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ISO worship music that doesn’t make me cranky
Hi friends, I have a confession: Christian worship music often makes me cranky. I don’t know if this is actually a confession. As in, I don’t know that I’m really ashamed of it or feel like it’s a bad thing. After all, there are plenty of good reasons to feel cranky about Christian music. For…
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All the authority issues: reflections on a year of Patheos blogs
Hi friends, I recently concluded an almost-year’s worth of weekly-ish blogging with Patheos. I wanted to try to sum up the journey here—including lots of links, in case there are posts you haven’t seen yet but want to check out. Lots and lots of links. You’ve been warned. After kicking off the blog with some…
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If love conflicts with our politics, let’s change our politics
Hi friends, I don’t often seek out Christianity Today articles, but sometimes people bring them to my attention. And sometimes I have some feelings and thoughts about them that feel worth sharing. For instance: this recent piece about a West Texas pastor who shelters migrants, despite holding generally Republican stances on immigration. It’s so complicated.…
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The gifts no one wants to receive (reflections on a Kirkus Review)
Hi friends, A few weeks back, I submitted my book manuscript (Nice Churchy Patriarchy) to Kirkus Reviews. When I saw last week that their review was ready, I was a little nervous to take a look. Apparently they have a reputation for being “unsparing.” (The good news is that once you receive your review, you…
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Individualism twists our understanding of injustice
Hi friends, Ally Henny was an (online) classmate of mine in seminary, and I’ve appreciated her voice on social media ever since. But I hadn’t really read much of her (non-social-media) writing until now. I just read her recently released book, I Won’t Shut Up: Finding Your Voice When the World Tries to Silence You.…
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Out there on the web: women in the book of Daniel, church expulsion, climate crisis & lament, and labor exploitation in church
Hi friends, Hope the end of this week finds you ready for a restful weekend. I’ve been reading Trica Hersey (aka the “Nap Bishop”)’s book Rest is Resistance, and it certainly has me thinking about what it looks like to steal away moments of rest, reflection, daydreaming, and napping throughout the week. Not just because…
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Can I get a witness? …Or, perhaps, a community of solidarity?
Hi friends, I don’t know that white folks’ voices should be front and center in the affirmative action conversation, but I will just say briefly that the SCOTUS decision harms us all. Black and brown kids deserve to be able to go to college. And colleges are better learning environments when they have a diverse…
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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…
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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…
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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…