Blog by Rob Vandeman
Psalms 69 is written by a man in crisis. The waters of depression and oppression threaten his very life. He suffers at the hands of his enemies because of his devotion to God. The troubles are not specific, which is in keeping with the purpose of the Psalms to provide templates of prayers for later worshippers who have similar, though not identical, issues.
Editorial by Donovan Ross
I remember the day I walked into my first classroom as a teacher. Within a few hours, I thought I had been afflicted with temporary insanity. By the end of the day, I decided that as soon as “something better” came my way, I would be off to pursue a more lucrative and less stressful career.
Story by David Pluviose / Photos by Andrew Shurtleff/AP and Kelly Coe
Columbia Union Conference schools are in the process of rolling out the Adventist Encounter Bible curriculum in elementary and high school classes. A key goal of this new curriculum, slated to be implemented in all union schools by Fall 2018, is to foster a deeper relationship with God and each other. The curriculum uses the Bible as the primary textbook, rather than the assortment of textbooks used by the old Bible curriculum, says Ileana Espinosa, associate director of elementary education for Columbia Union schools.
Editorial by Dave Weigley
This year marks 500 years since Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany (Oct. 31, 1517), challenging the established religious beliefs and practices of his denomination, and launching the Protestant Reformation. Conscientiously, he could not reconcile church practices with biblical teachings as he understood them.
Four years later, when summoned by church authorities to recant his teachings, he uttered: “I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me? Amen” (Merle d’Aubigne, History of the Reformation in the 16th Century, b. 7, ch. 8, cited in The Great Controversy, p. 160.2).
