On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther mustered an incalculable amount of courage as he nailed a copy of his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church. As difficult as it is to imagine the amount of spiritual fortitude needed to take this kind of action, so too is it hard to measure the impact that the Reformation has had on all of Christendom since.
Protestant Christianity celebrates 500 years of ministry on October 31. On this day in 1517 the German friar Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to Wittenberg’s cathedral door. Luther’s theses exposed theological fault lines placing him and his fellow reformers at odds with the Roman Catholic Church. Today Protestant evangelicals, likewise, are discovering new theological fault lines among themselves. Ironically, these differences emerge from the same reforms Luther initiated.
Meet Patti Rader who is embarking on her own leap of faith. Several years ago, after much prayer and consideration, she believed that God was calling her out of ministry and to join her husband in the business world. In many Christian circles this kind of move would be criticized and while maybe not said out loud this decision would illicit much judgement. Of course then, there are others who would not understand.
Let’s be honest, some days it is hard to understand what our jobs or daily activities have to do with God’s redemptive work or plan or purpose. There is a small percentage of folks who have jobs that neatly fit the categories we can easily conjure up like ministry related work, pastors, missionaries, etc. However, for the rest of us at times it can be a struggle. Russell Gehrlein in his blog for the Institute of Faith, Work, & Economics, helps us to better understand the significance of our work. What a difference it would make to recall on our tough days our purpose and place in God’s plan. The article below should better prepare us for our next hard day.
One of the pitfalls of overused words is that the meaning can be cheapened and when this happens with significant terms we all lose. In the article that follows, Dr. Art Lindsley, Vice President of Theological Initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics and an esteemed author and teacher, defines flourishing and in doing so underscores once again the importance it has for Christians. Lindsley gives us a glimpse of the all encompassing and inspiring nature of this word making it a term worthy of a place in our vocabulary.
In the midst of the hum of generators, the buzzing of chainsaws, and the miserable humidity, Floridians are beginning the painstaking process of putting their lives back together after Hurricane Irma. These can be challenging days especially if you are one of the 65% of Floridians who do not have power.
Gracy Olmstead, associate managing editor at The Federalist and the Thursday editor of BRIGHT, a weekly newsletter for women, challenges us to think more about people rather than labels. The article’s byline of “Why a focus on adjectives, rather than nouns, might be the salve our political culture needs” gives insight into a better way to love thy neighbor regardless of political affiliation. Read all the way to the end to appreciate the pizza graphic. Happy reading or should I say happy eating.
If you have not heard of universal basic income (UBI), you will in the coming months. The article below by Hugh Whelchel is a good entry point to being introduced to some of the larger concepts and views of this idea. As he so clearly states, it is vital that as Christians we understand the important topics of our day. While all the answers to our societal woes may not be clear, Scriptures truths that we were designed for work and that work is good is unchanging.
The conversation below between Tim Keller and James K.A. Smith is wonderful discussion about the church and our culture that will appear in this Fall’s Comment Magazine. This is an important read for all of us. I hope you will be challenged and encouraged as well as humbled and inspired. The church matters not only for the sake of our souls, but for the preservation of society.
At The Collaborative we are always talking about connections. How do we remind ourselves and help others to better understand the relationship that ought to exist between our faith and our work. Another way to consider this, is how do we deepen our comprehension of knowing, feeling, and doing. This week’s post is an article by Art Lindsley that I would wholeheartedly commend to you. He does a great job in making connections. I am not going to explain any further for the fear of detracting from the article. So for now, HAPPY READING!
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