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Articles by Ron Ruthruff
The Role of Hospitality in Knowing
Esther Meek in “The Other: Returning to Our Natal Philosophy in the Mother’s Smile” invites us into a relational knowing that is deeply dependent on and indebted to the other. Meek defines this other as “another being—the world, a person or thing—beyond me.”She goes on to explain that “even the mention of the other rightly wakens us to consider presences beyond ourselves.”[1] We are struck by Meek’s invitation.
Reading scripture through the lens of nature
Several years ago, I started walking three miles each morning with my English lab, no matter the weather. There is something good about closing the gap between oneself and the environment—getting soaked by the rain, feeling winter’s cold embrace, breathing the humid air of a midsummer morning. In Speak with the Earth and It Will Teach You, Daniel Cooperrider closes the gap between God’s two books, the book of the Bible and the book of nature.
Falling into metaphor
A few years ago, I was told a fascinating literary variation on the story of Adam and Eve. This version has many of the story’s usual features: it tells of how God places Adam and Eve in a garden of bliss with only one thing forbidden to them, the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; it tells of how the first couple eat of the fruit and in their disobedience are expelled from Eden.
Hunt: Essays by readers
In response to our request for essays on hunt, we received many compelling reflections. Below is a selection. The next two topics for reader submissions are bell and stretch. Read more. My dad used to take me deer hunting on my grandparents’ property in rural Georgia every year around Thanksgiving. Each morning we would wake up before dawn, open the gate behind the house, and begin our trek into the woods. These trips were unlike anything else.
Consider Now
(Quercus agrifolia) Old live oak, your hands catch sun and make it green. But your lowest branches have already done their job, retired into leaflessness. And one branch, where it used to be, is a black bowl of emptiness. Still, you reach and reach, bracing sky, practicing your live oak yoga.
Ouster of Saddleback and Fern Creek from SBC over women pastors is affirmed
Delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting affirmed a decision to expel two Southern Baptist churches, including Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in Orange County, California, because they employed women as pastors. The churches had appealed to the meeting, the denomination’s ruling body, to be allowed to remain. Both churches were denied by a strong majority of the delegates, known as messengers. The body affirmed the ouster of Saddleback by a vote of 9,432 to 1,212.
Down to earth
In reviewing this book, it is hard to resist quoting Bob Dylan’s 1965 hit “Love Minus Zero/No Limit”: “She knows there’s no success like failure / And that failure’s no success at all.” Applying Dylan’s ironic lyric as a hermeneutical prompt produces this summary of the book: there’s no success like failure, because failure alone reveals the broken truth about ourselves and our world.
Wippell will soon close after two centuries of catering to clergy, churches, and academics
J. Wippell & Co., a British manufacturer of clerical clothing and church furnishings as well as academic gowns, plans to close the 234-year-old business by the end of the year. Wippell & Co. began in Devon, England, in 1789, as a grocer and tea dealer, but the business eventually expanded to funeral services, selling fabrics and tailoring. A century later, Wipple started selling into “the groundswell of restoration and building in the Church of England,” according to a company history.
The White Geese
Waiting has been, always, a discipline alien to me. Too often, impatience consumes me. I am a candle, its dark wick burning down too fast, a lonely thumb of wax destined for snuffing. I will watch, then, as its pale smoke drifts to the ceiling like an angel’s scarf, before thinning, vanishing. Today my living spread ahead of me like a field dank with wet in fall, decorated with flocks of white geese.
Pope Benedict XVI's cousins stand to inherit his money. None of them want it.
The surviving relatives of the late Pope Benedict XVI stand to inherit money from his legacy, according to the executor of his last will and testament. None of these relatives seem willing to touch it. One cousin has already refused to accept the inheritance; four others have not yet responded. If they are smart, they will turn it down as well.
Jesus’ manner of mercy (Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26)
To receive these posts by email each Monday, sign up. For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century. Our reading from Matthew poses multiple missional questions. Jesus goes to the house of Matthew modeling a way of being in the world. He illuminates the true intention of the law the Pharisees seek to uphold.
God’s underwater language
Free diving is like scuba, but without a tank or gear. You simply float at the surface, breathe deeply to slow the blood in your veins, and hold your breath as you kick down. It’s an intense meditation: tuning in to your body and trusting your lungs to carry you 30 or 50 feet below. Then, you’re underwater. Without the hiss of a regulator, you swim alongside fish close enough to brush fins. You observe—schooling patterns, predatory chases, the way sea fans sway and bend with the gentle surge.
Paul’s lost letters
Have you ever read St. Paul’s powerful letters to the church at Jerusalem? How about to the Damascenes? To the people of Caesarea Maritima? Obviously, you have not. But the fact that we do not possess such things demands some explanation. It tells us a great deal about how our scriptures reached the shape they did—and about what Paul regarded as his central message. Read our latest issue or browse back issues.
Why and how I believe in miracles
Do you believe in miracles? I’ve been asked this question many times since leaving the faith tradition of my childhood, but I have yet to answer it in a way that feels honest and complete. This is partly because the question isn’t a straightforward one; it contains a host of questions within it: Do you believe that Jesus literally walked on water and turned water into wine and cured the sick and raised the dead? Do you believe that miracles happen now? Do you pray for them?
Waiting in line for communion
You stand. You do not shuffle, taking strides whenever gaps before you open up. Where do you put your hands? Like actors do on stage, fingers relaxed, hands at their sides. You look around. No, don’t. Look straight ahead and concentrate on what it all should mean. What does it mean? Remembrance—that was it. Re. Member. Reassembled body parts? Be serious, you’re nearly to the front. You want to pray. You almost pray.
Clergy burnout and resilience in rural areas
You know you’re in trouble when your colleague recommends their antidepressants. I was a midlife pastor coming down the pandemic’s awful crest when things started to fall apart for me. It wasn’t that I lost my faith. I loved the church and (mostly) loved ministry. But everything at once swamped the baseboards of my life, and my ministry sagged. That’s when I found myself talking to a couple of pastoral colleagues—and when it became clear that this time something was different.
Gay man says he was kicked off Baptist World Alliance commissions
TJ Williams-Hauger, a gay man, says he was asked to resign from two Baptist World Alliance commissions. When he refused to resign, he said BWA executive director Elijah Brown removed him from the two volunteer roles.
The strangers whose blood donations saved my life
I recently went into the hospital for a routine hip replacement. My left hip was replaced ten years ago, and now the right hip ached for its turn. The surgeon told me that techniques have improved in the past decade and I should expect a smooth and speedy recovery compared with the last time. This was important to me given my impending retirement, as I wanted to be as fit and present in church as possible.
SNAP under siege
Last week, with just days to spare before federal debt default, Congress passed President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s debt ceiling deal. There’s no good reason an administration of any party should have to negotiate—much less at the 11th hour—for authorization to pay the nation’s bills. That said, from an anti-poverty perspective, the deal itself could be worse. Spending limits are less draconian than in the last deal of this kind, from 2011.
Ecumencial leader Agnes Abuom dies at 73
Agnes Abuom, the influential ecumenical leader and peacemaker died May 31 after a short illness. She was 73. An Anglican layperson born in northwest Kenya in 1949, Abuom’s ecumenical roots ran deep with Anglican, Catholic, and Pentecostal family members. Her political engagement also emerged early and unerring, going back to her student days at the University of Nairobi, when her Christian activism led her to exile and, later, imprisonment.
Lectionary essay for June 11 Ordinary 10A Matthew 9 9 13 18 26
Reading matthew’s gospel, we see Jesus as a new law giver. Matthew tells the story of Jesus in a way that reflects significant connections to ancient Israel and the law of Moses. Matthew places Jesus’ most significant sermon on a mountain. Jesus is a master teacher, attentive to the law. In this week’s text, Jesus sits in the house of Matthew, a tax collector who has invited his friends to dinner with his new friend, Jesus.
Creation in context (Psalm 8)
To receive these posts by email each Monday, sign up. For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century. Our psalm for this week reflects the creation story of Genesis. Many scholars believe the ancient Hebrew origin story could have been compiled during the Babylonian exile. If this is true, the story might be clarified by its contrast with other creation myths that we find in that cultural milieu.
Mister Rogers Lego prototype a tribute to his 'deep spiritual resonance'
When Matt Smith introduced his toddler to television in 2022, he selected the show that brought him warmth and comfort when he was growing up in the 1990s: Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Now, the long-running children’s show that once graced the screens of more than 3.5 million televisions a week could again become a household fixture, this time in the form of a Lego set.
Welfare for the wealthy
I’ve noticed that whenever I write about privilege—advantages that have nothing to do with what I deserve or how hard I work—conservative critics let me have it. They’re ready to challenge any hint of a suggestion that their own economic status, religion, skin color, or educational background might confer similar unearned advantages on their lives.
Can money-making microgrids empower Black churches to close the clean energy gap?
Editor's note: This story is part of "Growing a Green Church," an ongoing series focused on churches' efforts to steward their buildings and land effectively in the context of a changing climate. The project is produced in collaboration with The Christian Century, Episcopal News Service, Faithfully Magazine, National Catholic Reporter, and Sojourners, with support from the Solutions Journalism Network and funding from the Fetzer Institute. Find more stories in the series here.
Rival Orthodoxies in Ukraine
Despite the threat of Russian bombardment, Orthodox believers in Ukraine gathered to celebrate Pascha, the high point of the church year. On April 16, a few minutes after midnight, they quietly left the darkened naves of their churches and made a procession, candles in hand, around the churches’ outer walls. Believers also gathered in Kyiv at Ukraine’s oldest monastery, the Monastery of the Caves, designated as a lavra, a major monastery.
Laudato Trees planting program enlists Catholic properties to help increase DC's canopy
Editor's note: This story is part of "Growing a Green Church," an ongoing series focused on churches' efforts to steward their buildings and land effectively in the contest of a changing climate. This project is produced in collaboration with the Christian Century, Episcopal News Service, Faithfully Magazine, National Catholic Reporter, and Sojourners, with support from the Solutions Journalism Network and funding from the Fetzer Institute. Find more stores in the series here.
A tech-savvy Christian sexual ethic
If most young Americans receive any sex education at all, they hear flat messages to “just say no” or to wait until marriage. Few learn how to access birth control and fewer still how to properly use it. Many hear not a word about LGBTQ sexualities. Almost none are given resources to navigate the emerging realities of sex online.
Hungary’s progressive Christian resistance
As Hungary’s right-wing strongman Viktor Orbán begins his fourth term as prime minister, a younger generation of Christian leaders is taking up the mantle of resistance. They face long odds: their attempts to organize against authoritarianism are complicated both by infighting and by the government’s dirty tricks. Hungary is a Central European country of 10 million people; most of them reside in Budapest, the capital on the Danube River.
In Leopoldstadt, Tom Stoppard gets personal
Tom Stoppard’s most recent play, Leopoldstadt, opened at New York’s Longacre Theatre to effusive acclaim.
June 4, Trinity A (Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 8)
The book of Genesis is a wide, sweeping narrative. In it we see the origin of all things, God creating the universe. The origin of a people, God calling Abraham. Genesis concludes with the story of Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt. What man intends for evil God uses for good. This week’s texts reflect the power of the Divine and its purpose for humankind. Psalm 8 catalogs God’s creative power and the relationship God desires with humans.
Anti-racism’s mission drift
The summer seminar promised the kind of elite educational experience top high school students covet. Set on a leafy Ivy League campus, Anti-Oppressive Studies was tailor-made for those who prefer their education privileged and progressive. The professor was as impressive as the students. Educated at Princeton and Berkeley with street cred as a veteran activist and organizer, African American theologian Vincent Lloyd seemed perfectly matched to the occasion.
The Best Way to Share Your Faith Is to Show, Not Tell - RELEVANT Magazine
This is not a shocking revelation. Our Christian faith has had a qualitative, positive influence on us, and we want others to experience it, too. And with so much wrong out there, who can blame us? It’s certainly understandable why Christians would want to encourage change in individual lives, schools, government, politics, culture, entertainment and eternity. Let’s look at the word influence. The dictionary defines it as: That sounds like us, right?
Philadelphia Eagles Player Has Baptized 5 of His Teammates - RELEVANT Magazine
The Philadelphia Eagles NFL team has managed to do something not many other professional teams are doing: Many players are have forged a bond through their spirituality. Religious players are pretty common in the league, but for many of these players, they live out their lives and faiths together—going as far as being baptized by a teammate in the team’s recovery pool at the practice facility.
Does Fasting Even Matter Anymore? - RELEVANT Magazine
Jesus and Moses began their earthly ministries by spending 40 days alone in the wilderness with God. These wilderness moments of fasting and prayer were moments of silence and moments of solitude. For me, these moments have been sacred stepping stones in my journey with God. I imagine they must have reminded Jesus of his first moments of solitude with man, alone in the wilderness of an unfinished garden.
The Pastor of Andy Savage’s Church Calls Bloggers and Social Media Critics ‘Hateful’ - RELEVANT Magazine
The pastor of Memphis’s Highpoint Church, Chris Conlee, has taken to the pulpit to call out people on social media who have criticized the megachurch for how they have handled accusations of sexual assault against fellow pastor Andy Savage. Recently, a woman named Jules Woodson came forward, and explained how when she was 17 years old in 1998, Savage was her 22-year-old youth pastor. After a service, he drove her to a secluded location at night and told her to perform sex acts on him.
How to 'Deny Yourself' Without Destroying Yourself
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” – Mark 8:34-35 Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who was too demanding? Perhaps they wanted so much of your attention that you felt like you were slowly vanishing? This kind of co-dependency can be toxic.
The Danger of Reducing Big Ideas to Smaller Ones - RELEVANT Magazine
By and large, we appreciate multi-dimensional storylines that challenge our minds and heart. Our souls seem to resonate with an invitation to not be simple. To not be singular, myopic, small-minded. Books that win awards are nuanced and complicated, with plot lines and characters that surprise, delight or torture the reader. Movies that take home the Golden Globe sear to the bone with haunting truth or export us to an epic realm of imagination. At least in art, we resist reductionism.
If My #ChurchToo Story Hadn't Happened, I Might Still Be a Christian - RELEVANT Magazine
I’ve been away from Christianity for almost a full-decade now. I left the ministry and pursued academia, convinced that my Atheism was a result of my critical thinking alone and had little to do with my experiences as a Christian. Then I stumbled across the #ChurchToo thread on Twitter, and a tidal wave of repressed memories and experiences hit me all at once. I thought about something that happened at the end of my undergraduate career that I’d tried desperately to forget.
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