Shaping Families

Extreme Forgiveness

“One of the sheriffs took a pistol and cocked it, put it side of my head and pulled the trigger. In my mind I was a dead person.”

How much could you forgive? This week’s Shaping Families radio program features John Perkins. John grew up in rural Mississippi where he faced poverty and racial discrimination, and watched his 17-year-old brother’s murder at the hands of the town marshal. John found himself organizing rallies to fight discrimination and injustices and was brutally beaten by local authorities and locked in jail.

Listen - Transcript - Study Guide

Media Matters

Steve Carpenter

I’m glad to see you are tackling the issues of forgiveness and racism. As you know, racism is a huge, but largely ignored, problem in America—ignored at least by the white majority. It’s also a problem in the church. It can be difficult to talk about racism, so stories like this engage our thinking and promote further discussion. In that regard, I’d like to highlight a popular film called Crash.

DVD: Journey toward Forgiveness DVD. A documentary produced by Third Way Media for ABC TV featuring John Perkins and others on the struggle for and power of forgiveness.

ONLINE: John Perkins Foundation

BOOKS
The Peacemaker: The Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict – Ken Sande 
As We Forgive: Stories of Reconciliation from Rwanda – Catherine Claire Larson 
The Gift of Forgiveness – Charles Stanley 
Let Justice Roll Down - John Perkins

70 Times 7

Burton Buller

The genesis for Third Way Media’s Journey Towards Forgiveness television program began around a table in a room in New York City. A group of religious communicators was brainstorming what the topic should be for a new program they were about to produce for release on ABC-TV.

Staff and writers for MennoMedia share some of their favorite Christmas stories, carols and scriptures on the program beginning the week of December 17. The theme is “Christmas Miracles,” and the program features Phil Wagler, a pastor in British Columbia and writer for Canadian Mennonite; a story about “Donkey” by Carol Duerksen, editor of Purpose magazine; and a family story by Russ Eanes, director of MennoMedia, remembering the fabulous Christmas views of earth when a U.S. space ship first orbited the moon. Enjoy Christmas music and scripture as you listen to these fresh stories, never heard before on radio.

Cranberry Orange Bread

Carmen Wyse asked a co-worker for this recipe after she brought it to a work potluck. Carmen likes the recipe because "it is really moist and very tasty!"

• Shaping Families Update - May 12
• Shaping Families Update - May 5
• Shaping Families Update - April 28
• Shaping Families Update - April 21

The Shaping Families free offer from this week’s program is no longer available. Visit our online store at www.MennoMedia.org/store if you would like to purchase the item offered. Some items are not offered on the store.