Civil Religion, School Prayer and Our Missional Future

John H. Armstrong February 20th, 2012

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America has had more than its share of court cases and challenges regarding prayer in our public schools. I can actually mark stages of my developing memory about growing up in America by these various challenges and debates. I remember, very vividly, when the Supreme Court first ruled on separation challenges regarding opening the day with prayer in our schools. I remember how Christians vehemently protested and spoke against the "evil" Warren Court for years … (Read More)

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Common Prayer – Shane Claiborne & Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove on SBE

Erik Guzman December 31st, 2010

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Are you sick of feeling disconnected and isolated in your faith? At a loss for how to pray? Ready for something radical in 2011? Then ring in the new year with our favorite ordinary radical, Shane Claiborne, and his communal cohort, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, today on Steve Brown Etc.!

(If you're on the front page of the site, click "Read More" to see audio player options.)

Shane and Jonathan have put together a liturgy for ordinary radicals called Com … (Read More)

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How Other Worldly Should I Be?

John H. Armstrong October 18th, 2010

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It seems to me that much of the emphasis of evangelicals on piety and Christian living is rooted in a false dichotomy, or dualism. Spirituality, at least the way I learned about it, meant to withdraw from the world. And devotional life, or quiet time as we call it, means to get my battery charged so I can function in the world without being overwhelmed by it. The image is much like that of a modern battery-powered car. You plug it in overnight and then it runs for so ma … (Read More)

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A Praying Life – Paul Miller on SBE

Erik Guzman September 10th, 2010

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You are weak, helpless and out of control! That's bad, right? No, actually that's good. If you're at the end of your rope, listen to this week's Steve Brown Etc. for some laughs and a bit of light in the darkness.

(If you're on the front page of the site, click "Read More" to see audio player options.)

Paul Miller learned to pray through suffering and helplessness. "We initially receive Jesus because we are weak," Paul e … (Read More)

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cartoon: 2 rooms

nakedpastor May 4th, 2010

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This cartoon was provoked by something I saw on Facebook yesterday. Someone was thanking God for healing someone. They said something like, "God is awesome! We serve a God who always answers prayer!" Or something like that. I immediately thought of all the people who simply couldn't say that. At least not now. This picture popped into my mind of the two realities that can be experienced in adjacent hospital rooms: one has just lost someone and is in comp … (Read More)

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Anger, Ashes & Compassion

Susan Isaacs March 9th, 2010

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One March afternoon in my first year of college, I stopped at the school's theater box office to buy tickets to some nihilistic bucket-o-blood experimental theater production. I had to see it for class credit. I noticed the woman behind the glass had a black smear on her forehead. Maybe she had to do scene painting for class credit? So I kindly informed her of the schmutz.

"It's Ash Wednesday," she glared.

"Oh, yes of course!" I apologized. … (Read More)

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