November 14, 2019
November 1, 2019
Sightings
The scary wonder of stillness A brief experiment by Ken Rummer Tiny blooms of frost aster show white along the trail, leaves on our maple tree sport a crazy quilt of orange and green and red, and the mid-morning temp is only in the 50s. Here in Iowa, where we take pride in hosting… Read more »
October 9, 2019
Hopeful Church
Can we be missional if we have dirty bathrooms? Our mission is only as good as our church community by N. Graham Standish Over the past few months I’ve been working with a pastor enrolled in a missional church certificate program intended to transform his church. He’s frustrated. He loves learning new ideas for… Read more »
October 4, 2019
Sightings
What I’ve Noticed About Retirement So Far 10 Observations from Year Three by Ken Rummer 1. Getting the hang of retirement takes time. People told me it would take a year and a half. Retirement did start to feel less awkward about then. But even now, in my third year of retirement, I’m not… Read more »
September 10, 2019
The B-Flat Christian
Manna — The Biblical Symbol of ‘Enough’ How do we trust God will provide? by Rebecca Crow Lister Does enough exist? Is there ever enough time, money, sleep, love, faith, justice, energy or peace for us? Why does it feel like we are always lacking in these and other areas of our lives? Unknown painter (German),… Read more »
September 6, 2019
Sightings
Faith at the Opera Thaïs and Athaniël by Ken Rummer The holiest person in all the land sets out to convert the most notorious sinner. What could possibly go wrong? The story, staged in the opera Thaïs (tah-eece), takes place in Roman Egypt in the AD 300s. Athaniël is a Christian monk renowned for his… Read more »
September 4, 2019
The Neighborhood
Back-to-school jitters never go away by Sue Washburn My Facebook feed has been full of first-day-of-school photos, bringing back memories of the excitement and trepidation about what the school year would bring. The week before the big first day would be full of questions: Who will be in my class? Who will I hang out with?… Read more »
September 3, 2019
Gospel and Inclusivity
Go Back Home! by Samuel Son On July 14, our president tweeted to American citizens, “Go back home.” I’m Korean American. I came to America with my parents as a seven-year-old and I’m familiar with those taunts. They’ve been hurled at me multiple times in various forms. I want to share two of… Read more »
August 22, 2019
Hopeful Church
Don’t Just Inform … Form Are we stuck in informational churches? by N. Graham Standish “Yes! This is what’s missing in the church. This is what I’ve been seeking.” It was my first year of doctoral studies in spirituality. I was immersed in the spiritual classics course, a three-semester deep dive into the writings of Christian… Read more »
August 3, 2019
Sightings
Hopeful Yellow Flowers Meeting Mullein by Ken Rummer Velvet leaves shaped like elf ears mount up to a thick spike on which small yellow flowers bloom. I take a picture with my phone. It’s a new plant to me, and growing right beside the trail. Later, I notice others like it on the bank behind… Read more » 