I began serving at church at an early age, I believe 12 years old. My parents were both heavily involved in the church when I was growing up. We would go to church whenever the doors were open. We got there early and we left late. My friends were all from church and they are […]
Two Lefts Don’t Make It Right
Every now and then, as I scroll through my Facebook homepage, I discover another friend that I went to high school with or know from college who is married and has children, and I feel that familiar pang of jealousy – the one that tells me that I’m the same age as that person, so […]
Consuming Communion
My mouth watered as I watched scraps of bread and tiny juice cups pass by me in church. Such kid-friendly fare—I didn’t understand why I wasn’t allowed to eat the mid-service snack. “Communion should be taken very seriously,” my mom said. I was six. I took my snacks very seriously. I also prayed before my […]
A DIFFERENT KIND OF NEIGHBOR
They say good fences make good neighbors, but I say that all depends on your definition of neighbor. My childhood neighbors consisted of a gossip and the crabby couple in the houses behind mine, and a troubled five-year-old boy across the street. There was also my Barbie-playing-buddy next door. We had a give-and-take relationship—she took […]
FAITH & TECHNOLOGY
I wake up to my phone alarm every morning. Cuisinart makes my coffee. Toyota drives me to work. Facebook counts my friends and AT&T raises the bar on my friendships. Apple pushes me through my workout and takes down my notes in class. Finally, when my work is finished and the next day’s outfit has been […]
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO STORE TREASURES IN HEAVEN?
If you’re in credit card debt, please raise your hand… I am right along there with you. When I look at my credit card spending report and see the things that I bought, I always regret making such purchases that have only added to my debt and not to the benefit of my life. Things […]
UN-HOOKING UP?
Hearing stories from friends struggling in their marriages, one day I thought to myself, what’s the point of marriage? I enjoy coming and going as I please, not having to clean up after someone else, going to see any movie I want and not having to compromise. My life is rather uncomplicated. Then I started […]
TURNING CONFRONTATION INTO CLOSENESS
“You know what? Never mind!” Click. The silence was as swift and fresh as the wound it left. I sighed into the empty receiver. I called Norah back and got her voicemail. How do I communicate with someone who refuses to talk? I wondered, and hung up. I had known Norah my entire life. Our […]
PRAYER’S A TWO WAY STREET
Imagine for a moment that God is speaking to you… right now. But instead of hearing a profound morsel of wisdom, He simply tells you to leave everything you know and head in a direction that isn’t even particularly clear. You’re allowed to take your immediate family, as well as one of your brother’s sons, […]
CHURCH-LESS CHRISTIANITY
For many Christian “church” is an optional event that comes around every Sunday. Some say, “Well church isn’t for me, I haven’t found a church where I’m comfortable, I’ve been turned off from church because of cattiness in the ministries, they’re always asking for money, our beliefs don’t line up, after a long week I […]