Articles from our E-Update

President Obama has been without a pastor or a home church ever since he cut his ties to the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. in the heat of the presidential campaign. But he has quietly cultivated a handful of evangelical pastors for private prayer sessions on the telephone and for discussions on the role of religion in politics. Find out more in this New York Times article...

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Gathering participant David Weekley owns one of the largest and best home construction companies in the country, having been named one of Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" seven times. Perhaps even more impressive however, is the fact that Mr. Weekley donates 50 percent of his income and time to philanthropic endeavors. Here's what he had to say in a recent interview with Philanthropy Roundtable...

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In Time Magazine's recent report on "Ten Ideas Changing the World Right Now," you might be surprised to find that one of those ideas is "The New Calvinism." Read how and why evangelicals are returning to this emphasis on an absolutely sovereign and holy God.

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Related: Visit the "Between Two Worlds" blogspot

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Sara Groves: Telling What She Knows

Christian recording artist Sara Groves has been described as "a soft-spoken, introspective Minnesota mother of three." But don't let that fool you. She's also a warrior. With a passion not to waste anything God has given her and a penchant for justice, Sara is using her music to fight for the world's oppressed - "the least of these," as Jesus would call them.

Most of the songs on her recent album, "Tell Me What You Know," were inspired by people she's met or learned about through her partnership with International Justice Mission (IJM), a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression.

Here's what she had to say in a recent Gathering interview:

TG: Your early CD's seem to reflect some type of personal struggle. Then, the CD "The Other Side of Something" seems to state just that - that you got to the other side of it. What was taking place in your life when those early CD's were released?

Sara: At that particular time, I was asking questions like "Where is God when people are suffering, where is He in times of despair, why do the innocent suffer?" ... I remember reading Gary Haugen's book, Terrify No More, about the work of IJM. In the book, he states, "In times of despair, the crushing of the innocent, I use to ask, 'Where is God?' but now my plea has changed. I no longer ask, 'Where is God?' but I've begun to ask, 'Where are God's people?'" At that point in my life I realized that that was where the shift needed to happen in my thinking.

TG: A few years ago, you came to grips with the fact that you had spent a lot of time grooming your personal faith, but had missed something about the purpose of that grooming. Tell us about that...

Sara: The question that was rising in my heart in regards to spiritual grooming was, 'to what end?' To what end do we learn, study and perfect our faith? It's not that any of those things are bad, but they're just one part of our response to God. Another response involves entering into the suffering of other people. There's no way to deny the clarity of that in the gospel... that's what Jesus models for us. He entered into suffering on our behalf - it was not his suffering to take, but he took it, ... so I'm just trying to write and sing and talk about those things.

TG: One of things God seems to have groomed you for is your role as an advocate for the oppressed. You've mentioned that the term "social justice" can be loaded - that to many people it's a political or liberal conversation, but to you it's a "Kingdom conversation." What do you mean by that?

Sara: It (social justice) isn't about us saving the world again. It's not about turning to a social gospel to save us or to somehow do works to please God. Ephesians 2:9-10 is a verse I've turned to a lot these past few years. It says we are saved by grace, we cannot boast, but we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that were prepared in advance for us to do. .... By his mercy, God has given us a purpose and things to do and a role in His kingdom work.

TG: Even with a God-given passion to help change the world, people can feel defeated before they even start. Is your song "The Long Defeat" meant to address that?

Sara: Yes, that song was inspired by Dr. Paul Farmer who works in Haiti fighting tuberculosis and aids. It's talking about that overwhelming feeling we get when we look at a particular need, but making the choice to enter into it anyway - understanding that our contribution is a drop in the bucket, that we'll probably lose a lot more than we'll win, that it will be hard, but saying, 'I'm going anyway.'

TG: If you had to pick just one song that you've written to sing to the world, which one would you pick and why?

Sara: Probably, "He's Always Been Faithful" from the "Conversations" CD. That would be my testimony - that God is a good God. I'll go down even in the face of the most chaotic, horrible circumstances in this world declaring His goodness. It's funny, it was the suffering of the innocent that made me question God's goodness, but it's been in those places I've seen God's goodness the most.

Sara Groves will perform at the 2009 Gathering Conference in Scottsdale, AZ. To hear a sample of her music visit her website at saragroves.com

Watch a music video of Sara on recent trip to Rwanda

Visit the Sara Groves website

Enabling them to give larger gifts than they ever thought possible, a growing number of older homeowners are arranging for their houses to go to charity. Besides the obvious philanthropic benefit, such a choice also provides healthy tax deductions, as well as an attractive way to convert difficult-to-maintain vacation or second homes into retirement income.

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Between the recession and new tax proposals, many philanthropists, and non-profits who depend on them, are worried about the future of giving. Yet experts on emerging trends in philanthropy report that the future may not be so bleak. Here's why...

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Related: Recession, tax plans worry donors and nonprofits

Related: Why the Obama Tax Hikes Won't Kill Charity