By Lauren Deville When I was younger, I used to collect the jewelry ads in the Sunday paper, and linger in the shop windows of the jewelers at the mall. However, I’ve never actually owned any pieces of the sorts of jewelry I used to pore over and that is because, for one thing, I … Continue reading The Lance
By Naomi Silseth Only once before had I seen eyes filled with such complete hopelessness: in a young Cambodian beggar boy. But now I found myself looking into another pair of large, dark eyes that spoke clearly of her fear and sadness, the hopelessness of certain death. I followed my student Rose as we carefully … Continue reading Eyes Without Hope: Cambodian beggar
By Heather Carney Close your eyes and try to imagine with me: Picture the body of a man. He is no ordinary man, and quite frankly a bit out of order these days… Nose protruding from the top of His head Mouth located on the end of His elbow Feet sticking out of His knees … Continue reading The Jumbled Body of Christ
By Lorie Newman I was raised in a Christian home and have been a believer since I was a small child. I grew up hearing about how Jesus Christ gave his life for mine to ransom and set me free, but never has that truth been as alive as it is at this moment in … Continue reading Ransomed and Set Free: Adoptions in Africa
By Hari Kumar Quick: what do you think of when you hear the word resources? I was at a Stewardship and Spirituality conference on Saturday, with my pastor and a few other lay people from my church. It was a conference on how we as a church should be better stewards of what God has … Continue reading Resources, Godly Stewardship, and People
By Kevin Bowman While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. -Matthew 9:32 I wonder who else in the crowd had the eyes to see this mute’s bondage? Were there others … Continue reading My Redeemer Heals
By Josh Casper I admit that upon finishing The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne, my life had been ultimately turned upside down. The heart-wrenching stories and acts of faith among the poor and forgotten places of the Empire led me to tears as I laid awake on many restless nights. I wondered how God became … Continue reading Jesus for President: Long live the slaughtered Lamb!
By Karen Swank sacrifice freedom is reaching the place where i can see my reflection in Your eyes and stand steady with open hands unfettered by all that brought me from first breath to this moment un-seduced by beautiful and terrible lies that once kept me from lifting my head unmindful of every oily urgent … Continue reading Poem: Sacrifice and Freedom
By Kelly I learn so much in a single day here in Israel. The question on my heart before leaving the US was this: When did church become a format where we go on Sunday mornings, we sit all in a row with one person at the front of a room teaching, where we go … Continue reading Constantine and Church in Israel
By Ruth Wilkinson I’ve started making it a priority to go to the local soup kitchen for lunch each Tuesday. This is a bit of a sacrifice, since Tuesday has been the only day I get the house to myself. At the same time, it’s good for me, being an introvert with hermit tendencies, to … Continue reading Giving and Taking: God loves the poor