Unsettling Advent 2023, Day 22
For the final day of Advent, contributing writer Sarah Blackwell ponders what we should focus on as we watch the Christ Candle lit once again this year.
Review: Community
Henri Nouwen's "Community" provides a complete picture community and why it is such a necessary and integral part of the spiritual life.
Refugees Came to Noel for Opportunity. Tyson’s Plant Closure Leaves Their Futures Uncertain
For three decades, migrants have been drawn to Noel, Missouri, to work at the chicken processing site. Its abrupt closure may mean the days of tight-knit immigrant and refugee church communities there are over.
Back in the Boat: Thoughts on a Church Set Adrift
Contributing writer Sarah Blackwell offers her thoughts on how the church's model of the larger group tending to the few in need was swept away during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our pastors were like skippers left on ships trying to throw out as many lifelines as
Why My Congregation Removed Flags From Our Church’s Sanctuary
Rev. Rebecca Littlejohn discusses why her congregation felt it was time to revisit the practice of having an American flag in the front of their worship space after the insurrection of January 6, 2021. As a pastor, she has become increasingly convinced that we, as
The Christian Duty To Heal Our Democracy
Greg Carey asserts that democracy in the United States is in a world of hurt and Christians who treasure democracy must make crucial contributions to the healing process. This truth particularly applies to White Christians because they form the political base for the forces that
Review: That We May Be One
Robert D. Cornwall reviews That We May Be One: Practicing Unity in a Divided Church by Gary B. Agee. In this book, Agee reminds us that unity is not easy to achieve and that shortcuts that avoid difficult conversations about issues such as race and
Profession of Faith Blues
Contributing writer Sarah Blackwell explores the moment that many Christian parents anticipate from when they first become a mom or dad: their child making a profession of faith. So when her son made his earnest and heartfelt desire to be part of the church global,
Why Myanmar Matters to Me
Contributing writer Sarah Blackwell reflects on how there will always be times of humanitarian crisis where the needs are immediate and tremendous. However, in any long-term service project, we must look for ways to make personal contributions for the good of the community.
Breaking Ties
Columnist Bruce Frogge considers what it would be like to break ties with Christianity. Have Christian ministers making a national name for themselves by offering religious exemptions to anyone seeking to avoid vaccine directives or mask mandates stretched the Big Tent of Christianity to its
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