I love hearing whispers—secrets for my ears only, messages so extraordinary they cannot be spoken out loud.
If Baptists Could Have Saints
November 1, 2022 by
When my parents died, I kept the treasures of their beloved testaments. I also kept the German Bible that my dad was given while stationed in Germany during WWII. The book of Esther was ripped out.
Holy Whispers
October 18, 2022 by
I love hearing whispers—secrets for my ears only, messages so extraordinary they cannot be spoken out loud. I love the whispers I have heard in my life that I could not explain.
This Labyrinthine Calling
September 20, 2022 by
In 1982, six months after my college graduation, with no idea where it would lead and without any clear sense of being “called” to a particular ministry, I boarded a Delta jet in Orlando, bound for San Francisco.
And Your Daughters Shall “Prophesy”
August 31, 2022 by
There’s just something about the word “prophesy” that reminds church women that men prophesy, but prophesying women might encounter some pushback.
Making a Statement
August 17, 2022 by
Although I had claimed my professional vocation, I had never questioned biblical interpretations that prescribed the subordination of women at home and at church.
Of the Order of Balaam’s Donkey
August 10, 2022 by
It was a rare opportunity for me to preach. In the Baptist Student Union (BSU) at the University of Georgia where I served as campus minister, the three campus ministers preached only a couple of times per year. I can’t recall what my sermon was about that evening or what biblical text I preached from, […]
God’s Feminine Side Is Plain to See
September 7, 2021 by
Any half way decent theologian will tell you that God is decidedly not an old man on a throne in the sky. That this image of God persists somehow in the popular imagination, most likely has to do with some language we find in the Bible and the layers and layers of patriarchy involved in the whole shebang.
Connections 08.23.2020: Moses on the Nile
August 16, 2020 by
Women dominate this tense, frightening, beautiful, miraculous story in Hebrew history. Let’s imagine each of them…
The Hemorrhaging Woman
February 4, 2020 by
This woman in Mark’s story lived for years with a hemorrhagic illness. She had spent all her money on doctors who were unable to heal her condition—a condition which rendered her unclean and therefore a pariah.
In Silence
January 2, 2019 by
That Matthew includes five women on his list is remarkable. Jewish genealogies usually list men only, but Matthew mentions Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Mary by name. He doesn’t name the fifth woman, Bathsheba. He references her using her first husband’s name, the wife of Uriah (v. 6).
Connections 03.27.2016: The First to Know
March 20, 2016 by
When I was seventeen, my church put on an Easter play that one of our members wrote, paraphrasing directly from various Scripture accounts of Jesus’ last week, his death, and his resurrection.
Uniform 11.08.2015: A Fence around the Kingdom
November 1, 2015 by
Women deacons weren’t widespread at the time, but the church my mother attended had made the change to their constitution, ruling that the office of deacon was open to qualified “people” rather than just “men.”
Thrive: Words of Promise – Amy Shorner-Johnson
December 29, 2014 by
As you look forward toward a new year, what are your hopes and dreams? While I am not a person who typically makes resolutions, I am always grateful for some time to reflect on the year.
Thrive: The Depths and Mysteries of Life – Amy Shorner-Johnson
December 22, 2014 by
I am always grateful for the testimony of the women who came to the tomb. This story is a powerful witness and an affirmation of the women’s part in the sharing of the good news that God gives us.
Thrive: The Gift of Acknowledgement – Amy Shorner-Johnson
December 15, 2014 by
During the Christmas season, we often talk about loneliness and remembering those who are marginalized, those who might also feel abandoned as they get lost or overlooked.
Thrive: Vulnerability and Risk – Amy Shorner-Johnson
December 8, 2014 by
Who among us hasn’t tried to push the attention away from ourselves when we are afraid? When the teacher starts calling names and the answer seems evasive? When the boss looks for someone to hold accountable?
Thrive: Love is Stronger – Amy Shorner-Johnson
December 1, 2014 by
Cyber Monday. Some of us have already spent some time trying to get the best deal online. Whether or not you participated in the last few days of shopping, it can be hard to avoid the hype that begins as we countdown toward what is supposed to be one of the most “wonderful times of the year.”
Thrive: Couldn’t You Stay Awake with Me? – Cynthia Insko
November 24, 2014 by
I love the beach. I don’t go often, but when I do, I pay close attention. Engaging my senses, I take it all in. I smell the musty, fishy breeze, taste the salty air, feel the sand between my toes.
Thrive: When Did We See You? – Cynthia Insko
November 17, 2014 by
Back in 1994, I received an invitation that changed my life. I was serving as campus minister in a city that housed a cutting-edge research clinic for the treatment of AIDS.
Thrive: Is it Fair? – Cynthia Insko
November 10, 2014 by
I have three children. It’s very important to me to avoid favoritism and treat each fairly. For example, when the last brownie is left in the pan, I meticulously cut it in three equal parts.
Thrive: Are You Ready? – Cynthia Insko
November 3, 2014 by
Each Sunday at the threshold of our Godly Play children’s worship classroom our doorkeeper bends down, looks each child in the eye, calls her by name and asks, “Are you ready?” Answering “Yes,” one by one the children enter our sacred space.
Thrive: Insisting on Titles – Katie McKown
October 27, 2014 by
Most of us understand it’s impolite to blatantly brag. We might want to do it, but we know culture frowns upon it; however if we’re keen enough we’ll find a way.
Thrive: We Work – Katie McKown
October 20, 2014 by
It is a famed pastime to predict when Jesus will return. Who knows when Jesus will return? Scripture tells us “only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36) Perhaps then we should shift attention from when Jesus will return to how to live while we wait “for [we] do not know on what day [our] Lord is coming.”
Thrive: KEEP OUT – Katie McKown
October 6, 2014 by
As a girl I posted a friendly little sign on my door: “This is Katie’s Room. KEEP OUT!” On occasion I deigned to let my brother in to play with me, but whenever we had a spat, I would lock the door to underline the point: KEEP OUT.
Thrive: Loving – Allison Kentle
September 29, 2014 by
Love God with all that you are and love others as you love yourself. Having this kind of love takes courage. Living out this kind of love means that I am no longer the center.
Thrive: Questions – Allison Kentle
September 22, 2014 by
The tension could be cut with a knife, questions flying all over the place. Matthew 21-22 make it pretty clear that Jesus and the religious leaders are not BFFs, for these chapters are filled with questions.
Thrive: The Temple – Allison Kentle
September 15, 2014 by
Lately, my heart has been aching. I have walked through life in the brokenness of the inner city. I have seen the way poverty, pain, and lack of equal opportunities shatter the dreams of teens.
Thrive: Jesus Curses – Allison Kentle
September 8, 2014 by
When I try to imagine Jesus, I typically think of words like strong, humble, confident, devoted, brave, and loving. It seems strange to think of Jesus with four letter words dripping from his lips.
Thrive: Two Sons – Allison Kentle
September 1, 2014 by
Can you just picture the scene one Saturday morning? Everyone is in the kitchen. One teen is sitting on the counter, pop tart in one hand, texting with the other hand. The other sits at the kitchen counter eating a bowl of cereal, headphones on.
Thrive: The Request – Valerie Burton
August 25, 2014 by
The mother of James and John may have been the first “helicopter parent,” one hovering a little too closely to her children as they climbed the ladder of discipleship.
Thrive: The Generous One – Valerie Burton
August 18, 2014 by
Living with children has turned me into a champion negotiator. They will bargain with me as long as I will let them. It has been assumed from the earliest practices of religion that humans could bargain with the gods to get what they want.
Thrive: Easier for a Camel – Valerie Burton
August 11, 2014 by
Most days, I believe it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for one of his disciples to interpret Jesus’ teaching. Why were they so caught off guard by this quip from Jesus that has become one of his most familiar sayings?
Thrive: Jesus Blesses Little Children – Valerie Burton
August 4, 2014 by
The bedtime rituals at our house include brushing teeth and laying out clothes for the next day. Then we read, pray, and just when we think we are done, there comes the request for just one more drink of water.
Thrive: Surely Seven Is Enough – Lauren Brewer Bass
July 28, 2014 by
One year, with Ash Wednesday approaching, I found myself stewing about words spoken to me by a friend (who is now my husband). He casually mentioned to me that I liked to hold grudges. (Um, what?)
Thrive: Be on the Lookout – Lauren Brewer Bass
July 7, 2014 by
And he was transfigured before them . . . Just like that. He was the person they traveled with every day (and if you have ever traveled with someone for any length of time you know that you get quite acquainted with their look, their smells, their quirks).