In an era when fewer and fewer people go to church, it is often the song, not the sermon, speech or blog that touches people’s lives in a deep and meaningful way. Houses of faith may embody ethics, morality and good deeds; but the church can learn more of these same things from the street, perhaps as much as the street can learn from the church. The Beatles, for example, are proof that spirituality flows both ways. As a child... Read more
By David Phillips Hansen Indigenous people are showing White Christians the dynamic power of faith in action. Standing Rock is a spiritual center of transformation and a global symbol of the struggle for environmental and interracial justice. The Lakota words, “mni wiconi,” (water is life) have become a rallying cry renewing faith in the power of people to protect their land and water as we struggle to build a fair economy. If we have ears to listen and eyes to see,... Read more
Although Christmas Day has now come and gone, and our caroling ceased, I pray that the next time Tupac Shakur is heard in worship, it won’t be by mistake. He should be invited to church more often. Read more
This is the fourth in a weekly series of Advent devotionals by the Rev. Elizabeth Hagan reflecting on what an experience of infertility can teach us about waiting for Jesus here at Faith Forward. If you missed the first post about hope, you can read it here and the second one about peace here and the third about joy here. There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had... Read more
By Erin Guzmán For many years I’ve been a firm believer that the sooner the Christmas decorations go up, the less special the Christmas holiday feels and becomes for me. Don’t get me wrong: I love Christmas and all the “seasonally appropriate” colors, flavors, smells and traditions. But I prefer to savor each ‘holiday season’ rather than rush through each one to make it to Christmas. Since I was little, and before I knew anything of the birth of Jesus, I... Read more
BREAKING NEWS: Santa has overtaken Jesus as “the reason for the season.” While many claim that a thriving movement cannot be measured in numbers, and that faith will ultimately triumph over folly ~ it is clear that religious festivities and services continue to lose ground to secular ones; spiritual is being routed by commercial; and Christmas is celebrated most often ~ not at communion in the church ~ but at the food court in the mall. This reality will not... Read more
By Dr. Stephen P. Bauman Trapped in the corner of the grocer’s produce section, a young couple with two shopping carts and an unhappy toddler had cut off all avenues of my escape as they bickered over whose job it was to address the boy’s ranting. It had started out calmly enough. Dad offered that it was Mom’s turn and he helpfully suggested she might want to pick up their son. Mom responded firmly that she had been handling him long... Read more
This is the third in a weekly series of Advent devotionals by the Rev. Elizabeth Hagan reflecting on what an experience of infertility can teach us about waiting for Jesus. If you missed the first post about hope, you can read it here and the second one about peace here. Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of... Read more
This is the second in a weekly series of Advent devotionals reflecting on what an experience of infertility can teach us about waiting for Jesus here at Faith Forward. If you missed the first post, you can read it here. “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” II Corinthians 4:1 I was in labor for almost eight years. There were ultrasounds. There was blood work. There was pain: both physical and emotional.... Read more
Over the next 12 months, the Forum for Theological Exploration is spotlighting 12 leaders, their stories, and how their passion and call to shape a more hopeful future through Christian ministry guides the impact they are making in their communities, institutions and universities. You can find the full series, here. By Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis On April 4, 1968, six weeks before my 9th birthday, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, shot with a rifle while standing on a... Read more
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