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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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Haitian Residents at Church in Springfield, Ohio: A Reflection
By Troy Jackson
I first learned about Haiti in a video series called “You Can Make a Difference” by Red Letter Christians founder Dr. Tony Campolo nearly forty years ago. I learned of…
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Immigrants in Springfield, presented by Pastor Carl Ruby
By Carl Ruby
A Christian viewpoint on Immigration in Springfield, Ohio Sunday, September 15, 2024 Excerpts from transcript: Let’s quiet our hearts – lead you in a prayer that takes into account the…
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Learned Behavior
By S.M. Reed
This blog could be thought of as a continuation to the previous one. It occurred to me following posting the previous blog, that people might wonder, how? How do I keep…
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A Note on Gentle Instruction
By S.M. Reed
The following blog post was originally posted on my blog, “Letters to the Jaded Evangelical”. The blog is geared towards those who have become discouraged by the church’s intermingling with…
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More than 300 Evangelical Pastors and Leaders Sign “Confession of Evangelical Conviction” and Call for Revival
By RLC Editor
Editor’s Note: Shane Claiborne was one of the initial signers of the Confession, as was Lisa Sharon Harper and several other friends of RLC. A significant movement is emerging within…
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Blessed are Those Who Mourn
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 As a pastor I have the opportunity to visit quite a few people in their homes. As…
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Everything Could Be a Prayer (excerpts)
By Kreg Yingst
An excerpt from Everything Could Be a Prayer by Kreg Yingst © 2024 Broadleaf Books. Reproduced by permission. JOHN M. PERKINS (1930–) Reconciliation All this is from God, who reconciled us to…
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Being a Sanctuary: The Radical Way for the Body of Christ to Be Sacred, Soft, and Safe (an excerpt)
It was a Sunday at 6:45 a.m. in 2016, 2017, or 2018—it’s all a blur now. The day went by, and just like that it was 8:45 p.m. and I…
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Ephphatha, Be Opened
By Mary Quigley
-“He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”- Ephphatha. Be opened. Hear the children in Gaza crying. Hear the children in…
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The Widow Who Demands Justice
Excerpted from The Moral Teachings of Jesus: Radical Instruction in the Will of God (Cascade Books, September 2024). And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry…
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Preparing the way for Jesus— and not for a false Christ, or the next US (or any) President
By Bob Ekblad
“Prepare the way of the Lord!” writes Isaiah the prophet– and John the Baptist does this, announcing Jesus. He identifies Jesus as Israel’s Messiah, God’s own Son, the lamb of…
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The Women We’ve Been Waiting For (an excerpt)
The Women We’ve Been Waiting For: A 40-Day Devotional for Self-Care, Resilience, and Communal Flourishing (an excerpt) In our journey of faith, we’d be wise to remember that our whole…
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The Democrats need to be done with death
A version of this essay appeared on Religion News Service on August 27, 2024. PHOTO: Abraham Bonowitz of Death Penalty Action and Esther Brown of Project Hope to Abolish the…
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Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Beyond Spiritual Narratives
As a Palestinian-American leading a ministry in the Middle East, I frequently encounter misconceptions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In evangelical circles, it’s common to frame this enduring struggle as a…
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Clemency for Emmanuel Littlejohn: An Open Letter to Governor Kevin Stitt
August 18, 2024 Clemency for Emmanuel Littlejohn: An Open Letter to Governor Kevin Stitt Dear Governor Kevin Stitt, There are hours that try our souls. We don’t necessarily know what…
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Excerpt from “THE MYSTIC JESUS: The Mind of Love”
I have found over the years that I’m far from alone in having had a strange introduction to Jesus. The prepackaged religious Jesus doesn’t work for everyone, including some Christians.…
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Standing Against Trump and Genocide
A version of this essay appeared on Religion News Service on August 20, 2024. I’m an evangelical against Trump … and genocide Like many Christians, I find myself conflicted this…
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The In-Between Places
By Sue Fulmore
There is magic in the in-between places. We know the beauty of the world at dawn, as the light seeps in. The darkness retreats and our slice of this spinning…
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Womanish Theology: Discovering God through the Lens of Black Girlhood, an Excerpt
My first encounters with God were through my foremothers: my great-grandmother Ma Rosella, my grandmother—affectionately known as Mama Hattie—and her identical twin sister, Aunt Mary. In the 1980s they all…
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Release
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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“You Are Not Your Trauma: Uproot Unhealthy Patterns, Heal the Family Tree”, an excerpt
When I was sixteen years old, I spent most of my time trying to get high—anything to help me get my body back to equilibrium. I did not know at…
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August 9th: A Day of Repentance?
Editor’s Note: the following piece was originally published on the RLC Blog on August 9, 2017. August 9, 2017 ************* August 9th is a tragic day in history. August 9,…
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Saving Grace
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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So We and Our Children May Live, an excerpt
A decade ago, I (Sheri) realized I had to work on preventing climate change. My only child, Patrick, was eight at the time, and I kept imagining how I would…
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The Chaplain who Blessed the Hiroshima Bombers Repents
Editor’s Note: the following piece was originally published on the RLC Blog on August 6, 2014. August 6, 2014 Sixty-nine years ago, as a Catholic Air Force chaplain, Father George…
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A Sonnet for Sonya Massey
“Don’t hurt me.” It was tragic enough that Sonya Massey had to greet the officers at her front door with these words, even though she had called them herself regarding…
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Christians, Get Out and Vote
As Christian preachers, we don’t often agree with Donald Trump. But we do agree with one message he has for Christians: we must get out and vote in November. While…
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Pressure Builds on UN to Uphold Court Rulings on Gaza and West Bank
By Kathy Kelly
Pressure Builds on UN to Uphold Court Rulings on Gaza and West Bank For Immediate Release: August 2, 2024 Contact: Kathy Kelly, President of World BEYOND War, kathy.vcnv@gmail.com; David Swanson, Executive…
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More than 200 Christian leaders sign letter calling for cease-fire in Gaza
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Religion News Service on July 23, 2024. Shane Claiborne signed the letter referenced in the article, representing Red Letter Christians. July 23, 2024 By Chloë-Arizona Fodor, Jack Jenkins…
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Shattered
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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God Is Asking Us to Do More, Not Do It Alone
By Sally Vonner
I grew up in a matriarchal family that was mindful of community; we knew our neighbors, we helped one another. If a neighbor needed something from the mom n’ pop…
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Treasure in Heaven
I think churches feel obligated to break out the red letter words from Jesus found in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew at least once a year, “Do…
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Sighs Too Deep for Words
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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My Church is Broken, and So Am I
NOTE: All patient names and any identifying details have been changed. It’s a midwestern autumn morning. I wake up early after a late night at my cousin’s wedding. I’m disoriented…
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A Call to Solidarity
Among progressive Christians, there is alarm about the impacts of climate change, and rightly so. According to UNESCO, humanity’s actions on earth are as impactful as a geological force. Climate…
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On Peacemaking: A Litany for Lamenting Every Act of Violence
Editor’s Note: we share this powerful essay and litany prayer from Diana Oestreich originally published in Rally: Communal Prayers for Lovers of Jesus & Justice. The candles flickered and wax…
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Save Pastor Kevin Burns
By RLC Editor
Tennessee Inmate Kevin Burns Fights for Freedom from Death Row Kevin Burns sits on Tennessee’s death row, maintaining his innocence for a crime he insists he didn’t commit. Despite 28…
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Buying Guns on the Blue Market
A version of this essay appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on June 30, 2024. It’s easier to get a gun in America than it is to get rid of a…
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In A Mirror Dimly
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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Way to Peace
By David Titus
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now…
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God Did Not Save Donald Trump
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Religion News Service on July 15, 2024. Did God save the former president, but not those who died instead? (RNS) — I’m glad Donald…
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In God’s Hands
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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Made in the Imagination of Love
I love God. I just don’t trust God. The god of conditional promises. Of quid pro quo practices. Of formulaic certainties. The sow tithes and reap rewards god. The attend-church-worship-pray-read-bible-to-live-a-fully-blessed-life…
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Christian Leaders from Around the Country Read Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech “WHAT TO THE SLAVE IS THE FOURTH OF JULY”
By RLC Editor
Editor’s Note: originally published on the RLC Blog on July 3, 2021. One-hundred and seventy-two years ago tomorrow, abolitionist, writer, and statesman Frederick Douglass gave a speech to the 600…
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RAW Tools 44K Countdown 2024
By RLC Editor
On Saturday afternoon, June 29, RawTools finished the marathon, forging over 44,000 minutes, 1 minute for each life lost to gun violence in 2023. Matt Clarady was a big part…
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UPDATE: RAW Tools 44K Countdown 2024
By RLC Editor
So far, after day 26, 38,140 minutes of forging have been logged, and below are a few more images of the creations formed from the efforts of the highly skilled,…
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Meeting Christ in my Neighbor at the Intersection
“If you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will surely die”. When I was taught the story of Eden as a child I remember…
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The Aftermath of Coming Out
By Jenn Zatopek
Last year I penned my first essay about the wonders of queer joy, coming out publicly as a bisexual woman living in Texas. The essay was well received, first by…
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Stop Grasping for Power – Start Reaching for One Another
By Jer Swigart
On October 13th, after six days of navigating bomb shelters in Jerusalem, I arrived at Logan International Airport. As I shuffled toward customs I watched the sunrise over Boston. I…
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RAW Tools 44K Countdown 2024
By RLC Editor
So far, after day 19, 31,822 minutes of forging have been logged, and below are a few images of the creations formed from the heartfelt efforts of the RAW Tools…
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The Lesson of the Eunuch
Photo credit: “The Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch by the Deacon Philip”, by Lambert Sustris (between 1545 and 1550) When discussing queer inclusion with Christians, a common refrain is that…
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Who is Worthy of Honor?
Black people have never known honor on U.S. shores. From the auction blocks to the voting booths, honor has been as elusive to us as reparations for hundreds of years…
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A Prayer for Pride Month
God, it’s Pride Month, and a lot is going on. Pride Month is always busy for the LGBTQIA+ community, whether we are attending parades and festivals, creating good trouble at…
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An Invitation to Believe in Love
This song was inspired by a small event, an almost chance meeting, twelve years ago. “John and Josie – a true story” was written about an intimate interaction, a moment…
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A Time to Speak
Last Sunday, I found myself brushing shoulders with a crowd of ardent demonstrators. On the streets of Krakow’s Old City, the shoe-polished roads glistened in the light rainfall to the…
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Forgiveness is a Miracle
At our last Pastors, Priests and Guides retreat, we stumbled upon the seismic, nuclear power of a simple spiritual practice. It surprised, provoked and unlocked us, cracking open a door…
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The United Methodist Church Divests from Israel
By Joel Simpson
On April 30th, the United Methodist Church (UMC) officially voted to divest from Israel because it is an occupier country, taking and occupying Palestinian land. The denomination also voted to…
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Becoming a Prophetic Voice, Excerpt
By Jenai Auman
A friend shared the most liberating truth that helped me find freedom in letting my tears fall and my voice cry out. She said, “God can handle your angry words…
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Differentiating Between the What and the How
Editor’s Note: Written by Alan Yarborough and originally published on May 2023 on ECF Vital Practices here. Reposted here with permission. “Fight for the things that you care about, but…
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Fight Wealth Not Poverty
Editor’s Note: Originally published on Plough.com as Fight Wealth, Not Poverty, April 22, 2024. Used by permission. After decades serving the poor, I’ve realized that the problem and the solutions lie closer to…
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A Time is Coming and Has Now Come
By Alex Awad
The writer of the Gospel of John offers his readers an amazing conversation that took place in what we call today, the West Bank (the Palestinian territory west of the…
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RAWTOOLS NATIONAL 44K EVENT
By RLC Editor
RAWTOOLS NATIONAL 44K EVENT – JUNE 1- JUNE 30 Guns to Garden Tools Livestream Blacksmith Marathon in Remembrance of Over 44,000 Individuals Lost to Gun Violence in 2023 Beginning Saturday…
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Celebrate Pride Month
By RLC Editor
June is Pride Month, and as Red Letter Christians, we affirm and celebrate the image of God in all our LGBTQIA+ siblings. We stand in solidarity, honoring their dignity and…
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Joyful Noise
“But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” (Matthew 19:14) The…
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Pentecost and Ruth: Reflections on Supporting the Marginalized Among Us
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and…
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“Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times”, an Excerpt
A few years ago, I was driving along a motorway with my husband and kids. It was hot and the air was stale, my passenger-seat compartment strewn with tepid water…
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Fighting to Love Christ’s Church, excerpt from “The Hope in Our Scars”
By Aimee Byrd
Fighting to Love Christ’s Church, by Aimee Byrd Author of The Hope in Our Scars: Finding the Bride of Christ in the Underground of Disillusionment Zondervan, May 7, 2024 I…
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Man Enough to Ask For Help
Editor’s Note: This first appeared on the RLC blog on Oct 10, 2018. From the time I was a kid, I had been taught that being strong meant that you…
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4 Reasons Evangelical Men Enable Abusers
By Ryan George
My story could easily be very different. I grew up in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church, and I was in my 30s when I learned that my father, also my…
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Finishing the Race: Advocacy for the Global Fight against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria
When I was a little girl, probably 11, I sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the podium at Belmont Church to hear a special guest speaker, Tony Campolo.…
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Salt of the Earth
By S.M. Reed
Editor’s Note: originally posted on 3/28/24 at The Jaded Evangelical blog. The following blog post was originally posted on my blog, “Letters to the Jaded Evangelical”. The blog is geared…
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The Myth of Silence
By Joel Simpson
A teacher once gave a balloon to all of his students, told them to blow it up and write their names on it. Then, he had them throw the balloons…
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It’s Complicated: A Different Liturgy for Mother’s Day
Editor’s Note: This piece initially posted on the RLC blog on May 6, 2020. You don’t need me to tell you that Mother’s Day is complicated for many. A two-second…
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Praying with Mary, through Mary, for Hurting Mothers of War
I am not a Catholic, but I’m praying to Mary … with Mary, through Mary … for the Mothers of Gaza. I am not a Catholic. In fact, I was…
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The Gospel with a Humanizing Instinct
By Mal Green
An acquaintance from my evangelical past recently posted on social media the fable of Einstein as a young university student undermining the arguments of an atheist professor. The first comment…
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Despair in the Holy Land
By Thomas Reese
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Religion News Service on April 29, 2024. (RNS) — It is easy to despair over the Holy Land. For almost 80 years it…
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Burnt Out for Jesus?
It was 2019. At work, I was newly-appointed to my role and trying to lead a national communications department of a Christian missionary organisation through significant change. At home, I’d…
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Response to: “A Call for Repentance: An Open Letter from Palestinian Christians to Western Church Leaders and Theologians”
October 20, 2023, a network of Palestinian Christian institutions located throughout Israel/Palestine published “An Open Letter from Palestinian Christians to Western Church Leaders and Theologians.”—a clarion call for Western church…
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The Ballot and the Movement: Reflections on the Uncommitted Movement
By Phil Lewis
Many of us have heard about the recent movement in the Democratic presidential primary to encourage voters across the country to vote uncommitted. There are several news articles discussing what…
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“For Love of the Broken Body: A Spiritual Memoir” Excerpt
Being a Sister is a form of radical discipleship of Jesus Christ, I figure. It is how I can live in a committed intentional community long-term with like-minded prayerful, Gospel-centered women;…
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Lectio Tierra – Praying in Nature
Have you had your awe and wonder sighting for today? If not it’s time to go out and take notice. Our daily experience of life, God and God’s world are…
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Addiction and the Ministry of the Body of Christ
Every morning, I wake up and read the obituaries. That may seem like an odd way to greet the day, but I am a pastor who has a deep calling…
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“Isolated and Othered”, Adaptation from “Beyond Ethnic Loneliness”
Adapted from Chapter 4, “Isolated and Othered” “Pick a color,” she said. “Write down your color.” I was at a writers’ workshop in Minnesota, and this was our prompt. I…
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The Terrifying Truth
By Joel Simpson
Shots fired in the hallway. People screaming. One class can’t lock their door, so they block the entrance with furniture. The door gets kicked in. Eventually, the shooter is stopped. …
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Israel’s Conscientious Objectors Stand on the Shoulders of Giants
By Ariel Gold
Editor’s Note: This piece was previously published on the FORUSA.org website and is reprinted here with permission. According to legend, the organization I lead, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, was founded…
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Three Years Ago We Stopped Harper Collins/Zondervan from Publishing the “God Bless the USA” Bible
By Jemar Tisby
Editor’s Note: This piece was first published on Jemar Tisby’s Substack, Footnotes by Jemar Tisby, on March 27, 2024 and is reprinted here with permission. The disturbing origins of this…
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Marriage, Sex, and Jesus
Sometimes I’m hesitant to post my wedding anniversary celebrations on social media, fearing I may be sending the unintentional message of “See? We did it right. You should be like…
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Josh Garrels and the Cowardice of Evangelicals
By Brian Gorman
In this article, I discuss how a prominent Christian musician’s trajectory away from engagement in the world is emblematic of a growing part of moderate evangelicalism. In June 2008, I…
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Good Trouble on Good Friday, Part 2
Editor’s Note: You may wish to enable captions on the video. TRANSCRIPT: We got into good trouble on Good Friday. Twenty-five people were arrested for a nonviolent direct action…
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The Symptoms of A Nation Approaching Spiritual Death
When we recognize that something which impacts anyone of us can quickly impact all of us, we know everyone must learn the signs of what the disease looks like before…
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Highlights from “MLK 55 Years Later: Can the Church Study War No More?” 2022 Event
We are up against some fierce principalities and powers – the triplet evils of racism, materialism, and militarism are as alive and well as they were 55 years ago. But…
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America is exceptional — in its addiction to violence and war
We have work to do to continue to “break the silence.” As our world is increasingly plagued by violence — not just in Ukraine but also in the streets of…
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We Shall Not Be Moved: a Reflection on Good Friday 2024
As a soldier I do not have the luxury to disconnect myself from the impact of America’s weapons on people. The death that happens to those at the other end…
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What would (those who crucified) Jesus do?
By Morf Morford
It would be easy to make the argument that Christianity in the 21st has taken on an identity few of the original disciples would recognize. Or maybe they would recognize…
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Good Trouble on Good Friday
We got into good trouble on Good Friday. Twenty-five people were arrested for a nonviolent direct action at the headquarters of Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest weapons contractor, where the…
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Easter Vigil for Gaza, Bethlehem, March 30th, 2024, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac
By RLC Editor
Red Letter Christians was honored to participate in a special Easter Saturday service broadcast LIVE from Bethlehem. Our friend Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac preached a powerful sermon. Here’s the transcript…
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“Pretend Catholics”
On St. Patrick’s Day, I was invited to a White House brunch to celebrate with President Biden and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. As the fourth son of Irish Catholic…
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Palestinian Christians Make an Easter Call for Relief from War’s Tightening Grasp
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Religion News Service on March 29, 2024. (RNS) — Palestinian Christians, a community that dates back to Jesus’ time, have long lived under the…
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March 2024 Global Christian Leaders Call for Permanent Gaza Ceasefire
By RLC Editor
Editor’s Note: Churches for Middle East Peace distributed the following press release on March 26, 2024, and we share it again below in its entirety. The full letter and list…
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Discernment in a Time of Deception: Learning from Simeon to Identify & Receive the True Savior
By Bob Ekblad
Luke’s Gospel presents a man named Simeon as the first to identify Jesus as the world’s consoling, Savior King. In alignment with the Magi of Matthew’s Gospel, who follow a…