Link List – March 2013 Synchroblog // Guns & God

hey all, here is the link list for the march synchroblog.  i’ll post any latecomers in the morning and so check back to make sure you have the most updated copy.  if you can please add  to the bottom of your posts, that would be great!

• Jeremy Myers – Why I Joined the NRA
• Chris Jefferies – The Gun of Self-Defence?
• Glenn Hager – Gun God
• Carol Kuniholm - Guns, God, Mercy 
• Gibby Espinoza – Gun Control?
• Liz Dyer – Turn the Other Clip, This One is Empty
• Marta Layton – Christian Ethics at the National Review and the Dish 
• Kathy Escobar – What Do We Want to be Known For?
• Doreen Mannion – Bang-Bang, Are We All Dead?
• Yeshua Hineni – Guns and G-d

Guns and God: March 2013 Synchroblog

Like many hot political topics, the issue of gun control is a big one for Christians.  People are all over the place on the issue–from passionate pacifists to dedicated NRA members.  Regardless of where we stand, what feels really clear is that this issue is widely debated, especially related to our faith.

This month’s synchroblog addresses this hot topic, not from a government perspective but from a faith perspective.

Do guns and God go together?  Why or why not?  

How are you wrestling with this issue in your own life?  

How are you respecting the difference of opinion in the wider community and also honoring your own convictions about violence?

 What do you think Jesus would do?  

We’d love to hear your thoughts as part of March’s synchroblog.

We know you might be saying “uh oh, I’m not sure if I want to say that in public for fear of controversy.”  It is hard to talk about some of these big issues because the dialogue sometimes looks more like yelling.  Let’s be brave and try to help create a space where people can engage in this important conversation with kindness and respect so we can learn from each other.  

Publish your posts by Tuesday March 12th and share your link here, and we’ll post the final link list on Wednesday morning, March 13th, to add to the bottom of your posts.  If you know other bloggers who might also want to participate, feel free to pass this invitation on.

All are welcome and we look forward to the diversity of posts!

Link List – November 2012 Synchroblog // The Spiritual Practice of Gratitude

Hey Synchrobloggers,

Here is the first round Link List so far for the November Synchroblog on the Spiritual Practice of Gratitude.   We will update it tomorrow morning with any additional links that come in and appreciate you adding it to the end of your posts.  Thanks for participating!

• Jeremy Myers – 5 Things to be Unthankful For
• Glenn Hager – Gr-atitude
• Carol Kuniholm – Grateful 
• Amy Martin – Gratitude in a Culture of Economy 
• Leah at Desert Spirit Fire - Living Thanks 
• Kathy Escobar - turning our ingrown eyeballs up & out
• Jack Kooyman – Gratitude as Action 
• Christine Sine – Where is God When Disaster Hits?
• Liz Dyer - Practicing Gratitude

November Synchroblog 2012: The Spiritual Practice of Gratitude

it’s easy during the month of November to think about thankfulness. A lot of us will probably in some way, shape or form, say “I’m thankful for…” this month. But gratitude is much more than a feeling or something we talk about around the holidays. Gratitude can also be a powerful spiritual practice that opens our hearts to the rhythm of giving and receiving that is the heartbeat of life itself. Many believe the spiritual practice of gratitude not only has the ability to transform us as individuals but can also change the world we live in. However, like so many other spiritual practices, it takes intention and focus.

This month’s Synchroblog theme invites writers to share their thoughts on gratitude as a spiritual practice. What do you think about gratitude as a spiritual practice? How would one go about practicing gratitude as a spiritual exercise? What are you learning about gratitude? What practices help draw you to gratitude? How is your experience with God deepening through gratitude? What benefits does the spiritual practice of gratitude offer to you, others, the world?

Share your thoughts about the spiritual practice of gratitude on your blog this month so we can learn from each other. Post your links in the comment section of this post by 6pm on Tuesday November 13th and a link list will be published on Wednesday November 14th.

A special thanks to the many bloggers who filled out the Synchroblog survey and expressed an interest in the subject of “spiritual formation” for inspiring November’s theme!

Link List – May Synchroblog // Lighten Up: The Art of Laughter, Joy, and Letting Go

Here’s the link list for this month’s synchroblog.  Thanks, everyone for participating & for putting this link list at the bottom of your posts!

• Jeremy Myers at Till He Comes – Lighten Up! 
• Maria Kettleson Anderson at My Real Journey - The Art of Passionately Lightening Up
• Melody Harrison at Logic and Imagination – {I Don’t Do Joy}
• Wendy McCaig - Lighten Up: Learning to Let Go From A Man Who Lost It All
• Carol Kuniholm at Words Half Heart – Resurrection Laughter
• R. Lee Bayes at Southern Humanist – Loving Light 
• Alan Knox – Be Sarcastic With One Another 
• Patrick Oden at Dueling Ravens - Truth, Beauty, and Yodeling Pickles
• Tammy Carter at Blessing the Beloved – A Tricky Little Journey 
• Christine Sine at Godspace – Lighten Up: It Really is the Best Medicine 
• Glenn Hager -  Margaritas, Metallica, and A Serious Case of the Giggles.
• Liz Dyer at Grace Rules – A Spoonful of Sugar 
• K.W. Leslie at More Christ – When Jesus Made A Funny
• Maurice Broaddus – Why So Serious? 
• Ellen Haroutunian – A Laughing God 
• Kathy Escobar at the Carnival in my Head – A Little Laughter Every Day

May Synchroblog – Lighten Up: The Art of Laughter, Joy & Letting Go

One thing feels clear about the faith blogging world–we can be kind of serious most of the time.  Serious about beliefs, theology, and hard conversations about the intersection of life and faith.  It is serious stuff we’re talking about, but sometimes what gets missed in all of the intensity is joy & laughter & lightness.  It’s probably a good idea to learn how to not take ourselves quite so seriously.  The May 2012 Synchroblog is centered on the idea of what it might mean to lighten up a little–personally, spiritually, professionally, or in any area of our lives.   You can write about why that’s easy or hard for you, share something funny or humorous, or any other angle that feels easy and right (remember, part of this is about lightening up!)

Add your post link in the comments section of this post by 10:00 pm EST, Tuesday, May 8th to be included in this month’s Synchroblog. The link list will go up on Wednesday, May 9th so you can add it to your post.

We hope you can participate!

Link List for January’s Synchroblog // Hope

Here is the link list so far for January’s Synchroblog, a partnership with Provoketive Magazine centered around the theme of Hope.  Thank you all for participating and for posting this link list at the end of your posts when you post on your own blog (you can post your entire post or an excerpt, just link to the Provoketive post and include the link list)

This issue of Provoketive Magazine, featuring this series, will go live tomorrow morning, January 18th, 2012, so the links won’t work until then.

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Below is a list of all the posts and participants in this month’s synchroblog:

The Trouble With Hope: John Ptacek

Hope = Possibility x Imagination: Wayne Rumsby

Little Reminders: Mike Victorino

Where Is My Hope: Jonathan Brink

Hope for Hypocrites: Jeremy Myers

Now These Three Remain: Sonny Lemmons

Perplexed, But Still Hopeful: Carol Kuniholm

A Hope that Lives: Amy Mitchell

Generations Come and Generations Go: Adam Gonnerman

Demystifying Hope: Glenn Hager

God in the Dark: On Hope: Renee Ronika Klug

Keeping Hope Alive: Maurice Broaddus

Are We Afraid to Hope?: Christine Sine

On Wobbly Wheels, Split Churches and Fear: Laura Droege

Adopting Hope: Travis Klassen

Hope is Held Between Us: Ellen Haroutunian

Hope: In the Hands of the Creatively Maladjusted: Mihee Kim-Kort

Paradox, Hope and Revival: City Safari

Good Theology Saves: Reverend Robyn

Linear: Never Was, Never Will Be: Kathy Escobar

Better Than Hope: Liz Dyer

Caroline for Congress: Hope for the Future: Wendy McCaig

Fumbling the Ball on Hope: KW Leslie

Content to Hope: Alise Wright

Hope: Oh, the Humanity!: Deanna Ogle

January Synchroblog – A Partnership with Provoketive Magazine // January 18th 2012

Hey Synchrobloggers,

For January we are excited to partner with Provoketive Magazine for our monthly synchroblog.  They will be hosting this month’s topic, and this is a great platform for writers and readers.

In order to do this, the instructions will be a little bit different than our normal “post your link in the comments section” list.   Each writer will need to sign up to be a writer for Provoketive first.  It is a very easy process, and all of the instructions are below.  Instead of only posting your link in the comments section you will be posting directly on Provoketive and also on your own blog.  Everyone should put the link list at the bottom of your post as usual.  Provoketive will then feature the entire series for their January issue. All of the details are here.

The topic:  Hope.  January is often a space to create new dreams and so we’re leaving the topic open and to your imagination. We believe the power of voice has tremendous capacity to inspire and give hope to people. Provoketive is a space to explore what it means to be human and hope is an integral part of that experience.

Here are the instructions for January only:

1. Sign up to be a writer on Provoketive.  Click here and fill out the form.  We’ll send you all the instructions to add your post.

2. Write and submit a 500-1,000 word post on the subject of hope.  Some things to consider writing about include: what gives you hope, what is your hope, how did you gain your hope, or a story of hope in your life.  You may post the article on your own blog if you wish, but schedule it for January 18th.

3. All posts must be submitted to Provoketive by January 17th.

4. Check back on the day of publication and grab the link list to everyone’s post.  Publish the link list on your blog.

If you have any questions or need clarification about the process, please feel free to ask them in the comments section below or over at Provoketive.

We look forward to the new year together!

Link List – November Synchroblog // Calling Us Out of Numbness

hey all, here are the links so far for november’s synchroblog–calling us out of numbness.  i’ll add more as they come in.  thanks for adding it to the bottom of your post!  check back tomorrow morning so you have the most recent list.  thanks, everyone! – kathy

• Joy Wilson at Solacetree- The Blessing of Losing Your Faith
• Jeremy Myers at Till He Comes – I Have a Dream
• Glenn Hager at Breathe – Uncomfortably Numb
• Linda at Kingdom Grace – On Earth as it is in Heaven
• Sally at Eternal Echoes – Where are the True Prophets?
• Tammy Carter at Blessing the Beloved – No Compromise
• Alan Knox at The Assembling of Church – My Word of Prophecy:  Quit Listening to Prophetic Voices
• Liz at Gracerules – Listen
• Christine Sine at Godspace – Surrounded by Prophetic Voices: Clouds of Witnesses That Call Us Out of Numbness
• Amy Martin – The Window of Suffering, the Beginning of Hope 
• Kathy Escobar at The Carnival in My Head- Rising Up From Below 
• K.W. Leslie at More Christ – What is God Challenging You to Do?
• Katherine Gunn at A Voice in the Desert – Where is Your Heart? 
• Steve Hayes at Khanya – Murder of the Cathedral
• Leah Chang at desertsspiritsfire – Wall Street, Our Street
• Bobby Aunder at Deconstructing Neverland – Shift 
• Minnow at Minnowspeaks – Day of Dialogue

November Synchroblog – Calling Us Out of Numbness

Richard Rohr says “the role of the prophets is to call us out of numbness.” Since the beginning of time, prophetic voices both in and outside of scripture have been calling us to consider change of some sort. Sometimes it is spiritual change, other times it may be economic, political, or systemic change. Regardless of the emphasis, prophets challenge us to consider a better future. Right now there’s a strong sense of change brewing in the church, the world; people are rising up and calling individuals, communities, nations, and everything in between out of numbness and toward justice, mercy, equality, and love.

This month’s Synchroblog is centered on where are you being challenged by some kind of prophetic voice.

What is it stirring up in you?

What is God challenging you to consider?

How does it intersect with your faith & practical experience?

Please post your links in the comments section of this post  by 6pm EST on Tuesday November 1st so we can compile the entire link list for everyone to share at the end of their posts by Wednesday morning, November 2nd.

We hope you can participate!

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Also coming November 23rd we will be hosting an Advent Synchroblog, collaborating with Christine Sine.  The theme will be Jesus is Coming:  What Do We Expect.  Then, December’s Synchroblog will be later in the month, again with a collaboration with Christine Sine on December 28th.  The theme will be Jesus Came: Did We Get What We Expected.  Details coming but mark your calendars now!