Chris Rice, Director of the Mennonite Central Committee United Nations Office and Coauthor of "More Than Equals: Racial Healing for the Sake of the Gospel," joined Brian to chat about the special re-release of “More Than Equals” as part of the IVP Signature Collection. 

Check out Chris’ blog at reconcilers.wordpress.com and connect with him on Twitter at @reconcilers

Chris Rice, Director of the <a href="https://mcc.org/get-involved/advocacy/un">Mennonite Central Committee United Nations Office</a> and Coauthor of <a href="https://www.ivpress.com/more-than-equals">"More Than Equals: Racial Healing for the Sake of the Gospel,"</a> joined Brian to chat about the special re-release of <a href="https://www.ivpress.com/more-than-equals">&ldquo;More Than Equals&rdquo;</a> as part of the IVP Signature Collection.&nbsp;
Check out Chris&rsquo; blog at <a href="https://reconcilers.wordpress.com/">reconcilers.wordpress.com</a> and connect with him on Twitter at&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/reconcilers">@reconcilers</a>

The idea of “the common good” has a rich history within the Christian church. It’s the notion that, as we pursue Jesus in our lives and in the lives of others, we are fulfilling God’s purposes for His creation. This pursuit can be messy. It means rolling up our sleeves and creating space for hard conversations about real issues that impact our lives. Things like parenting, marriage, finances, politics, art, and culture. On The Common Good, Brian From creates space to have these conversations, to sit with the big questions that we all have, to sometimes disagree, but to always look for the chance to create common good, by following after Jesus. Brian welcome listeners to join them in these conversations, to bring their own questions, hopes, and struggles, and to ultimately share in a journey to see God’s design for all of us fulfilled.

The idea of &ldquo;the common good&rdquo; has a rich history within the Christian church. It&rsquo;s the notion that, as we pursue Jesus in our lives and in the lives of others, we are fulfilling God&rsquo;s purposes for His creation. This pursuit can be messy. It means rolling up our sleeves and creating space for hard conversations about real issues that impact our lives. Things like parenting, marriage, finances, politics, art, and culture. On The Common Good, Brian From creates space to have these conversations, to sit with the big questions that we all have, to sometimes disagree, but to always look for the chance to create common good, by following after Jesus. Brian welcome listeners to join them in these conversations, to bring their own questions, hopes, and struggles, and to ultimately share in a journey to see God&rsquo;s design for all of us fulfilled.

The Common Good Podcast

The Common Good

Guest: Chris Rice, Director of the Mennonite Central Committee United Nations Office and Coauthor of "More Than Equals: Racial Healing for the Sake of the Gospel" - August 9, 2021

Brian From is fresh off a monumental weekend — his oldest daughter Madeline's college graduation at Hope College in Holland, Michigan — and the joy of that milestone runs through this whole hour. But the reflections go deeper than cap and gown. The chaplain's baccalaureate message on 2 Corinthians 2 leaves Brian with a simple, searching question: when people are in your presence, do they get a whiff of Christ? Then, a throwaway line from Nike's new CEO — "we struggle when we forget who we are serving" — turns into a pointed word for the church and for anyone whose life has quietly drifted toward self. Plus: a Wall Street Journal piece on the rise of the "beta mom" and why the pendulum may have swung too far, new survey data suggesting peak life satisfaction hits at age 52 (good news for Brian at 49), a Gospel Coalition piece on the most alarming political divide in Gen Z — and it's not Democrat vs. Republican — and a closing devotion from Charles Stanley on what it actually means to be aware of God's presence in your daily life, not just on Sundays.

Brian From is fresh off a monumental weekend &mdash; his oldest daughter Madeline's college graduation at Hope College in Holland, Michigan &mdash; and the joy of that milestone runs through this whole hour. But the reflections go deeper than cap and gown. The chaplain's baccalaureate message on 2 Corinthians 2 leaves Brian with a simple, searching question: when people are in your presence, do they get a whiff of Christ? Then, a throwaway line from Nike's new CEO &mdash; "we struggle when we forget who we are serving" &mdash; turns into a pointed word for the church and for anyone whose life has quietly drifted toward self. Plus: a Wall Street Journal piece on the rise of the "beta mom" and why the pendulum may have swung too far, new survey data suggesting peak life satisfaction hits at age 52 (good news for Brian at 49), a Gospel Coalition piece on the most alarming political divide in Gen Z &mdash; and it's not Democrat vs. Republican &mdash; and a closing devotion from Charles Stanley on what it actually means to be aware of God's presence in your daily life, not just on Sundays.

What Nike's CEO Accidentally Said About the Church

Mother's Day Sunday is one of the most emotionally loaded mornings on the church calendar — joyful for some, quietly devastating for others. Brian From gets personal about his own family's experience with miscarriage and brings in Dr. Deana Thayer, marriage and parenting associate at Focus on the Family, for an honest conversation about the women who often get left out of the celebration: moms who've experienced infertility or infant loss, stepmoms, foster and adoptive moms, caregivers, and women whose relationship with their own mother carries deep pain. Deana offers practical guidance for pastors, worship leaders, and churchgoers on how to honor Mother's Day without inadvertently causing harm — and issues a gentle but clear warning about the well-meaning platitudes that almost always make things worse. 

Mother's Day Sunday is one of the most emotionally loaded mornings on the church calendar &mdash; joyful for some, quietly devastating for others. Brian From gets personal about his own family's experience with miscarriage and brings in Dr. Deana Thayer, marriage and parenting associate at Focus on the Family, for an honest conversation about the women who often get left out of the celebration: moms who've experienced infertility or infant loss, stepmoms, foster and adoptive moms, caregivers, and women whose relationship with their own mother carries deep pain. Deana offers practical guidance for pastors, worship leaders, and churchgoers on how to honor Mother's Day without inadvertently causing harm &mdash; and issues a gentle but clear warning about the well-meaning platitudes that almost always make things worse.&nbsp;

Honoring Every Woman in the Room with Dr. Deana Thayer

This week was Brian's birthday — and it turns out he shares it with Star Wars Day. That's all the excuse needed to bring Plugged In's Adam Holtz into the conversation for a deep dive on George Lucas's galaxy far, far away. How did a $10 million film with an uncertain release become a cultural watershed that changed cinema forever? What did Lucas actually borrow from — Joseph Campbell, Kurosawa, Flash Gordon, Eastern religion, the Bible — and what does that mean for Christians trying to engage it thoughtfully? Adam breaks down the Force as a theological concept, why the original trilogy still holds up for family viewing, and what went so wrong with the sequel trilogy that Disney may be looking to erase it from canon entirely. A fun, fast conversation perfect for any Star Wars fan trying to think Christianly about one of the most enduring stories in pop culture. Find more of Adam's work at pluggedin.com.

This week was Brian's birthday &mdash; and it turns out he shares it with Star Wars Day. That's all the excuse needed to bring Plugged In's Adam Holtz into the conversation for a deep dive on George Lucas's galaxy far, far away. How did a $10 million film with an uncertain release become a cultural watershed that changed cinema forever? What did Lucas actually borrow from &mdash; Joseph Campbell, Kurosawa, Flash Gordon, Eastern religion, the Bible &mdash; and what does that mean for Christians trying to engage it thoughtfully? Adam breaks down the Force as a theological concept, why the original trilogy still holds up for family viewing, and what went so wrong with the sequel trilogy that Disney may be looking to erase it from canon entirely. A fun, fast conversation perfect for any Star Wars fan trying to think Christianly about one of the most enduring stories in pop culture. Find more of Adam's work at pluggedin.com.

Guest: Chris Rice, Director of the Mennonite Central Committee United Nations Office and Coauthor of "More Than Equals: Racial Healing for the Sake of the Gospel" - August 9, 2021

The Common Good

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