Jesus can be so weird. So wonderfully, amazingly weird. And every time I read the Bible, I get a new sense of wonder, because new God-thoughts smack me upside the head with a thunk. It happened just the other day, as I was reading, once again, the “Let he who has no sin cast the first stone” story. It’s one of my favorites in the Bible, and it’s one of the stories that makes me fall mad in love... Read more
Sometimes, a call to ministry is a soft whisper, a leaning of the heart, a gentle voice that pushes you forward toward a choice of vocation, or school, or activity. It’s a beautiful process, an awakening of the soul to one’s purpose, and it’s something for which we should praise God. Sometimes, God is gentle with us, and calls us with this soft touch of ministry. And sometimes, he drops an anvil on our head. Sometimes, frying pans... Read more
This is an older video, and not professionally done, but it’s absolutely beautiful, and pretty funny too. It’s worth it to watch it all the way to the end. Especially if you’re up for a Jesus challenge, if you’re willing to look grace in the face, let it fill you all up, and make you start loving people you’d really prefer to hate. Enjoy! Read more
No one who knows me would ever accuse me of being a traditionalist. The Evangelical church I attend is fairly contemporary (and interestingly enough, it’s a church that the Willowcreek Association once said was the most diverse they’d ever seen, racially, gererationally, and socio-economically), but still I test the grace reserves of many. I’ve always been the questioner, the poker, the under-dog-sticker-upper-for, always asking questions and noticing the stuff other people might prefer to leave be. I love my... Read more
I know I should probably write something about Nice, but it’s all so overwhelming. I want to acknowledge it, I want to pull it apart and find God somewhere in there, but I’m at a loss. And loss — there has been so much of it lately, hasn’t there? So much sorrow, so much evidence of how we humans can just screw the whole thing up. How we can become so twisted it seems that there is no God-light left... Read more
So in this Friday’s You Need To See This, I want to share a website I’ve found that I am absolutely falling in love with. I also want to participate in a shameless plug as an exercise in self-management. But first, the gorgeous website. I have discovered a website so luscious I want to dive into it every morning during my prayer time. You’ve probably already found it, but if you haven’t, check out The Work of the People.... Read more
It’s important, I think, to hear from other voices, and because I am committed to social justice, I think it’s important to share my space — this platform I’ve been given — to allow other important voices to be heard. This post, written by guest blogger Lisa Alexander of This Woman Knows, originally appeared on her blog. I share it here, with her permission, because I think it beautifully speaks to what some of our black friends may be... Read more
Let’s face it: all each of us wants is to love and be loved, to live life free and in peace, to know our children are safe in the world. I don’t think you can be human and not be affected by what’s going on in our country, even if your reaction is vastly different from those of other people. We each respond differently, but at its core, our response comes from either fear that our ability to maintain... Read more
This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for darkness. – John 3:19 I fear my heart has died a million tiny deaths this past week; cellular deaths that make the muscle just a little less human, a little more hard, a plastic representation of what God originally intended. With every act of violence perpetrated, one of us against the other, the crimson blood streaming live on social media, the... Read more
I’m not necessarily a fan of pastors having fans, but I confess: I’m a huge fan of Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber. I pretty much read whatever she writes and listen to whatever she says, primarily because she always makes me feel welcomed by God, even when I am at my jerkiest. This video is long, so you may want to bookmark it for your weekend recreation time, because it’s so incredibly worth it. Part of the On Being podcast, it was filmed... Read more
Jerseygirl, JESUS
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