I want to begin my introductory editorial comments with the expression of much gratitude to all my predecessors, especially the most immediate, Rev. Dr. Jin Hee Han whose calm yet compelling call to me to …
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by Patty Christiena Willis
Many times I have heard people say, “The United States is a melting pot.” Those words have always been spoken with a positive facial expression. What do they mean? Why would I …
Joseph the Courageous Man: A Retelling of the Christmas Story from Joseph’s Point of View
by Olusola Adegbite
Joseph was entitled to a virgin wife according to the customs of his time and Mary was it. They …
by Jerry Reisig
As the terms “organic” and “natural,” have become increasingly watered down and Buddhist meditation has become a corporate means to increase worker productivity, simplicity—the deepening of spiritual connection while letting go of …
by Albrecht Classen
We Westerners live in a world that is swamped with stuff. We almost drown in things that surround us, whether it is in the pantry, the fridge, the closet, the garage, or the …
by Ruth Shaffer
I am grateful for having been born into a family with little. We had powdered milk and government cheese. Remember the big blocks of government cheese? The cheese that was supposed to …
by
Neal D. Presa
Rob Bell, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. New York, Harper Collins Publishers, 2011. $9.99. 202 pages.
Mars Hill Church (Grand Rapids, MI) pastor …
Compiled by Darla Turlington
Biblical Sources
Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful …
Compiled by Darla Turlington
Biblical Sources
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth …
Dear Friends,
Throughout the centuries, feasting has served God’s creatures in many ways including the redistribution of wealth and the nurturance of solidarity among the feasters. The topic of the current issue is meant to be …
by Mark S. Giacobbe
I never did find out why he didn’t show up. I had invited Ahmad, my first local friend, over for dinner at the guesthouse I called home that summer. It was hot, …
by Nelson Rivera
Let us begin with some questions. When we gather for worship, what do we think we are doing? In other words, what is our gathering for? Just thinking of the ways that diverse …
by Patty Christiena Willis
I remember sitting with a vegetarian friend at a Japanese restaurant. When she ate a bit of shrimp that had been fried in batter, she spit it out, right there, and said, …
Title: Fish on Fire
Artist: Piety Choi
Size: 40"x40"
Mixed Media on Wooden Panel
This painting is based on the story at the end of the gospel of John in which the risen Christ came to his disciples on the morning of his resurrection and broiled the fish for them. To the wooden panel I attached the actual pieces of burnt burlap fabric and used acryl paint to reproduce a scene of broiling. While the Johannine passage is commonly understood as the risen Christ telling the world that he has risen and has returned to provide hope as well as hope-filled nourishment, I remember that fire also has the cleansing power of the fire of the Holy Spirit. According to other gospel traditions, Peter had denied Jesus three times. Jesus’ feeding of his disciples with the fish by the sea of Tiberias, however, has no trace of condemnation. In this scene, Jesus said to Peter, “Do you love me?” Jesus then asked Peter to tend his sheep. Divine justice might call to mind fire as punishment, but I cherish the power of the Lord’s fire that cleanses our soul from the stains of sin. There I see the path to renewal and new life.
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