Features
God among the imperfect: The holy family didn't meet the ideal either
I don’t know what a perfect first-century family looked like, but I’m certain that Joseph and Mary didn’t qualify.
The impossible possible
We had not one but two baptisms the other day. What absorbed me most was the way the little kids edged toward the event like wasps to a picnic.
A restless search for truth: Philosopher John Caputo
“Truth is in constant transit. The difference between a liberal and a conservative, I think, is the stomach you have for the journey.”
Prayer on the go: A busy pastors spirituality
I was taught that my labors as a minister don’t count for my own spiritual life. Realizing that this is untrue has brought me great relief and joy.
Sanctuary in Portland: An immigrant and the church where he lives
When the ICE agents left, Francisco Aguirre’s supporters called Augustana Lutheran. The church had been preparing for years to take the call.
Books
Changing Our Mind, by David P. Gushee
The paradigms we use to explain reality collapse when we encounter too many anomalies. Then we begin to seek another explanation....
Doing Christian Ethics from the Margins, by Miguel A. De La Torre
At such ideologically charged times, it is hard to discern what a life of Christian faithfulness looks like. Miguel De La Torre offers a good resource.
The Bible’s Yes to Same-Sex Marriage, by Mark Achtemeier
Mark Achtemeier and I once faced off at General Assembly over gay ordination. Sixteen years later, he preached at my ordination.
Signs, by Jean Vanier
Vanier is a man of wisdom who writes profoundly and with clarity....
The Deconstructed Church, by Gerardo Marti and Gladys Ganiel
In The Deconstructed Church, Gerardo Marti and Gladys Ganiel give us a comprehensive and revealing ethnographic study of the worldwide phenomenon known as the emerging Christian movement.
Words and wilderness
When I go backpacking, I pack light—no laptop, no phone, and especially no books. But reading Belden Lane, I’m tempted to begin toting a tome or two.
Departments
Christmas truce
The Christmas truce of 1914—100 years ago this Christmas Eve—gave the world a glimpse of peace in a horrific time.
Forgotten genocides
Historically, the region from the Danube to the Euphrates and from Belgrade to Baghdad is religiously complex. Our modern map is a product of decades of violence and ethnic cleansing.
Christmas Eve visions
In the 12th century, a Benedictine nun had a vision of Jesus’ humanity. It couldn’t have happened on a better night.
Leaving guyland
Pop culture often reduces men to testosterone, with little room to acknowledge themselves as God’s image bearers. But there are glimmers of hope.
Amen: A Prayer for the World, featuring the work of Christina Saj (left) and Hisham El Zeiny (right)
The exhibit Amen: A Prayer for the World began in Cairo with the works of 30 Egyptian artists. By the time it traveled to St....
Don't shoot
For black Americans, the abuse of power by police is not an aberration. It’s a familiar pattern.
News
After Ferguson, churches push for change
(The Christian Science Monitor) The hand-folded paper peace cranes that adorn the altar and pulpit at Christ the King United Church of Christ in Florissant, Missouri, a mostly black ...
Bible museum begins construction in D.C., but curriculum is shelved
Construction began on the Museum of the Bible, founded and funded by Hobby Lobby’s Steve Green, in Washington, D.C., this fall, while an Oklahoma school district shelved his Bible curriculum....
African religious leaders draw safe practices map to fight Ebola virus
African church leaders, theologians, and health professionals have drawn up a road map to educate faith communities in the fight against Ebola....
Sixty imams and rabbis gather in Washington to trade ideas for advancing interfaith understanding
Frustrated by high tensions between Jews and Muslims in the Holy Land, 60 imams and rabbis gathered in late November to hatch concrete plans to bridge the gulf between their communities....
National cathedral hosts Muslim prayer service
(The Christian Science Monitor) Prayer carpets for a Muslim Jumu’ah service were spread out in a transept wing of the Washington National Cathedral Friday, November 14, as religious leaders ...
Across Latin America, the number of Catholics drops, Protestants and unaffiliated increase
In just one generation, Latin America has seen the number of people who identify themselves as Catholic plummet, with more people becoming Protestant or dropping religion altogether, a new report shows....
Parents are top influence in teens remaining active in religion as young adults
Mothers and fathers who practice what they preach and preach what they practice are far and away the biggest influence related to adolescents keeping the faith into their twenties, according to new findings from a landmark study of youth and relig...
Lectionary
Epiphany of the Lord: Matthew 2:1-12
The Magi's alien exoticism is an intrinsic part of Matthew's story.
Sunday, December 28, 2014: Luke 2:22-40
Luke’s first two chapters are a metaphorical retirement home for elders who are “looking forward to the consolation of Israel.”