Educating All God’s Children by Nicole Baker Fulgham was reviewed in Library Journal.
“Fulgham draws on her extensive experience as a teacher in poor regions of the United States to piece together this account of the harsh realities and inherent inequities of the American public education system.
“By walking readers through a survey of the current state of education in low-income areas, Fulgham successfully paints a picture showing the urgent need to move toward bridging a gross educational gap in public schools. She helps readers dispel the misperception that students in underachieving schools lack the competencies necessary to find educational success and to parlay that into lifelong opportunities.
“Pointing to the role of faith-based advocacy groups in major social revolutions such as desegregation, Fulgham calls for a similar movement to close the education gap. Focusing on Christianity as the moral compass to compel action, she points out that the call can and should stem from any spiritual mindset. Fulgham’s call to action includes simple steps that individuals and groups can take to effect change.
“VERDICT This is an intriguing survey of the current inequity in education and would be a valuable read for any teacher, community organizer, or religiously oriented person or group moved to work toward the ultimate improvement of American society.”
On God’s Side media:
“The Tavis Smiley Show” on Public Radio International
“The Craig Fahle Show” on WDET-FM NPR, Michigan Public Radio
“Stateside” on WUOM-FM NPR (WFUM 91.1 Flint & WVGR 104.1 Grand Rapids), Michigan Public Radio
So What Faith review by Dr. Greg Smith
“WATCH: Would Putting Me in Prison Serve the Common Good” on The Huffington Post
“VIDEO: 6 Months After Superstorm Sandy, Hope Emerges” on The Common Good Forum
“The Common Good, The Planet, and Humankind” on Opednews.com
“On God’s Side” by Marrton Dormish
Quick Hits:
Kevin Schut, author of Of Games and God, was interviewed by James Arnold for The Evangelical Outpost.
Of Games and God was also reviewed by James Arnold for The Evangelical Outpost.
A Public Faith by Miroslav Volf was reviewed by Dr. Conrade Yap.
Psalms for All Seasons was referenced in Worship Leader.
The Bible Made Impossible by Christian Smith was referenced by Roger E. Olsen.
Ebook Specials and Other Offers:
May ebook specials are currently running for multiple Brazos Press and Baker Academic titles. All of these are at least 52% off.
Searching for Home by Craig M. Barnes
Conversations with Poppi about God by Robert W. Jenson and Solveig Lucia Gold
Everyday Apocalypse by David Dark
The Early Church on Killing edited by Ronald J. Sider
Simon Peter in Scripture and Memory by Markus Bockmuehl
Lectionary Reflection for the Seventh Sunday of Easter
Worship is the place where the church’s confidence in Christ’s defeat of the powers merges most clearly with longing for his coming again. The entire Apocalypse may heard as the voice of Jesus.
Now in the closing lines, the church’s own voice is heard, together with that of the Spirit: “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say ‘Come!’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price!” (Rev. 22:17; cf. Isa. 55:1).
The cry of “come!” is threefold. The first utterance is that of the bride, anticipatorily embodied in the worshiping assembly, crying out in expectation of the bridegroom’s coming. The terrors and beauties disclosed in John’s visions serve only to heighten longing for the arrival of that day.
The second utterance is that of the individual worshiper, who is invited to speak with the bride, and indeed as the bride. No one who has heard the Apocalypse and is willing to “keep the words of the prophecy” should be excluded from the feast. To invert Bonhoeffer’s famous saying, we could say that while grace is not cheap it is free—as free as the waters of life, which flows from the throne of God and the Lamb to anyone who is thirsty.
This third member in the triad does not bid the listener to say “come!” but simply to come, to slake one’s thirst at the waters that cannot be bought.
Revelation is a book that draws many sorts of boundaries: between the church and the world, between the holy and the unholy, between the life appropriate to God’s people and the life of Babylon.
The urgent call to holiness of life is reiterated in these closing verses (22:11, 14-15). Yet like the gates of the city, the doors of the church are or should be fundamentally open. All are invited not to “come as they are,” but to come as the bride.
John would have been bemused at the notion that seriousness about witness and seriousness about Christian holiness are somehow in competition. In fact, they demand each other.
©2010 by Joseph L. Mangina. Published by Brazos Press. Unauthorized use of this material without express written permission is strictly prohibited.