New Life from an Old Hymn (by Phyllis Tickle)

Christ Episcopal Church in Ponte Vedra, Florida, is the kind of church every pastor, rector, or preacher dreams of. It’s got children running about everywhere. It’s building yet another parking lot for reasons that are immediately obvious on any given weekend. …

An Historic Speech (by Jim Wallis)

Yesterday morning, I started what would become an historic day with my favorite historian. As a young man, Vincent Harding was part of the inner circle of the southern freedom movement with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and later became one of the civil rights …

Voice of the Day: Ramon Bautista

The Christian can realize union with God not only through interior prayer, but also in action.

- Ramon Bautista
Catholic priest in the Philippines

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Verse of the Day: 'God is my shield'

O let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous,
you who test the minds and hearts,
O righteous God.
God is my shield,
who saves the upright in heart.
God is a righteous judge,
and a God who has indignation every day.

- Psalm 7:9-11

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Daily News Digest (by Duane Shank)

The latest news on McCain picks Palin, Democratic Convention, Republican Convention, Hurricane Gustav, India, Mexico-abortion, Russia-Georgia, Iran, Bolivia, Iraq, Canada, Opinion.

Minor Party Pros and Cons (by Marcia Ford)

If you're among the growing number of voters who are disenchanted with both major parties, you may be considering a move to a third party. You're not alone. Some minor parties have seen significant growth in recent years. Oregon's Independent Party likely holds …

Charlie Wilson's Warning (by Ryan Rodrick Beiler)

Coinciding with the visit of a dear friend who's spent the past few years working in Afghanistan for both development NGOs and (non-U.S.) government agencies, the DVD of Charlie Wilson's War recently arrived from Netflix. My friend recommends it. Also, I [heart] …

A Cleveland Original (by Tom Allio)

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a Cleveland original. Stephanie never cared about “style points.”  She only cared about passing public policy that served the common good.  No one matched her passion, energy, or voice for the poor and vulnerable. Everyone …

Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (by Virginia Lohmann Bauman)

"Vote Out Poverty! Vote Out Poverty!" shouted the diverse group of clergy and faith leaders as they marched in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, at our ecumenical public witness event last October. That was the last time I saw Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) in …

Reconciliation's Challenge for New Monastic Communities (by Jason and Vonetta Storbakken)

In August 2006, before having ever heard the term "new monasticism," my husband, Jason, and I founded Radical Living, an intentional community in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. When I (Vonetta) was 12 years old, I emigrated from Guyana …

Daily News Digest (by Duane Shank)

The latest news on the Democratic Convention, March on Washington, McCain VP, Immigration raid, Global Warming, Global Poverty, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia, Pakistan, Kenya, Passing, Editorial and Opinion.

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Voice of the Day: Jose Comblin

Far from directing understanding inwards on themselves, the experience of the Spirit launches men and women out into the world as though imbued with superhuman energy.

- Jose Comblin
Catholic theologian in Brazil

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Verse of the Day: 'The days are evil'

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.

- Ephesians 5:15

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The Democratic Nomination's Historic Significance (by Leroy Barber)

I have been watching the Democratic National Convention this week, and I think when Barack Obama gives his acceptance speech tonight it is going to be an important historic moment. This is not to tell you who to vote for. That's up to you. But I can't help but …

Ordinary Radicals Film Premieres Sept. 4 (by Becky Garrison)

On Sept. 4, I'm going to Philadelphia to attend the premiere of The Ordinary Radicals, a documentary directed and produced by Jamie Moffett, co-founder of The Simple Way. The trailer gives a sense of this project.

While I can't speak for the others who were …

Cakes, Crumbs, and Surprises in Zimbabwe (by Nontando Hadebe)

The "cake" vs. "crumbs" power-sharing struggle continues in Zimbabwe. One of the reasons for the breakdown in the talks is that the government (ZANU-PF) wants the "whole power cake" and wants to give the opposition "crumbs." The intention of negotiations was to …

A 'Postmodern Negro' Perspective on Not Voting (by Brian McLaren)

I'm voting in this election, not with naivete but with sincere enthusiasm. Not with any messianic hopes, but with a deep sense of moral responsibility as a shareholder or steward of the richest, most dominant, and most well-armed nation in the world. I had …

Putting Some Labor Back in Labor Day Weekend Services (by Kim Bobo)

Labor Day weekend is often a slow time for congregations. Members are attending family gatherings. Parents are getting children ready for school. Neglected summer projects are undertaken or (like my garden) abandoned until next summer. Aside from the occasional …

Fannie Lou Hamer's America, 44 Years Later (by Burns Strider)

I am overwhelmed at the historic nature of what's happening this week, and it's important that we all think about this. It's important for me as a Mississippian. For me, I can't stop thinking of the Mississippi Freedom Democrats and Fannie Lou Hamer. I wish Hamer …

Rev. Otis Moss on Prophetic Faith (by Jim Wallis)

Somebody came up to me in Denver and said, "At the Democratic Convention of 2008, faith is cool!" That is indeed a big change from recent years. As I have been saying at the many "faith forums" in Denver, faith must have a different and better role than it has …