i first started going to church on a regular basis when i was in high school. my boyfriend’s family became born-again christians while we were dating and i went with them. i loved it. the inspiration, the music, the challenge. it didn’t change everything for me but it opened me up to a world that […]
Read Moreour exceptional unexceptionalness.
“you shall love your neighbor as yourself” – mark 12:31 according to wikipedia (the source i always tell students in my online college class never to use for their papers so i feel a little bad using it here), exceptionalism is: “the perception that a country, society, institution, movement, or time period is exceptional (i.e., unusual […]
Read Morethis dream is so possible.
happy martin luther king day! i am so grateful for his prophetic voice & the great movement his influence made to shift deep injustices. we still have a long way to go but his legacy lives on and hopefully will keep inspiring us toward action & hope. this past week i was dreaming with some […]
Read Morethree things about one word: power
power is a hard thing to talk about. as Christ-followers, it is even trickier because Jesus was so anti-typical-power that talking about it can be misconstrued. i feel this sometimes when i am advocating for women’s empowerment (and others, too, who are underrepresented) because it can be perceived as being contrary to humility. some also […]
Read Morecharisma, fairy dust and our addiction to kings
last week we hosted a small gathering of co-pastors from 5 different communities/4 different states. it was a lovely, simple time centered on sharing the ups and downs of shared leadership and pastoring these kinds of nutty churches. i have a lot of respect for people who co-pastor because it is a very unpopular & rare […]
Read Moremissing in missional: we need more stories like these…
* a few months ago chris chappotin asked a question to a few of us on twitter–”what’s missing from the missional conversation?” i’m not the best twitter-er, but i responded with the first thing that came to my mind: more real stories. he asked if i’d write a post about it for a missing in missional […]
Read Morere-defining "church"
it was nice to have a little blog break, and when i get a little space and time i always end up back at some of the same questions-about-life like “why do i still care so much about ‘church’“? “why do i pour my heart & soul out every week for anyone to see?” “what […]
Read Morecynicism, skepticism, optimism, realism (and the power of hope)
it’s good to be back! those 5 weeks flew by! i missed you here, but it’s been so great to be off-line for a while and enjoy summer with my kids (i’ve got 5 of them home right now so it’s nuts around here but really fun) & a little lighter refuge schedule. so much […]
Read Morewhy the word "missional" bugs me.
i know the word “missional” is popular in a lot of christian circles these days. it has gained traction as churches are attempting to become more outwardly focused. now, there are all kinds of groups, networks, ministry initiatives, new book lines, and other programs dedicated to challenging the church to become more “missional.” even though […]
Read Moreour fatal attraction
my husband jose has a theory about people. he says that in some weird ways, “we’re always going back to our abusive dads, trying to please them.” he doesn’t mean this in a literal sense (although it’s true for some), but rather that human beings are strangely drawn toward being mistreated. that we live our […]
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