We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who supports the work of Renewed Heart Ministries. Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue our mission of love, justice, and compassion, even in a time when ministries like ours are being called to do more with less.
Your support means the world to us. Whether we’re speaking into the broader society, engaging within our faith communities, or working one on one alongside others endeavoring to follow Jesus’ teachings of love and justice, we remain committed to advocating for a world that is inclusive, just, and safe for all. Your partnership helps keep our work alive.
To all of our supporters, from all of us at Renewed Heart Ministries, thank you. We are so deeply grateful for you, and we couldn’t do this work without you.
If you’d like to join them in supporting our work, please go to renewedheartministries.com and click on “Donate.”
Recommended Reading for November
No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism
by Jared Huffman (Author), Jamie Raskin (Foreword)
NSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
From Congressman Jared Huffman, a behind-the-scenes look at the shocking extent of Christian nationalism’s reach in our government―and the fight to defend church-state separation.
Sinclair Lewis is said to have warned: “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.” On January 6, 2021, Rep. Jared Huffman saw something chillingly close to that vision. Thousands of Christians following self-declared prophets stormed the Capitol. The insurrection should have been a national wake-up call about Christian nationalism. Instead, most Americans and politicians looked away.
No Prophets argues that Christian nationalism is now America’s most dangerous political movement. Huffman pulls back the curtain on religious extremists behind the insurrection who have only grown more powerful with Trump’s return. Openly vowing to destroy church-state separation and democracy as we know it, they now work inside the highest levels of government to drive domestic and foreign policy, reshape federal agencies, undermine science and education, and tilt elections. The endgame: an authoritarian theocracy that imposes their religious beliefs by force of law.
Drawing on his experiences as a formerly devout Christian and the only Humanist ever to serve in Congress, Huffman maps the movement’s largely hidden landscape―taking readers behind the scenes of the Capitol, exposing the tactics and myths Christian nationalists use to advance their agenda, and showing how America is imperiled by our reluctance to confront threats cloaked in Christianity.
But, he argues, it’s not too late. If we muster a broad interfaith coalition grounded in shared commitment to democracy, we can reclaim the public square for everyone―religious and secular―to share on equal terms.
No Prophets is a clear-eyed, urgent appeal to defend the secular foundations of democracy.
Last Week’s Social Jesus Blog Posts
When Leaders Don’t Practice What They Preach
Part 1 of the series When Leadership Becomes Self Serving
Our reading this week confronts a troubling contradiction when leaders exhibit a failure to practice of justice.
Leadership: Empowerment or Subordination?
Part 2 of the series When Leadership Becomes Self Serving
From a justice perspective, the essential question is whether leadership empowers people or subordinates them.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 3 Episode 45: When Leadership Becomes Self Serving
Matthew 23:1-12
A socially just understanding of Jesus’ teaching recognizes that compassion must involve more than expressing sympathy for people who suffer. Compassion requires participation. It means helping to carry burdens, sharing resources, challenging unfair arrangements, and transforming the conditions that make some people’s lives unnecessarily difficult. Rather than simply telling hungry people to pray, justice helps ensure that they have food. Rather than blaming struggling families, justice examines whether everyone has access to the resources and opportunities necessary to thrive. Our reading this week challenges religious communities to examine whether their practices reflect the values they proclaim. The measure of faithful leadership is not how loudly leaders defend tradition or how rigorously they demand obedience. It is whether their leadership produces greater dignity, freedom, compassion, and justice for the people they serve.
Available on major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/when-leadership-becomes-self-serving
Upcoming Events
November 21, 2026
Good News Fellowship (via Zoom)
Toronto, Ontario Canada
For info: 304.520.0030
Weekly HeartGroup on Zoom Every Wednesday Night!
Each Wednesday evening, Renewed Heart Ministries hosts a Zoom-HeartGroup led by Herb Montgomery. Our discussion each week will focus on the content in RHM’s weekly eSight articles and the Social Jesus podcast. The time of each Zoom session will be on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. Pacific/10:00 p.m. Eastern.
To receive the link for the Zoom meeting, email us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
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