I talk a lot about not using the Bible as a weapon--aka using scripture to hurt and harm others. Scripture is often mis-used to exclude and shame people. All too often, it is scripture taken out of context and sometimes the "scripture" wielded is not even actually in the Bible. We don't usually associate forgiveness with weaponry, but it is used all the time to guilt, shame and ...
Read MoreOn International Women's Day, let's celebrate little known women of the Bible. For centuries, people have abused the Bible in order to oppress and quash the rights of women. They've done their best to diminish and even obscure the powerful roles women played in our scriptures. Who knows how many stories were simply excluded from the canon by the men who curated it? Here are a few stories of women ...
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Here is a piece that I wrote for my denomination's (Presbyterian Church USA) Season of Peace. If you need another reason to take care of yourself, here you go: Then suddenly a messenger tapped him and said to him, “Get up! Eat something!” Elijah opened his eyes and saw flatbread baked on glowing coals and a jar of water right by his head. He ate and drank, and then went ...
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Maybe this horrific tale that we've tried to turn into a children's nursery theme actually does have something good to tell us about who God is. Maybe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elVp0X3YvSE&t=10
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Even the most confident, well-adjusted, emotionally healthy, spiritually grounded people in the world (and let’s face it—how many of those people are there out there) need reminders that they are, indeed, beloved children of God, worthy of love and capable of doing good things in the world. We ALL need to be reminded. If you've followed me for awhile, you probably know about the IALAC sign we wear. We all start the ...
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I am a big believer in community when it comes to nurturing our faith. I believe that the Christian life is meant to be lived out in community. Jesus called 12 disciples. The early church gathered together to pray and learn. For we trinitarians, God actually dwells in community as the three-in-one. But... If you only nurture your faith life when you are in community (in church, Bible study, prayer group, small ...
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This is a text version of the story I told at the opening worship this past week's Arts, Recreation and Worship Conference. You can find video at the bottom of the post. The whole story--our story, our faith story--begins and ends with water It all begins with the spirit of almighty God hovering over the water—an inky, black, watery abyss. Water left to its own devices will create chaos and wreak ...
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https://open.spotify.com/episode/4eAitdqpo0GjlsaliGL5Vg?si=ae02d7a935a14a2e Here we get our first glimpse of the disciples gathered together after the resurrection. All in all, not a very pretty picture. Near the end of his life, Jesus had carefully prepared his disciples to be a devoted and confident fellowship of faith. They were to be a community of love whose doors were always open and the welcome mat always out, but here we find them barricaded in a ...
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There's this great, dramatic story in the Bible where prophet Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to prove whose God is greater(1 Kings 18). And Elijah wins. Big time. Elijah made all the prophets of Baal look like idiots. Totally discredited them. Well, and then let them be killed by a mob he whipped up into a frenzy. And surprise! He gets put on Queen ...
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Yesterday, I went with my husband to visit his parents. They emigrated from Germany over 60 years ago. As young children following World War II, they were both war refugees when Allied Forces came in to take over the country. My mother-in-law is from the land that became the Czech Republic, and my father-in-law from what became part of Poland. They know first-hand the cost of war. My husband, Rob, ...
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