Give me a church that regularly offends my sensibilities; one that overthrows my preconceived notions of how the world works. Give me a church that loves me enough never to coddle my harmful choices but confronts me gently with necessary truth. Give me a church that fears for my soul more than my reputation. Give… Continue reading Give me a church that offends
Author: Sarahbeth Caplin
Beth is a freelance writer and editor who resides in northern Colorado with her husband, children, and cats. When not at her desk, you can find her at the bookstore or the skating rink.
Memo for a weary world
I used to joke that if you ever want to know what loneliness feels like, try being a Jew at Christmas. But now there’s a new version of the joke that’s a lot less funny: if you want to know what loneliness feels like, try being in the midst of a pandemic during the holiday… Continue reading Memo for a weary world
A time for unifying, a time for dividing
I’m torn between two types of people I want to be: one who shows grace to those with differing opinions, and one who is firm in both conviction and setting healthy emotional boundaries. How can one be both in this era? Yet Another Identity Crisis For me, this is another Jewish-versus-Christian issue, where both sides… Continue reading A time for unifying, a time for dividing
RBG and Spiritual Dysphoria
Every now and then, there is an event or a season in which I hearken back to my Jewish roots. It’s not that I shut down my Christian identity, but rather allow a part of me that normally lies dormant to temporarily take the stage. The High Holy Days in Judaism are one such season.… Continue reading RBG and Spiritual Dysphoria
Racism and the importance of communal repentance
One Jewish concept that carried over into Christianity is that of communal repentance. In ancient times, the sins of a community were atoned for with blood sacrifices. Today, communal repentance takes place one day a year on Yom Kippur, where Jews gather in synagogue to recognize the sins that were committed during the past year.… Continue reading Racism and the importance of communal repentance
When words fail, liturgy speaks
I've lost loved ones from suicide and cancer. I've written a book about living with unresolved pain and suffering. And yet, I think I'm more of an "expert" (I use the term loosely) on what not to say to hurting people rather than what to say. It's a lot easier to be dismissive or insensitive… Continue reading When words fail, liturgy speaks
What toxic Christians tell us about Jesus
From time to time, I read blogs by atheists and skeptics as a way of keeping tabs, so to speak, on the current image of Christians. This is one way I try to better myself so I'm not "one of them" - one of the believers that gives Jesus a bad name by my example.… Continue reading What toxic Christians tell us about Jesus
The gospel of “self help”
There’s a lot of advice out there about how to conquer your problems and live your “best life.” I’ve never been entirely certain about what that means. How to become rich and famous? How to be great-looking and best dressed? I have no idea. Just perusing the Self-Help section at Barnes and Noble, I notice… Continue reading The gospel of “self help”
Sharing toilet paper with Jesus
I pre-ordered Laura Fabrycky's book, Keys to BonHoeffer's House, back in January, and was fortunate to have my local independent bookstore ship it to me last week despite being closed due to the coronavirus. I haven't been able to put it down since I pulled it from my mailbox. Bonhoeffer, a theologian living in Nazi-occupied… Continue reading Sharing toilet paper with Jesus
The way we talk about Pharisees, and why it matters
With the Lenten season coming up, it's time to discuss something that's been on my mind for a while: Pharisees. Odd, I know -- that's not something that normal people think about, except perhaps how not to be one of them: those hostile, unbending, legalistic Jews of the 1st century. The ones who scolded Jesus… Continue reading The way we talk about Pharisees, and why it matters