By Rubén Ortiz Jeremiah 29: 1-14 is written for exiles, for those in captivity. The vast majority of the Jews were uprooted from their birthplace, a land they dominated for centuries until 587 B.C. They were forced to travel roughly 700 miles through the Middle East desert. On their journey, these Jews left behind the … Continue reading
By Andy Hale These are unsettling times. Such times demands that one has to figure out where one hits on the emotional register: afraid, disgusted, angry, apathetic, embarrassed, sad, indifferent… If I’m honest, which you know I always will be, I’m angry. And, if I have to explain to you why it’s just not worth … Continue reading
By Lauren Hooie “Dear Lord, we thank You for this day and everything You’ve given us. Thank You for this food we’re about to eat and for sending Your son to forgive our sins. Amen.” This is the classic dinner prayer that I’ve said for about 20 years. For a long time, it was the … Continue reading
By Christian McIvor A few weeks ago, my wife, our two daughters (ages 5 and 1-1/2), and I were fortunate to be able to spend a very long Thanksgiving weekend together in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. Our trip gave us some much-needed time intentionally spent together as a family. My wife … Continue reading
I recently found myself reading an article by Walter Brueggemann, The Costly Loss of Lament. The article is compelling. Brueggeman points out that our modern church, in turning away from laments, has experienced a loss of genuine covenant interaction(:62). This seems to hit home in the reality of the faith tradition I have grown up in. This loss, leads to … Continue reading
