By Evan Koons When thinking about the Economy of Love and living a life of offering, I can’t help but think about Abraham and his family, his faithfulness to God’s promises…and sand. Yes, sand. In Genesis 22:17, after a staggeringly faithful, albeit tumultuous, few days on the top of a mountain, God reminds Abraham, “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” We like... Read more
By Joseph Sunde Mothers who have achieved success in corporate America are often asked how they balance the demands of child-rearing with those of their careers, and understandably so. Fathers, on the other hand? Not so much. The demands of motherhood are significant, to be sure, particularly during pregnancy and the early stages of child development. But given that men have continued to assume more responsibilities in the home, in conjunction with a modern influx of women in the workplace, one would hope... Read more
By Joseph Sunde Word is continuing to spread about For the Life of the World: Letters to the Exiles, the latest film series from the Acton Institute, which seeks to expand the Christian imagination when it comes to whole-life stewardship and cultural engagement. With screenings and appearances at places like Q Nashville, Flourish San Diego,Acton U, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Regent University, to name just a few, Christians from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives are getting a taste of the series and responding with... Read more
By Joseph Sunde When discussing the Christian call to service, we often hear references to Matthew 25, where Jesus speaks of a King who separates “sheep” from “goats” – those who are willing from those who refuse. To the sheep, the King offers the following: Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me... Read more
By Stephen Grabill Although Christians across denominational lines often use stewardship language to describe our calling to live out God’s mission in the world, what we mean theologically by “stewardship” varies greatly across religious traditions. Some think stewardship is tithing; others think it means volunteering or living a simple lifestyle. Still others identify stewardship with environmental conservation, social action of some kind or another, charitable giving, or making disciples through evangelism. Each of these good and necessary activities points to... Read more
By Heidi Segal Spend half a moment in the workaday world and likely you’ll hear the phrase, “it’s nothing personal, it’s just business.” What does that mean, exactly? Is the marketplace uninhabited by people, disengaged from unique personalities and talents? For some, the phrase carries an esteemed objectivity corresponding to expeditious logic or a lifeless bottom-line. It provides assurance that a decision was made apart from personality and bears no responsibility for potential broken relationships or hardship. But if a... Read more
By Elise Hilton It is nearly time to pick apples. Row after row of trees, marked Gala and Honeycrisp and Red Delicious: an abundance of fruit that must be harvested in a relatively short time. And there is more to it than just yanking a piece of fruit off a branch: [T]he job is more difficult than you may think, so WZZM 13 sent reporter Stacia Kalinoski out into [orchard owner] May’s orchard to show what the work is really life… Stacia... Read more
By Joseph Sunde The church has found a renewed interest in matters of “faith-work integration,” but while we hear plenty about following the voice of God in business and entrepreneurship, we hear very little about the world of academia. What does it mean, as a Christian, to be called to the work of scholarship? In Scholarship, a newly released collection of convocation addresses by Abraham Kuyper, we find a strong example of the type of reflection we ought to promote and embrace.... Read more
By Evan Koons There’s a number of ways you could have heard about For the Life of the World: Letters to the Exiles (FLOW). Maybe you attended a premiere or saw the trailer or got an email. Maybe you read about us in a magazine or heard a message over the airwaves. My favorite would be if you were searching for the Christian metalcore band LETTER to the Exiles and accidentally ended up here, reading these words, and wondering, “What. Is. This?” Wonder. No. More. WHAT IS FLOW... Read more
By Jordan Ballor Something as mundane as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich has something profound to teach us about the social nature of the human person. We were, to put it bluntly, made to trade. God created us to live in community with one another and placed within us a disposition both to give and receive good things from each other. We have all experienced the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. In the case of a... Read more
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