Astounding Freedom: A Reflection for Independence Day

Last updated on: July 3, 2019 at 4:16 pm By Mark D. Roberts

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:12 Today is Independence Day in the United States. On this day, commonly called The Fourth of July, we Americans celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration, thus affirming the independence of the United States from Great Britain. For over two hundred years, citizens of the U.S. have celebrated... Read more

Work-Life Balance?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 3:29 pm By Alissa Wilkinson

The High Calling ran a whole series on “work-life balance” in the last week or so, and they’re all worth reading. I find that mid-year is a great time to step back, take stock of how I run my work and life, and see if I need to make any adjustments. Here’s a few of the posts: Work-Life Balance vs. Work-Rest Ration, by Christy Tennant Krispin Moving from Work-Life Balance to Harmony, by Bob Robinson The Leisurely Pursuit of Work-Life... Read more

Adrift: Gorgeous Fog

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 3:29 pm By Alissa Wilkinson

This is purely just for the “wow, cool” factor: I spotted this time-lapse short film that looks at fog in the San Francisco Bay Area, by filmmaker Simon Christen. It’s gorgeous, and only four and a half minutes long: Adrift (on Vimeo) Read more

For the Weekend: Work, and the End of the World

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 3:29 pm By Alissa Wilkinson

Three links for your weekend reading: First, Katherine Leary Alsdorf wrote a piece called “Stop Apologizing for Caring What You Do,” over at QIdeas. The cocktail party question, “What do you do?” may arise from superficial motivations, but the question isn’t bad. Let’s ask ourselves the question on a regular basis. What do we do with the gifts God’s given us? What do we do in our little corner of this fallen world to join in God’s plan for its... Read more

The Coiling, Lurching Bonfire

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 3:29 pm By Alissa Wilkinson

Summer is finally in full swing in New York City – the days are very long, the subways are very warm, and it’s so humid you can feel the moisture settle on your skin when you go outside. (I’ve been seeing fireflies in the parks, too, at night.) So a little summer poem seems in order, right? Summer at North Farm By Stephen Kuusisto Finnish rural life, ca. 1910 Fires, always fires after midnight, the sun depending in the purple birches and... Read more

Work Life Balance Isn’t That At All

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 3:29 pm By Alissa Wilkinson

The High Calling has a wise post from Kate Harris (who directs the Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation, and Culture) about the myth of work life balance. She points out that even the idea of “balance” reflects a potentially wrong theological perspective on the world: This is where we bump up against the simple but stark reality that balance, as a philosophical framework for living, is not rooted in a Christian view of the world. As a tool, such as when... Read more

Life Work

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 3:29 pm By Alissa Wilkinson

Well, not to be tooting my own horn, but I think this would be of interest to readers here: I wrote a piece on a slim memoir by the celebrated poet Donald Hall, Life Work, that was published over at Fieldnotes Magazine today (a magazine which, in the interest of full disclosure, I edited through March of this year). I teach Life Work to my first-year writing classes and so have read it several times, and each time I love it more. Here’s... Read more

Friendship, by Guilt or Grace

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 3:29 pm By Alissa Wilkinson

Some people, I think, are naturally good at having friends and keeping friendships alive even when time, space, and life circumstances change. Others aren’t. And I’m definitely in the second category – I’ve written quite a bit over the past few years about how many friends have dropped by the wayside in my life, either because I graduated or moved or changed churches or just got a different job with a different schedule. It’s something I’ve often felt guilty about... Read more

Why Might We Cry Out to God Morning, Noon, and Night?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 3:29 pm By Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 55:1-24 Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the LORD hears my voice. He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, though many still oppose me. God, who has ruled forever, will hear me and humble them. Psalm 55:17-19 Throughout the five decades of my Christian life, I have heard at least a hundred sermons or teachings on prayer. I have read countless books and articles on prayer. Most of... Read more

Make Connections!

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 3:29 pm By Alissa Wilkinson

My educational background is pretty scattered (my undergrad was in the sciences, and my graduate degrees are in humanities and English), so I sometimes wonder if I’ve hamstrung myself as far as the sort of work I can do. Certainly, being a generalist rather than a specialist can be restrictive, but I was really happy to read a talk that Greg Jones, professor of theology at Duke Divinity and senior strategist for Leadership Education at Duke University gave to a... Read more