Category: <span>incarnational</span>

the difference between "cultivating communities" and "building churches"

“christian communities continue the work of Jesus. they are sent to be a presence to people who are living in darkness and despair. the people who come into these communities also respond to the call and the cry of the weak and the oppressed. they enter into the covenant with Jesus and the poor. they […]

i don’t know what it’s like for you, but it is amazing to me how debilitating a common cold can be. i got my butt kicked this week and am just coming out of the fog a bit, piles of tissue lay next to me wherever i am! i wrote this earlier this week before […]

God. alive.

happy new year a few days late! this weekend marked the beginning of the church calendar, the start of advent (since we do a saturday evening gathering, we are always a day early). i love the spirit of advent–a season of waiting, hoping, expecting, noticing–in preparation for Christ’s birth. this year i do feel extra-excited […]

the up-and-down-sides of inclusion

the other day i went to a catholic mass for a quincenera. it was a lovely service in so many ways; i love these kinds of celebratory, sacred moments to honor life’s passages. the priest was amazing and shared one of the best homilies i have ever heard about Jesus, the master teacher of Love. […]

little pockets of love

if you’ve been reading the carnival for a while most of you know that i’m a little on the passionate side when it comes to “the church.” i have had many a critic say “you are so anti-church” because i sometimes call out the inconsistencies & injustices in the system. and at the same time, […]

doubt & faith: God, you out there?

i don’t think we could talk about doubt & faith and miss one of the most critical reasons that it is tricky for people to connect with God in a real and intimate way: it is extremely confusing why such cruddy things happen in this world while God seems to “stand by and watch.” it […]

practical theology

“Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” […]

it's easy to be against health care reform when you have insurance

note: this is part of the august synchroblog focused on christian’s response to health care reform. i haven’t participated in a while, but i thought i’d join in this month. links to other posts on the same topics are below. * * * * * i usually stay away from political topics here on the […]

Jesus school: not the most inspiring in town

many of you know that when i describe the refuge i use words like “messy, chaotic, honest, uncomfortable, unpredictable.” it is so funny to me, looking back on the past 3 ½ years how the world that i came from was completely different. on mega-church staff we used words like “focused, distraction-free, inspiring, dark-so-you-don’t-have-to-see-the-person-next-to-you, comfortable.” […]

out of the darkness: the lingering damage of sexual abuse

so far we’ve heard 3 out of the darkness stories – self-injury, brave thoughts from a former abuser, and hope and healing from sexual addiction. i am thankful for my courageous friends who are willing to share their stories here on the carnival for the benefit of others. one of the worst things about pain […]