By: Todd E Henley on September 5, 2024
This week as I was reading Jesus and the Powers by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, I received a notification on my phone from 6abc Philadelphia: “Causalities reported in shooting at Georgia high school, suspect in custody.”1 My first response was, “No, no, no.” Throughout the day, I was glued to my laptop waiting…
By: Adam Harris on September 5, 2024
Have you ever noticed that when we Christians speak about things like “the gospel,” “Jesus,” or “the kingdom of God,” it can mean very different things from one person or group to the next? We all seem to have unique ways of explaining what the gospel is, what Jesus cares about, and what the kingdom…
By: Jenny Dooley on September 4, 2024
Given the overwhelming number of global and national issues we currently face, our reading this week is a welcome signpost guiding the way. In the introduction to Jesus and the Powers, authors N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird noted the powerful objective that undergirds their book. They write, ”… in an age of ascending autocracies,…
By: Mathieu Yuill on September 2, 2024
Reflecting on Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird[1] feels especially relevant today, given the global challenges we face. Wright and Bird’s exploration of how Christians should navigate the political and social upheaval of our time is both sobering…
By: Cathy Glei on September 2, 2024
“The very existence of a community living like that – scandalous as it appeared to many- was the sign to the watching world that something radically new had come about, a way of life that was attractive and vibrant even as, in social and political terms, it was costly and dangerous. “ [1] Drawing attention…
By: John Fehlen on September 2, 2024
I never want to reduce a book to quippy tweet-like punchlines. However, Jesus and the Powers by N.T. Wright and Michal Bird is absolutely chock full of amazingly powerful teeth punches that capture so much of the significance of this important resource. Examples include the following: • “The greatest evils are not done by people who…
By: Esther Edwards on September 2, 2024
At seven years old, Helene was faced with a dilemma. She was a daughter of Pastor Jacob, a small-town pastor who was deeply concerned regarding the changing political landscape. Hitler had gained much acclaim for helping Germany recover from World War 1 but was now showing signs of tyrannical power. Many Jews had already been…
By: Kim Sanford on September 1, 2024
Jesus and the Powers by Tom Wright and Michael F. Bird was not at all what I expected but was a delight to read. Readers journey through the history of God’s people who have nearly always lived under or at least nearby imperial rulers and then dive into the Biblical mandate to bear public witness…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on August 30, 2024
What did you know about Israel before 7th October, and what was that based upon? I had a Biblical understanding of Israel. The lessons on God Abraham and Jacob’s descendants being the chosen people in the chosen were taught throughout my life. I never quite made the modern-day connection until I was in my late…
By: Todd E Henley on August 29, 2024
As I gratefully and thankfully enter into my third year, I am approaching everything with the mindset, “Todd, you have more to learn than you realize. Therefore, intentionally look for what you do not know and what you do not see.” As I read The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict by Martin Bunton, I thought about what I…
By: Adam Harris on August 29, 2024
Well, summer is officially over, and we’re diving into a simple topic: the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I’m just going to answer these in the order Dr. Jason Clark gave them to us. What did you know about Israel before 7th October, and what was that based upon? Being an enthusiast for ancient religion, most of my…
By: Kim Sanford on August 26, 2024
Looking Back Reading about life in Israel and Palestine over the past 100+ years evoked some diverse emotions. Firstly, nostalgia as I was taken back to my college Hebrew classroom where we began each class by singing, “Hineh ma tov uma na’im Shevet achim gam Yachad.” How good it is for brethren to dwell in…
By: Cathy Glei on August 26, 2024
A Peek Into My Limited Understanding Admittedly, I have a limited understanding of the conflict that is taking place in Israel. John, I think I need the 5-year-old explanation of the conflict too. For several years I taught in an Arabic/Muslim in Michigan and not much was said about the historical conflict of the region,…
By: John Fehlen on August 26, 2024
I read this entire book, and I still don’t fully understand the situation in the Middle East. I didn’t prior to October 7th, and I still don’t fully after October 7th. Honestly, I just don’t get it. Reading The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict by Martin Bunton only seemed to confuse me more, and the material only covered up…
By: Jenny Dooley on August 26, 2024
My Understanding of Israel The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, by Martin Bunton was a timely and informative read. As the Israeli-Hamas war continues, this short volume helped me understand the complexity of how two peoples came to be at violent odds with one another. Before reading this book, I knew Israel became a nation in 1948, continues…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on April 19, 2024
My BFF (in my head) Let me just put it out there. I am a FanGirl of Brene Brown. I have been a fan long before the world discovered her. She is my BFF (in my head). My mentor and, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant beings on the planet is friends…
By: Dinka Utomo on April 19, 2024
The foundational skill of courage-building is the willingness and ability to rumble with vulnerability. Once we start to build vulnerability skills, we can start to develop the other skill sets. -Brene Brown- A Pastor in our denomination was very excited – after he had completed his initial ministry of five years in a remote,…
By: Todd E Henley on April 18, 2024
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to speak at a leadership conference to medical doctors, therapists, and social workers. Whenever I am given the freedom to choose my topic, I always try to choose a topic my audience is not expecting but I know they need to wrestle with. Last weekend, my topic was, “Healing…
By: Cathy Glei on April 18, 2024
“What makes embracing vulnerability feel the most terrifying is how taking off the armor and exploding our hearts can open us up to experiencing shame. Our egos are willing to keep our hearts encased in armor, no matter the cost if we can avoid feeling “less than” or unworthy of love and belonging. What the…
By: Adam Harris on April 18, 2024
Our home has a list of “Harris values” hanging by our front door. Our church has “Godwhy’s values” hanging in the hallway so everyone sees them as they walk into the café area (strategic placing). However, until I read Daring to Lead by Brene Brown, it never occurred to me to “operationalize” them for our…
