She Will Survive: Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor was badly injured on stage, but found fame when she recorded “I Will Survive” while she was recovering. Sidelined by drugs and alcohol, she found faith and a calling
To Be a Dog Waiting Faithfully
My childhood dog would perch on the couch in front of the window to watch and wait for my Mom to come home. Such faithfulness can inspire us at Advent.
A Martyr to End Slavery: Rev. Elijah Parish Lovejoy
Elijah Parish Lovejoy was a minister and journalist who felt called to fight slavery. He refused to stop speaking out, to stop writing, to give up his cause. He was murdered by a pro-slavery mob.
Tea & Cookies with Protestors: Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu was still trying to bring down Apartheid in the mid-eighties. The powers that be hired protestors to try to smear Tutu, but he ended up sharing a tea party with them.
Feeding the Hungry: Basil of Caesarea
In the 360s, Basil of Caesara, a bishop, spent his own money to buy food for the starving poor during a famine.
Tilling the Earth to Feed a Stranger: Walafrid
In the first thousand years of the church, monks sometimes planted gardens to share treats with visitors. Walafrid even wrote poetry about it!
Home is Where Church Is
A friend was asked what he would include in a picture related to Oscar Wilde’s quote, “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” He wanted to drag a mattress and sheets into his sanctuary.
Missionaries to China Trying a Different Approach: Michele Ruggieri & Matteo Ricci
16th century missionaries to China Ruggieri & Ricci learned Chinese, wore Chinese robes, and did not insist that western cultural values were a part of learning the Gospel.
How Christmas is Celebrated Around the World
Find out some of the ways that Christmas is celebrated in Mexico, Malta, the Congo, and India.
Pastors Don’t Really Retire
A pastor who was so excited about retiring and doing nothing ended up creating a difficulty-with-retiring support group for the presbytery.