Why Friendship Matters: Celebrating Friendsgiving in Faith

Last updated on: October 31, 2024 at 10:02 am By Lee Ann B. Marino

On the last Sunday in November, my church celebrates an oft-forgotten aspect of the holiday season: our friends. Friendsgiving has become an annual Sanctuary tradition that we look forward to all year. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Friendsgiving is an opportunity for friends to get together to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. While some do choose to celebrate with their families on a different day or at a different time, Friendsgiving is strictly to celebrate friendship. It began as an... Read more

Understanding the Eastern and Western Rites: A Guide

Last updated on: October 31, 2024 at 10:11 am By Lee Ann B. Marino

When looking out over Christianity, most first look to the number of denominations within its ranks. (As a point of fact, all religions have denominations; this isn’t exclusive to Christianity). One of the most intriguing histories remains the differences between the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church (Eastern and Western Rites). To the untrained eye, the two can appear to have much in common. They are both rooted in antiquity, both embody tradition, and both have a sense... Read more

What the World Needs Now is Kindness

Last updated on: October 4, 2024 at 4:56 pm By Lee Ann B. Marino

Kindness isn’t a common theme in modern preaching. It’s not a virtue we hear much of anywhere, at that fact. On occasion, we might see mention of kindness on a social media meme, but that’s about it. In our world that drives us to outdo everyone else, thrive in front of haters, and excel overall, kindness doesn’t quite fit. Regardless, it is something the world needs more of – so much so, it’s acknowledged on November 13 through World Kindness... Read more

Why Spiritual Times and Seasons Matter for Us

Last updated on: October 31, 2024 at 10:08 am By Lee Ann B. Marino

As we approach the Christmas season, it’s not uncommon to see pins, T-shirts, cards, and other things with the following saying on them: “Jesus is the reason for the season!” on them.They often illicit a response somewhere between sentiment and nostalgia. Used as part of the great Christmas culture wars, it’s an effort to move the Christmas season away from commercialism. By switching the focus to Christ, many believe they can override the times and seasons of Christmas manifest through... Read more

Is Universalism the Path to Salvation for All

Last updated on: October 30, 2024 at 4:55 pm By Lee Ann B. Marino

Universalism, or the idea that eventually the entire world will be saved, isn’t a new idea. It isn’t as old as many might assume (and we will address this later), but it’s often posed as a modern, softer approach to salvation. As a doctrine that tends to reappear every so many generations, I’m asked about it frequently. What is it? Why does it appeal? Is there any support for it? Most importantly, is it a doctrine we should believe? What... Read more

Understanding Bible Prophecy: A Guide to Types and Meaning

Last updated on: October 30, 2024 at 4:56 pm By Lee Ann B. Marino

One of the questions I’m asked most often is How can we understand Bible prophecy? The truth is that it’s a loaded question that I can’t fully answer in a single column. Contrary to what we might believe, there is more than one type of Bible prophecy. This means each type of prophecy requires a different interpretation and understanding in order to fully understand its contents. It’s also important to have knowledge of what prophecy is in addition to a... Read more

Discovering Purpose vs. Calling: Living Your God-Given Path

Last updated on: October 30, 2024 at 4:56 pm By Lee Ann B. Marino

All of us face the question at some point in our lives: what is my purpose? We all desire to do something worthwhile, especially to feel that what we do matters. For many of us, the question is elusive. For most of our lives, we’ve been told our purpose lies in specific things…that we may or may not be suited to do. Some think it’s answered in fame, others in obscurity. When it comes to walking in purpose, what does... Read more

Seven Things To Know About Revival

Last updated on: August 23, 2024 at 2:44 pm By Lee Ann B. Marino

As long as I can remember, revival has been a rallying cry among a number of Christian denominations. Even though everyone’s definition of “revival” is a little different, many Christians recognize the need for renewal within the faith. Whether they are annual campmeeting-style assemblies or more formal spiritual disciplines, we can all agree that believers have a spiritual work that must be done as we seek to reach ourselves and others with the Gospel. In inspiring these renewal movements, what... Read more

Seven Christian Poets Who Should be on Your “To-Read” List

Last updated on: October 4, 2024 at 5:03 pm By Lee Ann B. Marino

October 2nd is Random Acts of Poetry Day! The goal of this day is to share random poetic outbursts, thoughts, and ideas with the world. A celebration of the arts, the day celebrates poets, artists, and those who have something to say through poetic voice. Whether poetry is your thing or not, there’s no question it has a profound impact on many worldwide. Throughout history, poetry has served as a profound medium to express thoughts of love, angst, frustration, and... Read more

Five More Principles to Finding Contentment

Last updated on: August 7, 2024 at 4:42 pm By Lee Ann B. Marino

In last week’s column, we explored five principles to finding contentment. In a world driven by heavy consumerism, it’s easy to think our happiness will equate contentment. We think that happiness will come from amassing many things, thus we will wind up content. When this doesn’t happen time and time again, we find ourselves left, wondering where we might be led to finding contentment. The world wants to create consumers. God wants to help us find satisfaction. As discussed on... Read more