A good devotional, like this one, shapes and forms gently and thoughtfully. It’s a delightful way to journey through Lent.
Jeff MunroeMarch 10, 2021
Jeff Munroe, a frequent contributor on The Twelve, has a new book -- Reading Buechner: Exploring the Work of a Master Memoirist, Novelist, Theologian, and Preacher. It's generating some good reviews and lots of buzz. Hear Jeff discuss the book with Steve Mathonnet-VanderWell. Amazon Publisher
Jeff Munroe and Steve Mathonnet-VanderWellJanuary 13, 2020
My family lived in Southern Ohio when I was between the ages of five and ten, and after trying the local Presbyterian Church for a while we joined the Methodists because of a vibrant, vital pastor and congregation. Those were good years for my family. The Methodists were cool. The pastor had a teenage son who came to our house and tried to teach me how to play the guitar. George Harrison I was not. Once when my ancient great-grandfather…
Jeff MunroeMarch 13, 2019
A Light So Lovely A LIGHT SO LOVELY: THE SPIRITUAL LEGACY OF MADELEINE L’ENGLE SARAH ARTHUR ZONDERVAN, 2018 $13.38, PAPERBACK 224 PAGES If she were alive, Madeleine L’Engle would turn 100 at the end of November. Her centenary, along with the release of a version of A Wrinkle in Time brought to us by Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling earlier this year, has brought this formidable and prolific author back into the spotlight. Sarah Arthur, a prolific writer…
Jeff MunroeOctober 31, 2018
There’s a billboard out by the highway featuring a picture of John Wayne in all his western glory with the caption “Don’t Much Like Quitters, Son.” It’s one of the omnipresent “values” billboards that line our motorways. Every time I see it, I’m filled with questions. I probably shouldn’t take billboards so seriously, but I can’t help myself. Wouldn’t John Wayne have lived a longer, healthier, happier life if he’d been a quitter? What does it say about our culture…
Jeff MunroeOctober 31, 2018
Making Jesus Attractive: The Ministry and Message of Young Life MAKING JESUS ATTRACTIVE: THE MINISTRY AND MESSAGE OF YOUNG LIFE GRETCHEN SCHOON TANIS PICKWICK PUBLICATIONS, 2016 178 PAGES $23 A friend who is a senior ministry leader with Young Life tells the story of the reaction he received at a high school reunion from a former classmate after they swapped details of what they were up to now. “You work for Young Life?” the classmate asked. “Hey, I liked marching…
Jeff MunroeJune 30, 2017
We hear a lot these days about the impending demise of print media. Isn’t it remarkable that in such a difficult market, Perspectives keeps chugging along? There are two secrets to our success: On the expense side, the writing and production of the magazine are labors of love. Our writers don’t get paid, and our co-editors, review editors, poetry editors, board of editors and contributing editors all are volunteers. We pay a proofreader, and we do pay our managing editor…
Jeff MunroeFebruary 29, 2016
I pull out my fifth-grade class picture and my eyes land on a chunky kid who looks like the Big Boy hamburger mascot – without the rosy smile and checkered overalls. Bobby Graham already has the chubby cheeks and wavy black hair. He’s got a pair of Clark Kent glasses on, too, and in the picture he wears the universal expression of the self-conscious. The corners of his mouth are almost turned up, but the rest of his face shows…
Jeff MunroeOctober 30, 2014