Hateful Christians seldom fess up to their hatred. In fact, they are usually blind to it, having equated hatred with a sinful emotion best deeply suppressed. When confronted with prevalent attitudes toward homosexuals, illegal immigrants, Muslims, etc., such Christians arrive armed with a line of ‘biblical’ defenses, commonly claiming the old “love the sinner, hate [...]
We all have to eat. Unfortunately, eating well is a challenging task in our country. Thanks to some great books, documentaries, educational efforts, and even the First Lady, problems with our food culture receive a lot of attention these days. Organics are finding their way into stores like WinCo and Walmart. Fast Food restaurants are [...]
While conducting research for a book on Christian women, Jim Henderson of Off the Map commissioned a respected polling organization to gather some data. The results are a bit… surprising. You can read them yourself:
1. 84% say that their church’s perspective on women in ministry is almost identical, very similar, or somewhat similar to their own.
2. 83% [...]
One of our youth group girls moved across the proverbial tracks to attend high school in a wealthy neighborhood in nearby Eugene. She still comes to our Springfield youth group on occasion, and recently she brought a couple of her new friends, including a girl who seemed to ooze wealth and class. I knew something [...]
One of the treasures that I mined from Dad’s library is a leather-bound Common Book of Prayer, complete with hymnal. My Dad was certainly a man of prayer, but he didn’t have a liturgical bent. I don’t know how he came by this beautiful edition, but he clearly didn’t use it. The binding was stiff [...]
In anticipation of Mother’s Day I was sent a video, along with other pastors in our denomination, to show in our church as a way of celebrating the moms among us. Sadly, this bit of production is a modern version of the same old stereotypes women have been living with since the advent of the [...]
With money there is no way to avoid the cold, hard facts. You must put at least as much dough into the bank as you withdraw, or else you will run out of money. Maybe your bank will cover some of your overdrafts, but they will charge a hefty fee for their trouble and you’ll be [...]
We live in a culture that is all about instant gratification. If we want something – almost anything – we can just go get it right now, if we have enough money or credit to buy it. Life has not always been this way.
Consider food. Not so long ago people had no access to fresh [...]
Gratitude. It’s what I feel whenever I contemplate the good fortune of being born in a time and place that allows me more freedom and opportunity than women have known before in the history of humanity, and in much of the world still today.
This photo journal and Letter to Young American Women by Gail Collins [...]
Discrimination. Stereotyping. Ridicule. Judgment.
There are people who experience open discrimination in stores, restaurants, and places of employment. Comedians joke about them. Children cruelly tease and reject them. They are regarded by many as dumber, dirtier, and lazier than other people. Social biases work against them in subtle and overt behaviors. All of these actions and [...]
Karlene co-pastors a church plant in Springfield, Oregon with her husband Josh, focusing on Christian community development and emerging church practices. Along with her duties as a pastor, Karlene is a proud mother, diligent student, awesome wife, brilliant blogger, avid coffee drinker, and addicted Sudoku player.
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