American composer John Cage (1912-1992) wrote pieces of music to be played on a variety of objects, including flowerpots, scrapped hoods of old cars, and other pieces of junk. Then he began tinkering with a piano, shoving objects under the strings, including screws, bolts, spoons,...
TMC Program Staff Mark Ramsey, Adam Mixon, and Beth Daniel continue their conversation on certainty, delving into the connections between my story, the story of the community, and God's story. Episode Transcript....
For many of us, the idea of routines and rituals gets a bad rap. We often equate them with vain repetitions that culminate in boredom and leave us unmoved and uninspired. But there are plenty of rituals and routines that allow for centering, continuity, and...
TMC Program Staff Mark Ramsey, Adam Mixon, and Beth Daniel speak about Ryan Burge's recent post on faith and uncertainty, the give and take between apologetics and relationships, and the importance of remembering that God is durable. Episode Transcript....
In 2013, after eleven years serving as a college professor who preached occasionally, I took on the dual role of professor and pastor. Previously, when I served as a guest teacher for Sunday School and Bible Study, I had always done so from a standing...
TMC Staff Adam Mixon and Jennifer Watley Maxell continue a conversation with the Rev. Carla Jones Brown (Oxford Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia) about what it is that gives life; the connection between creativity, hope, and resurrection; and the importance of the "great cloud of witnesses". Episode Transcript....
“Yeah, there’s no one else my age at church,” shrugs the 28-year-old with resignation. Justin grew up at Saint Elizabeth’s, Honolulu, back when his brother led the lively youth group. He’s still here. But most — well, maybe all — of the kids he knew a...
TMC Staff Jennifer Watley Maxell, Adam Mixon, and Mark Ramsey speak with the Rev. Carla Jones Brown (Oxford Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia) about the toxicity of nostalgia, the difference between change and loss, and how the church is uniquely positioned to bring healing to our pained...
Memes are rituals drained of transcendence. — Ted Gioia, The Honest Broker As religion recedes, politics takes its place. — Peggy Noonan, The Wall Street Journal joy unspeakable is practicing freedom while chains still chafe, singing deliverance while Jim Crow stalks — Barbara A. Holmes, Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church These three...