Featured Columns

The Many Faces of the Holy Spirit
By Susan Peabody
The world we live in is very tangible. We see it with our eyes. We feel it with our hands. Yet the God we believe in is invisible. So how are we able to relate to our creator?
(November 16, 2007)

Forever Friends
By Patty Cabrera
Why am I still Adventist? Well, Seventh-day Adventism and I, like a couple of old friends, go way back. We’ve been through a lot together. We’ve walked down many roads together, sometimes holding hands and sometimes not.…
(November 9, 2007)

Ready or Not?
By James Coffin
Remember the thief on the cross? On the scale of behavioral improvement he hadn’t made much progress. But he had, to quote Jesus’ own words (used elsewhere), "crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24 NIV).
(September 21, 2007)

Thirsting for God: The Spirituality of Mother Teresa
By Rachel Davies
In a Spectrum article first published in the spring of 2007, author Rachel Davies discusses the spiritual crises of Mother Teresa, elaborated in the recent book Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light (N.Y.: Doubleday, 2007).
(August 30, 2007—reprinted from the spring 2007 issue of Spectrum magazine)

Forgiveness
By Susan Peabody
There is no doubt that Christ asks us to love each other. Sometimes this means we have to forgive each other first. It would be nice if this could happen quickly and simply, but this is not usually the case. Sometimes forgiveness is a slow process.…
(August 13, 2007)

Of Creeds and Concrete
By James Coffin
Some time ago, I heard a speaker say, "if a denominational worker doesn’t believe every one of the Adventist Church’s Twenty-Seven Fundamental Beliefs, that person is being dishonest in accepting his pay check."
(August 8, 2007)

Amazing Facts Announces Decision Not to Merge with 3ABN
On August 2, 2007, Doug Batchelor announced that the two organizations have "decided not to move forward with a merger or an alliance at this time."
(August 3, 2007)

In Medias Res—Bloggin’ the Preamble
By Julius Nam
Julius Nam offers insights on the preamble to the Twenty-Eight Fundamental Doctrines of the Seventh-Day Adventists and invites comments from readers.
(August 1, 2007)

Selling Assets: Adventist Colleges Consider Trading Denomination’s Land, Airwaves for Cash
By Elizabeth Lechleitner and Ansel Oliver
Leaders of two Seventh-day Adventist institutions are hoping the long-term financial benefits will outweigh a potential loss of denominational assets.…
(July 23, 2007)

Top Ten Amazing Facts about the Proposed Amazing Facts-3ABN Merge
By Bonnie Dwyer
When Three Angels Broadcasting network and Amazing Facts announced in April that the two organizations planned to merge, there was much speculation about who would lead the organization and what it would mean.…
(July 12, 2007)

If Women Had Written the Bible
By James Coffin
I had to admit—not to her, of course; I mean in the silent recesses of my mind—that she had a point. Maybe the Bible would be different if it had been written by women.…
(June 28, 2007)

The Gift of Prophecy Revisited
A Report from Sydney, Australia
By Trevor Lloyd
On Sabbath, June 2, 2007, within several days of their return from the West Coast of the United States and Africa, respectively, Graeme Bradford and Arthur Patrick addressed Sydney, Australia, Adventist Forum…
(June 21, 2007)

Fighting Domestic Violence
By Ansel Oliver/ANN
One Adventist researcher said 29 percent of Adventists report experiencing sexual violence from an intimate partner within their lifetime, while 10 percent report experiencing one instance of severe physical violence.…
(June 14, 2007)

Communion
By Daniel Reynaud
Setting: Lyn’s home. She is baking, bench top is covered in flour, measuring cups, rolling pin, and so forth. Lyn is late twenties. Neighbour Janet is early thirties.…
(June 7, 2007)

Coming Home
By Richard Rice
Finding the heart’s true home is not a matter of location. It’s not where you are, it’s who you’re with. And it’s not a matter of identity, it’s a matter of relationship.
(May 31, 2007-republished from the spring 2006 issue of Spectrum magazine)

Slam-Dunking the Oregon Supreme Court
By Curtis Hall
I recently learned about a legal case in Oregon in which the Portland Seventh-day Adventist School has sued the Oregon School Activities Association so that its players can participate in basketball tournaments normally scheduled for Saturday.…
(May 24, 2007)

The Depth of God’s Love
By Susan Peabody
Scripture describes Judas as a thief (John 12:6). As I think about the small community of disciples migrating around the Holy Land, I can’t help but believe that this little larceny had to become noticeable at some point.…
(May 17, 2007)

Out of Africa
By Bonnie Dwyer
Jules Lumbo has a dream. As the publishing director for the Eastern Central African Division, he realizes that just occupying an office with a title on the door that says publishing director does not make him a publisher. But a publisher is what he wants to be…
(May 10, 2007, republished from the spring 2007 issue of Spectrum magazine)

Screwtape’s Nightmare
By Charles Scriven
I can just imagine C. S. Lewis’s Evil Angel confiding to Wormwood, his nephew: "There is no need to make our enemies, the Adventists, recant their faith. Just make sure they’re afraid of their minds—afraid to think because thinking is too hard and too hazardous.…"
(May 3, 2007—reprinted from the winter 2007 issue of Spectrum magazine)

BREAKING: 3ABN and Amazing Facts to Join Forces
By Alexander Carpenter
Doug Batchelor, the president of Amazing Facts and senior minister at the Sacramento Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, has flown to the studios of 3ABN, Inc. of Thompsonville, Illinois, and will join with current 3ABN president Danny Shelton in a live announcement at 8:00 PM CDT today.
(April 19, 2007)

Eats Shoots & Leaves
By James Coffin
Punctuation is "a courtesy designed to help readers to understand a story without stumbling." And, if I understand it correctly, God’s law is a courtesy designed to help humans avoid a lot of stumbling as we seek to revel in the full-life experience Jesus wants for each of us.…
(April 12, 2007)

Graeme Bradford and Ellen White’s Inspiration
By Arthur Patrick
Let us learn from diligent explorers like Graeme Bradford, who, with limited means at their disposal, present Ellen White’s ministry with integrity, zeal, and commendable skill.
(April 5, 2007)

The March 16 Christian Peace Witness
Reflections by Douglas Morgan
Unfazed by a "wintry mix" of Washington weather on March 16, 3,000 Christians dedicated to peace packed the National Cathedral for worship, and then proceeded to a 3.5 mile night-time march to Lafayette Park in front of the White House.…
(March 29, 2007)

Iraq: Eighth Explosion Damages Baghdad Church
By Alex Elmadjian MEU/ANN
On the fourth anniversary of the second Gulf War, an interview with Pastor Basim Fargo, leader of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Iraq, reveals the hardships endured by the few remaining church members in the country.…
(March 22, 2007)

The One Who Stayed Behind:
An Interview with Carl Wilkens
By Alita Byrd
Each time I give a presentation about my experiences there is still a huge overwhelming sadness mixed with glimpses of hope, of courage, of selflessness on the part of those who put others first in their thoughts and actions during that time.
(March 15, 2007)

The Power of One
By Zane Yi
The trip came about almost as an accident. In the midst of our group discussion, one of my classmates turned to me and asked, "What about you, Zane? Don’t you work with a youth group?"
(March 8, 2007)

What’s in a Name?
By James Coffin
In Bible times, names meant a lot more than they do today. These days, we look at a book of names before a baby is born and ask whether we like the sound of this one or that. We don’t ask many questions about what the name actually means or why we should attach it to a particular child.…
(March 2, 2007)

Keeping the Kids
By James Coffin
The reality is that liberals/progressives face a formidable challenge in retaining their offspring for the faith. Conservatives/traditionalists have a lot going for them.…
(February 23, 2007)

Why Jesus Comes Back
By Chris Blake
Adventists are clear about the fact of the return of Jesus. But why does Jesus come back?
(February 16, 2007)

Africa Rights Pays Tribute to Courage in Rwanda
By Alita Byrd
African Rights has published a powerful twenty-eight-page tribute to the courage of Carl Wilkens, the American Adventist Disaster and Relief Agency country director who stayed in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide.…
(February 8, 2007)

A Little Balance Goes a Long Way
By James Coffin
I’m not so sure that Jesus wouldn’t place hospitality, neighborliness, graciousness, and concern for the feelings of others ahead of the command to come to the Father in his name—at least in certain circumstances.
(February 1, 2007)

Rwandan Pastor Dies after Release from Prison
By Alita Byrd
Elizaphan Ntakirutimana, the former Seventh-day Adventist pastor convicted of genocide for his part in the Rwandan killings of 1994, has died in Arusha, Tanzania.…
(January 27, 2007)

What About the Adventists?
By Zane Yi
"What about Adventists? Aren’t they like the Mormons and the Jehovah’s Witnesses?" an earnest redheaded woman in the back of class inquires.…
(January 18, 2007; reprinted from the fall 2006 issue of Spectrum magazine)

Solomon
By Scott Moncrieff
Perhaps the trouble started with number two,
though the other 998 lovers didn’t help.…
(January 11, 2007)

Eve’s Mistake, Lying Prophets, and Hard Questions
By Bob Rigsby
Pity poor Eve. Don’t be like her. Listen to and obey God. It seems simple enough. Just do what God says and all will be fine.…
(January 4, 2007)

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