In case you missed it: Nik Ripken, “Trauma and Tragedy on the Mission Field” NikRipken.com (September 19, 2023).

“In this deeply personal episode, Nik Ripken reflects on his journey through trauma, health crises, and confronting deeply ingrained racism in his life and ministry. From growing up in a broken home to battling malaria on the mission field and dismantling racial prejudice, Nik shares how God has redeemed his struggles, transforming them into opportunities for reconciliation, humility, and Kingdom work.”

Dhimas Anugrah, “Schadenfreude: A Misplaced Joy” Our Daily Bread Ministries.

Dhimas Anugrah, “Freudenfreude: Finding Joy Even When the Good News Isn’t Mine” Our Daily Bread Ministries.

“Should We Bring AI into the Church?: Interview by Bonnie Kristian” ChristianityToday.com (May 28. 2025).

The tagline for this interview is: “A church-tech skeptic talks values with technologists from faith-aligned AI company Gloo.”

Craig Keener, “Video course on Acts” CraigKeener.com (July 9, 2025).

Dr. Craig Keener writes: “Although I have 23 hours of free lectures on Acts on my YouTube channel, a newer, more official course with Seminary Now is launching with much better video graphics, based on my 4-volume Acts commentary.”

Andrew Gabriel, “Tales of my First Visit to a Church of God (Cleveland) Pentecostal Church” AndrewKGabriel.com (March 17, 2025).

“Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi on genocide against Christians in northern Nigeria” CraigKeener.com (July 30, 2025).

“Craig interviews retired Anglican Archbishop Ben Kwashi on his experience and on the massacres of Christians in northern Nigeria. Archbishop Kwashi has long worked for peace, reconciliation, justice, truth and is always centered in the gospel of Christ. He and his wife Gloria have adopted more than seventy children, many of them orphans because of the massacres in the north. Archbishop Kwashi also is current on both the events in the north of Nigeria and their wider global context.”

“Cultural Intelligence vs. Personality: What’s the Difference” Cultural Intelligence Center.

A white paper from the Cultural Intelligence Center. How is personality different from cultural intelligence? CQ is a skillset.

Image: Anastasia Zolotukhina

“Interview with the Author—Michelle Van Loon” Eerdword (August 4, 2025).

Eerdmans Publishing interviews the author of Downsizing: Letting Go of Evangelicalism’s Nonessentials.

In case you missed it: Keith Simon, “When My Sermon Riled Our City: Preaching on sex and gender led to local uproar and national headlines. Here are seven things I learned” Christianity Today (June 25, 2024).

“The Forgotten Etowah Revival” Cup & Cross Ministries (August 20, 2025).

PR

Andrew Wilson has written a highly readable, engaging volume seeking the integration of the streams that are regularly treated as contrastive: sacrament and Spirit. It is not that these are actually contrastive, but too many folks imagine they are distinct. Those who worship with candles, lectionaries, church calendars, and vestments versus those who worship with shouts, dancing, speaking in tongues, and altar calls. Yet Wilson contends these are not contradictory and nor should they be. While he is not proposing an explicit apologetic for these two streams to be joined, he is offering an implicit one. Even more so he is speaking to those who already may think these should be found together and offering them support toward a more biblical reflection of integration as basic to the church. The movements of this book are simple (though not simplistic): (ch. 1) Spirit and sacrament, (chs. 2-3) charis “gift” and chara “joy”, (chs. 4-5) eucharistic and charismatic. The intent is a proposed (ch. 6) “eucharismatic” (eucharistic/sacramental and Spirit-ed/charismatic) expression and experience for the life of the local church. This new term (eucharismatic) is intended to bring the two expressions into a fruitful intertwining as expressive of the fuller life of the church.

One of the many values of this volume is its positive framing of church expressions that are often put into juxtaposition as if antithetical. A similar sort of distinction was noted fifteen years ago in Sam Storm’s testimony and articulation Convergence: Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calvinist (Enjoying God Ministries, 2005) that juxtaposed “Calvinist” and “Charismatic” as poles that deserve to be brought together. Wilson’s own vision is less narrow by opening up to those which are sacramental/historic/liturgical and those which are charismatic/Pentecostal/renewal (with none of these terms intended as intentionally limiting to what might be offered). Wilson contends that the church that is committed to embodied life expresses itself in dress, smells, sounds, tastes, and movements that consider the whole person as incorporated into the life of the worshiping community. The integration of all of these as gifts and joy makes of a meaningful contribution to reflecting on the life of the church as it seeks faithful expression in local (and global) contexts.

Wilson does not dictate what the eucharismatic life and church looks like as this is a work of the Spirit in the context of specific congregations seeking to live faithfully in their contexts. However, he reminds his readers that just as “the church encompasses the whole body of Christ—cerebral and emotion, high and low context, introvert and extrovert, spontaneous and controlled, Asian, African, American, European, and so on—then local churches need to worship in ways that help everyone find joy in God, through Christ, by the Spirit” (57, original emphasis). This is enabled both by the many tongues of Pentecost and the many prayers and liturgies of the church historic and global.

As a full-time pastor of 22 years and one who still serves pastors globally through teaching, mentoring, and discipleship I will be recommending this book to fellow pastors and those I disciple in the pastorate. This book would serve a local church or group of pastors seeking to reflect on these issues (whether they consider themselves more “eucharistic” or more “charismatic” or even already a bit of a blend). It has the great potential to offer language for carrying forward conversations and seeking further reflection on this field of study. This book is precisely the kind of entry level work on the subject to spur further readings and deeper reflections perhaps moving to engage other works which likewise seek to integrate such things at a more advanced and detailed level of reflection.

Reviewed by Rick Wadholm Jr

Publisher’s page: https://zondervanacademic.com/products/spirit-and-sacrament

PneumaReview.com invites you to read this paper by Professor Eugen Jugaru and discuss the connection between joy and suffering.

Abstract

Suffering for the Christian faith and Christian worship exuberance, paradoxically have a common ground: a joy beyond understanding which comes from the Holy Spirit. The reality of this unusual and passionate experience: joy in sufferings and worship, was experienced by Christians in Romania, a country that for 45 years was ruled by a fierce atheist Communist regime. Their experiences were similar to the first-century Christians who after being beaten for breaking the interdiction to spread the Gospel, “rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His (Christ’s) name” (Acts. 5:40-41). Two Christians remained examples for Romanian Christians by their determination in persecution, Richard Wurmbrand and Nicolae Steinhardt.

Also during the persecution in Romania, believers who were not imprisoned have also experienced a deep presence of the Holy Spirit in worship. These moments flooded their hearts with unimaginable joy which gave them power to forgive their enemies and to receive strength to face courageously the atheist regime.

I will be presenting the reality of joy beyond understanding in suffering and worship due to the presence and empowering of the Holy Spirit through the use of written narrative testimonies of Richard Wurmbrand and Nicolae Steinhardt as well as other written testimonies of Christians within the Pentecostal churches of Romania during the same period under the Communist regime. I will be providing an interpretive layer on the materials that will connect their responses to the work of the Spirit. By using current writings and observation I then will reveal the diminishing of this experience in contemporary post-Communism as reflected in the Christian experience in Romania.

Introduction

The theme of joy, whether it is viewed from a Christian perspective based on soteriological or pneumatological elements or whether from secular perspective, is a current topic due to general pessimism which seems to mark the contemporary generation. While we enjoy many of the products and services that did not benefited our parents it seems that there is an unseen enemy of joy that does not allow us to live our lives with great confidence and profound optimism. Joy of life today is overshadowed by the burden of stress, by the assault of various news media, especially negative news, by the fear of sickness or by anxiety of an unsure future due to multiple crises.

In this paper I will be presenting the idea that there can be a real and a deep joy, a joy beyond understanding, beyond the comprehension of our mind and reason, a joy in suffering and in worship, in prayers and songs for those who have accepted the Christian perspective on life. As an example to support this thesis I present the testimonies of several Christians from different denominations, who experienced a joy beyond understanding when they were imprisoned. Their experience can teach us today about the joy beyond understanding, a real joy that surpass difficulties of the life and can help us today when we have freedom and rights, but consequently less joy.

What is joy beyond understanding and how does this kind of joy manifest itself?

Joy beyond understanding is that state of spiritual exaltation that makes a person who has it to forget the difficulties of the life and to experience God’s presence in a very strong, real and personal way.

Joy beyond understanding and comprehension does not depend on the circumstances of life, it is rooted in God’s continual presence and grace, for it is a work of the Holy Spirit. Usually joy is that personal feeling due to certain achievements or because of good news received, but joy beyond understanding does not depend on such external input. Joy beyond understanding cannot be expressed well in words; it can be experienced, felt but not fully communicated in words.

The manifestation of joy beyond understanding can be expressed by a shining upon the face or even by tears of joy. Personally, I think that a smile and laughter can be a manifestation of joy, but does not suggests in the best way the depth of joy, it is not so deep as the tears of joy which cannot be stopped. I watched TV programs broadcasting live emotional meetings between people who have not met for many years, between life partners or between parents and children, and in most of these exciting meetings protagonists could not retain tears of joy.

The joy beyond understanding does not comes from a human predisposition toward happiness or, as I related before from the satisfaction of personal achievement, but its source is divine, it is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:20-22). When Paul contrasts the works of the flesh and the fruit of Holy Spirit, he revealed that among the items and fruit of the Spirit is also joy (Greek chara).

“I have spoken these things to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11, MEV).

Part of the Fruit of the Spirit series by Jim Linzey

Loveless Christians are joyless Christians. But when self is drowned in the love of Christ, the result will be unspeakable joy. Faith in Christ implants joy in the believer’s heart. But joy is much more than the result of salvation. And it is much more than happiness. Happiness comes from an old English word hap. Hap, or happiness, is related to the word happened. Happiness, then, is produced by an outside event, by external causes, the product of circumstances or what has happened. Thus, it cannot be enduring. It changes with the circumstances.

Jesus said, “I have spoken these things to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11, MEV). The implication of the verse is that joy is full and permanent—that it remains with the disciples. Jesus had joy that was not dependent on circumstances—He was filled with joy even as He prepared for the crucifixion.

Joy as a fruit of the Spirit is a vital source of strength. It gives strength for ordinary tasks of life. It gives strength for the trials of life. It gives strength for what seems to be humiliating service. And joy can be a resource in overcoming temptation: James goes so far as to tell us to “count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith develops patience” (James 1:2-3, MEV). Joy can be as effective as medicine for rejuvenating the body and soul.

Divine joy should be distinguished from natural joy. Natural joy is cheerfulness or contentment or mirth. It usually is associated with the attainment of a desired goal, as satisfaction. But the joy which is a fruit of the Spirit has nothing to do with such external stimulation. Its source is the Spirit of Christ, a divine instillation of Christ’s presence within the believer through the agency of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 2:20).

This spiritual fruit is the outcome of Christ’s abiding presence. Christians experience divine joy in varying degrees from certain various types of inspiration. Joy accompanies our spiritual ministration to others. There is the inner delight we find in the fellowship of the Lord’s people. There is the blessed refreshment from our nourishment by the Word of God. Joy through the agency of the Spirit of Christ may take the form of spiritual gladness or it may overflow into divine ecstasy. We see an outpouring of divine joy in Mary’s inspired response after visiting Elizabeth: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47, MEV).

This is a good article. Reading it made me feel as though someone is finally saying in public what I have heard said in private far too many times over the course of my research. Shame and false guilt lead many of us to stay silent about the mental health issues which affect 1 in 4 Americans/Brits.

This article states it clearly, ‘One might assume that the Church would be at the forefront of providing resources and actively engaging those who are battling depression, anxiety and a host of mental illnesses-but this is generally not the case.’ The call to listen, help and walk with others is clear. The call to remember that, ‘given the right set of circumstances everyone is vulnerable to mental illness’ may be controversial in many of our churches, but it is a call which we are required to listen to. This is as much for the sake of those of us who are well as those of us who are not. Pam and Butch Frey’s great experience in pastoral care shines through in their clear articulation of a fundamental issue.  This is an article worth reading.

Reviewed by Deborah Joy Allan

Editor’s note: For more on Joy’s research project investigating Pentecostal/charismatics and depression, look at her blog: http://www.pentecostalsanddepression.wordpress.com

Ajith Fernando, The Call to Joy and Pain: Embracing Suffering in Your Ministry (Wheaton: Crossway, 2007), 192 pages, ISBN 9781581348880.

The Call to Joy and Pain by Ajith Fernando is a provocative analysis of the issue of pain and suffering. While he does not treat the cosmic problem of the reason for suffering in the world, he does consider at some length the concurrently difficult problem of suffering for the believer. He rejects the pervasive notion that Christians should not suffer; that indeed something is wrong when they do. In contrast, he strongly advocates that “something is seriously wrong not when Christians suffer but when they do not have the joy of the Lord” (p. 10). His main theme is just that—both suffering and joy are essential to the Christian life (p. 15).

Fernando interweaves exegesis of the New Testament texts with personal experiences and anecdotal situations, thus creating a strong position. This little book is laid out in four main sections, entitled: (1) “Suffering and Joy are Basic to Christianity”; (2) “Suffering Brings Us Nearer to Christ;” (3) “Our Suffering Helps the Church;” and (4) “Servants of the Church.” Each of these is further broken down into subsections, which provide ideal elements for devotional or meditational study. This is not to imply that Fernando’s work lacks scholarly analysis or contribution to this field. Indeed, his exegesis is noteworthy for scholars and pastors alike. This fine little book goes beyond platitudes or ‘bon mots’ and tackles with a solid hermeneutic the problem of joy in the face of pain and suffering. Ajith Fernando’s viewpoint is largely based on a theology, anthropology, and even soteriology, derived from the Pauline tradition, without yielding to the temptation to proof text. Fernando’s thesis is aptly condensed into a thought he expressed early in the book, “So, according to the Bible, joy and pain can coexist. Christians don’t talk about suffering unless they also talk about the joy of suffering. It is the joy that makes the cross worthwhile, for it gives us the strength to bear it” (p. 19; cf., Neh. 8:10).

Fernando calls God’s people to put into practice a well-rounded and comforting evangelism.

The author explores the three things he sees as being needed to experience joy in the midst of pain: lament, consideration of our trials to be joyful, and surrender. Of these, the one we find most poignant is the last. Fernando writes, “If we cling to anything in life, even a good thing, that thing will surely take away our joys” (p. 43). This harkens back to the message of many, if not almost all, spiritual masters, not the least of which is St. Ignatius in his Spiritual Exercises (cf., SE, 23)¹. We all know these things on something of a cloudy level, but Fernando brings home the point cogently and convincingly. Incidentally, although Fernando’s scope is primarily the Pauline tradition, his thesis is also supported by the Petrine tradition (cf., 1 Peter).

Reviewed by Thomas Doyle and Rebecca Skaggs

¹ “Therefore, we must make ourselves indifferent to all created things, as far as we are allowed free choice and are not under any prohibition.”

About the Authors

Thomas Doyle, M.Div., did his studies in theology at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. He is a long-standing participant in the Charismatic Renewal of the Catholic and Episcopal Churches. He is presently Director of The Metanoia Ministry, an evangelically-based counseling ministry in the San Francisco Bay area.

The Pneuma Review had an opportunity to speak with Ajith Fernando, the national director of Youth For Christ in Sri Lanka, about his recent book The Call to Joy and Pain. This book has received the 2008 Book Award from Christianity Today in the church and pastoral leadership category. We believe that you will likewise recognize the biblically-centered wisdom of Brother Fernando as he talks with us about the paradox of God’s provision and the call to endure hardship for the sake of Jesus and his story.

Ajith Fernando, The Call to Joy and Pain: Embracing Suffering in Your Ministry (Wheaton: Crossway, 2007).
Read the review by Thomas Doyle and Rebecca Skaggs

Pneuma Review: Please tell us a little about yourself and why you wrote The Call to Joy and Pain.

Ajith Fernando: I live in a country that has faced great tragedy for the past 25 years or so. We have an ongoing war that has claimed at least 70,000 lives, a revolution that claimed thousands more young people, and then the tsunami which took about 40,000 lives. Many, many people have left Sri Lanka, especially because of the welfare of their children. But my wife and I have been convinced that we are called to live and die here. We had to develop reasons for why we are staying on, especially reasons that made it good for our children to stay. This made me think a lot about how Christians respond to suffering.

But even more significantly, I came to the conclusion some years ago that joy is one of the most important features of Christianity. Coming as the second fruit of the Spirit it meant that the Bible teaches that holy people are happy people. My wife and I were convinced that, amidst all the suffering in Sri Lanka, the most valuable heritage we can give our two children was a home filled with the joy of the Lord to which they can come after facing the rigors of life in a hostile world.

Yet I know so many unhappy Christians. These are good people who have sought to obey God while others compromised and disobeyed. But they seem to suffer from a deep disappointment with the way life has treated them. I have grappled with this a lot and still grapple with it—pleading with God to help me to introduce these people to the joy of the Lord which is our strength amidst suffering.

These experiences and struggles convinced me that I must write this book. Because the truths in the Bible do not apply only to countries like Sri Lanka but all over the world, even in relatively peaceful and affluent countries. Yet soon in my study, I made the amazing discovery that the Bible almost never talks about suffering without talking about the rewards of it. And I also found that often the reward the Bible speaks of is joy. Therefore I decided I will not write on suffering without also writing about the joy which accompanies it and makes it bearable.