James Bryan Smith, in his wonderful new The Magnificent Story: Uncovering a Gospel of Beauty, Goodness and Truth, contends there are some very common narratives that are both false narratives and damaging to the Christian’s understanding of God. Smith’s work is about the only discipleship book for church folks that is rooted in the Bible’s overarching narrative itself. It is also designed on the basis of experience for lay folks. A must-have for churches. There are two major false narratives that... Read more

BERLIN (AP) — A worried resident in Germany alerted police to what he thought was a World War II bomb in his garden. Officers rushed over — and found a particularly large zucchini. Police were summoned to the scene in Bretten, near the southwestern city of Karlsruhe, on Thursday morning by an 81-year-old man. They said in a statement Friday that officers determined “the object, which really did look very like a bomb” was actually a 40-centimeter (nearly 16-inch) zucchini.... Read more

When we think all of our enemies are God's enemies -- didn't Anne Lamott say something like this? -- then we've demonized others. Read more

I am so happy to see another book appear in the Story of God Bible Commentary. This one by Rodney Reeves, on Matthew. This one will help you with your Advent sermons. OK, I’m biased — I’m a general editor with Tremper Longman, but Rodney’s commentary is special: He’s got all those years of pastoring behind him that bring to his Living the Story realities and perspectives and dimensions that are needed by so many pastors and preachers today. He’s... Read more

Yes or No? Are you for it or against it? Doyle Rice: Sick of dark mornings on your way to school or work? It’s your time to rise and shine. Just like pumpkin spice, falling leaves and football, another rite of autumn is upon us: The end of daylight saving time, which will occur at 2 a.m. Sunday Nov. 5. At that moment (or the night before), the few analog clocks still around need to “fall back” an hour, turning... Read more

Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. BCP Read more

Food deserts and the Walk for Food, with Whitney Pipkin: Two miles isn’t too far to march for a worthy cause, as people are prone to do in the nation’s capital. But it is a long way to walk for groceries. That’s the impression organizers of a recent Grocery Walk in Washington, D.C.’s Anacostia neighborhood wanted to invoke when they gathered nearly 500 people to walk that far — wielding carrots and “food justice” signs — in the latest effort to address... Read more

From CBE’s Arise By Tina Osterhouse and see here website here.  And a huge thanks to Mimi Haddad for all her courageous faith-work for women in ministry. Now to Tina’s article. I once worked as a young adult director in a church. This church was and continues to be a great church, filled with people who love God, one another, and the world with genuine affection and generosity. During the time I worked as a director, they gave me freedom to lead... Read more

By John Frye This will be our final post on Eugene H. Peterson’s Reversed Thunder. Fittingly, we will end with his “The Last Word on Heaven.” I admit it: I am a fan of Eugene Peterson. Not because he’s a rock star, like Bono; not because he’s a megachurch phenomenon like some in the USAmerican evangelical church. Peterson is a thoroughly down-to-earth, thoughtful, serious, winsome, biblically-informed, theologically astute pastor/author. It is his down-to-earthiness that shines through in his chapter about... Read more