My husband and I have had a cold for a few days now, and we have been taking care of each other with meds, fluids, lots of rest, and sleeping in a bit. When I got up this morning, I checked Facebook and read a few posts by some of my favorite writers/friends (Jim Palmer Barbara Symons, Paul Anthony, Wallis, Karl Forehand, Joe Machuta, Doug Wentz ). Then I listened to the Sunday Live that Aaron Tomlinson does on Facebook... Read more
The Problem with Theologians When I discovered systematic theology, it was almost an instant thing that I wanted more. In the business world, there were systematic methodologies that drove quality and efficiency. If I could apply something like that to my quest for understanding God, then everything would be right in the world, and I would be able to share that with others. So, shortly thereafter, I finished my bachelor’s degree at a seminary and dove feet first into ministry.... Read more
I want to remove the word mercy from my vocabulary, or at least when I am talking about spiritual things or about God and religious things. I was a pastor and when we referred to mercy, we meant that it was not getting what I deserved. Because we saw God as retributive, mercy was like a pardon and helped us escape God’s retributive justice. Most people even if they are not religious, see this word as something along those lines.... Read more
My most vivid memories are of junior high. In those days, parents would turn their children out and let them play for most of the day in the Summer. When dinner was ready, they would find us and call us home. Video games were rudimentary then, and we only had a few TV stations, so the best thing to do was go outside and discover the great outdoors. For my friends and my brothers, we chose the path of... Read more
Christianity was often confusing to me. It asked me to believe in a God that I could not see. It had a narrative about demons and angels, and all of them were invisible. But at the same time, it also promoted fear of anything not defined in the narrative thousands of years old. Every spirit or force that we could not see had to fit into the box of either God’s or angels or something extremely dangerous and unpredictable. So,... Read more
This morning I was reflecting on 2 instances of men being detained in a Southern jail. One of them was an ex-president and the other a famous civil rights leader. One of them was detained for eight days and witnessed cruelty and mistreatment of his fellow detainees, the other was detained for 20 minutes and handled with kid gloves while being surrounded by his personal security detail. One was speaking truth to power, the other trying to retain power at... Read more
Have you ever wondered how we got so entangled with religion? Just think about it, on a typical Sunday morning, a religious family will spend about an hour getting ready, then they will drive to the designated place. They put on their smiley faces when they get there. They sometimes participate in classes, but then sit and listen to one person speak for about an hour after experiencing a mini concert that plays with their emotions. At some point,... Read more
Even though I don’t identify as a Christian anymore, I sometimes hang out in Progressive Christian circles because some people in those circles read our books and I’m curious about all areas of spiritually. I am also honest about what I disagree with, and that sometimes upsets people. But even with the potential to do good, I find myself slowly moving away from Progressive Christianity and the Emerging Church movement. Why? Because the Patriarchy is still alive and well in... Read more
For some of us that originated in evangelicalism, the patriarchy was the default and what we expected. But, as we move into different circles outside of that, many of us like to imagine that we have somehow subdued the Patriarchy and it surprises us when we see it again. Just because a few more women are allowed to speak doesn’t mean the patriarchy is dead. A conference with 10 White men, one Asian, one Black person, one queer or trans... Read more
Laura and I are releasing our second book, Leaning Forward on August 15th!! Pre-Order Now! It is a continuation of our best-selling book, Out into the Desert. Description of the Book: Many of us have been looking for clues that something new is available to discover. We surrendered the need to defend our certainty and opened our minds to new possibilities and understandings that we would not have previously considered. We are learning to trust our intuition and the clues... Read more
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