Here is a truism: the most necessary ministries, the most innovative, grassroots ones, are often the least funded. It is also an unfortunate truth that Western Christians, who hold the purse strings of much of the world’s wealth, are more likely to support Western missionaries than local Christian workers in places like Africa, Asia, and […]
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In Which a Woman Scandalizes Stingy Hearts, but Blesses Jesus Enormously.
In “She Did What She Could,” Elisa Morgan asked a question only a woman would think to ask. When Jesus was on the cross, could he still smell the costly perfume Mary of Bethany had anointed him with only days before? Did it comfort him, this reminder of his friend's love, as he was dying […]
Protecting the Powerful at the Expense of the Weak
Most of us remember the story. David, serving his carnal desires, had Uriah’s wife Bathsheba brought into his bed. When David found out Bathsheba was pregnant and his sin was about to come to light, he launched a cover up, first telling Uriah to go home and sleep with his wife, and when that failed, […]
New Wave Complementarianism and the Revenge of the Straw Men
A couple weeks ago, author and blogger Wendy Alsup wrote a breakout post titled “A New Wave of Complementarianism,” noting a stirring among complementarians who feel uneasy with some of the beliefs and practices traditionally aligned with that position. The topic generated a passel of exuberant “amens,” some doubtful side-eye glances, and a handful of […]
Dripping Faucet Wives and Internet (Re)Activism: A Defense of Mark Driscoll (Sort Of)
Last week, in a sermon on marriage, Mark Driscoll made a comment that launched him to internet infamy (again). Buckle up, here we go: “And some women – you’re a nag. You’re disrespectful. You’re quarrelsome. Being married to you is like a life sentence, and the guy’s just scratching on his wall every day, ‘One […]
More on Young Men and Violence, and Other Stuff Too
Happy Tuesday, friends! I’m huddled up in my tiny home office, watching avalanches slide off my roof onto snowbanks that are already well above the windowsill, but my virtual self is considerably less snowbound. I expanded my recent blog post on young men and violence for Relevant magazine, including a few solutions various experts have […]
Maybe we don’t need to “fight violence.” Maybe we need to help young men.
The Boston Marathon bombing. The Sandy Hook shooting. The “witch hunts” in Papua New Guinea. Gang rape in India, piracy in Somalia, rampant violence worldwide. These tragedies are not as disparate as they seem. The crimes are different, but the perpetrators are the same–angry young men making a desperate grab for power and identity. I […]
Why Is There A Naked Woman On My Son’s Shampoo Bottle?
The other day, through circumstances out of my control, I was forced to shower in the “boys’ bathroom.” 0_0 While I was in there, I noticed that there was a picture of a naked woman on my teenage son’s body wash. See her? Right next to the 33%? I mean, she might not be naked. […]
Should Christian Women Color Their Hair? On Dissatisfaction, Cultural Conformity, and Battling the Inner Barbie
A couple weeks ago, I had about a foot of hair cut off my head. When you’re the busy mother of four, and have the sort of Hermione-meets-Rapunzel hair that you can almost watch grow, it’s easier to just twist the whole mass up on your head, secure it with industrial-strength hair accessories, and forget […]
How Do You Preach the Gospel and Breastfeed? Adventures of a Female Evangelist
I’m thrilled to be featuring a guest post from Jessica Fick, who I met last week on Twitter and promptly fell in love with. (The fact that she happened to be in Wisconsin right then for an evangelistic crusade at UW-River Falls didn’t hurt, either–the photos in this post are from that.) Enjoy! I pulled […]
What Happened in Steubenville? “A culture of arrogance created a group mindset of debauchery and disrespect.”
It’s not often that I brag up anything I read on Yahoo, but this article by Dan Wetzel about what happened in Steubenville was excellent. Here are a couple highlights. “Rape, experts say, is a crime of power and control more than sex. Underlying all of that is arrogance, and in Steubenville it was taken […]
Why We Need More Women In Ministry: My Article for RELEVANT
The church has always relied heavily on the contributions of women, from the female disciples who traveled with Jesus and funded His ministry out of their own means to the nameless grandmother who showed up early to brew the coffee you swigged down before church last week. But women are growing increasingly disenchanted with the […]
Mary Means “Rebellion”: Jesus and His Band of Rebellious Women
When I was little, my mom used to act out Bible stories with me. My favorite, always, was Mary Magdelene finding Jesus in the garden. I would be Mary, kneeling in front of the tomb (our wood stove) in the little flannel bathrobe my mom had sewn for me, pretending to cry. My mom would […]
John Piper, Women in Combat, and How Gender Roles Fall Short of the Glory of Humankind
Co-Ed Combat and Cultural Cowardice, an article written by John Piper in 2007, has resurfaced in light of the U.S. military’s decision to let women serve in combat. I’m posting part of it here not because I want to pick a fight with Piper (please see my comments policy), or discuss women in combat (I […]
50 Shades of Complementarian? Why We Should Lay Down the Labels, and Look at Our Common Purpose
Last week, a Twitter friend told me how shamed and berated many blogs made her feel for her complementarian theology. That made me so sad. I mean, I get it. Egalitarians are a minority in the evangelical world, and are often treated like theological scapegoats by their more traditional brothers and sisters. Women still lack […]
Author, speaker, and mommy of four, living on coffee and lots of grace. Pastor at Darrow Road Wesleyan Church. Student at North Park Theological Seminary. Passionate about justice, mercy, and the "one anothers."
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- 50 Shades of Broken: Why Do Women Fantasize About Abuse?
- John Piper, Women in Combat, and How Gender Roles Fall Short of the Glory of Humankind
- How Much Money Does it Take to Be A Good Christian Woman?
- Faking It: Why You Should Stop Treating Your Husband Like a Toddler, and ACTUALLY Respect Him.
- Asking for a Friday FAVOR! What Do You Think Belongs In a Book About Mutual Marriages?
- I am never sure what to say…
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When you’re having a sleepless night of the soul
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Who do you hate? And is it right for you to be angry?
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Wives, Submission, and Slavery, Oh My! A Sermon on the Household Codes
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When you’re not good enough, and it’s okay.
- Comparing the Anointing Stories - Marg Mowczko: […] For a detailed analysis of the anointing...
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dan ohlerking: great thoughts. working on a message for our team ...
- Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany | Marg Mowczko: […] [9] Jenny Rae Armstrong has written a be...
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Teresa Castillo: I was so blessed to find this article. Only today ...
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Jeannie, RN: You really muddy the water when you add your unedu...
