Liz Cooledge Jenkins

• Shiny and Happy

  Hi friends, I’ve been continuing to watch all the recent evangelicalism exposé documentaries. It’s a lot. I’m talking The Secrets of Hillsong (some reflections here and here). I’m talking God Forbid (on the Falwells, yikes). And I’m talking Shiny Happy People (on the Duggars, Gothard, and IBLP). This week, I wanted to share a few…

  June 23, 2023

• The (Not-So-Secret?) Secrets of Hillsong

  Hi friends, Did anyone else watch The Secrets of Hillsong documentary series recently? I did, and I have a few thoughts. I’d love to hear yours too if you watched it—whether they’re similar to mine or quite different! I don’t know if “enjoyed” is quite the right word, but I certainly found the documentary morbidly…

  June 13, 2023

• No really, you don’t have to stay

  Hi friends, This week I’d like to direct your attention to a recent blog post by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes. I read this a few days ago, and it has stuck with me. Dr. Chanequa compares the logic of those who try to tell people they should keep going to church with the logic of those…

  June 2, 2023

• Mental health in a bonkers world

  Hi friends, This week, I’d like to offer you a reflection from musician, author, and activist Andre Henry: Why Therapy Isn’t Enough, I Need a Revolution. I’d encourage you to read it, and I’d love to hear what you think. I often find myself thinking some similar thoughts. I think about how many of my…

  May 23, 2023

• Peace, being “used,” “Lavender Haze,” complementarianism, and all the things

  Hi friends, I was feeling like it had been a minute since I drew your attention to stuff I’ve written beyond this blog. And I was right. It’s been a very long minute. I think the last time was in December! So, if you haven’t come across these yet and are looking for some weekend…

  May 12, 2023

• Doubting in Community (a sermon on John 20:19-31, part 2)

  Hi friends, Last week I posted the first half of a sermon on “Doubting Thomas.” This is the second half! ___ I noticed something else, too, when reflecting on this passage—something I hadn’t really thought much about before.  I noticed that there’s a whole week in between when Jesus appears to the first group of…

  May 3, 2023

• Permission to Doubt (a sermon on John 20:19-31, part 1)

  Hi friends, I was thankful to be able to guest preach a couple weeks ago at Normandy Park United Church of Christ. I thought I’d share a written version of the sermon here, too. Because I feel like I benefited from having to think a lot about Thomas, and faith, and doubt, and “believing without…

  April 25, 2023

• Peace to be fearless

  Hi friends, This Easter week has me thinking about what most of Jesus’ disciples did, as recorded in John’s gospel, right after Jesus’ resurrection. Just that morning, Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty and then saw the risen Jesus (looking a lot like a gardener; John 20:11-18). And now the disciples have gone and locked…

  April 13, 2023

• On Palm Sunday (a poem)

  Hi friends, Reflecting on Palm Sunday, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey greeted by crowds crying “Hosanna!” (meaning “Save us!”), I wrote a poem about some of the things we might need salvation from (and for). If you connect with any of it, or have something you’d like to add, I’d love to…

  April 4, 2023

• Spiritual conversations and the Samaritan woman (reflections on John 4:1-26)

  Hi friends, A couple weeks back, my church’s sermon and small group discussions centered on the (sadly unnamed) Samaritan woman at the well, and her conversation with Jesus as told in John 4:1-26.  At our small group meeting, I happened to pick up a version of the Bible that has Jesus’ words in red letters.…

  March 29, 2023

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