What does it say about our culture that we have a fascination for cakes that are meticulously crafted to look like anything but cake? Why is it so enticing to watch a knife cut through a T-bone steak or a Doc Marten only to reveal red velvet or chocolate layers? Hyperrealism emerged alongside the technology explosion, finding its footing somewhere in the '90s and growing increasingly more popular in the unmooring of 2020.
Read MoreAs we strive to bring Holy Spirit peace and hope to a culture unmoored by social injustice, racial strife, and political enmity, it can be difficult to know what to do -- particularly when a global pandemic keeps many of us confined to our homes. But do you realize that the words we use have a remarkable impact not just on how we communicate but on who we are and how our culture evolves?
Read MoreIf you find yourself longing for something more in the strain of 2020, know that you are not alone. And while the Lord desires for us to live in His peace despite the circumstances that surround us, the longing we feel -- more often than not -- ultimately is a longing for Him. Hear the longing for God in these moments in Scripture:
Read MoreImagine a place where you are greeted by welcoming signs that read "For You"; your friends are already gathered waiting for your arrival; friends and strangers alike clap you on the back and offer hugs of encouragement; the music is familiar and the decor is exactly what you like most; and when you are asked to share with the room -- always an intimidating moment -- you are offered witty scripts to choose from and a cadre of friends ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you. Could we be in Narnia?
Read MoreSaturday evening closed with a peaceful worship service buoyed by the sounds of Clear Creek trickling across the rocks below, a light breeze through the forest, birds chattering in the limbs above, and laughter from distant campgrounds. We listened together to C.S. Lewis' opening chapter of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, pondering the tenuous situation of the children who have been displaced from their homes in wartorn London as Lucy steps tentatively through the fur coats of the wardrobe with her fingertips stretched forward:
Read MoreGerard Manley Hopkins was an English poet and a bit of a tortured soul who became known after his death in June of 1889 as one of the Victorian era's most influential writers. Hopkins was compelled his entire life to describe the beauty of God's creation through the rhythm and imagery of poetry, although when he converted to Roman Catholicism and joined the Jesuit priesthood in his 20s, he burned all of his poems in a bonfire and did not write again for many years.
Read MoreAs we welcome a beautiful Oregon summer this week, enjoy these words from Pulitzer Prize- winning poet Mary Oliver: The Summer Day
Read MoreDietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor, theologian, and writer who spent a foundational year studying and serving in the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem when he was in his mid-20s. Bonhoeffer later wrote that it was in America’s Harlem that he began to see things “from below” – empathizing with the oppressed and recognizing the church in the United States was doing little to encourage integration.
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