Grace in Practice
Another Week Ends: Internet Morality and Self-Help Gatsby, Mary Karr’s Finger-Wagging, Springs of Life, The Rage of Self-Control, and Finding Potterland
Addiction / Children / Film / Gender / Grace in Practice / Identity / Interviews / Relationships / Religion / Theology / TV / Week In Review

Another Week Ends: Internet Morality and Self-Help Gatsby, Mary Karr’s Finger-Wagging, Springs of Life, The Rage of Self-Control, and Finding Potterland

by WB on May 24, 2013 • No Comments

1. Over at the New York Times, A.O. Scott laments the rife materialism of recent films, focusing on Gatsby, Spring Breakers, and The Bling Ring. Fitzgerald’s message is potent given the flourishing of America’s economy right now amid anxieties from the last few years, but money really didn’t seem to be the main issue. In the movie, on the other hand:

The movie has been faulted, not entirely without justice, for its headlong embrace of the materialism that the novel views with ambivalence. Mr. Luhrmann, though following the book’s plot more or less faithfully, does not offer a stable moral perspective from which the world of its…

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The Gospel According to The Office
Grace in Practice / Humor / Identity / Law / Relationships / TV

The Gospel According to The Office

by David Zahl on May 16, 2013 • 4 Comments

Many moons ago, Mockingbird put together and distributed a little teaching series called “The Gospel According to The Office.” When we made the transition to the new site a couple of years ago, it somehow fell through the cracks. The show’s finale seemed like as good a time as any to put it back into circulation. Like the show itself, we don’t vouch for how it may have dated–but it sure seemed like a good idea at the time! You can download it by clicking here.

While we’re on the subject of the show, if you’re at all like me and…

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For Those Who Love Poorly: Forgiveness in The Woodsman & Around the Bend
Film / Forgiveness / Grace in Practice / Relationships / Suffering

For Those Who Love Poorly: Forgiveness in The Woodsman & Around the Bend

by B.I.C on May 16, 2013 • 3 Comments

“Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family.” –Henri Nouwen

“…God’s grace and forgiveness, while free to the recipient, are always costly for the giver…. From the earliest parts of the Bible, it was understood that God could not forgive without sacrifice. No one who is seriously wronged can “just forgive” the perpetrator…. But when you forgive, that…

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Bible / Children / Conferences / Everyday / Grace in Practice / Prayer

Hopelessly Devoted: One Thing Needful, I Can Stay All Night, Baby Beluga, and How I Ended Up At The Bottom Of A Dumpster On Christmas Eve

by Mockingbird on May 13, 2013 • No Comments

The hits just keep on coming! In lieu of our usual bi-weekly Monday devotion, here’s four for the price of one, all of Drew Rollins’ wise, funny, and deeply pastoral words from the NYC Conference in one video. They are far less conference-specific than they may initially appear–each one is about 10 minutes long:

Grace in Practice / Religion / Suffering / Theology

Ministering to Winners: The Blind, Poor, Broken, Oppressed (and Other People Like You and Me)

by Mockingbird on May 10, 2013 • No Comments

In which our hero falls into a pile of excrement and discovers the theology of the cross… Must watch for ministers–and human beings–of all persuasions:

You may download the recording of this session by clicking here.

Children / Grace in Practice / Relationships / TV

Thou Art My Beloved Child: Parenthood for Prodigals

by Mockingbird on May 9, 2013 • 1 Comment

Changing things up a little, here’s one of the breakout sessions from the NYC conference, Matthew Schneider’s discussion of grace as it relates parenting and adoption in the fourth season of NBC’s Parenthood. Highly recommended, regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of the show. Just be sure to have some tissues handy. Quick note: the first three clips can be heard but not seen. All the others should be fine. You can view the missing footage in episode two of the fourth season, “Left Field” (22:51-24:40, 27:20-18:05, 34:40-36:25).

You may download the audio of this recording by clicking here.

Addiction / Grace in Practice / Psychology / Theology

It Came From The (Church) Basement: Addiction, Grace, and Alcoholics Anonymous

by Mockingbird on May 3, 2013 • 4 Comments

Here comes another video from our NYC conference, this time from John Zahl. In addition to some deep wisdom, it features what was hands-down the best joke of the conference.

You may download the recording of this talk by clicking here. And you may order a copy of the book that the talk is based on by clicking here.

Everyday / Grace in Practice / Law / Relationships / Theology

One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World – Tullian Tchividjian

by Mockingbird on Apr 29, 2013 • 1 Comment

Each morning this week we’ll be posting a different video from our recent conference in New York City. A major, major thank you goes out to David and Mark Babikow for making these clips possible. We begin at the beginning:

You may download this recording by clicking here.

2013 NYC Conference Recordings: Good News That Never Gets Old
Addiction / Art / Church / Conferences / Death / Everyday / Grace in Practice / Law / Literature / Poetry / Religion / Sports / Theology / TV

2013 NYC Conference Recordings: Good News That Never Gets Old

by Mockingbird on Apr 26, 2013 • 9 Comments

Another heartfelt thank-you to everyone who helped put on this year’s Mockingbird Conference in NYC, especially our friends at Calvary St. George’s Church. It’s a good thing most of the presentations below have to do with grace, as the very thought of trying to top it is incredibly scary…! Speaking of freebies, though, we are once again making the recordings available at no charge; we only ask that those who were not able to attend this year *consider* making a donation to help cover the cost of the event. Download links are followed by an in-line player for each recording.…

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Another Week Ends: Forgiveness, Giving Trees, Therapists, and Aging with Grace
Children / Forgiveness / Grace in Practice / Radio / Relationships / Technology / Week In Review

Another Week Ends: Forgiveness, Giving Trees, Therapists, and Aging with Grace

by Bryan J. on Apr 19, 2013 • No Comments

1. Forgiveness and apology seems to be a theme in the news as of late, or at least it was prior to Monday’s heartbreaking news from Boston. CNN’s belief blog highlighted the story of one man’s quest to forgive and restore the man who killed his brother when they were teens. I found the story enlightening as it ping-ponged between the two poles of forgiveness by grace (the victim’s brother) and forgiveness by works righteousness (the recently released killer). Quote: “I think for me, forgiveness will come in doing good works, trying to help others. But as far as forgiving…

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From One Juliet to Another: Sufferers Comforting Sufferers
Church / Everyday / Forgiveness / Grace in Practice / Literature / News / Psychology / Radio / Relationships / Suffering / Theology / Theology/Religion

From One Juliet to Another: Sufferers Comforting Sufferers

by R-J Heijmen on Apr 16, 2013 • 9 Comments

One of the criticisms of Gospel preaching is that it can, at times, be gloomy. “Do we have to hear about sin again?”, the complaint goes, “Do you have to be so down on humanity?”, “Can’t we talk about how great life is sometimes?”, “Can’t you give me some self-improvement tools?”

To these voices the Gospel preacher replies that life is often (perhaps mostly) hard, and that as much as we might crave a word of optimism, a little fuel for the part of us that longs to live in blissful ignorance (or denial), what we really need is not to…

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It’s Been Building Up In Brian Wilson For Oh I Don’t Know How Long
Gender / Grace in Practice / Identity / Music / Psychology

It’s Been Building Up In Brian Wilson For Oh I Don’t Know How Long

by David Zahl on Apr 10, 2013 • 5 Comments

There is so much about The Beach Boys that is hard to believe. Toward the bottom of the list (but still on it) is the fact that “Don’t Worry Baby” was originally released as the B-side of “I Get Around”. Some of us consider “Don’t Worry Baby” to be the definition of a perfect record, as beautiful as anything “America’s band”, or any other, ever released, and to think of it playing second fiddle boggles the mind. What accounts for its greatness? First, and most obviously, “Don’t Worry Baby” boasts one of the most memorable opening couplets of all time,…

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College Admissions, the Summer of George, and the Gospel of Free Grace
Conferences / Education / Grace in Practice / Theology

College Admissions, the Summer of George, and the Gospel of Free Grace

by Mockingbird on Apr 8, 2013 • 4 Comments

In conjunction with our upcoming NYC conference, we are honored to present an exclusive excerpt from keynote speaker Tullian Tchividjian’s forthcoming book, One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World. (Yes, the title is a shout-out to the man himself). This part comes from the opening of chapter nine, which deals with some of the common objections to the message of grace.

For many Americans of a certain age, the college admissions process is an oppressive and extraordinarily stressful area of life. It is performancism writ very, very large. One’s entire worth and value as a person is boiled down…

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Emotional Protestants, Gracious Storytelling, Stressed-Out Athletes, Young Kierkegaardians, Antinomian Unicorns, and Church Basement Addictions
Addiction / Children / Conferences / Grace in Practice / Identity / Law / Philosophy / Psychology / Religion / Sports / Theology

Emotional Protestants, Gracious Storytelling, Stressed-Out Athletes, Young Kierkegaardians, Antinomian Unicorns, and Church Basement Addictions

by Mockingbird on Apr 5, 2013 • 1 Comment

We asked those who are giving “mini-talks” this Friday (4/19) at our 6th Annual Mockingbird NYC Conference to provide short teasers of what they’ll be speaking about, and they did not disappoint! If you’re looking six and a half more reasons to cancel what you have going on this weekend (or six and a half more reasons to feel silly about not doing so), look no further:

Just Watched — Up There With the Most Grace-Centered Films of the Last Few Years, If Not THE Most

1. What Does Salvation Feel Like? Protestantism and the Problem of Emotion — Simeon Zahl.…

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The Romance of Grace: A Breakout Preview
Grace in Practice / Relationships / Religion / Theology

The Romance of Grace: A Breakout Preview

by Mockingbird on Apr 5, 2013 • 1 Comment

Hard to believe our 2013 NYC Conference is now only two weeks away!! We continue our serious of previews for the conference breakout sessions below, with one from our good friend Jim McNeely.

“In Christ, we enter the society of the gifted. We enter a body of people dripping with supernatural powers that are far beyond what they deserve. If we are free of the slavery of coercion, then we no longer receive anything because we earned it. If all is gift, we receive everything on the basis of blessing and love, not merit and worthiness. In fact, our gifting in…

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