Curated topics for a disillusioned church
Keeping up with the news can be overwhelming. Where do you start? Who do you trust? Here is a guide to help you read the news through a Christian lens and with a critical eye (HINT: Think local!)
What if the way most Americans understand democracy is fundamentally flawed? What if the vast majority of Christian views of human nature has blended with popular culture? What if this misunderstanding has resulted in idolatry and hubris? In We the Fallen People, author Robert Tracy McKenzie digs into the past for insight into our present political morass.
What does defund the police mean? Do we really need to overhaul policing? What about black on black crime? Can I be pro-police and pro-reform? How can I help?
What if prayer wasn't a thing you put on your to do list to knock off, but a practice you continually perform throughout every aspect of your life? What if prayer isn't about communication with God, but communion? What if praying to God and its effectiveness has nothing to do with our devotion? Through 53-devotionals, Skye Jethani's What If Jesus Was Serious...About Prayer? slowly and deliberately challenges us to rethink how many of us view prayer and to enter into a deep communion with God.
From newspaper fact checkers to evaluation methods such as S.I.F.T. to diversifying one's news feeds there is a tremendous amount of energy and time being devoted to debunking lies and conspiracy theories. Despite the trend to provide better quality and quantity of information to the public, according to a 2022 PPRI poll, 60% of white evangelical Protestants believe the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump while Qanon conspiracies ravage large swaths of churches in America. While fact checking methods and diversifying one's news feed can be helpful, it seems it is doing little to move people from yelling at each other to respectful conversation. How did the church get here? Is there a theological way of consuming the news? How can we think and act Christianly to the news?
Loyalty above all else. Money before integrity. Lawyers deployed to silence dissenters. An egotistical leader that doesn't tolerate dissent. This doesn't describe a Fortune 500 company but rather CEO Dave Ramsey and the culture at his company Ramsey Solutions.
For those looking to dip their toe into a liturgical calendar and historical prayers, Common Prayer Pocket Edition: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is a perfect introduction. The 11-page introduction succinctly explains why a book of common prayer is useful while quickly orienting the reader how to use the book.
Whether you are looking for just the essentials, are limited on time, or have a media preference we have a learning path for you to begin your education about guns and gun violence through a distinctly Christian lens.
Practical. Easy to learn. Easy to implement. The S.I.F.T. method, developed by Washington State professor Mike Caulfield, is a must learn methodology when engaging with and sharing media online.
Pastor James Atwood, who passed away in 2020, called gun violence the most important theological issue for the American church. He is rooted in the belief that all humans are created in the image of God and from Mark 12:28-34 where Jesus says the most important commandment is to love God and love your neighbor. Atwood says you cannot love God and not love your neighbor, they are fundamentally connected. Collateral Damage is a prophetic call for the church to get involved and not remain silent when 40,000 fellow image bearers are being killed each year while hundreds of thousands more are psychologically and emotionally damaged from the effects of gun violence.
Sunday to Saturday 
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