What is it about celebrities? Like saints, they transcend their lives, even if in the case of some celebrities, their lives lack saintliness. The week following Christmas, as part of Christmastide, many of us celebrate and remember saints of old, like St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, St. John the Apostle, and on January 1st, Mary, the Mother of Jesus. This week, we also come to terms with the passing of celebrities, whose lives remain with us in our passing of time. Like celebrities,... Read more

The limited run of Martin Scorsese’s Silence that opened two days before Christmas was intended to position it for awards season. A wider launch will occur in January. A limited run at Christmas is not an unprecedented move. Something similar happened with The Revenant last year. Other than that, it might seem unprecedented to launch Silence right around Christmas. After all, the movie is based on Shusaku Endo’s classic 1966 novel about Christian witness in Eido era Japan in the face... Read more

If we operate by way of the secular calendar, Christmas is over—except for “after Christmas” sales and returns, as well as Christmas dinner leftovers. But for the Christian calendar, Jesus’ life at Christmastide is far from over; it has only just begun! Far from being an afterglow or an afterthought, the New Testament and liturgical accounts of Jesus’ early days of life give us reasons for hope in the midst of post-Christmas blues. Christmastide, as the Christmas season is called,... Read more

He has been called Portland’s original hipster. At least, a friend called him that the other day. He was that before the term was in vogue. His legacy of Christian community development in the city and beyond preceded and will outlast its fashion. Never one for fanfare, Clark Blakeman epitomizes what authentic Christian witness looks and feels like: care for others no matter if others like them or “like it” on Facebook. Here Clark has kept in step with the... Read more

The room was full of thought, but there were not enough chairs to contain it all. Rarely do New Wine, New Wineskins’ lunchtime forums pack out from wall to wall. No doubt, the beloved professor Dr. Domani Pothen of Multnomah University was a key reason for the level of interest. I also think the subject matter of trauma and its placement in fiction was a factor. The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins’ spring 2017 conference Saturday, March... Read more