Lament, Despair, and Hope
By Rick Barry
Many evangelical Christians confuse lamentation for despair. This confusion can cut us off from one of the most powerful tools in our spiritual arsenal.
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By Rick Barry
Many evangelical Christians confuse lamentation for despair. This confusion can cut us off from one of the most powerful tools in our spiritual arsenal.
By Kristyn Komarnicki
Originally published December 21, 2018
We love movies about clever heists, where high-tech and highly organized thieves outwit security systems and break into “uncrackable” safes. We thrill to scenes of Cary Grant scaling rooftops in Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief, warming to the lovable cat burglar’s idiosyncratic character.
By Rohadi Nagassar
Advent is countercultural to the typical pageantry of many contemporary church routines that crescendo into Christmas Day. Instead of skipping directly to stories of Jesus’ birth, Advent holds our attention to the way Jesus intercedes in the history of humanity and ushers in new possibilities of light overcoming all darkness—not merely a spiritual darkness, either; rather, a tangible material liberation from all powers that marginalize.
By Liz Cooledge Jenkins
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a 4-part series for Advent 2022 by Liz Cooledge Jenkins
God,
There is a space within us empty until filled with joy.
By Lisa Rodriguez-Watson
“It must have been so difficult to leave her life, her friends, her family and have only one suitcase to take with her,” I remarked to my abuela as we talked about her sister, Raquel, who had recently defected from Cuba to the United States while on a government trip.
By Liz Cooledge Jenkins
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a 4-part series for Advent 2022 by Liz Cooledge-Jenkins
God,
Your love is unbounded.
Your love unbinds us.
By Tim Ignacio
Editor’s Note: This post is part of our Advent series 2022 entitled “Advent from the Margins,” where we’ve asked writers to submit reflections on what waiting for Christ means in their context.
By Douglas A. Houck
In this fictional account of four Christian college students who meet weekly to discuss the morality and legitimacy of same-sex marriage, author Donald Zeyl gives voice to various perspectives in the church’s current debate.
By Christine Aroney-Sine
Like at least 10 million other Americans, I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons. My symptoms start in the autumn and continue into the winter months, sapping my energy and making me more irritable.
By Liz Cooledge Jenkins
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a 4-part series for Advent 2022 by Liz Cooledge-Jenkins
God,
Power runs through our world
in such perverse ways.
by Alejandra Ortiz & Abdiel Espinoza
Editor’s Note: This post is part of our Advent series 2022 entitled “Advent from the Margins,” where we’ve asked writers to submit reflections on what waiting for Christ means in their context.
By Sarah Driver
There is a seemingly constant barrage of news about churches and people of faith being caught flat-footed when it comes to justice issues. The world is desperate for a church that is trained theologically and practically for the work of justice.
By Kenji Kuramitsu
Triune God,
You exist beyond categorization and beyond the limits of what we can understand.
Reveal to us the fluid, all-embracing community of love and light that is at the heart of your character in three persons.
By Ruth Padilla DeBorst
I first encountered Ron Sider in the context of the International Fellowship for Mission as Transformation (INFEMIT). What hit me about Ron was his incredibly gracious spirit. He was a good listener, an advocate for people whose voices were not heard.
By Nikki Toyama-Szeto
Single-issue voting works for political operatives trying to grab the Christian vote, but it is an unfaithful representation of the fullness of the heart of God. It reflects political pragmatism but not Christian faithfulness.
By Francesca Nuzzolese
What are the pastoral care needs of queer Christians, and how are they distinct from those of non-queer people? How can you better care for God’s queer children in your ministry, wherever you find yourself on the theological spectrum concerning sexuality and gender?
By Aline Mello
Originally published October 4, 2020
My first encounter with Tejana writer Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros was through her Twitter account, where she asks thoughtful questions and offers kindness in her comments to poets, Christian writers, and anyone else who engages with her.
CSA is a group of Christian scholar-activists, stirring the imagination for a fuller expression of Christian faithfulness and a more just society.
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