Case Thorp

With the dawning of any new year, there is a sense that we get to start over with a clean slate. As we begin again, there are important lessons we should have learned from 2020. It is not enough to just remember them, but rather we need to find ways to incorporate them into our lives.

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.

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!

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.

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.

This is our third and final installment of the three-part vlog series entitled Navigating Turbulence (Part 1 and Part 2 here). We are considering our own well-being in this week’s vlog. Case Thorp and Donelle Wright, a seasoned leadership coach, will discuss What is God asking of us at this time? along with How do you access joy in difficult seasons? This conversation can help all of us personally, but also provide deeper understanding as we strive to lead well during turbulence.

Today, communications (personally and corporately) is the focus of our second installment of The Collaborative’s three-part vlog series entitled Navigating Turbulence. “The constant gaze of a Zoom meeting can be draining in ways an in-person meeting isn’t,” says Jeremy Bailenson in his latest article for the Wall Street Journal entitled Why Zoom Meetings Can Exhaust Us. Case Thorp and Donelle Wright, a seasoned leadership coach, will discuss this issue and others that we all need to be cognizant of during COVID-19. Click on the button below to gain more insight on communications.