COVER STORY
“Gracing
Relationships” by Jerry W. McCant
God's grace to us is not only a part of His redemptive
plan. It is also a part of His image in each of us to be extended
to others. God's grace to us and expressed through
us makes peaceful and joyous human relationships possible.
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FEATURES
- "Priceless Moments," by
Jeff Uphaus. On February 28, 2000, Jeff Uphaus wrote in his journal,
capturing common but priceless moments with his two young sons, ages
two and four. After Jeff unexpectedly collapsed and died, his wife,
Dalene, shared Jeff's words with family and friends at his memorial
service. His tender musings call us to find blessing in the common,
daily activities we share with the people with whom God has graced
us in relationship.
- "How Can I Forgive?" by
Norma Brunson. In an instant, in the midst of community, God can do
what we can never do alone–stop the relentless replaying of
bitter memories and thoroughly, joyfully restore us to himself and
others.
- "Becoming a Cross-Culture Church,"
A multicultural church identifies the foundation of its unity: they
are servants of the culture of the Cross.
- "Surviving and Thriving in High-Maintenance
Relationships," If relationships make us so happy, why do so
many of them make life so difficult? And more important, what can
we do to keep our cool, stand our ground, and reach positive solutions
when we find ourselves in high-maintenance relationships, face-to-face
with "impossible" people?
- "P. S." The premier installment
of "P. S." (Publishing our Subscribers) reveals a rainbow of
stories about God-given relationships.
COLUMNS
- Essay: "Involuntary Association,"
by Jeff Crosno. They say that church is nothing more than a voluntary
association. But I don't really believe that. I'm unwilling to trust
a soul to anything less than an involuntary association.
- Heartbeat: " The Right
to Communicate, " by Michael R. Estep. Jim Van Hook understood a key
point about communicating the gospel or any other message; people
can't communicate what they don't know.
- Editor's Forum: This month's
forum addresses ordination as a biblical concept and the emphasis
on the educational and intellectual qualifications of pastors.
- Portraits: " Gilbert Ford:
Finding the Right Frequency, " by Dean Nelson. Gilbert Ford started
a science program at Northwest Nazarene University in 1950 to provide
opportunities for young people who, like himself, love science and
want the kind of environment a Christian university can offer.
- Change Agent: " Self-Esteem:
Worthy Goal or Wild Goose Chase? " by Jon Johnston. God's Word emphatically
instructs us to love ourselves. But some research suggests that many
possess an opposite problem: inflated self-perception.
- The Deeper Way: "The Way
of Jesus, " by Ron Lush. We are to be people of the greatest commandment.
The Great Commission is always and only complete when the greatest
commandment is fully embraced.
- Touching: " Touching Our
World Through Community Health Evangelism, " by Roxanne Alexander.
If lives are to be changed, we must look at the whole person, at physical
needs as well as spiritual and emotional ones.
- Interconnected: "Scared
to Death, " by D. Ray Cook. How could he have been so stupid as to
jeopardize his relationship with God, his trusting wife, and his children?
- Family Tree: "We All Fall
Down: A Family Parable," by Rebecca Laird and Michael Christensen.
Who is going to tell them they have to put that baby down? Love allows
a child to take some tumbles.
- Commission: " The Web,
" by Jim L. Bond. Evangelism must be our highest priority! And there's
no better way to do it than through "the web."
NEXT MONTH: Breaking the Weapons
of Worship Wars
- " Worship, " by Roger L.
Hahn. With all the renewed focus on worship in the modern Church,
are we distinguishing between the purpose and the forms? Perhaps it
is time to ponder the heart of the matter: "What is worship, anyway?"
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