One of the most popular blog posts atGentlemen’s Quarterly Magazine (GQ) in 2013 was a commentary giving men 10 reasons to stop viewing pornography. On GQ’s website the piece registered 24,000 thousand “like” on Facebook in just a few weeks. The popularity of the post could be a signal that Americans really are interested in discussing moral […]
“Days ago I was with my family in my home, and now you are telling me that all is lost?” These chilling lines from actor Chiwetel Ejiofor are just a piece of the pain displayed in the most talked-about movie of the year, “12 Years a Slave”. The Steve Mcqueen biopic, based on the real-life […]
All Christians are involved in foreign missions. You are either a “goer” or a “sender”. At the inaugural Cross Conference in Louisville, Kentucky on December 27-30, the presenters labored to make the case for missions. They called for hundreds of young men and women to take to the mission field in places around the world. The […]
Editor’s Note: This is the beginning of a new weekly series entitled Meditation Monday, a weekly devotional that aims to make much of God in the lives of our readers through sound biblical exposition. We produce these for God’s glory and your joy. Join us every Monday. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and […]
I am only six months into planting a multi-ethnic church. What a journey! We have yet to begin our regular meetings and already I see a central lesson emerging from my experiences: there’s only one expert and it is not me. Jesus is the only real expert at creating the Christian community we call the […]
Leaving a black church and entering into the world of a predominately white reformed church is a hard transition as a black person. Pride, bitterness and loneliness can consume one in such an environment where you might be challenged, misunderstood and alienated, often times unintentionally. To help prevent this, we must remind others going through […]
On December 30, 2013 at the conclusion of the Cross Conference hundreds of students stood up to indicate their commitment to return home and tell their churches that they desire to be sent as missionaries across the globe. A Holy Moment Thabiti Anyabwile used the term “holy moment” in a prayer afterwards and that’s a fitting […]
This Christmas season will be filled with gift giving, good food, and precious time with family and friends. And while all of these things are wonderful and important, we should keep the purpose of this blessed time of year central in our minds. This is the perfect time for God’s people to spend a few […]
Not only are the arts at the forefront of a Reformed Black movement, they are essential to it. The Arts on Display The critical value of the arts in a Reformed African American context was impressed upon me at the Legacy Conference. This past year was my second time attending and I noticed anew the […]
So, here we are in the holiday season. Thanksgiving is a few weeks behind us and we now find ourselves looking forward to the biggest (at least in my book) holiday of them all, Christmas. The holiday hype of sales, sports on TV, food and family time surrounds us. We expend much of our […]
Today we combine two chapters, “Good Expectations” and “The Forever Good Life”, for our final post in the book discussion. I will not do chapter synopsis, instead I’d like us to think through this discussion with questions for each of us to consider as we pursue the good life. Chapter 11: Have you had a […]
“Our culture has fed us the lie that feeling good is the highest good.” – Trip Lee Go and enjoy your life. Have sex. Party hard. Travel the world. Do all that you can and do it to the fullest. YOLO!! You only live once, guys! That’s the motto of the day. Do all you […]
I am ignorant. I have a confession to make. Until a few months ago, I was almost entirely ignorant of the issues addressed here on RAAN. My view of racism was tremendously truncated. I was not aware of the subdominant and dominant culture group dynamics and had not given much thought to the problem of […]
“We the Beautiful Eulogy attempt to communicate audibly and visually to help you hear and see the glory of God clearly.” These stacatto bars from emcee Odd Thomas perfectly sum up the music and ministry of one of the most eclectic groups in all of hip hop, Beautiful Eulogy. The Portland, Oregon-based crew gained a […]
The other day, I picked up a little book that has the markings of being the next prayer of Jabez. You remember that book, right? Bruce Wilkinson leveraged one verse in an historical narrative to promote and popularize a concept that had little to do with what is prescriptive for our Christian life today. But […]
We are pleased to announce the release of our brand new podcast Pass The Mic. Periodically, we will record live shows like the one here. Stay tuned for future updates. Description: Pass The Mic is the premier podcast of the Reformed African American Network. Every month Jemar and Phillip sit down with voices from across the […]
Obviously, testimonies aren’t the end of theological debates and should not be. Because we know that God’s grace can shine through even in man’s shortcomings and make much of our mistaken ideas, we should never assume something is right because it works from time to time. So, I’m not arguing for pragmatism. However, testimonies can […]
Jemar and I linked up with Propaganda, Dr. Carl Ellis, and B.J. Thompson to talk Faith and Culture in light of the recent NCFIC panel on Reformed Rap. This is not a direct response to that panel. We focus on the broader problem. See video below! Note: Pass The Mic is the premier podcast of […]
Several weeks ago, Christian Hip Hop’s most visible, accomplished artist released a sequel to his 2012 mixtape release Church Clothes. Featuring a litany of producers and controversial mainstream features, CC1 was the most downloaded CHH project of all time and one of its most influential. Beyond the consumer success of downloads and other acclaim, this […]
The holidays are here. It’s an exciting time of the year. Imagining gifts, food, friends and family; it’s a great time for many people. Many families have different traditions that involve some type of service to the poor. As well many churches and ministries have programs that are centralized on giving freely to the poor. […]