“I’m not walking away from Jesus, but I’m done with the church.” Perhaps you’ve heard this statement, or made it yourself. I sure have. Fed up with what seemed to be a culture of hypocrisy, I concluded that the Holy Spirit must not be real if so many Christians who claimed to know Christ were… Continue reading Deconstruction: a topic that’s too big for words
Category: Theology
Grieving antisemitism as a Jewish-born Christian
There’s a strange irony in being a Jewish convert to Christianity. The former community no longer considers me a member, yet the Nazis would. And now, more recently, so would the terrorist group Hamas. I struggled for years with needing external validation for who I am and where I belong. Though accepting it from hate… Continue reading Grieving antisemitism as a Jewish-born Christian
The annoyingly non-linear process of grief
“It won’t always be like this.” I’ve said that to myself, and heard it said to me many times before. But sometimes the recovery feels worse than the impact. It’s something I’ve found to be true in figure skating when learning a new trick that lands me square on my butt, and in life when… Continue reading The annoyingly non-linear process of grief
The Church needs the questions that progressives are asking
Books introduced me to Christ, and it was books that led me back to him after deconstruction. But it wasn’t the writings of C.S. Lewis or Charles Spurgeon or any of those “spiritual giants.” I was re-introduced to Christ through Rachel Held Evans and Peter Enns and Sarah Bessey, leaders of progressive Christian thought whose… Continue reading The Church needs the questions that progressives are asking
Thank God I’ve changed
There have been two major shifts in my faith so far. The first, and most obvious, is the shift from Jewish to Christian. The second is more recent. Around the time I dropped out of seminary in 2013, my faith started falling apart. I had been a believer for about five years at that point,… Continue reading Thank God I’ve changed
The condensed “confessions”
My bat mitzvah, November 2001 I recently found a Word doc called "Testimony" that I had written to share with my church small group a few years ago. Consider it a condensed version of Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter...even at 2000 words! *** For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with reading… Continue reading The condensed “confessions”
On waiting well
I’ve been married nearly a decade, but still vividly remember being single all through college. I remember having one friend after another pair off, wondering when it would be my turn. I heaped so much shame on myself for not being able to find satisfaction in God alone. Everyone at Bible Study told me that’s… Continue reading On waiting well
What was missing from my progressive theology
Most of my twenties were spent immersed in Progressive Christianity, although I wouldn’t have called it that at the time. I would have explained that I was going through a season of heavy doubts and questioning, which happens to most Christians at some point. If there is any dogma I picked up in progressive Christianity,… Continue reading What was missing from my progressive theology
What Mary offers grieving mothers
For most of my Christian life, Holy Week and Good Friday have been emotionally difficult. It’s a season that brings up old memories of being called a “Christ killer” by the mother of a childhood friend. Hearing Gospel passages of the Jewish people demanding Christ’s death has always made me extremely uncomfortable. That’s still the… Continue reading What Mary offers grieving mothers
Grief is the currency of love
There are a few clubs I’ve been forced to join against my will: The fatherless daughters club. The sexual assault survivors club. And now, the miscarriage club. *** When my depression and trauma were at their worst, I actually felt angry with my parents for trying so hard to have me. I’m the fourth child… Continue reading Grief is the currency of love