An Historian’s History

Saint Augustine, Peter Brown, and I gathered at a cozy coffee shop on Princeton’s Nassau Street most evenings in the spring of 1999. While I had a coffee in hand and comfortably nestled in a leather chair, St. Augustine shared wisdom on shaping my loves for God. Peter’s warm voice and thoughtful tone drew me … Read more

How to Navigate 2025

Will this be the year wars in Gaza and Ukraine find resolution? Will inflation stabilize, and will AI and cryptocurrency move from buzzwords to tangible influences in the daily lives of everyday people? Most importantly, will 2025 be the year journalists finally drop the phrase “formerly known as Twitter” when citing a quote from X … Read more

Religious Freedom in Florida: Let’s Be #1!

Religious Freedom in Florida: Let’s Be #1! Florida ranks number one in so many ways.   One hopes we would rank number one when it comes to religious liberty. Florida currently ranks fourth in the nation in religious liberty behind Mississippi, Illinois, and New Mexico, according to the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy.   … Read more

Three Lessons Learned From the Art Fellows

Many artists want to explore where their art and faith intersect, and do so in community, but they struggle to find such spaces to do that where they feel safe. This may be particularly true for the Christian artists. Arts Fellowship Orlando exists to celebrate, engage, and grow Christ-centered artists to develop their role in God’s greater story of redemption and restoration.

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Advent & The Workplace: Rejoice!

While society winds down its calendar year in December, Christians are just beginning their year with the season of Advent. The last Sunday of November and concluding with Christmas day are the days that mark Advent…Our communities need a rest after the frenetic rhythm and demands of daily life; and we take it. Likewise, the Christ-follower begins his year with a season of longing and tension as we embrace the reality of this broken world, but these days not only provide physical rest but more importantly the offering of hope by prophets of a New Covenant brought by the birth of the Messiah King.

Exilic Voting: The Evangelical Present and Future

Today Case Thorp continues his discussion on the upcoming election in the second of three articles. Again, because the election is practically upon we are publishing these blog posts in three consecutive weeks. If you missed the first blog post, 6 Ways Christians Can Be Wiser in Political Engagement, by Dave Strunk and Case Thorp I would encourage you to read it. Just as this one challenged us to be more thoughtful about the election, so too will this week’s article. This year’s election has evoked deep emotions from all viewpoints, making this series all the more important as we should remember that our faith is not rooted in the whim of our visceral responses but rather the strong and unwavering foundation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Happy reading!

50 Shades of a Both/And Moment

The spectrum of views concerning police enforcement, racial tension, white privilege and more is broad and complicated. Most of all, it is shifting. Amidst the shift, we must be open to both/and positions and reject the simplicity, if not precariousness, of either/or options.

Common Grace in Amazing Times

The amazing grace of which Christians sing each Easter speaks of Jesus’ sacrifice and offer of redemption. In addition to singing, my neighbors and I offered prayers of thanksgiving for the medical professionals and first responders, while asking God to heal the world and close friends, colleagues, and family from the ravages of COVID-19. Our prayers of supplication, or request, covered the global economy to the local pizzeria to government relief and to hospital capacities. Our prayers were not specific to the salvific work of Christ on the cross, but rather focused on the loving, merciful, and graceful intervention of God in a world that is suffering.