Reconciliation

Reconciliation explores the gospel’s power to restore relationships—with God and with one another—and calls the church to live as a reconciled people. Discover Bible-based articles on forgiveness, peacemaking, unity, conflict resolution, and healing divisions in families, congregations, and communities. You’ll find practical guidance for pursuing repentance, speaking truth in love, listening well, and building trust over time. These resources help Christians embody the reconciling work of Jesus, resist bitterness and hostility, and cultivate communities marked by grace, justice, and lasting peace.

January 18, 2014

Christian Standard

We”re Not the Only Christians

By Tim Harlow I”m sure you”ve heard the joke in a sermon somewhere. It”s versatile””you can target any denomination. Peter is showing someone around Heaven. As he walks down the hallway, he says, “Here is the Lutheran room, here is the Methodist room, here is the Presbyterian room,” and then he starts whispering. “Shhh, we have to be quiet walking by this one. It”s the (fill in the blank) room, and they think they are the only ones here.” I grew up in the independent Christian churches, where it was my experience “independents” were the fill in the blank. I

August 24, 2012

Christian Standard

Something Stronger than Hate

By Daniel Schantz “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34, New King James Version). In William Wyler”s 1959 award-winning movie Ben-Hur, Charlton Heston plays the wealthy prince of Jerusalem who is arrested by the Roman occupiers and thrown into the dark belly of a Roman ship, where he must row his enemies wherever they wish to go. With every pull of the oar, Ben-Hur”s hate of the Romans deepens, especially for Messala, the tribune who made him a galley slave. At last, Ben-Hur escapes his nautical prison, and by a quirk of fate he

January 2, 2012

Christian Standard

The First Step Toward Unity

By Mark A. Taylor Christian unity, like so many other grand doctrines of the Bible, is something none of us would repudiate. Just as all of us are for love, joy, peace, patience, and self-control””just as all of us would lift up the ideas of mercy, grace, or forgiveness””all of us, if asked, would agree we”re for unity. But deciding to discuss unity is something else. When I talk about unity, my notions of it are challenged. I must sit across the table from a fellow believer who disagrees with me and yet acknowledge that I want unity with him.

October 3, 2010

Christian Standard

Reconciled

By Bruce Koblish I”m a child of the “60s, and my generation is no stranger to racial tension in our country. So I guess I should not have been surprised that when I became the president of the Gospel Music Association, I faced these same issues within the world of Christian music. The second day on the job I found myself in a room with 30 African-American members of the gospel music community, from artists to managers to attorneys. I may have been ill prepared to deal with such a setting, but I listened intently and resolved early in my

October 2, 2010

Christian Standard

Interview with Byron Davis

By Brad Dupray Dream of Destiny is casting a vision for Christian churches and churches of Christ across America to increase their evangelistic outreach through ethnic diversity in ministry. Dudley Rutherford, senior pastor of Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, California, challenged Byron Davis to spearhead the venture as a member of the staff at Shepherd. Byron left a career in pharmaceutical sales to join the church staff. He was a member of the U.S. National Swim Team from 1994 to 1996, was an eight-time All-American swimmer at UCLA, and was a U.S. Olympic team alternate in the

August 2, 2009

Christian Standard

Big C, little c: Building Bridges by Saying “˜Thank You”

by Ben Cachiaras One in four Americans calls himself Catholic. That”s 64 million people in this country””and an estimated billion people worldwide. There were lots of Roman Catholics in Minnesota, where I grew up. Many of my friends were Catholic. Some struck me as devout and genuinely committed to Christ, while others seemed halfhearted, as if they were going through obligatory religious motions. Then I discovered there were those same two kinds of folk in my own church. Later God moved my family and me to Maryland, and I have found a lot of Catholics here, too. In fact, Roman

August 2, 2009

Christian Standard

Barrier or Bridge to the Catholic Community?

  by Greg Nettle Where I grew up in northern Ohio, the predominant religion was Catholicism. As a result of not being a Catholic, I formed some very unhealthy approaches to my Catholic friends. Most involved arguments and confrontations about what was scripturally incorrect with the Catholic church. I would regularly discuss with my youth-group buddies topics such as: Is the pope the Antichrist? And, is it OK to date a Catholic girl so you can convert her to New Testament Christianity? In short, I was erecting a lot of relational barriers. Years later, after serving as a senior pastor

August 2, 2009

Christian Standard

Catholicism . . . It”s a Family Thing

by Toney Salva When I was ordained into ministry, my nonpracticing Roman Catholic father attempted to communicate to his side of the family what I was going to do with my life. He told them I was going to be a priest! That was the best he could do. It was the only word he could find to describe my career choice. Imagine my family”s surprise when I sent out wedding announcements . . . then birth announcements. My father”s struggle to communicate with his Catholic family about my ordination in the Christian church is not that different from the

August 2, 2009

Christian Standard

Walking with My Expatriate Catholic Friends

 by Don. M. Hamilton “I grew up Catholic so this is all new to me.” I”ve heard this statement, or ones like it, many times over the past 27 years. Capital Area Christian Church is in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area, where Catholicism is strong. A significant portion of our church family traces its spiritual roots to the Catholic church. Dozens from this background show up in our services and small groups. I”ve found these folks to be some of the most enjoyable and eager souls to walk through our doors. Having worked with so many from this faith background through

July 12, 2009

Christian Standard

The Point of Christianity 3: Christian Reconciliation

  By Douglas A. Foster Christ knew there would be trouble. He knew the human heart and its tendency toward pride. His intense prayer for his followers “that they may be one” was not a request for a good but optional addition to Christianity””unity was the very essence of it. The walls that separate humans were precisely what Christ came to destroy. Reconciliation is the point of Christianity! And reconciliation results in unity. Tragically, the very people Christ entrusted with his ministry of reconciliation built walls of separation. Christians destroyed the visible unity of Christ”s body. The spirit of division

May 20, 2009

Christian Standard

More Than Talk About Unity

By Mark A. Taylor Most biblical ideals are easier to talk about than to practice. I may be able to quote Bible verses about love or patience or forgiveness or grace. But just let the neighbor”s dog wake me with its barking or my coworker across the aisle talk too loud on the phone, and let”s see how I express those virtues! Perhaps no value is easier to promote and also more difficult to experience than unity. Whenever I”m called upon to explain the Restoration Movement to someone who doesn”t know us, I”m faced with this reality. Soon into my

July 30, 2008

Christian Standard

First Steps Toward Mending Broken Relationships

By Mark A. Taylor When I”m convinced I”m right and you”re wrong, I can find many justifications for refusing to give you a call. The first step toward mending a broken relationship is sometimes the most difficult. This is especially true when it comes to religion. It”s not just that I feel those folks in the church building down the street are mixed up. I”ve got chapter and verse to prove it. Unfortunately, nowhere has this been more evident than between some in each of the three “streams” of the Restoration Movement. But would it be possible to focus on

December 23, 2007

Christian Standard

The Sign of Peace

By Alan Ahlgrim “Peace on earth, good will to men.” It”s one of the most common refrains of Christmas, and yet one of the most elusive of realities. Conflicts rage all around us. Families are fractured. Friendships are strained. Nations are at war. Christmas is not always a peace-filled time, and yet, peace is the essence of the message of Christmas. I suspect peace is what everyone most wants: peace with God and peace with others. You could receive all sorts of expensive and extravagant gifts this year, but without peace in your heart you will be unfulfilled. If you

May 31, 2006

Christian Standard

A Wonderful Way to Demonstrate Unity

By Mark A. Taylor When thousands of us meet at the North American Christian Convention in Louisville this month, all the talk will be about unity. We will remember the century old divide that has separated a cappella churches of Christ and instrumental Christian churches and churches of Christ. We will ask God to forgive us for staying apart from each other. We will sing together, pray together, and listen together to great preaching from God’s Word. And we will vow to find new ways to experience unity in coming years. But none of that will be as good as

Secret Link