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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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Super chill book review part 1: Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
Hi friends, My general goal is to post here weekly-ish, so I kind of wanted to get a “super chill book review” of Tricia Hersey’s Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto (Little, Brown Spark 2022) out last Friday. But then I was tired. There’s been a lot going on. And I thought, if I’ve learned anything…
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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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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…