Dear Friends,
Migration has been a frequent headline in recent days, and our writers shed light on the particular configurations of contemporary situations while reminding us of the large-scale nature of migration as a human condition …

by Efrain Agosto
 
On September 20, 2017, a devastating hurricane, known as Hurricane Maria, made landfall on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, leaving behind unimaginable destruction. This just two weeks to the day after a …

by Elieser Valentin
 
This article takes a first step in building a Puerto Rican pastoral theology from the diaspora by extrapolating from the experiences of a predominantly Puerto Rican Baptist congregation in New York City as …

by Altagracia Pérez-Bullard
 
Desterrada: the word that came to mind when reflecting upon the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on the people and the island of Puerto Rico in the fall of 2017. Yet this …

by Damaris Whittaker
 
Then I said unto them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and …

by Deborah Jenkins
 
Three names in Christian history stand, above all, for the great emancipation of the oppressed.  Chronologically they are: Moses, known as the Emancipator of Israel; Jesus Christ, Savior of the world; and Dr. …

by Cleotha Robertson

In this article, an in depth exploration of Psalm 1 is discussed as a means of understanding spiritual formation along with related imagery in Joshua and Ephesians. These scriptures utilize key language important for spiritual development and highlight the co-participation of the believer and God in what is a collaborative transcendent venture. This exemplifies the joint nature of spiritual growth. The believer must be a “hearer and doer” of God’s Word, while actively “Standing” and “walking” in order to evolve. Therefore, what the Lord has put together, let us strive to keep together while co-laboring with Him.

by Janiqua Codrington

Codrington expounds on the mysterious connection between ourselves and God and what it is that keeps us aligned with creation according to the understanding that the Spirit of God is within. Interestingly, Jürgen Moltmann’s insightful metaphor captures the Spirit’s wholeness by calling it the Spirit of Life; the unrestricted presence of God that awakens our life. “Unrestricted presence” precludes any attempt to contain the Spirit that never sought to be confined. The Spirit of Life is available to the whole of creation and forges a connection that extends beyond human limitation and prejudice, thereby forming “spirituality.”

by Linda Anderson-Little

According to Rick Rouse and Craig Van Gelder, certain shifts in identity must be undertaken by a congregation that desires to transform its traditional ministry to one that engages millennials, the “spiritual but not religious,” and “nones” from maintenance to mission; membership to discipleship; pastor centered to lay empowered; chaplaincy to hospitality; self-focus to global-focus; and settled to abroad.

by Kevin Yoho

Being created by God as spiritual beings, life which is sourced by The Spirit is available to all. The community of faith must always remember that the Church and its leaders are called to be authentic, open channels for God’s spiritual energy to flow through us. We ourselves however, are not the spiritual energy as discussed in this article, but rather are immersed and filled with spiritual energy sourced in God. Each of us as followers of Jesus Christ are gathered and sent on the mission to release spiritual energy.

by Moses Biney

This short article interrogates the notion that religious affiliation is of little or no importance to spiritual life. Further, it asserts that religious congregations continue to be very vital for spiritual formation and living. As a starting point, we must problematize the concept of spirituality.

by Carolyn A. Wright

In seasons of Lent, as the Church again invites us to focus our energies and embrace in new and deeper ways the three spiritual practices, prayer is an option. Wright suggests that when choosing prayer, one should ask, “Do we desire God?” or more pointedly, “Do I desire God” Prayer is communication with God, but it is also an excursion to unexplored realms. Wright suggests that we might today employ the wisdom of St. Francis de Sales—a ‘guru’ who can indeed, teach us to keep our eyes on Jesus during our spiritual travel.