My Hope and Refuge Ah, Lord God, holy Lover of my soul, when you come into my soul, all that is within me will rejoice. You are my glory and the exultation of my heart. You are my hope and refuge in the day of my trouble. Set me free from all evil passions, and heal my heart of all …
Quote of the Week, Noticing Self, by St. Augustine
“And men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, the huge waves of the sea, the broad streams of rivers, the vastness of the ocean, and the turnings of the stars—and they do not notice themselves.”[i]—Saint Augustine of Hippo, fifth century Church Father [i] Augustine, The Confessions of Saint Augustine, Book X, Chapter 8, trans. Rex Warner (New …
Column Entry, Let’s Talk Family, “Navigating the Yellow Lights: Strategies for Handling Conflict,” Jonathan Pettigrew and Diane Badzinski
Column: Let’s Talk Family: Conversations about Faith and Family Flourishing Column entry: Navigating the Yellow Lights: Strategies for Handling Conflict By Jonathan Pettigrew, PhD, Arizona State University; Diane Badzinski, PhD, Colorado Christian University Column Description: Let’s Talk Family: Conversations about Faith and Family Flourishing is a monthly column offering a space to consider research-based, biblically-sound practices for family communication. We …
Column entry, From Eastertide to Pentecost: God’s “Yes!” Breaking Forth, by John Hatch
Column title: Crossed My Mind: Thoughts on Culture and Communication Column entry: From Eastertide to Pentecost: God’s “Yes!” Breaking Forth By John Hatch, Ph.D. Eastern University (retired) CCSN Senior Fellow Column Description: As Christians, we are called to have the mind of Christ. This goes against the grain of our social and cultural conditioning. We seek personal or political advancement; …
Column entry, “Avoiding the Discussion,” by Brandon Knight
Column Title: In Search of Right Words: Saint Augustine, Rhetoric, and Preaching By Brandon Knight, Ph.D. William Carey University May: “Avoiding the Discussion” Column Description: Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, in his work On Christian Doctrine, illustrates the important relationship between preaching and rhetoric. Even in his day, many questioned what use the church could possibly gain from the study …
Prayer, Guide Our Leaders, Comfort the Anxious, Lead People in Safety, by Paul C. Stratman
Guide Our Leaders, Comfort the Anxious, Lead People in Safety Lord of the nations, you remind us that despite all our earthly might, weapons and armies, we are not in control of all things. Guide the leaders of our nation to make wise decisions, for the good of our citizens and others who are in danger. Comfort those who are …
Quote of the Week, Keeping the Sabbath, by Eugene Peterson
Keeping the Sabbath “If you keep the Sabbath, you start to see creation not as somewhere to get away from your ordinary life, but a place to frame an attentiveness to your life.”[i]—Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Note [i] Eugene Peterson, The Pastor: A Memoir (New York: HarperCollins, 2012), 270. See also Eugene Peterson, quoted in …
Quote of the Week, The Blessings of Solitude, by Charles Spurgeon
The Blessings of Solitude “There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We should be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering through meditation on His Word spiritual strength for labour in his service. We ought to muse upon the things of God, because we thus get the …
Vlog Entry, Walter Brueggemann and Samuel in the Dark Knight, by Stephanie Bennett
Description: The misery of uncertainty can lead us far astray in terms of the choices we make. Instead of waiting on the Spirit of Truth and the Counsel He brings, we’d often rather do something — anything — just to feel a little bit in control. Perhaps we should start looking at our dark nights of unknowing and confusion as …
A Prayer for Knowledge of God’s Will by St. Francis of Assisi
For Knowledge of God’s Will God, almighty, eternal, righteous, and merciful, help us poor sinners do all that we know of your will, and to will always what pleases you, so that inwardly purified, enlightened, and kindled by the fire of the Holy Spirit, we may follow in the footprints of your well-beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Source: Francis of …
