Experiencing Grace
“Experiencing radical grace is like living in another world. It’s not a world in which I labor to get God to notice me and like me. It’s not a world in which I strive for spiritual success.” –Richard Rohr /// You don’t have to make yourself good enough for God. It’s a message I often heard…
Dear Mr. Gothard
A few months ago, Heather shared this story with me. I sat motionless reading the words you’re about to read, my heart breaking at the horror of it all. My mind didn’t want to believe it, but I knew in my gut that it was true. I recognized the places she speaks of, the phrases she…
3 Christian News Stories You Won't Believe Are Real
I never planned to write about these sorts of things. But then, I never expected to see a collection of such remarkably bizarre news stories all in one week. (We’ll return to our regularly scheduled programming on Monday. Or Tuesday. Whatever.) This is the stuff of parody accounts and satire sites, the sort of thing that just…
Hobby Lobby, the Duggars, and Bill Gothard
I often hear Christians dismiss Bill Gothard and his teachings as legalistic, fundamentalist, bizarre, and dangerous. Rightly so, especially in the wake of his alleged sexual misconduct. But many of these same Christians support Hobby Lobby or the Duggars for their “Christian values”, perhaps not realizing how closely they are connected to Bill Gothard. This week, I’ve heard Christians…
I Still Believe in a White Male God
I didn’t realize it. If you asked me to my face, I’d tell you that God is not an old white man, robed and bearded, flanked by naked angels. I’d tell you all about how God is like Jesus, not Santa Claus. I’d tell you God is Light, and God is Beauty, and most of…
10 Things I Learned at #WildGoose14
On Sunday morning I joined a parade down a dirt road in a campground, sang peace songs led by Rev. Yolanda on an acoustic guitar, and received communion from a mason jar in a grass clearing with sweat dripping down my legs and back. That was church. There was a sermon, too, but I didn’t hear most of…
Unlearning Christianity
“My starting point is that we’re already there. We cannot attain the presence of God because we’re already in the presence of God. What’s absent is awareness… We have nothing to attain or even learn. We do, however, need to unlearn some things.” –Richard Rohr For years I tried to learn. “Study to show thyself…
Of Artists and Patrons
“I truly believe there are artists and there are patrons in the Kingdom.” A friend told me this the other day, and I think she might be on to something. To be honest, sometimes I wish art was commercially self-sustainable. I wish there was a simple machine to turn words into dollars. But then, we…
Weekend Links (Vol. 6)
The God I Don’t Believe In by Antonia Terrazas I wonder if I have started to pay more attention to the “surrounding material” being chipped away from that form revealing itself in the marble, creating tiny playthings from the sheddings, idols in their own ways. I am ready at every moment to give an account of…
4 Reasons I'm Not Going to Heaven
A few days ago somebody gave me a scrap of yellow paper with blue letters on it. Across the top it read: “Am I Going to Heaven? QUIZ!” Not too long ago, I was the one carrying those papers, handing them to strangers in hopes of altering their eternal destination. So I recognized all the…
The Filthy Shepherd
You wouldn’t want your boy to be a shepherd when he grew up. It was a lonely life, watching over the sheep. Cold days and colder nights spent huddled on the rocky hillsides, with nothing but a small fire and some burnt coffee to keep you warm. Always hungry. Always one bad day away from…
My Innocence Was Stolen From Me
A few days ago an essay was published titled “My Easy Trip from Youth Pastor to Felon.” The narrator relates his story of a “spiral into sin”, detailing how his sin destroyed his life and ministry. It wasn’t until the very end of the story that he noted that his “friend” with which he was having an…
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…
Because We Will Not Stay Silent Any Longer
Today Beth Morey is wrapping up the #YesAllWomen series with part of her own story, as well as some practical steps for moving forward. If, like me, you’ve read these stories and wondered “But what can I do?”, make sure you read this one. Though I had only planned to run this series for a…
Because I Keep Dying
Nikki sent this to me yesterday, wanting her story to be heard. There’s nothing I can say to introduce this. Just listen. ( content warning: descriptions of sexual assault / rape ) I started dying when I was very young. During a time when personality and temperament were being formed, pieces of me were robbed by the…
