In the final story of Mark's opening healing sequence, a group of men want their friend made whole, and so does Jesus, but that starts with the stigma that sets him apart from everyone else. Healing is more than the fixing of bones, it is the repair of all that pulls us apart and makes us think we are separate. A woman is healed so she can join the party. The demonized are calmed so they can be seen as neighbors again. A man excluded by leprosy is reintegrated into society. Now, the stigma of sin rooted in a misunderstanding of what health means is wiped clean for those watching. And if that social location of kingdom can slowly take root in our hearts, if we can repent and believe that good news for ourselves and for those near us, then perhaps, as Jesus says, we actually can do greater things than these.

In Romans 16 Paul names a number of women in prominent roles within the early church. But then in his letters to Corinth and Timothy, he seems to take a different tone. What is going on here? Should we try to harmonize these passages?

Evangelical is a word that has gotten a lot of press lately. The tough part is, Evangelical can mean a lot of different things depending on who you're talking to. So let's walk through the three major eras of Evangelicalism from 19th Century Europe to early 20th Century America to today, and why churches like Commons need to figure out what church looks like after Evangelicalism​.