Articles - Faithful Presence : Content & Resources

Faithful Presence : Content & Resources

Sign in Subscribe

Articles

Welcome to our growing collection of articles and journal posts! Presence Weekly (free): A public-square based devotional plus: a weekly "Daily Office" Scripture reading plan, prayer guide, links to other articles from outside sources, weekly Washington-based events calendar, and a restaurant review. Presence Journal (premium): Monthly publication featuring in-depth articles on navigating matters of faith and the public square, guest commentary, and book reviews.

Presence Weekly 7/22/2024 - “Honoring the President”

Presence Weekly 7/22/2024 - “Honoring the President”

For Christians of either party, the one response of which we should be most cautious of is sinful and dishonoring rhetoric.

Presence [Volume 1, Issue 2]

Presence Journal Featured

Presence [Volume 1, Issue 2]

A Journal for Servants and Leaders in the Public Square Welcome to the second issue of Presence! First, a word. For the past year, our President and his wife have been dealing with the life-threatening health concern of a close family member. This has produced long periods of distraction from

The Vice of Slothfulness: Shedding Light on the Sin of Acedia

Presence Journal

The Vice of Slothfulness: Shedding Light on the Sin of Acedia

How is God Changing People and Places?

Presence Journal

How is God Changing People and Places?

[From the Archives] Tim Keller on The Implausibility Structure of a Culture

Presence Journal

[From the Archives] Tim Keller on The Implausibility Structure of a Culture

St. Thomas Aquinas: Everyday Economic Ethics

Presence Journal

St. Thomas Aquinas: Everyday Economic Ethics

Faithful Presence & The Gift of Humanity

Presence Journal Featured

Faithful Presence & The Gift of Humanity

by Michael Langer What is humanity? As Christians, we believe humanity is simply the state in which God created us. It places us as creatures and another as Creator. Scripture makes this distinction clear from the start of our story. 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our

Presence Weekly - 5/30/23

Articles Featured

Presence Weekly - 5/30/23

The national debt is extremely high. Yours is an even bigger problem!

Presence Weekly - 05/22/2023

Presence Weekly - 05/22/2023

The Devo: "Unity, Diversity & Faithful Presence" The unity of the disciples was heavy on the heart of Jesus when he prayed to his Father in the Garden of Gethsemane just hours before his arrest. "20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those

Real Election Results

Real Election Results

6 Now at the feast, he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do

The Harsh and Wonderful Reality

The Harsh and Wonderful Reality

Revelation 3:14-22 14 "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. 15 "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were

Dealing with Dialogue

Dealing with Dialogue

We hear many voices on any given day. And, as you are well aware, a fair amount of those voices are about you. So, I thought it might be wise to spend some time talking about those voices. The first voices to consider are those we hear from others. What

The Imposter Syndrome

The Imposter Syndrome

This weekend I will be away participating in a think-tank Socratic colloquium at the Acton Institute in Grand Rapids on “Religion, Liberty, and Culture.” It’s a 3-day discussion for clergy and professors on economics, government, liberty, and the free market from a Christian perspective. In preparation, I read about

Addressing Conflict

Addressing Conflict

2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the

From Insecurity to In Security

From Insecurity to In Security

The midterms are less than 60 days away! What will happen? That’s a question that often precedes an answer which brings insecurity. Will the House flip back to Republican control or stay in Democratic control? Will the Senate flip to Republican control? Will it flip to Democratic control? Will

Finding Green Pastures in Washington

Finding Green Pastures in Washington

As people serving and leading in Washington, we bear the image of God in many ways. We rule over aspects of the earth. We are creative and compassionate. We seek to bring about flourishing. But there are some important aspects of God in which we are not the same. Despite

Nietzsche, Formation, and Reality

Nietzsche, Formation, and Reality

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her

The Pursuit of Happiness

The Pursuit of Happiness

The movie with Will Smith is one of my favorites. How can your heart not go out to someone who is working so hard to make a good life for himself and his son? Of course, the film’s title is a riff and metaphor on a much earlier statement.

Book Review: A Better Ambition

Book Review: A Better Ambition

If you’re looking for an excellent new book about the kind of ambition that drives someone to seek a life in politics, complete with all the backroom dealmaking, conflicts with the press, and ultimate rise to the head of the party, then consider this an answer to your prayer.

Goals, Gospel, and Government Work

Goals, Gospel, and Government Work

Have you ever had a wildly improbable goal? Martha Beck gained national attention in 2002 when she appeared on the Oprah show to promote an article on the concept of Wildly Improbable Goals “W.I.G.s”. That’s why I was not aware of it until much later. In

Gospel Made Flourishing

Gospel Made Flourishing

Washington, D.C. is a great place to work and live. In addition to world-class restaurants of every ethnic persuasion, walkable neighborhoods, diverse nightlife, (mostly) high-achieving sports teams, and a multitude of higher education options, Washington is home to many of our nation's brightest and most dedicated servants

The Dobbs Picture

The Dobbs Picture

Just over two weeks ago, in the 6-3 Dobbs decision, the Court stated the U.S. Constitution did not confer a right to abortion and overruled both Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). Their decision did not outlaw abortion; it simply sent the issue to the

Cultivating Wise Workplace Vulnerability

Cultivating Wise Workplace Vulnerability

1 Kings 10:1-15 10 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt.

Prayers, Thoughts, and Faithful Presence

Prayers, Thoughts, and Faithful Presence

Upon encountering the distraught sisters of his best friend Lazarus, the Apostle John records profound theological guidance for responding to horrific tragedies, 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and

The Drama of Discipleship

The Drama of Discipleship

After his resurrection, John records the first words of Jesus to his hand-picked Apostles as, 19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to