By Lacey Gustavsen “Strippers aren’t people.” I couldn’t quite wrap my head around this statement as it came out of one of my friend’s mouth. “Well, if they aren’t people, what are they? Aliens? Or maybe some kind of futuristic robot?” Clearly, this wasn’t the intended message behind those words, and yet, it still struck … Continue reading Beyond Redemption?
By Jeff Goins, Editor Recently, I was given one of those rare, beautiful insights into a life that has been well-lived. It was from a senior member of our church who is one of the most passionate, caring, loving women I know. She’s a spry, but aging widow, well along in her years, and often … Continue reading Putting a Famliar Face on Immigration
By Shauna Niequist We’re excited to feature an excerpt from Shauna Niequist‘s new book Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way. You may remember Shauna from the book giveaway she did with her last book Cold Tangerines last year. The following is an excerpt (edited for length) from the chapter entitled “Twenty-Five”: … Continue reading Excerpt from Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist: Twenty-Five
By Hannah Neumann I recently read a very thought-provoking article titled “Slumdog Tourism“. Basically, it’s the thoughts of an African man (who grew up in a Nairobi slum) on the phenomenon of “slum tourism”. He explains that there has been a recent increase in the numbers of American and European “tourists” (I think that this … Continue reading Poverty as Entertainment?
By Anonymous The body is one, but made of many parts. Most believers buy into this, and yet, we forget that bodies only function well when all the parts are connected and work together. I believe that this is the best argument for why I should choose into a church. I need to join my … Continue reading Body of Christ: Confessions of a Flopping Foot
By Curtis Honeycutt Dear “Wounded”: Just the mention of the word “church” leaves a bad taste in your mouth and may cause you to throw up in your mouth a little. You recall old scars that you’ve been trying to cover up for years. I get that. At some point (or maybe for much of … Continue reading Open Letter to those Wounded by Church
By Seth Barnes, Jr. “After both my parents died, my aunt took care of me. And then she brought me here.” Magdala‘s voice rang in my ears as I approached her orphanage where she lives with 125 other orphans. I imagined the feelings that might be most familiar to her. Loneliness and rejection came up. … Continue reading Orphaned in Haiti: Magdala’s Story Continues
By Jeff Goins, Editor I went to see Eat, Pray, Love last weekend with my wife, and much to my surprise, I didn’t hate it. I bought this New York Times bestseller for her just before our taking a trip to New York City for Labor Day last year, so it only seemed appropriate to … Continue reading Eat, Pray, Love: It’s Not That Bad
By George Elerick In Gainesville, Florida a church is encouraging their members to burn the Quran in remembrance of the victims of 9/11. Their hopes are to rally as many people together from 6pm to 9pm on the day and burn the holy book from a religion they deem is “from the devil.” The church … Continue reading Power and Love: When Churches Burn the Koran
By Jamie Finch Recently, a friend of mine inquired as to my opinion on Nicholas Kristof’s book Half the Sky because I had expressed dissatisfaction with the work as a whole. As someone who has committed herself to the cause of exploited women, as well as worked for the cause of ending sexual slavery, I’m … Continue reading Why I Don’t Buy Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof