The light shines in the darkness—but it’s complicated
Spiritual Resources

The light shines in the darkness—but it’s complicated

Kaethe Schwehn has been writing about faith throughout her career. Her first book, Tailings (Cascade, 2014), is a memoir of personal and spiritual grappling set against the backdrop of Holden…

Prior approval: Finding theology in <i>I Feel Pretty</i>
Voices of Faith

Prior approval: Finding theology in I Feel Pretty

At first, I was a little concerned about comedian Amy Schumer’s new movie, I Feel Pretty, largely because I felt the controversial premise could go either way. Schumer plays Renee,…

May 2018 news
Faith in Action

May 2018 news

ELCA youth, adults march for gun control ELCA youth and adults joined thousands for the March for Our Lives demonstrations on March 24 in Washington, D.C., and across the nation….

The Avengers and a demand for grace
Voices of Faith

The Avengers and a demand for grace

In a favorite moment of 2012’s The Avengers, supervillain Loki taunts the Hulk by bellowing, “You are, all of you, beneath me!” But just as Loki declares, “I am a…

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Spiritual Resources

Radical belonging in a troubled age

When I first heard Brené Brown’s viral original TED talk on the power of vulnerability to combat shame, I knew I was listening to something important. It turns out that…

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Spiritual Resources

The “old” made new

Who among us hasn’t looked up from reading Numbers or 1 Chronicles and thought, “If only the Old Testament came with pictures!” Well, now it does. Sort of. The Infographic…

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Spiritual Resources

Many gifts, one body

Twenty years ago, Peter Narum was sitting in worship at Galilean Lutheran Church, Clear Lake, Iowa, and noticed something. “The pastor, John Beck, was running around taking care of everyone,”…

Encounter the grace of God
Spiritual Resources

Encounter the grace of God

Several years ago, I picked up Sharon Garlough Brown’s Sensible Shoes (IVP, 2013). The back cover promised that it would blend ancient spiritual practices with contemporary life using fiction. I…

2017 in film: Breaking the rod of the oppressor
Voices of Faith

2017 in film: Breaking the rod of the oppressor

“Star Wars” movies love it when tiny spaceships destroy moon-sized super-weapons, so it’s no surprise that the series’ latest entry places its sympathies squarely among the underdogs. But Episode VIII:…