Welcome to The Narthex: a new forum for dialogue and community for all those interested in biblical justice and wholistic, embodied discipleship in the Covenant Church. We are excited to re-introduce The Narthex in new form after it stopped being published several years ago. The Narthex was resurrected in order to continue the con-versations from our past, develop the voices of the present, and encourage future cadences to help shape our church family. Much hard work from a diverse crowd of people united in this common purpose has made this publication a reality – and we are looking for more potential contributors, writers, and supporters even as we roll out the first issue! So give us your feedback, ideas, article submissions, and critiques.

In these pages you'll find a balance of thought that represents many facets of our life as disciples and members of the body of Christ. Conversations explores the ques-tion, "What is wholistic, embodied disciple-ship as it relates to the story of the ECC?" from three perspectives, building on the rich legacy of the late Prof. Burton Nelson. Everyday Sacred gives us a window into a young pastor's journey to embody disciple-ship at the dinner table; Poems, Prayers, & Praises moves us to reflect and worship. Check out the Call to Action for concrete ways that you and your community might embody justice, and read We Thought You Should Know for updates on issues that may impact justice and spiritual formation in the church. A few practical helps are highlighted in the Resource Review, selected from among the hundreds of others out there!

Our contributors have given us a wealth of starting conversation topics, as well as insight into how we might embody discipleship. We want to let the contents speak for themselves, but there is one contributor we must comment on, the late Rev. Dr. F. Burton Nelson - a faithful fixture at North Park Theological Seminary who also garnered world renown for his scholarship. Burton's life constantly reflected Jesus Christ and the pursuit of justice in the world, whether in the classroom, as a father and husband, on an ecumenical march, or through a warm friendship. As students of his, we hope to continue forming a generation of leaders, teachers, writers, pastors, prophets, and disciples (as well as comedians!) who celebrate the convictions of Burton Nelson and all those who have gone before us in the name of Christ and doing the work of justice. May The Narthex be a collaborative, communal, and conversational encouragement to the larger church in this tradition-"For God's Glory and Neighbor's Good."

Editors-in-Chief, Liz Mosbo VerHage & Kyle Small.