Justice. Mercy. Faith.
Through The Christian Citizen, we seek to shape a mind among American Baptists and others on matters of public concern by providing a forum for diverse voices living and working at the intersection of faith and politics, discipleship and citizenship.
When I knew that my time as youth minister was over
While my time as youth minister is over, maybe I’m not done ministering to youth after all. Because they are certainly not done ministering to me.
Fly fishing as spiritual practice
When I try to follow it as long as I can downstream, my schooling in river beauty and river wisdom leads me to this hope and prayer: let us then, like the salmon leaping against the current and over the ledge, leap finally beyond the metaphor and the simile when it comes to our embodied consciousness of nature.
What if God is an imaginary friend?
We must have imagination, and that includes in our spiritual life. Without it, the world lacks magic and wonder. Imagination doesn’t mean that it’s fake – it means that it exceeds reality. Surely that is a decent definition of God as well – the One Who Exceeds Reality.
Love is a religious value, but only if we make it one
Seeing Judaism as rooted in love is a choice. When we inherit a tradition, we make choices about which values to center and which to set aside. When I think about my grandfather, I remember someone for whom Judaism nourished his ability to care for others in a loving, heartfelt way.
Pastoral care, perfectionism, and grace
Part of my struggle with pastoral care is a desire to be perfect. After some time as a pastor and some work on myself, I am learning to trust that there is always grace.
Charisma: Can we be misled? How can we know who to follow?
Perhaps it is human nature to be attracted to charisma, even to the point of not thinking but simply feeling. Jesus once again led us back to a life of the mind when he asked us to discern, to evaluate critically, and to judge – not by the sizzle but by the fruits. You will know them by their fruits.
Featured Series
Faith and Mental Health
We fall down, but we get up: Mental health, faith, hope, and resilience
Falling—experiencing failure, grief, loss, and despair—is a fact of life for us, as it was for Jesus’ early followers. However, hope inculcates the ability to get back up, again and again. And where there is hope there is resilience. In this way faith, resilience, mental health, and the post-resurrection experience are inextricably connected.
U.S. Surgeon General declares epidemic of loneliness and isolation
Connected people live longer, happier, healthier lives. Connected societies do too.
The epidemic in our midst: Walking alongside those living with mental illness
One in five Americans live with some form of mental illness. Additionally, 5.5% of Americans suffer with a serious mental health disorder. There is an epidemic in our midst without an easy cure (if one exists).
Giving mental health awareness the right place in the church
How many sermons have you heard on mental health or suicide? Most likely none. And yet, the national suicide rate has increased 33 percent between 1999 and 2017. This is a public health crisis.
Breaking the silence of mental illness
The church that claims to be following Jesus is walking in darkness when the light is not shined on mental illness, especially when the mentally ill do not feel welcomed to talk about their illness.
Faith, mental health, and the rumor of grace
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a good time to consider starting or expanding a mental health ministry in your church and community.
The quietest, loneliest and most painful illness
Mental illness is the loneliest and quietest of illnesses. Sometimes we do not know we have it. Or, we do not acknowledge it. We do not talk about it much. We do not want to. Few people know or understand. Yet the hurting is profound, confusing, and lonely.”
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ROOTED IN HEAVEN - GROUNDED IN LOVE
Christian Citizen AmbassadorsAt The Christian Citizen, we’re passionate about justice, mercy, and faith. We produce award-winning content that is provocative, timely, and relevant. What started more than 25 years ago as a print publication is now a digital-first publication that maintains a commitment to print. More recently, we’ve added a weekly e-newsletter, podcast, and a growing presence on social media. Now, for the first time, we’re adding a member support program—Christian Citizen Ambassadors!
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