Ed Spivey Jr. A little Methodist church has a big heart for the left out and the lonley in the shadow of the nation's capital. ...

<p><a href="http://blog.sojo.net/2011/05/18/what-are-your-life-giving-questions/" target="_self"></a>I love what I do, but it's amazing how even that which you do and ...

Ah, the voice of Ayn Rand from St. Petersburg, Russia rises again with the opening of a new movie based on her novel, <em>Atlas Shrugged</em>. Ah, the voice of Ayn ...

In Christian confession, Good Friday is the day of loss and defeat; Sunday is the day of recovery and victory. In Christian confession, Good Friday is the day of loss and defe ...

It is fitting that this year <a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/earth-day/" target="_blank">Earth Day</a> falls on Good Friday and that three days later the greatest dawn since t ...

Our ability to love others who have sinned against us flows out of our real experience of Jesus forgiving our own sins. Our ability to love others who have sinned against us flows ...

<em>[<strong>Editors' note: </strong>Below is a hymn written by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette to celebrate <a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/palm-sunday/" target="_blank&quo ...

I've been fasting for 15 days in solidarity with the <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/sojo/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&amp;page=UserAction&amp;id=399&amp;autologin=true" ta ...

It was on the shores of North Africa that one of the greatest Christian thinkers tried to work out the relationship between Jesus' teachings about loving even enemies and the impending invasion by ...

In the tradition of the church, the season of <a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/lent/" target="_blank">Lent</a> was observed through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. ...

Since our fast began this past Monday, I've been re-reading one of the classic books on spirituality by my friend Richard Foster, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060628391?ie= ...

When I was in high school as part of my participation in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, I had to write what was called an "extended essay" -- basically an essay of the (then) extreme ...

I believe deeply in the power of nonviolence, first as a Christian, and second as one committed to seeing the principles of human dignity, freedom, and justice advanced throughout the world. ...

Recently I found a story about a friend from seminary in <em><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/us/22pastor.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a></em>. ...

<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=i8t49xbab&amp;t=huqjpbfab.0.pr5mpbfab.i8t49xbab.36455&amp;ts=S0603&amp;p=http://ncronline.org/node/23625" target="&quot;_blank&quot; ...

<p><a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/rediscovering-values-for-lent/" target="_blank"></a></p> [ Editors' note ...

In the documentary <em><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJU-zBKe4uI" target="_blank">Earth Made of Glass</a></em>, director Deborah Scranton weaves together t ...

<p><a href="http://blog.sojo.net/2011/03/16/seeking-peace-and-dignity-in-jordan/"></a>When I announced my plans to go to Jordan several weeks ago for a press trip, my son replied, & ...

"Reality check: Gandhi's in hell."<br /> "Really? Gandhi's in hell? And we have confirmation of this?"</p> "Reality check: Gandhi� ...

Last winter, in the flurry of Christmas parties and potlucks, I was called in for jury duty. Last winter, in the flurry of Christmas parties and potlucks, I was called in for jury ...

Lord, we pray that you bless our president and members of Congress with wisdom and right judgment. Lord, we pray that you bless our president and members of Congress with wisdom ...

On the weekend of Oct. 6, 2001 -- less than one month after 9/11 -- my husband preached a sermon called "Religion Gone Awry." That was not the message he had originally scheduled for that weekend. ...

Writer and Trappist monk Matthew Kelty died last week at age 95. His is an example of a good life and a good death. Writer and Trappist monk Matthew Kelty died last week at age 95 ...

<p><a href="http://blog.sojo.net/2011/02/17/i-was-attacked-during-secretary-hilary-clintons-speech-yesterday/" target="_self"></a><a href="http://blog.sojo.net/201 ...

Congress is working on the federal budget for the rest of the fiscal year 2011. Congress is working on the federal budget for the rest of the fiscal year 2011. It is now clear tha ...

<p><a href="http://blog.sojo.net/2011/02/15/tahrir-square-the-many-little-revolutions/" target="_self"></a>Last week, I received this photo of Maggie, an Egyptian Christia ...

<p><a href="http://blog.sojo.net/2011/02/11/friday-links-round-up-the-day-of-departure-mubarak-egypt/" target="_self"></a>Here's a little round up of links from aroun ...

The nearly 2.3 million people in U.S. The nearly 2.3 million people in U.S. prisons and jails accounts for 25 percent of the world's incarcerated, and, as Michelle Alexander ...

An Egyptian friend living in Chicago just spoke with a pastor in Cairo. For security purposes, I have not used the name of the pastor in Cairo, but I do know him and deeply respect him. ...

In a <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/januaryweb-only/muslimsevangelical.html" target="_blank">recent article</a> on <em>Christianity Today's</em& ...

People tend to approach each New Year with optimism, but the latest news about unemployment was not particularly encouraging. People tend to approach each New Year with optimism, ...

At the baptism of our Lord, heaven simply could not contain God Godself and God the Spirit who interrupt the regularly scheduled programming to bring a very important message. At ...

In the midst of the American discussions of violence and <a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/civility/" target="_blank">civility</a> in public discourse following the tragic shoot ...

The <a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/arizona/" target="_blank">tragic Arizona shootings</a> have sparked debate over an important question: What's the connection between v ...

<em>[<strong>Editors' note: </strong>Below is a hymn written by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette lamenting gun violence. We hope you find it helpful in light of the shootings in Arizona.]</em ...

Yesterday morning, I arrived at <a href="http://qcafe.org/" target="_blank">Q Cafe</a> as I do on nearly every work morning to begin a new day. Yes ...

Sunday school. It was one of the main reasons I enjoyed church as a child. As a young adult, it sometimes still is. But there's a conversation brewing: Does Sunday school have a future? ...

Murderous regime in Khartoum, meet "<a href="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2039887,00.html" target="_blank">Google Earth on lots of steroids</a>": It&# ...

Many of us are asking how we can "un-co-opt Christmas" from consumer culture. Asking questions like:</p> Many of us are asking how we can "un-co-opt Christmas ...

<em>[<strong>Editors' note</strong>: South Sudan is preparing for its independence referendum on January 9 -- an event whose occurrence is threatened by North Sudan's intransigence ...

Last week, I joined a conservative talk show in Cincinnati to talk about <a href="http://blog.sojo.net/2010/11/30/pray-for-bernard-pray-for-the-dream/" target="_blank">Bernard Pastor& ...

We Americans hate to wait. Whatever we want, we want it now. Pay-per-view. One-click shopping. Smart phones. Drive-through restaurants. We Americans hate to wait. Whatever we wan ...

For those who are looking for something beyond the traditional 12 days of Christmas gift-giving shtick, here are some ideas I gleaned during my ongoing travels for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp ...

The House acted last night with boldness and leadership to pass the <a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/dream-act/" target="_blank">DREAM Act</a>. Th ...

Children's author Madeline L'Engle argues in her book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0865474877?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=sojourners-20&amp;linkCode=xm2&amp;camp=1789&amp;cr ...

This Advent season, "waiting" has new meaning for hundreds of thousands of <a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/undocumented/" target="_blank">undocumented immigrant students&l ...

It had been a busy semester and the Tuesday before Thanksgiving I arrived back home from an exhausting American Academy of Religion meeting. It had been a busy semester and the Tu ...

I am ready to give thanks. Last year, I joined my family for Thanksgiving but when the food was served, I could only watch. I am ready to give thanks. Last year, I joined my famil ...

<strong>[</strong><em><strong>Editor's Note:</strong> Voter registration has now started for South Sudan's January 9 referendum on independence -- an event whose occurre ...

<p><a href="http://blog.sojo.net/tag/conscientious-objection/" target="_blank"></a>This is the fourth installment of a series Logan Mehl-Laituri is writing for God's ...