Ed Smither

Professor of Intercultural Studies, History of Global Christianity, Dean @DiscoverCIU My Books:
I believe:

[Ed Smither @edsmither]

We have a cover. Coming in January 2027.

[Ed Smither @edsmither]

@edstetzer @WycliffeHall Before zooming in, I thought you had become an Anglican priest.

[Ed Smither @edsmither]

@jd_payne You can wear a nice polyester suit instead.

[Dr. Michael F. Bird @mbird12]

This is not a diversity item to add on the bibliography, this is a genuinely insightful book by a fantastic cast of authors. It shows the different ways that the New Testament “lands” in places like Africa.

[U2 @U2]

On this Good Friday, here’s Easter Lily EP. A much more reflective set of songs emerging from a more personal, private place that some may retreat to in such times – exploring themes of friendship, loss, hope, and ultimately, renewal. Easter Lily EP arrives six weeks after Days of Ash EP, which marked the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday Easter Lily EP available now. https://t.co/OB3mVe69vu

[U2 @U2]

A note to U2’s audience from Bono:

"We are in the studio, still working towards a noisy, messy, 'unreasonably colour xerox’ album to play LIVE… which is where U2 lives. We still look to vivid rock n roll as an act of resistance against all this awfulness on our small screens. These are for sure ‘wilderness years’ for so many of us looking at the mayhem out there in the world. It’s a time that has our band digging deeper into our lives to find a wellspring of songs to try to meet the moment…

With Easter Lily we ended up asking very personal questions like: Are our own relationships up to these challenging times? How hard do you fight for friendship? Can our faith survive the mangling of meaning that those algorithms love to reward? Is all religion rubbish and still ripping us apart…? Or are there answers to find in its crevices? Are there ceremonies, rituals, dances that we might be missing in our lives? From the rite of Spring to Easter and its promise of rebirth and renewal… Patti Smith’s album Easter gave me so much hope when it was released in 1978. I wasn’t yet 18. The title is a nod to her.

We will attempt hoopla and fanfare at a later date to remind the rest of the world we exist but in the meantime… this is between you and us."

Easter Lily EP available now. https://t.co/OB3mVe69vu

[U2 @U2]

Today, on the 4th anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian cinematographer, filmmaker and member of the Khartiya corps Ilya Mikhaylus releases a 4½-minute documentary short film inspired by U2’s “Yours Eternally” from their Days of Ash EP, released last week.

The film was shot during the Winter of 2025 while Mikhaylus and his crew were embedded alongside the @khartiiabrygada in Ukraine. It captures the extraordinary daily lives of Alina and her fellow soldiers fighting on the frontlines of the war.

Yours Eternally documentary short film now available on YouTube: https://t.co/g6oV345yQD Days of Ash EP available now. Read Propaganda: https://t.co/OB3mVe5BFW

[U2 @U2]

On this day. Super Bowl XXXVI. 2002.

[Ed Smither @edsmither]

@revhannahking Kind of in start of U2’s American Soul (with Kendrick Lamar): https://t.co/EvGOqXqjke

[Ed Smither @edsmither]

@KSPrior Hopefully with a Diet Coke😀

[William Carey Publishing @wcpbooks]

Revelation is a book of mission—proclaiming God’s love for the nations and calling the church to embody the new creation in the present. https://t.co/163oBTX6CM

[Ed Smither @edsmither]

What a good man who would have made a great president. May God bless him and his family in these days.

[Ben Sasse @BenSasse]

Friends-

This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.

Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do.

I’m blessed with amazing siblings and half-a-dozen buddies that are genuinely brothers. As one of them put it, “Sure, you’re on the clock, but we’re all on the clock.” Death is a wicked thief, and the bastard pursues us all.

Still, I’ve got less time than I’d prefer. This is hard for someone wired to work and build, but harder still as a husband and a dad. I can’t begin to describe how great my people are. During the past year, as we’d temporarily stepped back from public life and built new family rhythms, Melissa and I have grown even closer — and that on top of three decades of the best friend a man could ever have. Seven months ago, Corrie was commissioned into the Air Force and she’s off at instrument and multi-engine rounds of flight school. Last week, Alex kicked butt graduating from college a semester early even while teaching gen chem, organic, and physics (she’s a freak). This summer, 14-year-old Breck started learning to drive. (Okay, we’ve been driving off-book for six years — but now we’ve got paper to make it street-legal.) I couldn’t be more grateful to constantly get to bear-hug this motley crew of sinners and saints.

There’s not a good time to tell your peeps you’re now marching to the beat of a faster drummer — but the season of advent isn’t the worst. As a Christian, the weeks running up to Christmas are a time to orient our hearts toward the hope of what’s to come.

Not an abstract hope in fanciful human goodness; not hope in vague hallmark-sappy spirituality; not a bootstrapped hope in our own strength (what foolishness is the evaporating-muscle I once prided myself in). Nope — often we lazily say “hope” when what we mean is “optimism.” To be clear, optimism is great, and it’s absolutely necessary, but it’s insufficient. It’s not the kinda thing that holds up when you tell your daughters you’re not going to walk them down the aisle. Nor telling your mom and pops they’re gonna bury their son.

A well-lived life demands more reality — stiffer stuff. That’s why, during advent, even while still walking in darkness, we shout our hope — often properly with a gravelly voice soldiering through tears.

Such is the calling of the pilgrim. Those who know ourselves to need a Physician should dang well look forward to enduring beauty and eventual fulfillment. That is, we hope in a real Deliverer — a rescuing God, born at a real time, in a real place. But the eternal city — with foundations and without cancer — is not yet.

Remembering Isaiah’s prophecies of what’s to come doesn’t dull the pain of current sufferings. But it does put it in eternity’s perspective:
“When we've been there 10,000 years…We've no less days to sing God's praise.”

I’ll have more to say. I’m not going down without a fight. One sub-part of God’s grace is found in the jawdropping advances science has made the past few years in immunotherapy and more. Death and dying aren’t the same — the process of dying is still something to be lived. We’re zealously embracing a lot of gallows humor in our house, and I’ve pledged to do my part to run through the irreverent tape.

But for now, as our family faces the reality of treatments, but more importantly as we celebrate Christmas, we wish you peace: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned….For to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9).

With great gratitude, and with gravelly-but-hopeful voices,
Ben — and the Sasses

[William Carey Publishing @wcpbooks]

The missionary motive, message, and methods of Revelation—all in one volume. 'Reading Revelation Missiologically' is the latest in the Reading Missiologically series, inviting readers to see how Revelation empowers the church’s witness in the world. https://t.co/163oBTX6CM

[Abeneazer Gezahegn Urga @AbeneazerGUrga]

Grateful for Kenneth Nehrbass' review of *Reading James Missiologically*(@wcpbooks) in Great Commission Research Journal.
https://t.co/A7CFRLx9Js

[Abeneazer Gezahegn Urga @AbeneazerGUrga]

Had great conversations, thoughtful responses and probing questions from the panelists this afternoon.

[Abeneazer Gezahegn Urga @AbeneazerGUrga]

Looking forward to hearing the responses of Amy Peeler, @jd_payne and Daniel Eng to *Reading Hebrews, 1 Peter and James Missiologically* (@wcpbooks) and respond to their responses with @edsmither @etsjets #ETS2025 #ETS25.

[Abeneazer Gezahegn Urga @AbeneazerGUrga]

Finally, *Reading Revelation Missiologically is out* (@wcpbooks). Congrats to all the contributors and my co-editors @edsmither and Michael Naylor!

[Abeneazer Gezahegn Urga @AbeneazerGUrga]

"The scholarly but readable—and timely—chapters in this book confirm, expand, and deepen that view of Revelation from diverse perspectives. Every student and teacher of the Bible’s last book will benefit immensely from this volume." ~Michael J. Gorman, PhD https://t.co/VBvAqwpkY1

[William Carey Publishing @wcpbooks]

Preorder now: 'Reading Revelation Missiologically.' This is the newest installment in the Reading Missiology series, following volumes on Hebrews, 1 Peter, and James.

https://t.co/163oBTX6CM

[William Carey Publishing @wcpbooks]

The EMS Book Series is a great resource for those interested in missiology and global mission work. Order the complete eBook collection for 40% off! Please email us at [email protected] for more information.