“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
Tag: Anglican church
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”
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
Rosaries and ugly sweaters
I’ve been making jewelry for years, but just recently started making rosaries: a practice that began in Covid lockdown, when I had an abundance of beads and little to do. As a Catholic-flavored Anglican, the rosary is a helpful visual for me during times of quiet prayer. I grew up in a home with mezuzahs:… Continue reading Rosaries and ugly sweaters
Fearing abundance after a season of suffering
This may sound weird, but it’s true: for the longest time, I’ve been afraid of enjoying God’s abundance. Because I feel undeserving when so many people in the world are barely getting by. Because I haven’t been as faithful as I’d like. Because, because, because. It feels especially weird to praise God for the abundance… Continue reading Fearing abundance after a season of suffering
4 Ways Judaism Influences Me As An Anglican
I converted to Christianity from Reform Judaism in 2008. The distance between childhood and today grows wider, but our roots are some of the strongest influences on the adults we become. The truth is that while my worldview has undergone a radical shift, Jewish culture and tradition continue to affect my faith. These are just… Continue reading 4 Ways Judaism Influences Me As An Anglican
Making Peace With Being Inherently Offensive
It's hard to share the story of why I converted without offending somebody. I know this, I've accepted this, but it still bothers me because no one likes to lose friends. There's just no way to share how I was born Jewish and became a Christian without implying that Judaism just wasn't good enough, or… Continue reading Making Peace With Being Inherently Offensive
Of rosaries and car accidents
I got my Covid vaccine yesterday, and almost didn’t live to tell about it (or post the obligatory selfie). I’d just gotten off the highway exit for the Walmart pharmacy. The traffic light was green, and I had my own lane to turn right. A semi truck was distantly behind me, and I sped up… Continue reading Of rosaries and car accidents
“Christian seders” expose our need for liturgy
Within the last few decades, “Christian seders” have become a trend. The traditional matzah is broken into three parts to represent the Trinity, and the cup of wine becomes Christ’s blood. Many Jews find this modern practice offensive, if not anti-semitic. What strikes me as odd about this practice is that evangelicals, the group most… Continue reading “Christian seders” expose our need for liturgy