By: Kim Sanford on October 17, 2023
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” The famous quote by Socrates, points us to the value of reflection on our lived experience, past and present. Each of us have first-hand experience with evangelicalism as well as living in a capitalist society. Whether we’ve ever thought about it or not, we are affected by both…
By: Kally Elliott on October 16, 2023
Achieving the “American Dream” is baked into the culture of the United States. We are told to “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps,” to make enough money to provide a 2000 square foot roof over our heads and an SUV to hold our 2.5 kids and Golden Retriever. If we can accomplish this “dream” we…
By: Tim Clark on October 16, 2023
I have long heard about the Protestant Work Ethic and applied the term as a generalization about evangelical Christians, including myself, who are hard-working but who carry a little bit of a guilt complex against ever becoming too lazy “because God created us to thrive and make the best use of our gifs for His…
By: Sara Taylor Lattimore on October 16, 2023
I hold a worldview, a theology, a philosophy that dignity is an innate human right. That we are all created with worth and dignity. As I have observed and learned about dignity is also an action a way of being and a way of interacting with others. It is innate and yet also an intentional…
By: Travis Vaughn on October 16, 2023
In The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Max Weber described the capitalism of today – a “today” in which Weber wrestled with the subject shortly after the turn of the 20th century – as “an immense cosmos into which the individual is born,” inevitably forcing someone, “in so far as he is involved…
By: John Fehlen on October 16, 2023
My copy of Max Weber’s book has a blurb on the back cover. It says “First published in 1905, “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” is listed by the International Sociological Association as the fourth most important book of the 20th century.” Personally, if this is true, then I would hate to read…
By: Audrey Robinson on October 15, 2023
RARE Leadership Introduction In a world characterized by diverse identities and ever-evolving cultural landscapes, the book RARE Leadership by Marcus Warner and Dr. Jim Wilder offers a refreshing perspective on leadership through the lens of Christian faith.[1] The authors’ core message revolves around recognizing, affirming, and nurturing the unique identities of those seeking their identity…
By: Sara Taylor Lattimore on October 14, 2023
“My boss is younger than me!” Have you ever said this or maybe heard it said by someone. This is something that I often shrugged off as a a young leader in my field, because I was thinking, “What did my age have to do with anything?”. I often thought to myself “well good for…
By: Greg McMullen on October 13, 2023
I rather enjoyed The Sound of Leadership from Jules Glanzer.[1] In this fast paced world, often we forget we are leading the orchestra. In our own ego we strive to be the best, or to satisfy the crowds, we sometimes forget we have control over the war drums pushing the ship, inspiring and encouraging the…
By: Chad McSwain on October 13, 2023
“A clergy person is more like a parent or step-parent”[1]. This was the moment I leaned in to the words of Martin Percy. Not that he lacked my attention before, but I had never heard these words applied in such a matter-of-fact way. I had said them in moments of frustration, yet now these were…
By: Daron George on October 13, 2023
There is a continuous quest for growth and development in the realm of leadership. Forbes said as of 2019 (four years ago) that, leadership development was a 366 billion dollar industry[1]. Everywhere you turn, leaders are trying to discover how to lead better. It is a journey marked by the pursuit of excellence and the…
By: Dinka Utomo on October 13, 2023
The inner self is the basis of human dignity, moreover the inner sense of dignity needs recognition -Francis Fukuyama- Identity politics seems to be a scourge in our national and state life. I still clearly remember the moment of the Governor’s election for our nation’s capital in 2017. Of the three pairs of candidates…
By: John Fehlen on October 13, 2023
Before sunrise on May 16, 2023 I boarded an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland (PDX) to San Francisco (SFO). I got on a return flight later that evening. I only needed to be in San Francisco for approximately 2 hours, but decided to make “a day of it.” I had a singular meeting at 2…
By: Jana Dluehosh on October 13, 2023
“We are the medicine”. This was a quote from a physician at the beginning of my study as an Anam Cara apprentice. Anam Cara is a celtic phrase that means “soul friend”, basically a midwife of the soul. This physician spoke to us on the importance of this phrase, “we are the medicine” as a…
By: Laura Fleetwood on October 12, 2023
What is the best way for our church to help people live and love like Jesus? That’s the question keeping me up at night ever since I accepted a new leadership role at Messiah titled Director of Discipleship. Not only is role new for me, it’s an entirely new role within our organization. It also…
By: Adam Harris on October 12, 2023
During last week’s discussion I mentioned the natural temptation to categorize people into groups. I continually caught myself trying to pin down Francis Fukuyama’s political affiliation in his book Identity with little success. While reading I would think, he must be a democrat…well… maybe he is a republican…. libertarian? People who can critique and call…
By: Caleb Lu on October 12, 2023
“Leadership is not about being perfect. It is about being willing to learn and grow”.[1] This quote from the beginning pages of Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder’s Rare Leadership: 4 Uncommon Habits for Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead stuck with me as I read the rest of the book and…
By: Michael O'Neill on October 12, 2023
For years, my mother made “Choose joy” a daily mantra. A farewell as I left for school or embarked on a journey of large or small scale. It was a familiar refrain… something she uttered countless times over the years and she was, and is, consistent. This daily reminder growing up kept a flame going…
By: Shonell Dillon on October 12, 2023
Introduction For as long as I can remember as a child every Friday was “Family Matters” night. The Song would start with “It’s a rare condition this day and age”. The words sang by Jesse Fredericks were explaining that family love is rare. The song writer defined the word rare in the same context that…
By: Jenny Steinbrenner Hale on October 12, 2023
In 2020, I took a rejuvenating three-month sabbatical. I was expecting profound insights to emerge over the course of this time, but at the end of my sabbatical, all I had were three simple thoughts to carry forward: 1.) Do whatever it takes to get enough sleep. 2.) Do one thing at a time, instead…
