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A subversive approach to a subversive parable [From Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43] On the surface, the story reads quite clearly—maybe a little too clearly. If you’re a regular church attendee…
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Occupying God's Vision of Jubilee
I’m so excited to see this US example of alternative economics: the Rolling Jubilee! It’s self described as “a bailout of the people by the people” in which the project…
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If I Have Cheated Anyone
By Morf Morford
Could we even imagine what revival and conversion even look like? I attended a small local church prayer meeting recently where, among other things, some of us prayed for revival,…
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Louis C.K. on Our Neighbor’s Bowl and What “Fair” Is
Writing books is a strange process. When you’re in the middle of creating something this big, it tends to consume your every waking moment in some way. I can’t watch…
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Red Letter Christianity vs. The Prosperity Theology
By Tony Campolo
There are those who would preach that if we make Jesus our choice in life, each of us will drive a Rolls Royce. Nothing could be further from the truth.…
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Does Government Assistance Discourage Private Charity?
A couple of months ago my brother, the Reverend Doctor Jim Robinson, posted a blog titled “Hard Work vs. Government Assistance.” It was well-written and thought-provoking, but I thought it…
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A Year of Biblical Womanhood: Playful, Earnest God-Wrestling with Rachel Held Evans
As an evangelical Christian growing up in the deep South, Rachel Held Evans was surrounded by the concept of “Biblical womanhood.” Over the last thirty years of culture wars, this…
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Red Letter's Response to Superstorm Sandy
By RLC Editor
In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which took over 50 lives and left thousands on the Eastern seaboard without power, many are now wondering what they can do to help.…
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Emergent Christian Cliches to Avoid
Following the creation of my first five articles in this ongoing series about Christian cliches (links below), I was alerted to the fact that my lists were notably absent of…
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How to Lose an Election
By Morf Morford
The 2012 election will certainly be noted as a monument to miscalculation and fundamental obliviousness. For the sake of our country – and our political system – I hope Republicans…
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10 Things I Learned While in the Middle East
By Jon Huckins
Over the past four years I have had the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time in the Middle East. I no longer approach the time as a tourist,…
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What Historically White Denominations Can Learn From the Republican Party
The day after election night is like Christmas morning for bloggers and political pundits. Like eager children we come bounding down the stairs ready to rip open and reflect on wins, losses,…
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The Hand is Quicker than the Eye: In Magic and Politics
By Morf Morford
“The hand is quicker than the eye” is a traditional proverb and organizing principle of every practicing magician. There is no actual ‘magic’ involved in a magician’s act – it…
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Fear and Loathing in Fundamentalist Land
As a life-long Republican and an evangelical minister, I have been appalled at the attitudes and actions of so many Christian Republicans. There has been the (still alive) birther movement,…
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The Impossibility of Being President and Following Jesus
By Kurt Willems
It’s impossible to be the president of the United States and to follow Jesus.* This is a radical claim in this heated election season, without a doubt, but is why…
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A Politics of Selflessness
Selflessness is the ethic of God. Every action of Christ demonstrated a commitment to selflessness. It is the opposite of self-centeredness. It is the act of putting others’ needs ahead…
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Jesus for President 2012
It was way back in 2004 that the spark for the Jesus for President campaign was born – by a bunch of post-evangelical Christians trying to figure out how to…
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Driscoll, Piper, Calvin and God’s Gift of… Racism?
“It’s right for God to slaughter women and children anytime he pleases. God gives life and he takes life. Everybody who dies, dies because God wills that they die.” -John…
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Working With the Poor, One Village at a Time
By Graeme Esau
At a certain point in my life, I came to realize that being a Christian was more complicated than showing up to church on Sunday and changing the channel during…
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Franklin Graham's Religion Is Not His Father's
By Kathy Vestal
Franklin Graham is using the power of his father’s name for his own political agenda. Throughout history there may not have been a more respected Christian leader than the Rev.…
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Committed to Unhappiness: Consumerism is the Enemy of the Church
By Tony Campolo
The American economic system could not continue to exist without keeping us constantly dissatisfied and somewhat unhappy. Consider the fact that if you are happy with your life; if you…
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Interrupting Inequality — from Wall Street to Your Street
Ten years ago, we threw a party on Wall Street. It was one year after 9/11 and nine years before Occupy. Here’s a little video from the original Wall Street…
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The Judgment of Sodom – When Disaster Strikes
By Morf Morford
The Bible holds two accounts of the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 13, Ezekiel 16). Most commentators choose one and ignore the other, but I think I see a revealing link…
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Kingdom Politics: Sewing the Great Commandment Back Together
In early 21st century American politics, the two sides of our partisan divide can be described as a rupture between the two halves of Jesus’ Great Commandment. One side champions…
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5 God Excuses to Avoid After a Natural Disaster
By Kent Annan
In a disaster aftermath, whether caused by hurricane or earthquake or tsunami, the right impulse is to rush in with appropriate relief. For people of faith, too often this same…
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21st Century Freedom Ride
Whenever my friend Jim Douglass calls, I listen. Ten years ago, when we stood together in the morning sun outside a hotel in Baghdad, Jim hugged me and Leah, then…
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Now What? How to Help in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy
By RLC Editor
Hurricane Sandy has moved past the Philadelphia area and the work of clean up and recovery is just beginning. While the storm is still a force to be reckoned with…
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How Are We Political? A Dialogue between Tony Campolo and Shane Claiborne
TONY CAMPOLO: Shane, I have a question to ask that may make you squirm a little bit. From hearing you talk and reading your books, you often seem to suggest that…
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Daddy’s Top Ten Childbirth Freak-Outs (pt. 2 of 2)
Yesterday I posted part one of this story. Click here to read that first if you haven’t already. These posts came from my first memoir/humor book published called “PregMANcy: A Dad,…
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Daddy’s Top-Ten Childbirth Freak-Outs (Pt. 1 of 2)
Earlier in 2012, I had my first memoir/humor book published called “, ” published by Chalice Press. The book follows my wife second pregnancy with our daughter, Zoe (now 3…
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Presidential Politics, Big Military and Jesus
Early this week the presidential candidates got to debate about foreign policy as each of them claimed to be the biggest tough guy…and the least like Jesus. Sadly, for many…
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What Can We Say? Theology for Murder and for Living
By Kent Annan
“Fred, ” I ask in Creole last Friday in Port-au-Prince, “do you mind giving us a quick campus tour before we sit to talk?” I work with a non-profit focused on education…
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4th Anniversary of Dobson's "Letter from 2012 in Obama's America"
Today is the four year anniversary of the Focus on the Family Action’s release of a . This tragic letter was dropped in the media just weeks before the 2008…
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On Rachel Held Evans and Why “Vagina-gate” Matters
Some may be aware of the dust kicked up around ‘ new book, “A Year of Biblical Womanhood, ” but in case you’re unfamiliar with the “vagina-gate” phenomenon, let me catch…
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Religion and Good Intentions: Embarrassed by Jesus
By Kathy Vestal
Even Mary did not understand Jesus’ ministry. How hurtful it must have been to disappoint her, and how lonely, but he knew his mission and remained focused. Mary knew Jesus…
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What Belongs to Caesar?
By Morf Morford
When I was a child I didn’t understand politics. My parents were moderates – in an era when almost everyone was a moderate – and proud of it. Back then,…
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Christian Hypocrisy in Examining the Word of God and the Words of Politicians
First off, before the strident atheists out there start lifting this post up as a “See, even, so and so, says Christians are a bunch of hypocrites!” let me be…
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Possibilities: Is this what got Jesus killed?
The Jesus we encounter in the gospels is fascinating. He’s usually up to more than we catch at first glance. Speaking with the woman at the well; telling the story of the…
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Exterminate them without mercy: The problem of Joshua, genocide, and the character of God
By Kurt Willems
Author note: A couple of years ago, I wrote the following blog post about an approach to the most difficult text when it comes to understanding God’s character. Although I…
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Engaging Culture and Growing Faith: Religious Deserts and the Canaanite Woman
A friend of mine forwarded a link to a recent Huffington Post article about the most and least religious cities in the United States. Interestingly – but hardly surprising –…
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The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of The Evangelical Left
By Marty Troyer
The right story told at the right time can make all the difference. Knowing this, great storytellers take as much care in selecting the right story as they do in…
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Church is Fantasy, but that's Okay (as long as we don't think it's reality)
By Mal Green
About twenty years ago, in a local, growing church, a group of us began to explore what church might look like if it did not look like what it looks…
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Did Jesus Have a Wife?
By Tony Campolo
There has been an uproar over the discovery of a small piece of a parchment which had Coptic writings in which there was a reference to Jesus, referring to His…
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God Loves Us F**k-Ups
By Derek Flood
I recently discovered People of the Second Chance (POTSC), a group that describes its mission as: A scandalous awakening of radical grace in life and leadership. We exist to overthrow…
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What happens when Jesus is not the answer?
By Kerry Dixon
While I was a theological student, a heated debate broke out during one of the Principal’s lectures around the issues of evangelism and suffering. The Principal’s view w as that…
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Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?: An Interview with Brian McLaren
By RLC Editor
Brian McLaren’s latest book, Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World, released nearly a month ago and has garnered national…
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Letters to My Unborn Children: the Silent Grief of Miscarriage
Our first pregnancy in 2004 ended in a miscarriage right after Easter. Through my wife Kristine’s five subsequent pregnancies—another miscarriage in 2004, healthy girls born in 2005 and 2008, a…
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Is the Future of Church in Fantasy Faith Leagues?
I used to be in a fantasy league, but the fanaticism of the whole thing wore me out. The guys would gather online for an evening-long draft event, debate rules…
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The Faithful Way to Sing to God? Mine.
On more than one occasion I have heard praise music called “7/11 music, ” the same seven words sung eleven times. Because I tend to run in mainline church circles,…
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Once Upon A Christian Nation
By Craig Bubeck
I love my country . . . I mean, you gotta’, right? Even during its awkward cycles of uninhibited vitriol, come election time (with its debates). In so many regards,…
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Health Care — Then and Now
I don’t know if we had health insurance when I was a child. When I had a sore throat that wouldn’t go away, I went to the doctor, and the…
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My Journey Through a 3 year Marriage and Divorce at 29
By Rachel Goble
I’m twenty nine years old. A Westmont College and Fuller Seminary graduate, born and raised in a loving Christian family. My Dad sat on the Elder board of my church…
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A Shout Out to St. Francis from My Dog (and me too)
Editor’s Note: On this feast day, we are reprinting an important reminder of what St. Francis can teach us about love for all of God’s creation. I am a huge…
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A Shout Out to St. Francis from My Dog (and me too)
I am a huge animal lover, human and non human alike. I have a good role model for this love of animals in St. Francis of Assisi, who lived in…
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For Tonight's Debate: #JesusIsMyCandidate
Tonight from 9-10:30 pm EST, two men neither of whom are the anti-Christ and both of whom are sinners whom God has used to accomplish varying degrees of good in…
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Robbing the Rich: Biblical Concern or Political Preoccupation?
It seems that some Christian leaders think that commandment number eight in the Big Ten was written to protect the rich. They also seem to be convinced that this commandment…
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BREAKING: Pennyslvania Judge Blocks Voter ID Law
By RLC Editor
Today, a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Judge blocked a Voter ID Law that many believed would keep thousands from the polls on Election Day. While the decision could be appealed, the Wall…
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World Habitat Day: A Day to Recognize the Basic Need for Shelter
In the waning hours of a January afternoon, as children played after school and parents prepared to end their work days, Haiti was suddenly shaken forever by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake.…
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Ku Klux Clowns in East Tennessee
I started my Tennessee sabbatical with a story about 3 peace activists who recently shut down the Y12 bomb plant here in Oak Ridge with a stunning protest, armed only…
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Christian Politics – Speak truth. Be truth. That’s it!
By Kurt Willems
Christian politics. Enough said. This issue continues to divide Christians. I’m convinced that the complexities of politics can be narrowed down to the following: speak truth, be truth, that’s it!…
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Is Choosing to Not Vote Selfish?
I live in a condo on K Street — yes, that place seemingly symbolic of all that’s wrong with Washington. Although K Street was once the center of the lobbying…
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What the Body of Christ Can Learn From Fantasy Sports
A few months ago my family and I were out at some pizza joint and there was a baseball game on the TV. Being San Francisco, the Giants were playing…
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7 Tips for Finding Your Vocation
By Brad Jersak
An open letter to my beloved sons, in whom I am well pleased, I’m writing this fatherly letter about the difference between a career and a vocation. I learned this wisdom…
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Suffering, Tragedy and Doubt: 5 Mistakes Christians Make
By Derek Flood
Of all the reasons people lose their faith, by far the biggest is the experience of suffering and injustice. How can we help people struggling with this? Here are five…
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Is the Kingdom of God Built of Vegetables?
By Jeremy John
Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer r120925144117″>Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer // ]]> “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet…
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Commit $20/month and get a FREE Book
By RLC Editor
In celebration of the new RedLetterChristians.org, we are offering a FREE signed copy of Red Letter Revolution from Tony Campolo to anyone who supports RLC on an ongoing basis at…
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The Scandal Of Publix and The Coalition of Immokalee Workers: A Christian Critique
A Presbyterian minister enters a Publix grocery store in Florida to buy a sandwich at the deli. Store management calls the police and they escort him from the store, telling…
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Religious Entitlement and the Protests in the Middle East
It is with sadness and distress that I view the violent protests that have broken out in the Muslim world over a video that apparently was designed to be insulting…
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A Pastor's Struggle With Sex and Porn Addiction
On a cold winter night in 1994, in the grip of a decades-long addiction to porn and illicit sex, I began my typical ritual of acting out sexually. I sat…
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If I wasn’t Anabaptist, I’d probably become Anglican – Reflections on an ancient-future faith orientation
By Kurt Willems
I’m Anabaptist, but even more than that, I’m a follower of the resurrected Jesus. If these two identifiers ever get out of order, something in my faith journey has gone…
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Libyan Ambassador Stevens’ Death Tragic, Hopeful, Ironic
I’ve been reflecting on the recent events in Libya involving the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens, and every time, I arrive at a different feeling about it all. There’s the…
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Why We Need to Build This Meme: #JesusIsMyCandidate
It was only supposed to be a catchy sermon series to attract attention for our fall kickoff season. At first our senior pastor was worried about being misinterpreted in the…
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How To (and Not To) Respond to the Current Crisis in the Middle East
By Jon Huckins
My heart is heavy. Every day for the past week, every social media outlet has told their version of the current uprising stretching across the Middle East (Egypt, Libya, Yemen) . Whether…
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A Child Shall Lead Them
By Morf Morford
What’s the point of point of a theology if you can’t live it? Martin Luther used to say that your theology should make sense to a child. I think his…
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Why Abortion Should Not Be Politically Decisive for Christians
I recall years ago on the Sunday before a national election a surprise awaited members of the congregation I served when they returned to their cars after worship. Under each…
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Staying "On Message" for Jesus
My congregation Burke United Methodist Church is doing a campaign this fall called Jesus is My Candidate: I Vote for Him Every Day. A dimension of this campaign is thinking…
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(Un)Patriotic – Politics are Ugly
Politics are ugly. Especially in an election year. Recent polls show this election is heating up, and the fury with which each side expresses their views seemingly deepens every day.…
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Pussy Riot and the Temple Incident
By Brad Jersak
I’ve been asking afresh why the political and religious authorities of Jesus’ day thought it necessary to conspire in his death. What did he do or say that constituted a…
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Good Weeds: The Gospel as a Good Contagion
By Morf Morford
CS Lewis used to describe the Gospel as ‘a good contagion’. I would describe the continuing emergence or out-working of the Gospel as the equivalent of good weeds. No matter…
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Leadership as a Code Word for Power
By Roy Goble
In the 1980′s there was a push within the Church to build leaders. The thinking was that effective leadership could spark the Church out of its malaise. People like Bill…
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Big Beasts and Little Prophets: Activists Cooling Down the War Machine With Holy Water
I just arrived in Tennessee for a little sabbatical in the hills where I grew up. As I settled into my old childhood room again for a week or so…
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Covetous Leaders: How the Religious Right gets it Exactly Wrong
The authors of the Bible did not write with a constitutional democracy in mind. Nevertheless scripture offers guidance that can be useful to us in our own present situation. Though…
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Interfaith Misunderstanding in America
It’s been a great year for interfaith misunderstanding in America. There was a U.S. senator’s wild allegation about Islamic extremists infiltrating the American government. There are the ridiculous — and…
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Healing Toxic Faith: Did Jesus die to save us from God?
By Derek Flood
Why did Jesus have to die? Was it to appease a wrathful God’s demand for punishment? Does that mean Jesus died to save us from God? How could someone ever…
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Who am I to Think that I Could Stand in God's Way?
By Mal Green
I’ve had a scenario playing in my head over the past few days. It hasn’t happened but I’m wondering how I would respond if it did. In it, a couple…
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How it All Happened: My Prayer at the DNC
It’s been a whirlwind. I came home from work last Wednesday night, August 29th, flipped through the major network channels and was quickly disturbed by the bickering and bantering of…
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God Doesn’t Need our Political Endorsement
One of the most disappointing political events I have witnessed this year as a Christian was the clumsy maneuvering two days ago by the Democratic National Convention to put “God…
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Commendable in an Age of Short Cuts: Kings, Presidents and Prophets
The Presidential campaign has reached a fever-pitch. Exaggeration, half-truths and lies abound as each party scratches and claws toward election day in hopes of victory. It seems that truth in…
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The Role of Satire, Snark and Sarcasm in Building Community
Photo by ganesha.isis on Flickr Short answer: there is none. I recently stumbled upon a Les Miserables inspired video parody in support of a Barack Obama’s second term. I have obvously shared my…
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Why the “Christian life” isn’t worth living
By Kurt Willems
For most of my life, I focused my faith on knowing Jesus through morality management. More accurately, Jesus was savior and the Spirit was the voice that helped give me…
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From the Heart…Angel Unaware
By Kathy Vestal
I was heading into the bathroom at my niece’s volleyball game yesterday when a kind-eyed white-haired gentleman stopped me. “Would you check on my granddaughter?” he asked me. “She’s been…
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Me Neither: Jesus Draws His Line in the Sand
It seemed no matter how they tried to trap Jesus, he always managed to weasel out of being embarrassed in front of the crowds. Attempts by these students and teachers…
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Flash Mob Ministry: A New Model for Instant Church
cialis online without prescription208.jpg” alt=”” width=”270″ height=”187″ />Blaine is the kind of young man who seems to have been born for church camp. He has a permanent smile on his…
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Why This Christian Will Never Own a Gun
As a Christian and a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA) I often struggle with Scripture and how God intends for me to live in the world. Jesus and our faith…
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Slandering the Poor: An Exercise in Self-Righteousness
In the minds of some people any reference to the hard working poor is an oxymoron. Being poor and being hard working are mutually exclusive to them. People are poor…
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We Built This
By Morf Morford
“‘My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!’ Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone…
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When All of Abraham’s Children Share a Table: A Moment I’ll Never Forget
By Jon Huckins
Hebron is known as one of the most volatile cities in the whole region of Israel/Palestine. Located in the heart of the West Bank, both Jews and Arabs have had…
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Lunch for Seniors or a Trip to Mars? Providing for the Least of These
A sure way to start a riot on Facebook is to post a political comment. Nobody agrees on anything political with the exception of the national debt: that it has…
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Lance Armstrong and the Way of Fallen Idols
I, like many people, was shocked when I heard today that cyclist Lance Armstrong gave up his fight against doping allegations, effectively forfeiting his seven Tour De France titles, his…
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The Church’s Doomed Pursuit of the Elusive Young Adult
It seems that everywhere you look today, “the church, ” especially within historic traditions, is talking about reaching that ever-elusive young adult demographic. Sometimes it feels like we are on some National Geographic…