Themes
2010 & 2011 Themes
ALIVE NOW: Growing Together in Faith
Alive Now is a devotional magazine that seeks to nourish those who are hungry for a sacred way of living in the world. Our themes celebrate the Christian year, reflect on contemporary issues from a faith perspective, and nurture an embodied spirituality for individuals and groups.
July/August • Due 12/01/09
Spiritual Friendship
Grace opens the door to our spiritual friendship with Jesus, with God, and with one another. Careful tending on our part helps the friendships to grow. Gifts from scripture, Tradition, and Christian community us nurture our spiritual friendships for the sake of the world. In this issue we will look at God’s yearning for humankind; (2) Christ’s yearning for the Kingdom of God; (3) Our yearning for God; (4) Our working with others for peace with justice.
September/October • Due 02/01/10
Seeing Jesus through Others
Shortly before she died, Mother Teresa, who won a Nobel Prize for her work with the poor and needy of Calcutta, made the statement that her work with the poor allowed her “to be with Jesus twenty-four hours a day.” She also said that her personal call was to evangelize “through her works of love.” In this issue of Alive Now we want to share stories of where we have encountered (and continue to encounter) Jesus in our daily lives and how those encounters have enabled us to spread God’s message of peace and redemption.
November/December • Due 03/01/10
The Song of Creation
The Gospel of Luke tells of “a multitude of the heavenly host” that appears to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth. Psalm 19 proclaims that “the heavens are telling the glory of God.” Job 38:7 tells of the day of creation, when “the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy.” Revelation 4 describes God’s heavenly court as a place where praise is sung to God non-stop. All around us, the Bible teaches, heaven and earth “ring out” with witness and praise to our creator. This issue of Alive Now will explore the “sounds” of proclamation and praise to our Creator that are all around us. What do they sound like? What message do they convey? How do we respond? How do they unite in proclaiming the message of God’s redemption as exemplified in the life and teaching of Jesus? How do we join the chorus?
2011
January/February • Due 05/03/10
Living in the Present
Jesus taught his followers that they should not worry about tomorrow but trust in God to provide for our needs. What exactly does that mean? Is it a word of consolation or pessimism? Was it a message for them specifically or does its truth still apply to our times and to us? In this issue of Alive Now we will explore the many ways that we appropriate the message of Jesus’ statement that today’s worries suffice for today, and tomorrow will bring its own worries.
March/April • Due 07/01/10
The Gift of Sorrow
Pearl Buck, speaking about her severely disabled daughter, wrote, “There must be acceptance and the knowledge that sorrow fully accepted brings its own gifts. For there is an alchemy in sorrow. It can be transmuted into wisdom, which, if it does not bring joy, can yet bring happiness.” Sorrow can also be a gateway to creativity and, in Jesus’ case, vicarious redemption for others. We invite you to submit stories sharing your experiences of how suffering has changed your life and helped you to grow in faith and practice.
May/June • Due 09/01/10
The Household of God
The phrase “Household of God” is one of the more specific phrases sometimes substituted for the more general word “church” when describing the Christian community of believers. The Bible offers a dizzying (and sometimes contradictory) array of metaphors drawn from family relationships to describe our relationships to God and each other as Christians. In this issue of Alive Now, we invite you to explore the various aspects of “household” as a metaphor of new life in Christ.