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I went to my first church men’s retreat at the age of forty-six. Up to that point, I couldn’t be bothered with such things. I didn’t want to waste the time, share a room with someone, or spend the money. Even worse, I was self-righteous and didn’t think I needed to go. That began to change shortly after I arrived and the organizers showed a video entitled Flame.[1]

In 2009, the American rock band Rage Against the Machine was part of a campaign to top the United Kingdom’s music singles sales chart during Christmas week. If successful, they would join something known as the Christmas Number Ones list. They offered to perform a free concert in Finsbury Park if their fans downloaded enough copies of their song “Killing in the Name” to propel them to the top of the charts. It was an act of defiance against what band members described as the “sterile pop monopoly” in the U.K.[1]…

The word “grace” has been described as “the last best word” because it seems to be the only theological term that hasn’t been spoiled.[1] Words like gracious, grateful, and gratuity hint at its meaning along with expressions like saying grace, grace period, and grace notes.