The first-frost smells of slightly frozen autumn are transcendent. Last night’s temperatures brought all but the heartiest of this year’s bounty to an end; yet when the first rays of early morning sun warm this frozen world, the result is …
Paul’s words in Galatians 3:28—“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”—are a powerful statement against the sin of partiality. But they …
You can pray for me at every stop light!” shouted Pastor Tim from the back of the room. I was leading a prayer conference in a Chicago-area church, and I had been sharing how I often used a long traffic …
This article by Catherine McNiel was originally published on Awana.org. If you step into Walgreens or Target in October, one thing becomes crystal clear: we are about to be swept away in a storm of holiday decorations and candy. From …
Racial reconciliation. This is a term we’re used to hearing—but we rarely see positive results from discussions surrounding it. The words racial reconciliation usually trigger greater chasms of division rather than healing, repentance, and togetherness. I’m going to state a …
Being the hands and feet of Jesus requires us to examine how we engage with the marginalized audience around us. Ignoring a marginalized audience means that the church will have a marginalized awareness of their existence and needs. A Jesus-centered …
(The featured image above is Connally with a former roommate, Maria.) by Connally Gilliam, co-author of And Yet, Undaunted: Embraced by the Goodness of God in the Chaos of Life, with Paula Rinehart It was a profound gift that God dropped …
Read moreRacial Justice is Fought One Courageous Person at a Time
Our redemption as the people of God—our story as first the conciled ones, in relationship with Him, who then fell out of relationship through sin, and who were then reconciled—gives us the road map to healing our ethnic tensions. We …
Read moreHow to Live and Lead Compassionately in Diverse Communities
Most of us give things to people from time to time. But is our giving truly charity? Do we give because we love others? “Alas for the rarity of Christian charity under the sun!” – Thomas Hood (1799–1845) When I …
A friend told me how her father abandoned her family in the late 1950’s. She was just a little girl. He vanished from their lives, never paid a dime to help, and acted like they never existed. My friend’s mom …