John 15: 4 – “Abide in me as I abide in you” It is an undisputed botanical fact that a branch cut off from the stem or vine of a plant dies. It cannot bear fruit. This is the point which Jesus makes in John 15 when he states, “I am the vine…apart from me […]
The most important aspect for me of living as a member of an ecumenical community in the Sword of the Spirit, is the daily praying and sharing of my faith and life with brothers and sisters from different Christian denominations, now for almost 40 years. I grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the 1960s/70s, […]
John 15: 16a “You did not choose me I chose you.” The idea of ‘chosen-ness’ to many people can smack of elitism. God’s choices, however, are not based on the superior qualities of any person or group. He chooses people to be something and to do something. He chose Israel to be a light to the nations and fulfill his […]
Introduction The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is actually an eight-day observance or “octave” of prayer. It has been this way since the beginnings of this international movement in 1908. This is now the Sword of the Spirit’s 11th year of participating internationally in this worldwide observance. This year we are using the Bible passages proposed […]
– by Bruce Yocum December, the end of the calendar year 2020, and COVID-19 is still with us. Here in England, where I am living, severe new restrictions have just been introduced, eliminating almost all possibility of people celebrating Christmas together with more than immediate family or household. There is concern that a new strain […]
On November 3rd ETA hit the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua as a category 4 hurricane. Four days of intensive rains flooded many cities and villages mainly in the north coast, and caused devastating damages to the agricultural and manufacturing industry. Our communities in those countries were impacted by them. In the case of Fortaleza […]
The Sword of the Spirit logo was designed to communicate our distinctive call and mission with a powerful symbolic image. The sculpture inspired by that logo brings this image to life in our homes as a beautiful reminder of the uniqueness of our call and culture. The original design of the logo was presented in […]
– by Steve Clark Communities appear whenever the churches experience authentic renewal. One of the signs of authentic spiritual renewal is the birth of new Christian communities. Some of these communities come together to live a fuller Christian life in a daily way. Others come together for apostolic service. Some do both. Their life together […]
In the historical crisis of the church, the Lord has raised men and women.
For many parents, grandparenting is something to look forward to. We often hear grandparents joke with soon-to-be grandparents that it is the best job in the world because you get all the fun and joy of parenting but none of the responsibility. And while there is truth to that adage, God, in His wisdom, asks […]
