Reviving Lives and Landscapes
One of the great misunderstandings about the care of creation, perpetuated by many environmentalists, is that the main beneficiary of environmental action is...the environment. Don't get me wrong--a Christian worldview clearly recognizes the … [Read more...]
[Ed. note: This article is part of our weekly series of church activities, called Cultivating Community, published on Thursdays.] The holidays can mean lots of eating, lounging around, and whining "I'm bored." What a waste! Christmas break, … [Read more...]
[Ed. note: This article is part of our weekly series of church activities, called Cultivating Community, published on Thursdays.] A stream cleanup: It’s a simple way to engage the community beyond your church’s doors, care and restore … [Read more...]
[Ed. note: this article is part of our weekly series of reflections called Deep Down Things, published on Wednesdays.] by Kendra Langdon Juskus I grew up in a beautiful place. Not even an hour from New York City, my parents’ house rested … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas from Flourish! We’re taking time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the "firstborn over all creation," so in lieu of our regular "Cultivating Community" post, we invite you to enjoy these examples of churches engaging God's … [Read more...]
What is the closest shop to your church? Or place to eat lunch? The nearest residential street? School? Can you walk to these places after leaving a Sunday service? Can the church staff walk to any significant destinations during the week? Does it … [Read more...]
[Ed. note: this article is part of our series of weekly reflections called Cultivating Community, published on Thursdays] Many traditional Christmas gifts begin with good intentions and end up as a pile of plastic on their way to the landfill. But … [Read more...]
Watch the hot water swirl into your tea in a rich brown stain. Breathe its steam into your mouth, and feel a little more at peace. Wrap your fingers around the porcelain of your mug. Settle your eyes on the person across from you and really hear what … [Read more...]
Marilynne Robinson's novel Gilead has been around for a few years, but I only recently read it. I'm glad I'm finished with it now, not because it wasn't good, or even transcendent. It's both. But upon finishing it, I felt like Moses on Mount Sinai, … [Read more...]
by Kendra Juskus How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out. He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on … [Read more...]
Earth Day, April 22, has turned into a modern secular holiday, but it is often ignored by churches. However, Thanksgiving is a more natural time for Christians to give thanks and praise to God for his creation. We thank God not just for food, family, … [Read more...]
By Jim Jewell Last spring we planned a family trip to the Grand Canyon. I had been to the Canyon once before and had slept under the vivid starry skies of the northern Arizona high desert so I could see the rising sun begin lacing early ribbons of … [Read more...]
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…” - Ecclesiastes 3:1 If you live in a place where the seasons change, you get to witness the shift in God’s rich palette of colors every few months. And right … [Read more...]
Worshiping God in weekly church services is, for many of us, the only time we express ourselves to God in song. In song we praise God’s faithfulness, thank him for his unconditional love, and recount the history of his communion with us. But … [Read more...]