By Michelle Koh, reprinted from her blog; via the Salt & Light Australia Daily Devotional. Recently, I found myself needing some medical care urgently on the weekend. Unfortunately, there were outside my regular doctor’s work hours, so I proceeded to call a service that provided a call out service. When that doctor arrived, I was shocked. Not simply because he didn’t…
By Fletcher Lowe, reprinted from Living God’s Mission. You may have heard the story of a recent conversation between the Devil and God. Gleefully the devil says, “Well, God, looks like I have beat you this time. My virus has shut down all your churches just as I planned.” God replies, “You are correct that the church buildings are closed…
Reprinted from the Chalmers Center; also see the Chalmers Center’s statement on racial injustice and call to prayer and lament. So what is the church supposed to do about racial injustice? Many responses to this cultural moment have emphasized that racism (and injustice in society, more generally) is ultimately a spiritual problem, so the church’s response should be to focus on…
By David Williamson. It is now June – summer is here, finally! Perhaps this year, the arrival is appreciated even more. Covid-19 and the closing of restaurants, gyms, retail stores, etc., began in March – the tail end of winter. There is lots of pent-up anticipation for summer and being outside, doing fun summer-like activities. It is starting to happen!…
By Robert Martin, reprinted from the Salt & Light Australia Daily Devotional. Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a…
By Demi Prentiss, reprinted from Living God’s Mission. Trinity Sunday – observed across many Christian denominations last Sunday – usually focuses on the ineffable trinitarian identity of the God we worship. “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty” is often the theme song of the day’s observances. It’s unusual to hear any reference in Trinity Sunday liturgies to the oh-so-everyday-ness of…
By David Williamson. I was reflecting on the early chapters of Genesis from a faith and work, theology of work perspective this past week, thinking about how God uses our work to bring order out of chaos, when we began experiencing racial unrest across the globe. I thought of another, perhaps more basic way of understanding the process of God…
By Chris Brooks, reprinted from Made to Flourish; this article originally appeared at woodsidebible.org. Last week, I lost my breath. My breathlessness came because of watching the now viral video of a man gasping for the desperately needed air his lungs begged for. He pleaded with the police officer whose knee was crushing his windpipe as he moaned out the words,…
Excerpt from Economic Wisdom for Churches. THESIS 50: Christians should be taught that if the pope knew about the exploitation practiced by the indulgence-preachers, he would burn the church of St. Peter to ashes rather than build it with the skin, flesh and bones of the sheep. Martin Luther, 95 Theses Jobs, poverty, globalization, environment, debt, racism, trade – does…
By Jim Grubs, reprinted from Minding the Gap. In my recent reading, I’ve come across Parker Palmer who’s written the book On the Brink of Everything. It’s a book about the latter years of living; looking at many of the principles he’s found important to him. From the title above, you’ve probably guessed one of them is the principle of paradox.…
