In my parents’ guest bathroom hangs a sign that reads: What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. This sign about God’s gifts and how we should use them has hung there for years. When my questioning faith journey came to the place where I walked away from the God of the Bible, I wondered if I also walked away from the…
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Fresh Words
Bible-thumping Hatred
When the Bible is taken literally, we end up with Bible-thumping hatred. “Pastor” Grayson Fritts is also a sheriff’s detective in Knox County, Tennessee. During his sermon four days ago at All Scripture Baptist Church, he screamed, “I hate homosexuals! I hate reprobates!….Because the Bible commands me to.” (52:45) He’s not wrong about what the Bible says. Mr. Fritts (for I refuse to call this man “pastor”) shares such nuggets…
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The Deep Cost of Authenticity
Authenticity comes with a steep price in my family. I just found out that my Grand Aunt Ruth passed away. It happened a week ago today. I found out by chance while scrolling through Facebook. I immediately called my grandmother (Aunt Ruth’s little sister), who didn’t answer her cell phone. I called my mother. She answered. “Hi. Did you know Aunt Ruth died?” I asked. “Yes.” “And you didn’t call…
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Gratitude for Noise
A Noise Warning I got a bit of a noise warning when Mom called me on Easter Sunday morning. This turn in my faith life has been hard on her, I think. “So you’re not going to church today?” she asked. “No, I’m not,” I confirmed. “Well, if you would just set aside all this noise and seek Jesus, He’ll come to you. I know that.” When we hung up,…
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Rachel Held Evans
Rachel Held Evans died yesterday. I can’t stop thinking about her. When Rachel’s books began releasing, I watched leaders in the evangelical community do what they do: throw stones at someone who dares to question long-held traditions and doctrine. (Andrew Walker, director of policy studies for the Southern Baptist’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, called her writings, “…unbiblical and theologically dangerous.”) Rachel did it with a dose of humor and…
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