Posts Tagged ‘church’
Leaving the Baggage Claim
The arrow was pointing toward the suitcases and duffle bags, but when I saw it I imagined a spiritual sort of baggage claim where weary pilgrims collect the familiar packages and parcels we’ve carried so often. I keep trying to walk past the baggage claim and out on the the sidewalk, but I have bad of habit of stopping…
Read MoreWaiting for Permission
“I guess I’m pretty fucked up,” I tell him. “I’m still waiting around for permission to believe the truth.” It had been one of those weeks where everything I read made me angry. I wanted to fight everyone whose opinions weren’t the same as mine. I had a hard time thinking clearly through the clouds…
Read MoreWeekend Links (Vol. 1)
There are a lot of good things on the internet. There are a lot of strange and terrible things too, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about the good things. I want to share some good things with you that I saw this week on the internet: Christian Women: Feminism IS…
Read MoreWhat Nobody Ever Told Me About Jesus
I’ve been wearing my heart on my sleeve around here, all torn up. It’s no secret that there’s been a lot of anger, swirling confusion, throbbing frustration. I’ve metaphorically stomped around the house slamming doors, yelling till my throat was raw. Mostly yelling about the Church. I want to talk about this again a bit…
Read MoreI Don't Know If I'm a Christian Anymore
I thought I had writer’s block. I thought the words had left me a week or two ago. Every time I tried to write, my mind seemed like an empty room. I was wrong. I wasn’t out of words. Only out of comfortable words, neat words that flow from one cleanly-formatted paragraph to the next…
Read MoreWhen Streams Run Uphill
My friend Mihee Kim-Kort just wrote a book about sexism, racism, and the church. The conversations that she shares are essential for followers of Jesus to hear. I’m happy to have her here today wrinting about her book, what inspired it, and why it matters. Let’s listen. _______ la vida es la lucha Coined by our…
Read MoreWhy I Kissed “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” Goodbye
This week my friend Mandy Hale is celebrating the release of her second book: I’ve Never Been to Vegas But My Luggage Has. I appreciate Mandy’s humor, courage, and the way she shares her story with those who need it most, and I’m honored to have her share a bit of her story here today. …
Read MoreOn Growing Up in Bill Gothard's Homeschool Cult
“Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!” they say. I hear it over and over again. “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. There was some good and some bad. Just take what good you can and leave the rest.” I don’t know how. This is what happens when your definitions of “good”…
Read MoreWhen We Hang Millstones on Children
I want you to see this. It comes from Mary DeMuth, a friend who is bravely speaking up about the abuse she experienced, and the abuse she sees in the church. This is something that has been heavy on my heart lately – especially with the allegations surfacing about the Bill Gothard homeschool cult in which I…
Read More7 Things I Wish the Church Knew About Me
I didn’t write these words, but they speak what I’ve often felt. They come from Meghan Ableson – a friend who has left the “church”, but hasn’t left the faith. What she says here matters. Listen. Dear Church, It’s coming up on one year since I left you. I grew up with you. I memorized…
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