New CC content on why we worship, ghosts, free market capitalism, and more.

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** Why do we worship God?
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I love when my work at the Century intersects with other parts of my life. That happened this week, as my online faith community ([link removed]) held its first meeting of our Going Deeper discussion group. We are gathering on Zoom each week to discuss one new CC article, using the free Going Deeper resource as our conversation guide. (You can sign up for Going Deeper here ([link removed]) .)

The article we chose for our first meeting was Debie Thomas’s lovely reflection on Christian worship. She wrestles with whether the Bible’s many instructions ([link removed]) for us to worship imply that God is a megalomanic with a fragile ego. This essay proved to be a great springboard for discussion about worship, spiritual formation, and our own journeys of faith. To top it all off, I got the chance to chat with Debie herself ([link removed]) about these topics in our video of the week.

Plus more great content below, including a theological exploration of ghostly visitations ([link removed]) , a biblical study of the sea monster Leviathan ([link removed]) , and a book review about the myths of a free market ([link removed]) .

Email me: Do you participate in any ongoing discussion groups? What do you talk about?

Jon Mathieu
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20Editors%E2%80%99%20Picks)
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** What is worship for? ([link removed])
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“Is there something missing in God that we human beings supply with our regular contributions of praise? A more cynical reframing of the question might be: Is God a megalomaniac?”
by Debie Thomas
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** VIDEO: Debie Thomas on why we worship ([link removed])
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Jon chats with CC Voices columnist Debie Thomas about why we even get together for “worship services.” Is God a narcissist who needs our praise?
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** A theology of ghosts ([link removed])
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“All theology is speculative, some is experimental, but the cornerstone of any theology is experience—experience that includes my sister’s conversations with our ghostly mom.”
by Gil Stafford
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** In the Lectionary for October 22 (Ordinary 29A) ([link removed])
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I take seriously the absence of a denarius in Jesus’ own hand.
by Kerry Hasler-Brooks

Ordinary 29A archives ([link removed])
Get even more lectionary resources with Sunday’s Coming Premium, an email newsletter from the editors of the Christian Century. Learn more ([link removed]) .


** God’s first worst enemy ([link removed])
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“The best monsters never stay dead, and Leviathan is God’s forever foe. Fought and slain in days already ancient to the biblical writers, the sea monster promises to resurface for another round, destined to be slain again.”

by Esther Hamori


** Taking aim at market fundamentalism ([link removed])
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“According to Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, the notion of magical markets and toxic governments arose from an unholy alliance of business interests, conservative intellectuals, and evangelical leaders.”

Jesse Lava reviews The Big Myth
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