Recent Articles
It’s Hard to Wash Away the Red
The 39th Annual Red Earth Festival begins this weekend in Oklahoma City, OK. The festival celebrates Native American art, dance and culture, creating an immersive experience for anyone interested in learning more about the Indigenous peoples living in North America before the European invasion.
Leslie Jordan Releases ‘Elegy,’ Third Single from Upcoming Concept Album ‘The Agonist’
Sonically, “Elegy” departs from the acoustic vibes of the rest of the album, taking a more cinematic, movie-score tone. Thematically, it draws on the ancient literary motif of the struggles and blessings of brotherhood to paint a picture of a lonely man taking stock of his life.
Living with Faithful Pride
I had the opportunity to hear Rev. Dr. Naomi Washington-Leapheart give a powerful keynote sermon at the Q Christian Fellowship Annual Conference earlier this year. I am certain that if I filled this entire column with only quotes from that powerful sermon, you would...
Victory Gardens Nurture Spirituality and Reaffirm Democratic Ideals
Our strongest spiritual practices always intersect with the call to liberation, love and the ways of God in the world. An act of faithful endurance, tending my garden bridges the gap between the material and spiritual worlds, echoing the history of gardening as both resistance and abundance.
Home is Where and the Power of a Good Scream
Since 2017, Home is Where has been making cathartic, eclectic and intense music. The emo band from Palm Coast, Florida pulls from a variety of influences, including post-hardcore, Midwest emo and country.
‘Are You Qualified to Date?’ : New App Highlights Unhealthy Evangelical Relationship Culture
We need a radical cultural shift in the evangelical world that allows young people to try and try again when it comes to their love lives. Dating is not a sin, but if we continue to teach young Christians it is, there will be lasting effects on their ability to form healthy relationships–both romantic and platonic.
‘I Have Decided to Follow Jesus’: A Bold Political Declaration
Last Sunday, we sang a familiar hymn. It followed the sermon, as it typically does in Baptist churches. But this time, the hymn felt radically different. I suddenly realized that “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” is a political declaration.
Interfaith Group of Texas Clergywomen Express Support for ‘Life of the Mother Act’
A group of clergywomen and women representing various faith traditions held a press conference in the Texas Capitol on Monday, March 18, to express their support for “The Life of the Mother Act.”
Because of Bananas: Manifest Destiny for the 21st-Century
During the twentieth century, as the U.S. expanded toward Latin America, they became less concerned with acquiring new territory. Those lands contained what was considered an inferior Brown race that could eventually dilute U.S. white purity if they were annexed. Hence, Manifest Destiny morphed into Gunboat Diplomacy, the means of acquiring economies, not territories.
Belief Behind the Book | Anne Kinsey’s “Mosaic Hearts”
Belief Behind the Book is a new feature that gives readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the beliefs—or what I call “the Why”—behind books written by progressive spiritual leaders.
Evangelical Accountability Group Concludes ‘Behavioral Misconduct’ by Tim Whitaker and The New Evangelicals
An organization dedicated to accountability for various forms of abuse in churches and other Christian organizations recently released a report detailing behavioral misconduct by Tim Whitaker, the creator and facilitator of The New Evangelicals. The report followed an investigation by Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment into allegations that Whitaker created an unsafe working situation for a contract employee.
Washington D.C.’s Black Lives Matter Mural Demolished but the Ground Still Speaks
Still, George Floyd remains larger than life. The government could remove every mural and monument, but the ground would still speak, beckoning us to say his name: George Perry Floyd Jr.
Americans: Please Take my Name Off Your Money: A (Hypothetical) Letter from the Lord of Hosts
I don’t want to be on your money. I want your connection with me to radically alter your behavior. You keep saying, “In God we Trust,” and that you want the United States to be a Christian country. I’d rather not be associated with that gut rot. It has the stench of human waste in my nose.
Pew Study Examines Gaps and Similarities in Teenage Experiences of Girls and Boys
Although teen boys and girls share several experiences, a new Pew Research study found significant differences in their perceived expectations around appearance and strength.
Lent Week 2 | “Heart Songs”
Psalm 27 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Why do you pray? I’m not talking about prayers said in church, your Bible study class or any other setting where we pray as a...
Good Faith Media Attends South by Southwest
Good Faith Media attended the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference in Austin, Texas this week. The conference brings together innovators, creatives, and change-makers for networking and collaboration. GFM attended various interviews and panel discussions on topics ranging from politics to artificial intelligence.
‘Beloved’ Before All Else
We are called to move from baptism into purposeful action, grounded in our core identity: before any action, achievement or belief, we are beloved.
Good Faith Media Announces “Faithful Pride Initiative”
Good Faith Media (GFM) is excited to announce its “Faithful Pride Initiative” (FPI), which will highlight and amplify the stories of LGBTQ+ people of faith doing inspiring work worldwide. Rev. Kali Cawthon-Freels, a longtime GFM contributing correspondent, will lead the initiative.
Christian Worship Music: Dr. Adam Perez Reflects on Challenges and Opportunities
Despite its essential role in our church and spiritual lives, worship music is often critically overlooked and taken for granted as a tradition. While it is ubiquitous in the lives of many Christians, that was not always the case. In its current form, worship music is a relatively recent invention—a carefully crafted and very profitable invention.
What Are We For?
If we are driven by the desire to harm and reduce ourselves to name-calling and the dehumanization of others, no matter how deplorable they may be, we sabotage our efforts and our credibility. Even if we are on the side of the good, we risk being distorted by our hate and gollumed by our fear instead of buoyed by our hope. Motives matter.
Five Years Later: COVID-19 and the Failure of Formation
With each new directive came new doubts. Many wondered, “Do these people even know what they are talking about?” This was a failure of formation. Without the constant reminder that scientific information is conditional and that new information requires new guidance, large segments of the population were left unmoored. Nefarious actors and systems took advantage of this.
The Box-cutter and the Clergywoman
After reviewing the history of Christianity, I knew its violent history. Those who were called “heretics” were imprisoned and often tortured to death. In the fifteenth century, Joan of Arc was burned to death. One of her “crimes” was wearing what authorities called “men’s garments” after leading her army to victory.
Humpty Dumpty Has Fallen Off The Wall
Humpty Dumpty is an apt metaphor for environmental regulation. The government puts it on the wall, only to see a succeeding government cause the fall, knocking Humpty Dumpty to the ground. Once shattered, all subsequent efforts for rehabilitation are futile. It’s just too late.
New Good Faith Media Branding and Website Now Live
Five years after its founding, Good Faith Media (GFM) is proud to announce the launch of its new logo and redesigned website. This transformation reflects GFM’s vision of being a reliable resource contributing to conversations at the intersection of faith and culture using multiple media platforms.
By the Way | Those Liberal Evangelicals
Charles Grandison Finney, by any measure the most important and influential evangelical of the nineteenth century, excoriated greed and free-market capitalism. He suggested that “Christian businessman” was an oxymoron because capitalism elevated avarice over altruism. That’s hardly a conservative view, yet Finney was arguably the most effective evangelist of the antebellum period.
Only a Quarter of Americans Observe Lent, New Survey Finds
According to a new study from Lifeway Research, one in four Americans (26%) surveyed observe Lent, while 74% skip the 40-day observation before Easter, which is traditionally marked by fasting.
Women’s History Month| Remembering Alice Walker and ‘The Color Purple’
This was likely my first introduction to somebodiness, the self-assertion of dignity and worth. To witness Celie’s self-actualization and the expansiveness of her speech points to the shortsightedness of patriarchy and the significant reduction of a woman’s worth to her appearance and ability to labor for the comfort of a man.
Americans’ Support for Daylight Savings Time Wanes
For the first time since 1999, Gallup has surveyed Americans to gauge their opinions about daylight savings time. The poll, conducted between January 21 and 27, found only 40% favor daylight savings time, a 23% decline from 1999.
Notes on Neurodivergence | “Becoming” in Christ
Being neurodivergent has given me a new definition of “sin.” My revised belief allows me to accept my entire identity and conditioned behaviors in society to survive. It’s complicated and not easy. For me, it means enduring the mystery, knowing God can and will show up anyway.
First Sunday of Lent | “Saying No in Order to Say Yes”
Luke 4:1-13 “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil…” A few years ago, two friends who were priests serving at our neighborhood Catholic Church decided they would...