Though America is obviously a country of immigrants—after all, very few of us are Native Americans—over the years each major wave of immigration has…
Discernment Exercise: Can We Make Our Faith Attractive?
In the opening scenes of the movie Chocolat, Vianne, played by Juliette Binoche, moves into a new town and rents a dingy, dirty storefront.…
Discernment Exercise: A Great Spirit Blessing
Living in a pluralistic culture, as we do, does not mean that we live among unbelievers; it means we live among people who believe…
Discernment Exercise: On Being Offensive
All things considered, there’s plenty a Christian can do, say, or believe which some other Christian will find offensive—perhaps even deeply offensive. A few…
Discernment Exercise: Questions for Dr. Laura
Though biblical illiteracy tends to be rather widespread—even among believers—many unbelievers know enough about the Bible to raise questions about how believers understand and…
Discernment Exercise: Answering Questions About Doubt
Reflect on the following questions. As you do, think about the extent you struggle with doubt. Think about how there are some believers who…
Discernment Exercise: How Committed is Too Committed?
In a report published in Harper’s (January 2016, p. 53-62), “The Ultimate Terrorist Factory: Are French prisons incubating extremism?” journalist Scott Sayare tells how…
Flourishing with technology: An exercise in discernment
Technology: What’s Gained and What’s Lost? In an article titled “How You’ll Get Organized,” James Fallows asked five technology experts “to speculate about the…
Discernment Exercise: A Toolkit for Conversations
The School of Life (www.theschooloflife.com), headquartered in London and founded by philosopher and author Alain de Botton, offers in their shop an attractive little…
Discernment Exercise: Responding to a Changing World
Hans Rookmaaker, art historian and colleague of Francis Schaeffer published Modern Art and the Death of a Culture in 1970. It was written, in…