I recently came to realize that pursuing peace and justice is synonymous with being the church – or at least I would like it to be.  Before we go any further, allow me to explain what I mean when I use the words peace and justice.

Here are some words or phrases I associate with the word . . . → Read More: A Journey Toward Peace and Justice – by Krista Kopchick

Palestinian homes after destruction

In February 2012, from the heart of America in Ohio, the Presbytery of Scioto Valley approved an overture to go forward to the 220th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). It asks the denomination to approve concrete actions as national policy in response to a call from Palestinian Christians in December . . . → Read More: The Long Road to BDS – by Jeff DeYoe

The Separation Wall as seen from inside Bethlehem

Theologian Walter Brueggemann’s recently updated volume The Prophetic Imagination opens with the author’s reflections on why the Prophets might have renewed relevance in 2012.  Two of his observations struck home for me. The first concerns how “liberation theology” was barely on his radar in the first edition (1978), . . . → Read More: Embodying Prophetic Consciousness: The Case of Kairos-Palestine and the U.S. Response – by Don Wagner

Many Palestinians are separated from their jobs, schools, hospitals, and agricultural lands by the Hafrada/Separation Barrier which cuts deep into Palestinian land. To go from one encircled Palestinian ghetto to another, they often wait for hours at checkpoints like this one in Bethlehem. Photo: Rev. Stephen Sizer

Irony: “…exactly the reverse of what was expected.”[i]
. . . → Read More: Ironies Of Israeli Apartheid – by Walt Davis

When I announced to my children that I was taking a new call in Kansas, the primary image the news conjured for them was scenes from The Wizard of Oz.  They alternated between anxiety about house-lifting tornadoes to the assigning of different roles from the movie to various family members.  Now, after more than four months . . . → Read More: Moving to Kansas…an Immigration Odyssey – by Cynthia Holder Rich

The “establishment” was afraid of change. Things were different all around them. There were new people in the society with a different life style, culture and language…and they were growing in number and influence.

Thus those in power, mainly the Pharaoh, tried first to work the “strangers” to death. When that didn’t work – it actually backfired . . . → Read More: EXODUS 1:1-22 – “Midwives in our Midst” – by The Reverend Antonio (Tony) Aja

The issue of immigration is especially hot in America now. There seems to be no definite way of dealing with it, without hurting innocent children and others who had no idea that this would take place. Yet people of faith can provide some voice on what to be done and participate in healing of families. I . . . → Read More: Would Jesus have done it differently? – by David Nzioka

It seems that parish ministry is a challenging line of work these days, whether you are in a rural, suburban, or urban context. Parish ministry gets even more interesting if you are serving a church that is considered a new development, a redevelopment, or in transition of figuring out what their future is. At some point, . . . → Read More: Urban Ministry: Making the Switch – by Theresa Cho

It can be life-giving, energy-renewing, and most of all surprising.

From Theresa’s introductory blog.

Five years ago I was ready for a switch, a movement as Theresa offered.  The shift I made was moving across country.  But out of all the switches I made in that move the literal move was the least well …“switchy”.  It required . . . → Read More: Switching from Pastor to pastor – by Erika Funk

Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel:  “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’  The LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these . . . → Read More: Promised Land Fantasies – Shifts in Scripture and Self by Abby King-Kaiser

Enneagram

I love personality tests. They provide me the tools to know more about me, those around me, and help us understand why we do what we do. Of all the personality assessments that are out there I am most fond of the enneagram. Ennea what? Glad you asked. The enneagram is a nine-pointed geometric figure . . . → Read More: Incarnating Unity: Moving Toward Conflict – by Jes Kast-Keat

When looking into Reformed Theology and the Liturgy it is important to observe that this shapes how the body of Christ worships.  It is important to observe that this is not just for the body’s experience, but it is a representation of how to love God.  The Liturgy shapes a heart posture around the importance of . . . → Read More: Grace and Peace – by Louis Ford

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the myriad of gods in the ancient world, the pantheon of local deities worshipped by different cultures.  Gods of everything — gods of lightning, gods of the harvest, gods of fertility.  Each god had their own domain that they controlled.  It strikes me just how radical the idea of . . . → Read More: The Dying god of Peace – by Mike Kopchick