goodness gracious, people get riled up over conversations about “church.” i wish we could get as much traction on justice & poverty issues! it’s fascinating, really, how passionate many are about this topic, especially when someone threatens the church in any way. i didn’t read all of donald miller’s post last week about why he […]
Read More10 field trips worth taking.
[dropcap]s[/dropcap]everal years ago i wrote a post for an online magazine called “a field trip everyone should take” centered on some of my experiences at social services agencies. it’s just so easy to say things like “well, those people just need to get a job….” or “they are lazy” or quickly end people to get […]
Read More5 false things the church often teaches us about healing
i have a theory about healing: most of us need it, a lot of us want it, and many of our church experiences have taught us some things that make it harder to get. this makes me sad, mainly because church is supposed to be a place of healing, the safest place on earth to […]
Read Morea decade?
happy new year! i’ve been sick this week, but i realized earlier this week that today marks my 10 year anniversary of entering into full-time-vocational “ministry.” a decade, that’s wild. i told jose that and he laughed and said “it feels like 100, especially those first couple of years!” honestly, our marriage took a beating […]
Read Moreoh yes, you are an artist!
when we were in kindergarten and someone asked the class, “how many of you are artists?” my guess is every hand would shoot up. ask a group of grownups the same question, and we’re lucky if there one or two cautiously put up their hands. what is wrong with this picture? what happened to us? […]
Read Morecorrective experiences
“you’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. we’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. if i make you light-bearers, you don’t think i’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? i’m putting you on […]
Read Moreaffiliation, certainty & conformity to freedom, diversity & mystery
i am in the thick of it writing the first manuscript of faith shift: hope for spiritual refugees, church burnouts and freedom seekers. i’ve had all 5 kids at home, all kinds of never-ending refuge craziness, on top of may being the busiest month of the year. of course i waste time i don’t have asking […]
Read Morewhat seems to help in the midst of pain
“when we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. the friend who can be silent with us […]
Read Morehealing shame & division
a few weeks ago at the bold boundaries sacred friendship gathering, hugo schwyzer, an amazing writer & speaker & professor from LA, shared this little gem: “the church’s witness is to heal shame and division.” that is what we are meant to do: heal shame, heal division in this crazy mixed up world. for the […]
Read Morethe open-broken heart
* i wrote this post earlier this week but hadn’t posted it yet when i received word yesterday morning that we lost a dear refuge family member who had been struggling with a long season of not wanting to live. right now we are aching, struck by the painful realities of life. broken-hearted. and trying […]
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