes. Where once I saw despair And sunk to the depths, Losing my humanity, Trading it in, Now I see hope Upon hope Upon hope … Continue reading In Christ: A Poem