living the Gospel in an everyday world
Do you remember your first childhood loss? A missing or broken toy? Perhaps a pet that died. What was your parent’s response? “Don’t cry. We’ll get another one!” I do remember the consolation of mom replacing a little flower that I nurtured after the dog dug it up. But my first … [Read More...]
I remember well the phone call. “I am Pastor _____ and I have a question for you. One of the women in our church talked with me recently and she insists we have a ministry just for women. And I don’t get it. Can’t women just join in with the rest of us as we Encourage, Edify and … [Read More...]
Titus lived in a decadent culture, Crete. Paul’s description of the people who lived in this society may sound familiar to us. There are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers . . . . They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not … [Read More...]
Written by WS alumna Cathy Baldizon, MA When we returned to the US after 20 years overseas I was confident that once I graduated from Western with a Masters in Pastoral Care to Women, the degree and what I had learned would ensure that the next time we were posted abroad a new paradigm of … [Read More...]
Carol, I, as a member of Christ’s body, apologize to you and the many women like you who have experienced incredible pain, marginalization and loss from the church because we have not reached out to you in your pain with understanding and compassion. I am so sorry! May you find it in your heart … [Read More...]
“Matter matters to God. It’s what the sacraments teach: bread and wine and water and oil and hands matter to God.” That’s one of the better quotes in this beautiful video on the fact that matter and flesh matter to God, and why that should matter to us. Other great lines include “God cares about…
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Featured Articles on Trans·formed This Week How (Not) to Inspire a Shared Vision. Like millions of other Americans, I tuned in to hear President Obama’s second inaugural address on Monday. The President is rightly admired for his strong oratory skills and ability to use communication as an effective leadership skill. That’s why I was so…
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This quote grabbed my attention as the news broadcasts seem to continually bring word of major catastrophes, deaths, wars, and economic losses—amidst the US Presidential Inauguration. God allows the props to be knocked out from beneath our feet in order that we might rest our weight fully upon Him. And this is true for nations…
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Like millions of other Americans, I tuned in to hear President Obama’s second inaugural address on Monday. The President is rightly admired for his strong oratory skills and ability to use communication as an effective leadership skill. That’s why I was so disappointed in the speech. While there were parts of the speech that resonated…
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Featured Articles on Trans·formed This Week A Good Day to Proclaim Bad News. In this short video, Strange explains that Paul doesn’t actually present the gospel in this sermon. Instead, he focuses on the bad news, God’s judgment, as the necessary context for understanding the good news of the gospel. And he thinks we can…
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Dave Kraft shares the fruit of forty-three years of ministry in his newest book, Mistakes Leaders Make. In his forward, Mark Driscoll advises the reader to process the book—take it slow. There is a lot of pastoral wisdom here. It is worth reading and rereading. When I was a pastor in The Netherlands, I worked…
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Yesterday I left my hairdresser with a feeling of cloudiness surrounding me—more than the cold grey skies outside. I realized our entire conversation was about the tragedies in our world. Her final statement, “I think the next generation is without hope,” stuck like glue in my thoughts. If you want to get a take on…
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We often ask people, “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” But sometimes we have to face the bad news before we can really understand why the good news is so good. According to Daniel Strange, Lecturer in Culture, Religion, and Public Theology at Oak Hill College, that’s precisely what Paul did in his…
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This is a hard time of year for those who grieve. It matters not the source of the grief: unemployment, ill health, death of a loved one, the passing of a pet, miscarriage, dementia, estrangement, divorce, addiction, our collective grief over recent mass shootings, or even grief over “good” things like adult children who grow…
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It’s Boxing Day. Does that mean we get to punch each other out if we didn’t get the Christmas gift we’d hoped to receive? Or is it the day for putting away the boxes that held the Christmas gifts? Or is it another shopping day? Or? The day after Christmas, December 26th, is a public…
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