Back To Church?

January 26, 2017 By Michelle Van Loon

I’ve been blogging for more than a decade,and I’ve written often about spiritual abuse by church leaders – sharing both my own experience and referencing the struggles of others. I’m just one voice in a large crowd: there are numerous blogs, books, and worthwhile organizations telling the stories of spiritual and/or clergy sexual abuse survivors. The internet has been a tool for good in this struggle as it has facilitated connection between survivors. In a few high profile cases, the... Read more

What Are You Reading? January 2017 Edition

January 11, 2017 By Michelle Van Loon

One of my go-to questions of both friends and new acquaintances is, “What are you reading?” It’s really another way of asking, “Who are you hanging around with these days? Maybe I can hang around with you guys, too.” I’m always looking for book recommendations. As you can see, I’m a little light (as usual) in the fiction department, so feel free to leave your recommendations in the comments section below. Maybe you’re in the market for a book to... Read more

Three Gifts of Women’s Ministry

January 10, 2017 By Michelle Van Loon

Last week in this space, I wrote about a flawed Proverbs 31-focused approach one congregation took when they decided to rethink their ministry to women. Even as I raised concerns, I noted that I’ve been enriched by time spent in prayer, study, fellowship, worship, and service with women’s-only groups. Do these single-gender groups reflect who the Church is? Paul highlighted diversity within the Church, even as he reminded us that there is one Savior for all: “There is neither Jew... Read more

Epiphany: One Thing To Learn, One Thing To Taste

January 4, 2017 By Michelle Van Loon

It’s still Christmas. Yes, I know. The sparkly decor that looked so welcome in early December looks tired and dreary now that the holiday festivities are done. The gingerbread cookies have been eaten, the wrong-sized gifts have been exchanged. It’s hard to think “Christmas” once we replace last year’s wall calendar with a new model. But on the liturgical calendar, Christmas lasts for 12 days, beginning December 25th. This brief season spent contemplating the incarnation ends with Epiphany on January... Read more

Learning to Write in Pencil

January 3, 2017 By Michelle Van Loon

For the first 56 years of my life, I welcomed each new year with a blank calendar and an abundance of fresh hope. The heroic words of architect Daniel Burnham emboldened my Type A penchant for scripting my life: “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized.” I crafted big goals out of big dreams, broke them down into actionable bits, and scrawled them in pen on each new... Read more

Designing Women’s Ministry

January 2, 2017 By Michelle Van Loon

The new women’s ministry director invited all adult women to a brainstorming meeting. “We want to help you become the women God is calling you to be,” she explained as she passed out sheets of paper with each phrase of Proverbs 31:10-31 on a separate line. She read the passage, then did a bit of contextualizing to help us re-imagine the language of the Ancient Near East in our suburban experience. For example, the director noted, “She selects wool and... Read more

2016, You’ve Been A Handful

December 27, 2016 By Michelle Van Loon

This year is being dubbed a true annus horribilis (year of disaster) by many. I’ll be frank. It hasn’t been my favorite for a variety of reasons, both cultural and personal. As it often does, the horribilis has the odor and consistency of fresh bat guano. In other words, it can serve as some Grade A fertilizer. I’m not given to putting together end of year recaps, but it helps to step back a few paces in order to see... Read more

Blue Christmas

December 19, 2016 By Michelle Van Loon

Contrary to the song lyrics, it’s not the most wonderful time of the year for many of us. The jingle bell merriness of the season is like an out-of-tune gong for those grieving the deaths of family members or friends, struggling in the wake of a divorce, suffering the effects of broken relationships, experiencing financial hardship, or dealing with the effects of physical or mental illness in themselves or their loved ones. My family has been marked in recent years... Read more

Why Advent Is More Jewish Than You Think

December 16, 2016 By Michelle Van Loon

ne memorable Advent, I wondered if I was going to set our kitchen table on fire when I started lighting all the candles amassed on its surface. There were four thick pastel candles on our Advent wreath and six slender primary ones in our nearly-full Chanukah menorah, properly known as a chanukiah. My husband and I are both Jewish followers of Jesus and wanted our children to connect with the hope and history embedded in both observances. It seemed like... Read more

“Chrismukkah”: 1 thing to learn, 1 thing to taste

December 12, 2016 By Michelle Van Loon

So many people are interested in being more intentional about learning about the Jewish and Christian calendars, but don’t quite know where to start. I’m very happy I can commend a resource that offers a thoughtful historical and devotional overview of each calendar, but also know that many people feel as through attempting to participate will be a pile-on of extra stuff to do (and extra guilt to feel if they can’t do it). Well, every once in a while, the lunar-based... Read more