faith Archives

Minute for Mission: World Refugee Day

Posted May 27th, 2020

Even before we were faced with the developments brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, my colleagues and I talked about how migrant journeys often take unexpected turns and yet their faith sustains them. Forced to leave their homes and their countries, they often set out on journeys with only a vague understanding of where they are headed. Refugees and asylum seekers know that even when the physical route itself is well-known, the metaphorical journey over time is much less certain.

Parking lot church

Posted May 26th, 2020

As she pondered how to lead worship while keeping the safety of congregants who may be affected by COVID-19 uppermost in her mind, the Rev. Lynn Rubier-Capron remembered her childhood, when she used to see movies at the drive-in.

Taking the road not taken

Posted December 24th, 2019

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.” — Robert Frost. I hadn’t read this poem in years and so, when a friend recently included it in an email, it brought back memories.

Looking back and forward: Advent’s significance of hope

Posted October 20th, 2019

Think about the first and last words of Scripture. The book of Genesis opens with “In the beginning …” (Gen. 1:1). And the book of Revelation closes with “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20), followed only by a postscript extending Christ’s grace to all the saints. The season of Advent brings together both ends of the Bible.

Minute for Mission: Youth in the Church and World

Posted July 23rd, 2019

Starting this reflection about youth in the church while an Old Testament king is on my mind might seem like a strange place to begin. My “today” mind is full of the images I am enjoying on social media of young people participating in summer mission immersions, camps, service projects and other summer activities. But my “writing” mind is thinking about what King David, has to offer us about youth in the church and the world. David, who is buried in the city he helped establish, once stood as a young man, among his sheep, in the shadow of a giant enemy, with his best friend, Jonathan, with his music and poetry and indeed, with his God. That part of his life, along with his leadership, his goodness and his … not so goodness, is all part of his legacy.

Faith and your dinner plate

Posted May 16th, 2019

Choosing a protein for a meal is no easy task. Can you afford it? Is it good for you? If you have kids, will they eat it? Then there are the less common and more challenging questions: Was the earth harmed? Were the workers treated well? Did the animal suffer? And how is our protein consumption contributing to carbon emissions and climate change?

How to start a local chapter of the Jesus Fan Club

Posted April 23rd, 2019

When I was in middle school, my neighbor joined the Shaun Cassidy Fan Club. She got a great poster that looked like it had been signed by the pop star to hang on her wall. We swooned as we stared at it, sitting on her bed and listening to mix tapes. I wondered, as I stared and swooned, what it would be like to be such an insider, to be an actual member of the fan club and get special perks.

When Mother’s Day Hurts

Posted April 19th, 2019

The closest the Rev. Bethany Peerbolte has come to heartache associated with Mother’s Day was a couple years ago, when her parents moved from Michigan to North Carolina. “I’m like, ‘If that was hard for me, I can’t imagine what the people in my church are going through when they’ve lost a mother or haven’t had a mother figure who’s really been kind and loving to them, like a mother should be.’”

Moving from the ‘is’ to the ‘ought’

Posted March 26th, 2019

Several years ago, I was sitting in a room full of religious and community leaders from middle Tennessee. It resembled a typical clergy meeting, but what made that gathering distinct for me was that half of the leaders were Muslim.

Speak up and share your faith

Posted March 21st, 2019

We rarely talk about evangelism, let alone evangelism that is intentional and authentic. But on the first Sunday of Lent, the lectionary offers a great passage for pondering it. Take a minute to read Romans 10:8b–13 — and continue to verse 17 for extra credit.