Yours was the baited hook that drew me close When I was wandering in an alien land, A stranger to myself–and yet you chose To cast the line, to catch my trembling hand; And through the twisting corridors of doubt You showed me that I always knew the way, That all was waiting while I stood without, The feast, the dance, the Spring, the Light, the Day. And now the wound that pierced when first I clung Flows with... Read more
The founder of Pacific Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, talks about leadership, the arts and what it means to put on plays that ask spiritual questions from a Christian perspective. This post was first published in Faith and Leadership. When Ron Reed was preparing to graduate from seminary at Regent College in Vancouver, he asked founding President James Houston whether he should pursue work as a pastor or as an actor. He had done both well. Regent was founded by Plymouth... Read more
That’s what a recent article in the New Republic had to say about our desire for meaningful work and the difficulties of finding it. After noting a diagram that has been floating around the Internet showing how purpose comes at the intersection of passion, mission, profession, and vocation, author Jonathan Malesic argues that there is a forbidden conversation topic in the peppier quarters of the internet: the profound disappointment that actually characterizes most people’s search for purpose. You may develop your talent,... Read more
By Terry Timm This spring I began serving as one of the Pittsburgh regional coordinators for Made to Flourish. While my co-conspirator, Jay Slocum and I have been involved in a variety of start-up activities, one of my deep joys is bringing together local church pastors around the table to share the Made to Flourish vision. Over the past month, we have had opportunity to gather groups of 15-20 church leaders for a meal and conversation and each time we... Read more
Next Tuesday, October 13, faith channels across Patheos are participating in an event called #ShareWhatWeShare, where we’re finding and sharing on our Facebook pages posts from other channels that represent our shared values and commitments. You might think with a tent as big as Patheos we’d find that hard to pull off, but we’re trying it, in the hope that real dialogue between people from differing perspectives will help us see each other as not suspect enemies but (as we... Read more
As Creator, God could have placed Adam and Eve in the midst of a highly developed world with roads, bridges, buildings, technology, and everything needed for modern life as we know it. Instead, He put us to work as stewards, developers, and co-creators with Himself. The creation of wealth through business plays a vital role in fulfilling God’s plan for His creation, allowing life on earth to flourish in manifold ways. God’s first command to humankind encompassed developing Creation’s resources... Read more
Would knowing whether a restaurant is a good employer influence your decision on where to eat out? Read more
By Bruce Ashford As American churches face an increasingly hostile and post-Christian culture, we must clearly define who we are and how we should approach our social and cultural contexts. As I see it, churches tend to choose one of three mindsets: the first mindset is the church as bomb shelter; the second is the church as ultimate fighter; and the third is the church as a preview of the kingdom. Each of the first two mindsets has grasped some... Read more
By Zen Hess There is a lively discussion on the internet regarding Pope Francis addressing environmental and economic issues. Judging by the blanket coverage given to the Pope’s recent visit, it seems most people were excited to hear the Pope speak about relevant and timely issues. There are, however, people who think that Pope Francis is overstepping his duties. Andrew Napolitano suggests, for example, that the Pope’s job “is to get souls into heaven, period.”Others are upset that the Pope... Read more
As some of you may have noted, a few weeks ago I spent two days at a conference in Wilmore, KY called Grace Prescriptions, composed of Christian healthcare professionals looking for ways to share their faith in their practice. This week I caught up with one of the doctors in attendance, Dr. Vickie Moore, to talk about her experience at the conference and how she’s been putting it into practice. Vickie Moore is a family medicine doctor in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.... Read more
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