In 1880, the prolific author George MacDonald self-published a long poem in book form as a gift for his friends. He called it, in full, A Book of Strife in the Form of the Diary of an Old Soul. It contained a new seven-line stanza for each day of the calendar year, written as prayers expressing MacDonald’s longings, struggles, and joys in everyday life.

The Diary was originally printed with a blank page facing every page of poetry so that readers could supplement MacDonald’s diary with their own. This feature in particular, along with the spiritual wisdom and literary artistry of the text itself, was beloved by C. S. Lewis, who gave a copy of the book to his future wife, Joy Davidman, as a Christmas gift in 1952.

Wheaton historian Timothy Larsen has written an introduction and annotated a new edition of this work for InterVarsity Press that retains the blank pages. He will introduce us to George MacDonald, The Diary, and this new edition.

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Our friends with the Affiliation of Christian Biologists (ACB), part of the American Scientific Affiliation, are hosting Katharine Hayhoe, who will speak on “Christians, Climate, and Our Culture Around the World.” Dr. Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist whose research focuses on understanding the impacts of climate change on people and the planet.  She is a distinguished professor and chair at Texas Tech University, and chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy. She is also the author of the book “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.”

At its core, climate change is profoundly unjust. It exacerbates hunger, poverty, and even political instability, disproportionally impacting the most vulnerable people of the world, the very ones we Christians are called to love and care for. As the scientific evidence builds, however, so does the opposition to solutions: they’re impractical, or they’ll harm people, or they’re even too late, some argue. Why is climate change such a difficult problem to solve, and what can we as Christians do about it? Join Katharine Hayhoe as she untangles the complex science behind global warming and highlights the key role our faith and values play in shaping our attitudes and actions on this crucial topic.

Everything about the gospel message leads to the cross, and proceeds from the cross. But it would be a mistake to think we could sum up the significance of the crucifixion in a tidy sentence or two. Brian Zahnd reminds us that the meaning of the cross is multifaceted. Just as gazing through the eyepiece of a kaleidoscope reveals a new geometric image with every turn, Zahnd helps us see that there are infinite ways to behold the cross of Christ as the beautiful form that saves the world.

Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri. Known for his theologically informed preaching and his embrace of the deep and long history of the church, Zahnd provides a forum for pastors to engage with leading theologians and is a frequent conference speaker. He is the author of several books, including When Everything’s On Fire, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, A Farewell to Mars, and Beauty Will Save the World.

Rick Mattson is a traveling evangelism trainer for InterVarsity’s Graduate and Faculty Ministries. His previous books include Faith is Like Skydiving and Faith Unexpected. He lives with his family in St. Paul, MN.

Anxiety leads us to succumb to fear and fight peace. Anxious living is a distortion of good motives, blocking the clarity of stillness and rest. Alan Fadling has also felt mastered by worry, but he brings counsel on how to learn a better way and who to look to for it: Jesus, “the ultimate non-anxious presence.” He constructs a posture from which we can rest more deeply, live more fully, and lead better.

Alan Fadling is president and founder of Unhurried Living, Inc. in Mission Viejo, California. He speaks and consults internationally. He is the award-winning author of An Unhurried Leader and An Unhurried Life

Daniel Reinhardt (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) served as a police officer near Cleveland, Ohio, for twenty-four years. After retiring from the police force, he was assistant professor at the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry at the Memorial Unit, a prison in Rosharon, Texas.