The opportunity arose for our church to host a group of homeless people. We anticipated that people might threaten to leave if we went through with it. We weren't prepared, however, for the newly baptized Kathryn.
The resources for faith formation have grown in recent decades, yet the task remains elusive. After all, everything the church does is formative—and one can never predict how formation will happen.
Much of the snickering about boring sermons comes not because we expect so little but because we have hoped for so much. A hunger persists for a word from the Lord—without which we are left to our boring selves.
When documentaries explore Christianity, they have little difficulty finding diverse manifestations of faith and practice. A global survey also reveals a surprising diversity when it comes to the content of the Bible.
Dry country
If ever the phrase "unintended consequences" applied to a situation, it does to the epic story of the 18th Amendment and its undoing by the 21st.
A Better Life
When Vittorio De Sica helped craft the cinematic movement known as neorealism, he was intent on finding lead actors who lacked experience. If you didn't know that Demián Bichir was a star in Mexico, you might assume that director Chris Weitz was following De Sica's blueprint.
Super 8
Super 8, written and directed by J. J. Abrams of Lost and Alias fame, is a curious film that gets curiouser and curiouser as it goes along. It's the first time I have ever seen a cinematic homage to a filmmaker who is actually in the film's credits.
Hundred More Years, by Francesca Battistelli
Dove Award winner Francesca Battistelli has proved to be a refreshing breeze in the musty swamp of the Christian music industry, delivering material that sparkles with energy and vibrancy.
The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964, by Bob Dylan
Dylan fans rejoice at any opening of the vaults—this is volume 9 in his Bootleg Series—but this double disc also welcomes anyone who is new to the '60s pioneer.
This Is Only a Test, by Smoking Popes
Since recently reuniting, the Smoking Popes have been a different band from their 1990s heyday.
Kaivama, by Kaivama
Lutheran rocker Jonathan Rundman is nothing if not prolific. Here he teams with violinist Sara Pajunen to form Kaivama, a folk music duo that yields tasty instrumentals with a Finnish accent.
The Secret Sisters, by The Secret Sisters
In a recent Chicago concert, these real-life sisters (Laura and Lydia Rogers) sounded like angelic apparitions channeled from the Grand Ole Opry circa 1955.