By: Nick Martineau on January 29, 2015
The Great Transformation – The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time By Karl Polanyi The other day the gaslight came on so I pulled up to the pump and filled the entire tank in my Toyota Camry for just over $25. I’m the kind of guy that never notices gas prices, I just…
By: Deve Persad on January 29, 2015
“Evangelicals throughout the nineteenth century had not worked very self-consciously at thinking about the best ways, consistent with the Bible itself, to push thinking from the Scripture to modern situations and back again. That is, habits of patient study were far less well exercised than habits of quick quotation. Proof-texting did not cause great damage…
By: Phillip Struckmeyer on January 29, 2015
Are self-regulated markets the real evil of the industrial revolution that have fundamentally flawed the core development of the “Western World”? I believe Karl Polanyi in his book, “The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of our Time” not only poses this ultimate question but answers it with a resounding yes. Joseph Stiglitz in…
By: Dave Young on January 29, 2015
As I read the opening chapters of The Great Transformation images of Downton Abbey were dancing in my head. Ok, my secret is out: I’m a fan. I could certainly blame my wife, but I really do enjoy it, despite its similarities to a soap opera. Set in the fictional Yorkshire estate, it depicts the…
By: Mary Pandiani on January 28, 2015
Baldo by Hector D. Cantu and Carlos Castellanos As I read Polayni’s The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time and a number of reviews, I find myself asking more questions than finding answers. Perhaps that’s what happens when a new paradigm is introduced. The “new” paradigm, ironically not so new with a…
By: Clint Baldwin on January 26, 2015
MaryKate Morse’s A Guidebook to Prayer offers a multiplicity of windows into the character and the heart of the Triune God. What’s great about Morse’s work is that she well recognizes the simple truth that “one size doesn’t fit all.” And even if one size were to fit all people at one time or another,…
By: Stefania Tarasut on January 24, 2015
As I read through MaryKate Morse’s book “A Guidebook to Prayer: Twenty-Four Ways to Walk With God,” I realized two things. First, prayer should remind us of our humanity and second, prayer should remind us of God’s sovereignty. I think that these are the two things that we tend to forget the most. In a…
By: Dawnel Volzke on January 24, 2015
Marykate Morse’s book, Making Room for Leadership: Power, Space, and Influence, provides actionable advice for exerting influence over others to achieve intended results. “Leadership is not something produced for certain occasions and specific roles. Leadership happens all the time, and it happens when we use our bodies to influence others.”[1] A good leader uses power effectively…
By: Miriam Mendez on January 24, 2015
A Guidebook to Prayer is a rich, spiritual guide that invites the reader to discover, grow and strengthen their prayer life. In her book, MaryKate Morse is masterful in teaching the reader to engage in twenty-four ways to walk with God by experiencing different ways of praying. This is not my first experience with this…
By: rhbaker275 on January 23, 2015
In 2014, I continued my search for a meaningful prayer life. For over forty years, prayer has been an integral and vital part of my experience in the Christian life. Most of the time, prayer has been a meaningful experience; there have also been times of questioning and periods when my personal prayer life was…
By: Liz Linssen on January 23, 2015
Perhaps one of the greatest joys in planting a church where we meet brand new believers is seeing how they develop their relationship with God. Coming to God with no preconceived ideas of how Christianity or prayer should be done, it’s wonderful to hear how they are encountering God and a joy to affirm that…
By: John Woodward on January 23, 2015
I have three confessions to make: 1) I am a book addict. I love books. I believe that books are meant to be appreciated in their entirety. For this reason, this doctoral program has been a great challenge, as I have such a hard time leaving a book unread. I struggle to finish our assigned…
By: Michael Badriaki on January 23, 2015
My father and mother are both remarkable people! Thinking about them regularly, reminds me to pray with and for them. They have done amazing things for me and my siblings, but they have also lived through situations I can’t even begin to fully describe here. Yet their joy and expression of hope is infectious. My…
By: Jon Spellman on January 23, 2015
Is Power Taken, Or Given? Or Both? “Power-Grab!” “Absolute power corrupts absolutely!” “Global superpower!” “Overpowering!” All of these words and phrases carry with them a sense of brashness, unwieldiness, fear… A “powerful” person is one that, for most regular folk, should probably be avoided, UNLESS you need the power they possess, that is. When they…
By: Julie Dodge on January 23, 2015
“Prayer is not an event, but a life. It is not a petition but a love relationship with one God, expressed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” [1] I love this statement, particularly that prayer is a love relationship with God. It is. Oh, it is. I have long taught, and known, that prayer is…
By: Mitch Arbelaez on January 23, 2015
To often we do not pray. We find other things to do than to actually stop the madness of the doing and just sit and wait upon the Lord. I once heard a story of African converts who were earnest in their times seeking God that they would each choose a place in the thicket…
By: Richard Volzke on January 23, 2015
This week’s reading reminded me just how important prayer is in every aspect of a Christian’s life. Prayer is the tool/mechanism (for a lack of a better term), which allows man to commune with God. It is only through prayer that we can have a relationship with God. A relationship is what God desires to…
By: Bill Dobrenen on January 23, 2015
There was some irony for me in this week’s reading. I would call it serendipity, but I would also call it providence. Let me explain. I went to Rwanda in 2007 to do some research on a new ministry organization that I had helped develop. This trip became a turning point for me in my…
By: Ashley Goad on January 23, 2015
I started my Thursday in prayer with three wonderful ladies. Our paths crossed during a Bible study with a larger group centered on the book by Richard Stearns, The Hole in Our Gospel.[1] Though the book study ended after eight weeks, the four of us enjoyed the camaraderie and friendship we had developed, and since…
By: Carol McLaughlin on January 23, 2015
In some ways prayer is that in between place. G.K. Chesterton described the difference between talking about prayer and praying as the difference between blowing a kiss and kissing.[1] One communicates an intention, while the other acts revealing desire, commitment and affection. It is not that talking about prayer lacks desire, commitment and affection, but…
