Again, I awake to news of an inexplicable mass shooting, people gunned down in the most mundane of places, this time a movie theater. Again, I read the same worn arguments from anti-gun control folk, who insist that a legally armed citizen might have stopped alleged gunman James Holmes before he killed a dozen people. Again, I wonder if this time the ready availability of firearms in our country will become a topic of thoughtful discussion rather than a mere... Read more
I’m attending and speaking at the 3rd annual Summer Institute on Theology and Disability, held this year at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. This afternoon, I will read from my book, No Easy Choice: A Story of Disability, Parenthood, and Faith in an Age of Advanced Reproduction, and host a conversation on the promises and perils of genetic screening for genetically based disabilities. Once again, I’ll be focusing on what I see as the central tension in assessing these... Read more
Did I say I was taking a three-week break from blogging? Yes. Yes I did. But three weeks became five weeks. And while it feels good to get my writerly juices flowing again and put some ideas into words, I’m also dragging my feet a bit. My blogging break was necessary to accommodate some specific events, including a new puppy, three kids transitioning from school days to summer days, a week-long beach trip, a three-day camping trip, and some travel... Read more
I’m taking a three-week blog vacation, starting today, though I’ll still be hanging around on Facebook and Twitter. And hopefully writing some good stuff to post in July. The main reason for this break is that we have a new baby in the house, of the canine variety. Many of you have followed our dog woes, as we went through two failed adoptions of adult rescue dogs. After our second failed adoption, the local rescue group we’ve been working with,... Read more
This is the final post in a series of five posts exploring money and faith. The series title comes from this scripture verse: “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23 – 25) On Monday, I wrote about my ongoing struggle with tithing. Another big question around tithing is where to give? At the DC church... Read more
by Jennifer Grant This is the fourth of a series of five posts exploring money and faith. The series title comes from this scripture verse: “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23 – 25) In years past, my girls pined for Webkinz, slap bracelets, and Silly Bandz. When they were younger, my boys coveted high-flying... Read more
by Tim Fall This is the third of a series of five posts exploring money and faith. The series title comes from this scripture verse: “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23 – 25) Cabaret has that wonderfully avaricious song, Money, Money: Money makes the world go around The world go around The world go... Read more
by Connie Jakab This is the second of a series of five posts exploring money and faith. The series title comes from this scripture verse: “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23 – 25) Yesterday I took a humbling trip through my clothes closet. I found many items I had hoarded just waiting for the... Read more
“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23 – 25) While topics such as same-sex marriage and abortion dominate media coverage of religion, I’d venture to say that money is the topic that most vexes American Christians trying to figure out how to live out our faith. It certainly vexes me. Lest we think that the... Read more
Every Friday, I feature something written by one of my fellow bloggers at Patheos, a web portal devoted to religion and spirituality, or by another blogger/writer whose work I admire. This week, I had the pleasure of reviewing Katherine Willis Pershey’s new book, Any Day a Beautiful Change (Chalice Press, 2012), for the Englewood Review of Books. Among a certain subset of Christians, it has become trendy to praise spiritual memoirists by comparing them to Anne Lamott. I no longer... Read more
Ellen Painter Dollar
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