A few days ago I had a really interesting & unexpected thing happen to me that stirred up a lot of big feelings. It’s too complicated to go into all of the details, but the essence is this–I criss-crossed with the realities of what happens when conservative Christian power intersects with the work of standing […]
Read Morethird way practices.
once in a while i click on a facebook link that i sort of know i shouldn’t read but do anyway (you know that feeling?) and yeah, i usually end up groaning. sure enough, i clicked on the “there’s no third way” post by al mohler, who agrees with tony jones that when it comes […]
Read Moredon't feed the narcissists.
for the most part, i try to stay out of social media madness because it is usually just that–maddening. i watch things come into my feed and because i have a diverse set of friends the opposing viewpoints right next to each other are sometimes kind of comical. i also made a decision a long […]
Read Morewhen our christian faith is questioned
many years ago i had a friend who was concerned about my salvation. it appeared that my position that “we were made in the image of God and there is good in us despite our sin” freaked her out in light of her position on total depravity. there’s much more to the story, but toward […]
Read More"i just don't see how he could do that" & some thoughts on abuse
**warning: this post is about sexual abuse (and emotional, physical, and spiritual too) and so if you are extra sensitive to this topic, please know there could be possible triggers. abuse is one of the most damaging things that can happen to someone. and there’s never an excuse for it. young or old, male or […]
Read More5 false things the church often teaches us about healing
i have a theory about healing: most of us need it, a lot of us want it, and many of our church experiences have taught us some things that make it harder to get. this makes me sad, mainly because church is supposed to be a place of healing, the safest place on earth to […]
Read Morewhat do we want to be known for?
today is the march synchroblog, centered on guns & God. yikes, it’s a tricky topic with so many strong emotions, but i have faith that we can have a kind and respectful conversation. it’s a way to practice listening and let others be where they are at without feeling the need to convince differently. i […]
Read More"i just feel like i'm one of the guys" and other subtleties working against equality
last week i read a post on a friend’s facebook page about the emergence christianity gathering in memphis. i wasn’t there so i can’t speak into anything that happened there, but she made an interesting observation that caught my eye. when addressed with a question about gender inequality in emergence christianity, several of the female speakers […]
Read More5 nonviolent ways we can help win the war against women
last week was a big week for me; after sending our oldest son back to college the week before, we took our daughter to start her freshman year in college in new york city, got our twins started in middle school, and sent our #3 off to florida for a football team adventure. to top […]
Read Morewhy the word "missional" bugs me.
i know the word “missional” is popular in a lot of christian circles these days. it has gained traction as churches are attempting to become more outwardly focused. now, there are all kinds of groups, networks, ministry initiatives, new book lines, and other programs dedicated to challenging the church to become more “missional.” even though […]
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