Thanks for highlighting women who have indeed been gifted by the Holy Spirit to teach and defend the faith. They are carrying on the tradition of women who taught and led authoritatively throughout Scripture. I imagine Priscilla, Junia, Hulda, Deborah, and Phoebe are smiling within that great cloud of witnesses.
Appropriate since women were the first to share the news of the Resurrection!
Maurine Frost, Facebook.
Thank you for your excellent cover story highlighting women in apologetics: a truly worthy subject and a valuable and inspiring resource. In fact, I would consider it an unmitigated triumph, except for one irksome word: unexpected. My mind goes to early church martyrs Felicity and Perpetua; to Lady Jane Grey, a teenager who defended her Protestant faith against much older Catholic experts and died gruesomely because of it; to Dorothy L. Sayers, a participant in the famed Oxford Inklings; to British Catholic philosopher G. E. M. Anscombe, who famously debated and beat C. S. Lewis; and indeed countless others.
Women who defend the faith are nothing new. Perhaps intrepid or fierce would fit better than unexpected.
Elizabeth Glass Turner, Facebook.
It is gratifying to see Nancy Pearcey finally getting the national media attention she deserves. There are scores of young Christian journalists scattered in newsrooms around the country whom Pearcey has taught cultural apologetics. American journalism is better because of her.
Robert Case, Founding Director
World Journalism Institute
While the Turkish government may never admit to slaughtering the Armenians in World War I, Christians everywhere can bolster the faith of our Armenian brothers and sisters in practical ways. World Vision has a robust sponsorship program for Armenian children living in difficult circumstances. Thirty-five dollars a month provides education, healthcare, child protection, and, in concert with local Armenian churches, Christian teaching and summer camps. Microloans to Armenian farmers and entrepreneurs, facilitated by reliable Christian NGOs, lift hearts and hopes while providing practical resources.
My wife and I were privileged to help our Armenian “son” for eight years, as well as his mother and grandmother. Now that he has aged out of the program, we still exchange emails, expressing our love, prayer support, and encouragement in Jesus. Through contributing to a microloan along with 43 other contributors, we helped another family purchase seed to plant a year’s worth of crops and hire farm workers to assist. The loan has been repaid and the family is experiencing greater financial stability and a better life.
Yes, the people of Armenia mourn terrible losses, and this affords the church the opportunity to come alongside. While the Armenian genocide may never be righted until Jesus comes again, God’s people can always reach out in compassion and ease some of the hurt.
What a revelation to find new artists and absolutely fantastic music ouside the CCLI. I love the soul groove of Liz Vice and the eloquent lyrics of Miranda Dodson. And the fact that it’s virtually free is amazing. I would have likely never discovered these artists, so my thanks to Wen Reagan for the curation and discovery, and for sharing the treasures. As a librarian, I say well done!
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Ramarie Beaver
Email
Happy to see Liz Vice getting this richly deserved write-up, and excited to discover other gems.
The piece “Unplanned Grace” by Christine A. Scheller is a well-written, concise, brave, inspiring testimony. In my 48 years of continuous, full-time, pastoral ministry, I’ve heard/read many testimonies. Her article is one of the best.
Thank you so much for this. It helps me feel vindicated in retrospect. We took a lot of criticism and harsh looks when our daughter, now grown, was struggling through her difficult adolescence. I knew instinctively that she needed something other than “tough love,” but I received little reinforcement on that. We somehow muddled through, and she has become a faithful, loving, attentive, adult daughter. Who knew? Christ is faithful.
Betty Lewis, CT online comment.
Her.meneutics: “Adoption Doesn’t ‘Fix’ Kids,” by Kelly Rosati, guest writer.
My condolences to [Schuller’s] family. This is a good analysis of . . . his work, both positive (more than I expected, to be honest) and negative. Even so, this is a cautionary tale that the church must learn from, first for the American church and then for what we ship overseas. “He did for the church what Disneyland did for amusement parks” is a line that makes me shudder.
Ellen Randall Dunn, Facebook. “Died: Robert Schuller, Forerunner of the Seeker-Sensitive Movement,” by Tim Stafford.
This article does a good job of taking some air out of the hyperrhetoric. Christians should advocate rights for all.
Mark Weinert @mweinert_fcc “Why ‘RFRA’ Is America’s Latest Four-Letter Word,” by Bob Smietana.
As a baby Christian, I was so ignorant. I believed that anyone who suffered mental illness or depression was not trusting God. I believed that any form of medication was evil. Shame on me. Now I struggle with depression. It can be difficult, but I know my God is with me. I know many other believers who love God and struggle silently with bipolar or other mental illnesses.
I wholeheartedly agree with you: The church must offer help. Counseling, prayer, and a complete physical examination are so important. The brain is such an intricate, complicated organism; any brain surgeon or psychologist would tell you that they don’t understand it completely. The effects of sin are felt in the brain as well.
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I am an advocate for those who struggle. There are steps to take when helping your fellow brother or sister. I encourage every believer (not just pastors) to learn those steps. Please don’t be like I was as a baby believer. I caused more harm than good.
Cherrilynn Bisbano, CT online comment.
The Exchange: “A New Approach to Mental Illness in the Church,” by Ed Stetzer.
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
As my doubts about his teachings grew, so did a secret fascination with Jesus.
The Grammy-winning artist was found dead at her home in Nashville at age 47.
