Epiphanius of Salamis on Holy Saturday
"Something strange is happening — there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep…"
Straining Toward the Time When God Turns Your Tears Into Laughter
Ellen F. Davis says lament clears the way for praise.
Krista Tippett on the Communal Nature of Hope
Krista Tippett says individualism cuts us off from a community of hope.
Humor, Grace, and the Human Condition
Christian Wiman reflects on the existential reach of humor.
Poetry Makes Reality Real Again
Christian Wiman on poetry’s power to rouse us from the slumber of familiarity.
The Privilege of Stillness
Noel Crowe, a 78-year-old man, reminisces about his life in a small Irish village nearly 60 years before. He marvels at the strange new acquaintance sitting beside him all those many years ago.
A Church You Could Bear
Rainy, the narrator in Leif Enger’s novel I Cheerfully Refuse, throws a birthday party for his wife, Lark. Friends, neighbors, and even strangers have gathered at Rainy and Lark’s home to celebrate. While his band performs for the gathering, Rainy reflects on what he once hoped the church might be like.
The Faithful Missional Community’s Suffering Vocation
Michael Goheen argues that suffering is a mark of a faithful missional community seeking to follow Jesus in the world.
The Church as the Pilgrim People of God
Lesslie Newbigin describes the church as a pilgrim community on mission to the ends of the earth.
Inaugurated Eschatology and the Church’s Unity and Mission
Lesslie Newbigin understands the Church to be the inaugurated end-time new humanity on mission.
Depression Feels Like “I Am Walking Barefoot on Broken Glass”
Kathryn Greene-McCreight takes up the challenging task of putting her lived experience of depression into words. She does an admirable job, using a mixture of description and metaphor.
Religious Platitudes Do More Harm Than Good to the Depressed Person According to This Author
Kathyrn Greene-McCreight says religious platitudes like “Pray harder” offer little in the way of help to those who live with mental health challenges. In fact, such trite advice might actually cause a depressed person more hurt.
Charles Spurgeon on the Unkindest Thing to Say to a Depressed Person
The British preacher Charles Spurgeon lived with depression. Being a public figure, he often received well-meaning but insensitive advice about his condition from fellow Christians.
Wendell Berry on Solitude, Wholeness, and Community
Wendell Berry sees vital connections between practicing solitude, cultivating personal wholeness, and participating in community.
The Abysses of Inward Anguish: Charles Spurgeon on the Experience of Depression
Charles Spurgeon was well acquainted with depression. He spoke often to his congregation about his experience with it.
Custodians of Memory
Want to write a memoir? Become a custodian of memory, says William Zinnser.