O God, who did look on humanity when they had fallen down into death and resolve to redeem them by the advent of your only-begotten Son, grant, we ask you, that they who confess his glorious incarnation may also be admitted to the fellowship of him their Redeemer; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. St. Ambrose (339 AD …
Column entry, “Faith-ful Antiracism: Oxymoron—or Example of Living Faith?” by John Hatch
Crossed My Mind: Thoughts on Culture and Communication 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; Christ seeks the lost and the least. We grasp for cultural ascendency; …
Vlog, Technology and Spiritual Formation, with Stephanie Bennett
Description: Sherry Turkle and Douglas Rushkoff aren’t names you’d typically find in the Secret Place, but their books about the importance of remembering our humanness are helpful and inspiring. Think about it this way: What informs our communication behavior in this age of social media and frictionless interaction? Are we listening for the Voice of the Lord or listening passively …
“Crossing Jordan Peterson: How Hard Can It Be?,” by Mark Williams
Column Title: Meaningful-Faith: Words, the Word, and a Life of Substance Column Entry:Crossing Jordan Peterson: How Hard Can It Be? By Mark Williams, Ph.D. Professor of Rhetoric, California State University, Sacramento November 2022 / October 2022 / March 2022 / February 2022 / November 2021 / October 2021 / September 2021 / August 2021 / June-July 2021 / April-May 2021 Crossing Jordan …
A Prayer for Words, by Richard Young
WORDS “In the Beginning was the Word . . .” (John 1:1) Lord, thank You for words! It is so amazing to be able to share meaning through these ambiguous, bewildering, astonishing things called “words!” Master, may the words I use be endowed with Your grace, Your love, Your mercy, and Your truth. May the power and authority of Your …
Call for Devotionals, Communication and the Christian Faith
We have begun a collection of communication devotionals, about 450-500 words each. There is one week’s worth of samples attached from Quentin Schultze, Tim Muehlhoff, Greg Spencer, Bill Strom, Paul Creasman, Elizabeth McLaughlin, and Paul Patton. If you have questions, please contact rwoods@theccsn.com. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Day 1 Smurf-blue Pride and the Power of Forgiveness Fools mock at making amends …
A Prayer for God to Open My Ears, by John Baillie
A Prayer for God to Open My Ears Open my ears, O God, so that I can hear your voice calling me to attempt great things. Too often when you have spoken to me I have been deaf to your appeals; but now give me the courage to answer, Here I am; send me. Help me to hear when any …
Column entry, “Beyond Racial Division: Truth, the Gospel, and Yancey’s Third Way,” by John Hatch
Crossed My Mind: Thoughts on Culture and Communication 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; Christ seeks the lost and the least. We grasp for cultural ascendency; …
A Prayer for Listening People, by Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt
A Prayer for Listening People Dear Father in heaven, we thank you that you are so near us and that we may be near you. We thank you that throughout our days we may be people who listen to you with all our hearts and minds, a listening people who can receive what is good and true for our lives …
Devotional, Perception-Checking: When All Is Not as It Appears, by Donna Elkins
Perception-Checking: When All Is Not as It Appears There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14: 12 (NIV) Have you ever looked at a 3D poster with hidden images (often called stereogram images)? You must get close, un-focus your eyes, and look for the hidden shape behind the …
