evangelism

Zumba-dy Stop Me

February 6, 2013 By Erin Wathen 3 Comments

Maybe you don't know this about me, but i'm a 'retired' dancer. I've been missing the dance part of my life lately because my daughter has recently started ballet. All those little leotards are making me remember 1)the time when i could fit into such a thing and 2)the sheer joy of movement. For the past 12 years or so, the yen to dance again has come and gone in seasons. This time, in looking at dance studios for my kid, i found one that had an adult Zumba class, and figured I'd try it. I've … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Being a Person, faith and community Tagged With: Church growth, evangelism, fitness, ministry, progressive christianity, spirituality, zumba 3 Comments

Scattered and Sown

November 3, 2012 By Erin Wathen 1 Comment

So this farmer went out with a bunch of seeds. And he scattered them far and wide. Some fell on the road, so the road runners ate them. Some fell on the red rock; those seeds sprouted quickly, but their roots didn't go very deep. The saplings whithered and died in the blazing sun, and the remains were trampled by coyotes. Some fell in the dry and thorny weeds; those seeds never had a chance. And some of those seeds fell on rich, fertile, life-filled soil, and grew forth abundant … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Being a Person, desert life, faith and community Tagged With: evangelism, farming, generosity, parable of the sower, progressive christianity, spirituality, stewardship 1 Comment

For Such a Time as This

September 9, 2011 By Erin Wathen 1 Comment

I was sitting on the floor of my crummy first-year-of-being-a-grownup apartment, doing grad school homework that i should have done the night before, and getting ready to go to class. Which means I probably shouldn't have been watching tv, but was. When the plane hit the first tower, i went and woke up my roommate, who was still sleeping. "What? That's crazy!" she said. I ran quickly back to the tv to find out what a breathless world was waiting to find out--what sort of mechanical error, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Being a Person, faith and community, Uncategorized Tagged With: arizona, children of september 11, christianity, church, community, connect, desert, disciples of christ, discipleship, discipline, evangelism, faith, family, grace, hope, hospitality, Jesus, media, ministry, neighbor, neighborhood, news, parenting, peace, phoenix, post-traumatic stress syndrome, progressive christianity, PTS, Redbook Magazine, relationships, sabbath, seminary, september 11, simplicity, spirituality, stewardship, talents, west, wilderness, work, worship 1 Comment

The Sacred Struggle

September 8, 2011 By Erin Wathen 2 Comments

I was cooking dinner and trying not to get sucked in. It is only September. Of the year BEFORE the election year. I am not ready for the emotional angst, the loaded sermon fodder, the toxic wasteland that is partisan rhetoric. It was on in the background, but I was determined not to engage. When I heard the applause, I turned around. I'm listening now, i thought numbly. I looked to see if I'd really heard what I'd just heard. My husband and I looked at each other, appalled. "Rewind that," I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Being a Person, faith and community, Spirituality in Culture, Uncategorized Tagged With: arizona, capital punishment, christianity, church, community, connect, death penalty, desert, disciples of christ, discipleship, evangelism, faith, family, grace, hope, Jesus, memorial, ministry, neighbor, osama bin laden, parenting, peace, phoenix, politics, progressive christianity, relationships, republican party, republican presidential debate, rick perry, september 11, simplicity, spirituality, tea party, worship 2 Comments

Bless This Mess (without the stress)

August 31, 2011 By Erin Wathen 1 Comment

Listen to me, young folks in your 20's, figuring out what you're going to be--I want to tell you something. You can, in fact, have it all. You can have a meaningful, fulfilling career, AND a healthy, happy family. Those who say you cannot are haters, so don't listen to them. You can do both and live. It is possible. What you will probably not have--nay, what you will never have, in that particular life combination--is a clean house. Just live with it. You will be happier, and so will your … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Marriage and Family, Uncategorized Tagged With: arizona, babies, children, christianity, church, community, connect, decorating, desert, development, disciples of christ, discipleship, discipline, evangelism, faith, family, gifts, grace, growth, hope, hospitality, joy, kids, ministry, nature, neighbor, neighborhood, organization, parenting, peace, phoenix, pottery barn, progressive christianity, relationships, siblings, simplicity, spirituality, stewardship, toddlers, vocation, work, writing 1 Comment

Joyful Noise

August 30, 2011 By Erin Wathen 1 Comment

I never know who "they" are, but "they" say you should start reading to your baby very young. In-utero, if possible. When they are very small, long before the sounds make words, the rhythm of your voice is soothing. It lulls them to sleep. It connects them to the sound of you. While they are small enough to be still in your arms and not try to escape, the joy of reading takes root in them. Meanwhile, word by word, something like language begins to take shape. It starts out as white noise, but … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Marriage and Family, Uncategorized Tagged With: arizona, children, christianity, church, community, connect, desert, development, disciples of christ, discipleship, evangelism, faith, family, gifts, grace, hope, Jesus, joy, kids, language, ministry, parenting, peace, phoenix, prayer, reading, relationships, sabbath, simplicity, spiritual discipline, spirituality, work 1 Comment

Unknown

August 29, 2011 By Erin Wathen Leave a Comment

It was a rare (RARE) Saturday afternoon moment. Both kids were asleep at the same time, and my spouse was out of the house. I had just settled into the good chair with a library book, and the phone rang. I glanced over and there it was...the "unknown caller." What do you do? I almost never answer. Especially not on a Saturday, when there are sleeping babies and good books to be read. It was almost a no-brainer. And yet, this time, I answered. For whatever reason. And it was my brother, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Marriage and Family, Spirituality in Culture, Uncategorized Tagged With: app, arizona, christianity, church, community, connect, desert, disciples of christ, discipleship, droid, evangelism, faith, family, gifts, grace, hope, hospitality, iPhone, Jesus, joy, ministry, nature, neighbor, neighborhood, parenting, phoenix, progressive christianity, relationships, sabbath, simplicity, smart phone, south africa, spirituality, stewardship, talents, unknown caller, vocation, west, wilderness Leave a Comment

Saturday Night’s Alright (just alright)

August 27, 2011 By Erin Wathen 3 Comments

One thing they don't tell you when you go into the ministry [wait--there are about a THOUSAND things that "they" don't tell you, but this is one] is that you should say good bye to Saturdays. They no longer exist. Well, at least not for you. This is why many clergy take Fridays off--to have the whole day free, knowing the next morning does not press too closely in on your sabbath day. But even then, busy churches have life on Saturdays, at least on occasion. I am a Monday-off person myself. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Being a Person, Marriage and Family, Spirituality in Culture, Uncategorized Tagged With: a prairie home companion, arizona, children, christianity, church, community, connect, desert, disciples of christ, discipleship, discipline, eugene petersen, evangelism, faith, family, family time, gifts, grace, hope, hospitality, Jesus, joy, justin timberlake, kids, matthew 11, ministry, nashville, neighbor, neighborhood, parenting, peace, phoenix, progressive christianity, relationships, rhythm, sabbath, Saturday Night Live, seasons, simplicity, spirituality, stewardship, the grand ole opry, the message, time management, vocation, west, work, worship 3 Comments

You Can’t Handle the Truth

August 26, 2011 By Erin Wathen 6 Comments

Some people have a loose relationship with the truth. I get that. Now me, I was born with this pesky built-in truth-telling device that makes it dang near impossible for me to lie. I would fail a lie detector test in 2 seconds flat. If i even catch myself wandering from the truth, my heartrate goes up, i get naseous, i feel the beginnings of canker sores... and these are for the little white lies. Like when somebody asks me "can you tell I've gained weight?" or "aren't my kids the cutest … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Being a Person, faith and community, Uncategorized Tagged With: arizona, christianity, church, community, compulsive behavior, connect, desert, development, disciples of christ, discipleship, discipline, evangelism, faith, family, gifts, grace, hope, hospitality, Jesus, lying, ministry, neighbor, neighborhood, parenting, pastoral care, pathological liars, personality disorders, phoenix, progressive christianity, psychology, relationships, simplicity, spirituality, vocation, work 6 Comments

And Paul Thought Corinth Was Bad…

August 24, 2011 By Erin Wathen 3 Comments

Naked is all the rage. Naked Juice: great lunch in a quick and easy container. Crazy expensive, but unless they're lying on the label, it's actually good for you. Naked Pizza=new franchise in my neighborhood. Perhaps unfortunately named, because my first thought is, plain crust. No sauce, no cheese, no toppings. What's the point? In fact, it is hippie organic whole food ingredients, blah blah blah. Again, unless the material lies, it is actually good for you. Naked and Famous … [Read more...]

Filed Under: faith and community, Uncategorized Tagged With: arizona, bible, bible study, brian mclaren, christianity, church, community, connect, contemporary worship, corinth, corinthians, desert, disciples of christ, discipleship, discipline, emergent church, emergent worship, evangelism, faith, family, fashion, foothills christian church, gifts, grace, hope, hospitality, joy, ministry, naked, naked and famous, naked church, naked juice, naked pizza, naked spirituality, nature, neighbor, neighborhood, parenting, paul, peace, phoenix, progressive christianity, relationships, scripture, simplicity, spirituality, talents, west, wilderness, work, worship 3 Comments

Zumba-dy Stop Me

Scattered and Sown

For Such a Time as This

The Sacred Struggle

Bless This Mess (without the stress)

Joyful Noise

Unknown

Saturday Night’s Alright (just alright)

You Can’t Handle the Truth

And Paul Thought Corinth Was Bad…

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