January’s Synchroblog is about hope. Below is a list of writer’s who are thinking and dreaming about it.  We believe the power of voice has tremendous capacity to inspire and give hope to people.

The list of participant’s and their posts:

The Trouble With Hope: John Ptacek

Hope = Possibility x Imagination: Wayne Rumsby

Little Reminders: Mike Victorino

Hope for Hypocrites: Jeremy Myers

Now These Three Remain: Sonny Lemmons

Perplexed, But Still Hopeful: Carol Kuniholm

A Hope that Lives: Amy Mitchell

Generations Come and Generations Go: Adam Gonnerman

Demystifying Hope: Glenn Hager

God in the Dark: On Hope: Renee Ronika Klug

Keeping Hope Alive: Maurice Broaddus

Are We Afraid to Hope?: Christine Sine

On Wobbly Wheels, Split Churches and Fear: Laura Droege

Adopting Hope: Travis Klassen

Hope is Held Between Us: Ellen Haroutunian

Hope: In the Hands of the Creatively Maladjusted: Mihee Kim-Kort

Paradox, Hope and Revival: City Safari

Good Theology Saves: Reverend Robyn

Linear: Never Was, Never Will Be: Kathy Escobar

Better Than Hope: Liz Dyer

Caroline for Congress: Hope for the Future: Wendy McCaig

Fumbling the Ball on Hope: KW Leslie

Content to Hope: Alise Wright

Hope: Oh, the Humanity!: Deanna Ogle

Rachel Held Evans offers why “Glenn Beck Isn’t a Big Deal.”  I sooooooo agree. 104 Comments and counting.

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Jon Birch kicked it up a notch with this ASBO Jesus critique of fashion churchianity.

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Crystal Reynaud asks what we should do when a mentor blows it big time and then hides.

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This image of a 14-year-old girl’s cry for a baby haunts me.  It suggests teen pregnancy is not just about sex.

Incarceration rates seem ridiculously high over the last twenty years.  Is that because we have more criminals or we’ve forgotten how to forgive?

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Cool graphic on how our laws are made.

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How male centric is Hollywood?  This is ridiculous.

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Kathy Escobar kicks it out of the park on trust.

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Tony asks if you are emogelical.

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Very cool base jump into the deep blue ocean.

Len Hjalmarson quotes Brian McLaren and Peter Senge.

“Why are books on Buddhism so popular, and not books on Christianity?” Brian, feeling somewhat on the spot, pushed the question back to Senge. Senge suggested his own answer:

“I think it’s because Buddhism presents itself as a way of life, and Christianity presents itself as a system of belief. So I would want to get Christian ministers thinking about how to rediscover their own faith as a way of life, because that’s what people are searching for today. That’s what they need the most.”

What do you think?

Has the Sundance Film Festival finally become what it has long worked against?  Sad.

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Pope John Paul II use to flagellate himself for Christian perfection.

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Currently, only 8% of churches have women teachers.

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Our brain is likely to invent patterns that aren’t there.

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This is a hilarious video that seems to capture how I feel about political parties right now. And reactions on the SOTU.

Frank Schaeffer takes on the New Atheists, calling for a more introspective and redemptive dialog, and what it means to follow Jesus in these days.

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Makeesha asks, “What the alternative to Tucker Max?“  Great question.

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Skye Jethani asks, “What did you say?“  Quotes of absurdity.  Some of these are gut bustingly funny.

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Bill Kinnon continues the dialog on missional leadership, expounding on, “Where will leaders come from?”

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Shawn Anthony offers an interesting quote from John Shelby Spong on the goal of faith.

If this weren’t the Onion, it would be almost spot on of some of the conversations I’ve had with a few people about gays.

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Out of Ur offers a Caption contest.  It leads with, “Do you ever feel like church activities, which are intended to promote God’s mission, are actually keeping you from promoting God’s mission?”  I let you do the math.

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This kid throw down about gay rights.  In the end its a human issue.

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Ben Arment shares the anecdotal evidence that pastors are angry.

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Robbie Williams sings about Jesus.  Can’t tell if he’s admitting his own doubt or basing on Jesus.  You decide.

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Scot McKnight explores Brian McLaren’s theology.

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Christianity 21 happened. Loved the energy around women throwing down like I knew they could.

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Wow, three days without a post.  I’m living it up.  In the meantime, here’s some worthwhile reads.

Tripp Fuller served up a dose of LeRon Shults.  The attached PDF  Download “Reforming Ecclesiology in Emerging Churches” is an interesting read.  In many ways it feels like a much needed conversation around unity.

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Blake Huggins offers his take on orthopraxadoxy.

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Ed Stetzer points out that those who attended large churches were more likely to have consistent belief patterns that smaller churches.  But give it up for house churches that also had consistent belief patterns.

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Gideon offers a historical statement on humility.  Very nice.

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Jeromy takes time out from his studies to point us to an interesting video exploring the role of doubt in faith.

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Bob Hyatt explores the idea that there is no “virtual” in church.

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Drew throws down on our capacity to love in light of the law.

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Rachel Held Evans wants to be a new kind of fundamentalist. I like it.

Leadership Networks Top Ten List of Kingdom Ideas.  What do you think? (ht)

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Makeesha serves up a really cool video on a Letter From God.  Definitely watch.

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Jimmy Carter throws down the gauntlet on women in ministry.  Let me say that this will be easily one of Jimmy’s greatest achievements. (ht)

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Jeff offers up a compelling insight to “Feed My Sheep“.

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Dan Kimball wades into the waters of homosexuality for his new book.  The best part is Dan exploring the journey through the tension.

Alan Knox offers one of his funniest posts yet called “Just Make Disciples”.  Well done.

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If you’ve driven through Hoover Dam recently you’ve seen the building of what is the largest arch bridge in the US.  The images don’t do it justice.  Seeing how they do this was stunning in person.

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The 3G Prius looks cool.

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Kingdom Grace discusses Total Depravity vs. Beers.  I’ll have a Pacifico with lime. ;-P

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Scientists have invented concrete that bends and self-heals.  Bring on the Terminator.

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Mark VanSteenwyk throws down on the name Jesus Manifesto. Make sure you read Len Sweet’s response.

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Never ask a grandma a question.  This is seriously funny…if its true.

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A fascinating history of Facebook.  Friendster, which my cousin worked for, almost bought the company for 10 million in 2004.

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Leave it to ASBO Jesus to throw an provocative spin into the Michael Jackson death.

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What happens when people mimic the bullhorn/church sign protests?

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Dan Kimball reminds us that no matter how hard we try, it’s hard to forget about the Emerging church.

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Synthetic trees that eat carbon dioxide 1,000 times faster than normal trees.