It is a brilliant piece of detailed investigative reporting and the best account of the Chernobyl disaster that we have. (Nonfiction)
Are You More Loving?
When we love like Jesus loved, then we show all humankind that we are disciples of Jesus.
Three Questions We’d Better Be Asking
It has really been helpful for me to think through these questions and remind myself where my allegiance lies, what is really true, and who is in charge of this world.
“After the Quake” by Haruki Murakami
The straightforward impetus for the stories is the Kobe earthquake of 1995. Four thousand were killed, and more than a quarter million were left homeless. It lasted all of 20 seconds. (Fiction)
For Elders Who Are Facilitating Gender Inclusion, Elders’ Meetings Can Be a Difficult Place to Be
When I asked my fellow female ministers what they want their elders to know, here are a few of the responses they shared.
“American Crucifixion” by Alex Beam
At the very least, we should educate ourselves on the history so we can understand where Mormonism came from. (Nonfiction)
A Special Project for the Church
They wanted to go beyond simply writing a monthly support check to local and foreign missions or benevolent efforts. They wanted to put their Christianity to work.
“Motherless Brooklyn” by Jonathan Lethem
It is a call for us, individually and as a society, to try a little harder to understand and appreciate those in our midst whose minds work a little differently from our own. (Fiction)
Is Church Essential?
Regardless of whether you can gather soon with members of your local flock, the nagging question remains: “What is essential about being the church?”
The Theological School of My Living Room
My articulate and intellectual preparedness is challenged the moment my kids ask a pointed question like, “Do cats like to swim?”
Renewed for Ministry
One of the characters in the Bible who has impacted my life most profoundly is Elijah, because there is so much we can learn from his life and legacy.
“Columbine” by Dave Cullen
While the events are deeply moving and almost unbearable, Cullen has not set out to toy with our hearts but to tell us what really happened. (Nonfiction)
Barna State of the Church 2020 and the Next Generation
The fact is the church sits in the middle of a world needing restoration, and our next generation sits in the middle of the church.
The Power of Reaching One
In our day, it’s very easy to stand behind a computer and think that’s ministry. Of course that’s part of it, but when that’s all we do, I think there’s a problem.
The Importance of Intentional Experiences
Providing a chance for people to talk with, work alongside, and listen to people different from themselves can aid in spiritual, emotional, and cognitive change.
Life After Forced Live Streaming
It’s 2020 and I have to acknowledge that our credibility, along with how we tell our story as a church family in this digital age, hasn’t merited the attention it justly deserves.
I Am Tired
I am tired of trying to explain what “Black Lives Matter” means. I am tired of thinking positive and being a giver of hope and life. I am tired of sitting with my precious Black friends as they process their trauma born out of our racial disparities.
“Crabwalk” by Günter Grass
What does it mean to deal with a national sin? What does it mean to grapple with a past that is never just the past, that keeps intruding day by day and will do so for the foreseeable future? (Fiction)
Introducing the What We Really Think It Says Bible (Now in Imitation Leather)
Hello there. Have you ever tried to read the Bible and actually do what is says?
Pandemic and Protest: Musings on the Lord’s Prayer
What does it mean to pray the Lord’s Prayer in these days, as the pandemic now shares the stage with visible and often violent social unrest?