Nathan Blake is a 28-year-old lawyer who left his firm to work full-time in Iowa on the Barack Obama campaign for president. He talks to Spectrum about mixing politics and religion, and Obama's chances.

Question: What is your role in the Barack Obama campaign? What do you do every day?

Answer: I've been a field organizer for about a year and recently switched to the communications team in Iowa.

Field work is on-the-ground voter contact – what this campaign is famous for.

When I found this Sh'ma interview in my inbox, it raised a question: we Seventh-day Adventists qua Sabbathing followers of Jesus seems to be on all sides of this conversation, except the ecology part. Why? I'm curious to read your reactions.

An anonymous blogger has begun posting caricatures of famous Adventists online. He's taking requests, so think about who you would like to see in a slightly different light!

Question: Your blog shows caricatures of well-known Adventists, both living and dead. Are you making fun of the people you depict?

Robert E. Lemon has been the treasurer of the Seventh-day Adventist world church for the last six years. He recently reported tithe takings of $1.78 billion for the last fiscal year – as well as a multimillion “extraordinary tithe”.

In a wide-ranging interview with Spectrum, he shares his insights about how giving trends are changing, how the Church spends its money and why endowments aren’t always a good idea.

Alden Thompson, professor of biblical studies at Walla Walla University, is a prolific writer, frequent speaker and long-time contributor to Spectrum. Here he talks to Spectrum about how he sees the Adventist church changing, and the conflict between liberal and conservative Adventism.

Question: You have been at the Walla Walla University School of Theology since 1970. What changes have you seen in Adventist thinking and Adventist theology in the last four decades?

After lots of bad news from Columbia Union College over the past several years, new president Weymouth Spence has announced sweeping changes on the campus in a document approved at the March 5 Board meeting and known as The Plan.

Documentary filmmaker Martin Doblmeier made a film last year called The Power of Forgiveness that won critical acclaim - and got people talking. The film examines the role forgiveness can play in alleviating anger and grief, as well as the physical, mental and spiritual benefits that come with forgiveness. The Power of Forgiveness won Best Film award at the Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival in 2007.

Doblmeier talked to Spectrum about the impact the film has had.

A new movie called Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed advocates "intelligent design" and promotes itself as a film that uncovers the persecution of educators and scientists for challenging evolution. Starring Ben Stein as questioner - Michael Moore-style, except conservative - the movie banked $3.2 million on its opening weekend.

It has garnered plenty of criticism, and even a lawsuit from Yoko Ono who isn't happy about the movie's use of John Lennon's song "Imagine."

Renee Battle-Brooks is chief of the Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Unit at the Prince George's County (Maryland) State's Attorney's Office. She spoke candidly to Spectrum about the tough cases she deals with every day and how frustrating the job can be. But she sees that believing in people empowers them, and she keeps on fighting.

Question: How long have you been in your job and what led up to it? How did you pick this area of work?

Sarah Porter, with a career in international development ahead of her, recently accepted a job with ADRA in Yemen. A few weeks in, Spectrum asked her what the country is like and what her job is teaching her.

Q: How would you describe Yemen from your experience so far? How is it the same, or different, than you imagined? What are the Yemeni people like?