top 10 posts

these are the top 10 most-read posts i’ve written since i started this blog.

1. a nifty chart for the journey: stages in the life of faith – these ideas, gleaned from one of my favorite spirituality books–the critical journey–gives language to what so many of us have experienced or are experiencing in our faith journey.

2. plant new trees – i wrote this post in about 30 minutes in response to some crazy stuff on the internet about masculine christianity. whoa, it stirred up some passion for change and participating in the change we want to see.

3. it’s easy to be against health care reform when you have insurance – oh that stirred up all kinds of conversation.

4. when easter’s hard - a little like plant new trees, i didn’t plan for this or think through it much before writing it, but it touched some real & deep places for so many who find themselves on the “outs” at easter because of shifts in faith. there are some truly amazing and beautiful and hard comments on this post.

5. 10 ways churches jack people up - these seem to be really common themes in so many stories. makes me sad, makes me mad, makes me want to change things.

6. why i believe in co-pastoring – this is an old post, from the very beginning of this blog & i’d update it now after doing this for over 5 years, but i’m still as passionate about it as ever.

7. “the kingdom of God isn’t going to just drop out of the sky” - from a conference i went to with some friends, the speaker gave language to so much of what i believe.

8. Jesus school: not the most inspiring in town – i say all the time, i am in “Jesus school” as part of the refuge community, learning more than i bargained for

9. yep, i guess i’m a heretic - i think i might be in good company!

10. art is healing - oh this was a fun exercise.

these didn’t make the top 10 anymore, but i’d put them up there with my favorites & capture some of the essence of what i’m most passionate about:

the difference between “building churches” and “cultivating communities” - this is still one of my favorite posts about church cultivation. i hope more communities are cultivated, less churches built in the years to come.
why we need mothers & fathers & sisters & brothers & daughters & sons – one of my favorite posts about men and women living together in community together, healing and restoring the image of God in each other.
dignity restorers – when i read it, it gets me all riled up about what i really believe.
Jesus & “excellence” - oh we’ve just messed up the whole system with the focus on excellence instead of centering on the messy and not-so-excellent practice of love.
rethinking the word “pastor” – i think this word needs new meaning & has a lot of distortions with it.
igniting the ember: emerging women finding their voice - written a few months after i started this blog, i am still so passionate about continuing to cultivate equality in the church so we can become more whole.
wrestling with the word “christian”–a video conversation – like so many others i know, my friend doesn’t want to be identified as “christian” but is dedicated to living out Jesus’ ways.
make advocates not buildings – a rant that sums up so much of what i feel about the church’s real mission.
“auntie kathy, are you sure it’s not wrong for you to be a pastor?” - a sincere question from my niece about women in leadership.
10 reasons why i’m an advocate for women’s liberation – first one: Jesus was.