Philadelphia

A Cultural Exegesis of a South Philadelphia Neighborhood

I live in Philadelphia, a city where grit is not just a metaphor for our working-class ethic but also a description of the landscape. When our hockey team recently got a new mascot, they named it Gritty. So “gritty” is a visual cue, a posture, and an ethos for Philadelphia. Defining neighborhood boundaries in Philadelphia […]

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Restoring Shalom in the Citadels of Dead Capital: The Church and Vacant Land

In Jeremiah 32, the prophet Jeremiah enters into a land deal with his cousin Hanamel in one of the worst real estate markets imaginable. Does his prophetic economic activity open up new horizons of possibilities for Christian disciples today in the face of urban blight and seemingly dead economic potential in many urban neighborhoods?

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From Martha to Mary: A Church Planter’s Spiritual Journey

Church leaders can become consumed by activities, numbers, and plans. Indeed, such leaders are regularly held up in the professional ministry world as models for the rest to emulate. A church planter in South Philadelphia took a different direction–often against his own wishes–and he shares his journey from activity to inactivity, from busyness to stillness, and from being a Martha to becoming a Mary.

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