I haven't been blogging much for the last several months, and there are a few reasons for that. Sure, I've been busy. Between school stuff, interning at my church, and being part of a family whose M.O. resembles pedaling a bicycle downhill fast (we take our share of tumbles, but we get places!), there's always […]
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Slavery, Colonialism, and Using the Bible to Keep Women Down.
For me, one of the most disturbing parts of the EFOGE training on gender equality in Bondo, Kenya, was hearing the stereotypes commonly used about women (not that they were using them, but they were discussing them). Women are like animals. Women simply aren't as intelligent or capable as men. Because women are lesser beings, […]
Opposition to Gender Equality, East and West.
It's interesting, the questions people ask when you start talking about gender equality in a Christian context. Of course, there are the theological questions, important conversations that need to be had about biblical interpretation, ancient cultures, translation and projection, and God's heart for humankind. But then, you crash headlong into people's native culture, where belief […]
On arguing with experience, grieving the Holy Spirit, and being 5/8ths right.
My pastor is fond of saying “You can't argue with experience.” But some people do. I've been hearing about it a lot lately in Christian circles. The cessationist pastor who accuses charismatics of being heretics who “grieve the Holy Spirit.” The pentecostal who thinks people who don't speak in tongues aren't saved. The academic types […]
When We Are Impatient With God’s Work in Our Lives.
I read Isaiah 1 this morning. It's a powerful passage, one that is often quoted in justice-oriented circles because of it's condemnation of empty religious rituals and insistence that righteousness means helping the oppressed, defending the cause of orphans and fighting for the rights of widows. Good stuff. But, hoo boy. It's kinda dumb to […]
Divorce in the Church: “I literally asked Jesus to end my life because, in my mind, I could not end my marriage.”
Divorce is one of those topics we don’t really like to talk about in church. We all know people who have been wounded by divorce, and we all know people who have been wounded by staying in an unhealthy marriage. We know that the Bible speaks against divorce, yet we also know that God allowed […]
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 […]
“Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable”: Lament as an Act of Worship
Here’s the last post from my friend Pam on dealing with the “waves of adversity” in our lives. I am becoming an avid cyclist, some would describe me as a obsessive cyclist, but I enjoy cycling and participating in road races. It’s a newer passion and I find myself being coached and encouraged by those […]
Are you going to live a little more or die a little bit? Joan Chittister on the spirituality of struggle.
My friend Pam and I spoke at a women’s conference in Moose Lake, MN recently, about the “waves of adversity” we all face in our lives. I’ll be posting follow-ups for the next couple weeks, so the women who were there (and anyone who wasn’t!) can continue to chew on and discuss the topic. This […]
Stillness in the Storm
My friend Pam and I spoke at a women’s conference in Moose Lake, MN recently, about the “waves of adversity” we all face in our lives. I’ll be posting follow-ups for the next couple weeks, so the women who were there (and anyone who wasn’t!) can continue to chew on and discuss the topic. This […]
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 […]
On Deserts and Dry Places: When You Hit A Dry Patch In Your Walk With Christ
Lent commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert. I’ve been feeling rather dry myself lately, but I don’t think it has anything to do with Lent. Here are some of the things that seem to wring me out, spiritually-speaking. Maybe you can relate. Analyzing Everything I LOVE studying and learning more about […]
“The missionaries brought the Bread of Life, but we choked on the packaging.”
“When the missionaries came, they brought the Bread of Life. But alas, we choked on the cellophane it was wrapped in.” Those were words I heard over and over as a child, my missionary father thoughtfully quoting a Liberian radio preacher. I could tell my father took them very seriously, so I did too, branding […]
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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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.
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