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Rediscovering the Bonds of Community

Rediscovering the bonds of communityNearly two years into the pandemic, the time is right for rediscovering the bonds of community. Historically, Americans have a way of coming together in moments of crisis. Whether organizing food drives, raising barns, planting victory gardens, or rationing scarce resources, the importance of civic duty is generally understood and appreciated. But when civic duty requires that community stay apart, the results present an added depth of hardship.

COVID has kept us apart. We have hunkered down for months in our private, socially distanced bubbles. We can save the policy debate about the pros and cons of lockdowns and vaccines for another time. The simple fact is this: we’ve been isolated, living our lives from behind a computer screen, waving through glass windows.

Collectively, we have canceled graduations, anniversary celebrations, weddings and funerals. Milestones and opportunities have been missed. COVID has leveled an undeniable blow to community at a time when community is both noticeably fragile and particularly essential.

In my first long-form article for The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation and Culture, I explore one of the quiet casualties of COVID—the hastened deterioration of community. From there, I make the Biblical case for community and how COVID has actually revealed what the scriptures have taught us all along: we were made for community.

I invite you to click through to the TWI website and read my full article here:
Rediscovering and Relearning the Bonds of Community.

While you’re there, I know you’ll enjoy discovering some of the other fine authors!

How to Pray for our Nation’s Leaders

How to Pray for our Nation's LeadersPeople of faith are called to pray for those in civil authority, whatever their political persuasion. But how do we best pray for our nation’s leaders? What if we don’t agree with them? What if our prayers feel pointless?

1 Timothy 2:1-2 encourages each of us to offer petition, prayer, intercession, and thanksgiving for all people — “for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

Prayer is not a partisan endeavor; it transcends politics. It does not endorse a particular party or candidate. Rather, prayer exalts the one true God. And prayer is one way we can stand united, even in moments where unity seems out of reach.

As we approach the 4th of July holiday, I invite you join me in praying for our nation’s leaders. I’ve created a convenient one-page guide based on scripture that offers 8 ways we can lift our leaders in prayer each day. Download it for free today!

How to Pray for our Nation’s Leaders prayer guide

 

 

Zoom from the Upper Room

Digital WorshipToday, Christians around the world observe Maundy Thursday. The holy day with the curious name (Maundy derives from the Latin for commandment) marks the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples. There was nothing socially distanced about that first gathering some 2,000 years ago when the sacrament of communion was first introduced. By design, the setting was intimate and close—no digital worship in the first century. In the modern-day context of COVID, it’s hard to imagine how Zoom from the Upper Room would have been impactful.

So how important is in-person participation to the worship experience, and is it an essential ingredient for building a healthy fellowship community? Continue reading “Zoom from the Upper Room”

Our Civic Mission

Our Civics MissionHow do we cultivate thoughtful, engaged and informed citizens, and what is our civic mission? In his farewell address to the nation on January 11, 1989, President Ronald Reagan posed the question, “Are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world?”

Fast forward a few decades and the answer seems a solid “no.” What might have been a clarion call by the 40th President back then has turned into a formidable crisis in the 21st century. Continue reading “Our Civic Mission”

Community Jewel a Treasure for Families in Need

Communities: Jewel Levine FoundationThis article first appeared in Conejo Valley Lifestyle magazine

The value of community cannot be overstated. It is the social fabric we wrap ourselves in, particularly during times of personal or shared crisis. In such moments, when resources are stretched and the need for emotional support is acute, knowing someone has your back can make all the difference.

The Jewel Levine Foundation is one local organization practiced in the fine art of making a difference. Continue reading “Community Jewel a Treasure for Families in Need”

Measuring the Milestones

Measuring the Milestones

In the age of Coronavirus and social distancing, how are we measuring the milestones that define our humanity?

My youngest daughter received the heartbreaking email this week we all knew was coming but sincerely prayed would not.  Her university, like so many others around the country, cancelled its upcoming commencement exercises due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of course, the announcement does not change the accomplishment. My daughter and millions of her peers have earned their degrees. No one can take that achievement away, not even a wretched virus. But it will be a graduation without fanfare for this generation. Continue reading “Measuring the Milestones”

Religious Freedom Focus of Historic UNGA Meeting

Religious Freedom UNGA Meeting
Photo Credit: State Department/Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain

On Monday, President Trump became the first U.S. President in history to convene a meeting at the United Nations focused solely on the issue of religious freedom. The event, hailed as a “Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom,” kicked off this year’s U.N. General Assembly in New York.

“Today, I ask all nations to join us in this urgent moral duty,” said Trump to a room crowded with high-level government officials, faith leaders, business leaders, and religious freedom advocates. “We ask the governments of the world to honor the eternal right of every person to follow their conscience, live by their faith, and give glory to God.” Continue reading “Religious Freedom Focus of Historic UNGA Meeting”

Happy Labor Day — Hello Fall

Happy Labor Day - Hello Fall
Automobile Industry by William Gropper (1940-41)

Labor Day marks the end of summer. Likely, that means a day at the beach or a backyard BBQ with friends and family. As we bid summer adieu and welcome fall, here’s a nifty resource to help understand the meaning and origins of this American holiday: Labor Day Resource

This eCurriculum is based on a book called What So Proudly We Hail. It was compiled by scholars Amy and Leon Kass and Diane Staub.  This anthology is jam-packed with stories, speeches, and songs. Each help Americans realize more deeply — and appreciate more fully — who we are as citizens of the United States. Continue reading “Happy Labor Day — Hello Fall”

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

What I Did on my Summer Vacation
The author’s sister and brother-in-law: Dana and Blaine Osmond

It can’t possibly be September next week. I am long past the era of the back-to-school frenzy (although, oldest daughter did start law school this week, and youngest daughter is moving into the home stretch of her bachelor’s degree). Still, the end of summer inspires reflection.

September is a good time to assess the year to date – like those essays we wrote in grade school to mark the close of summer and the start of a new school year. I am taking a cleared-eyed look back, followed by renewed commitment to the goals set forth in January.

But the truth is, it has been a very hard summer. A hard year, in fact. Continue reading “What I Did on My Summer Vacation”

Anniversary of Yazidi Genocide

Anniversary of Yazidi GenocideI enjoy the algorithm-generated post Facebook hits me with each morning — recycled digital memories of happy times with people I love. It’s my daily scrapbook moment, like pulling the photo album off the shelf for a quick peek at the past.

A memory popped up recently from five years ago. It shows our family gathered to celebrate my youngest daughter’s high school graduation. An assortment of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents gleefully surrounds my daughter, clothed in cap and gown and a broad smile. It was a good day, a milestone day.

A grimmer memory from five years ago also popped up — this one on my news feeds. It was not a good day, but it was a milestone. August 3rd marks the 5th anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide in Syria and Northern Iraq. Continue reading “Anniversary of Yazidi Genocide”