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
Tag: bible study
On having a “flexible faith”
I once had a high school English teacher who told the class we could argue in our term papers that Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is about a cheese sandwich, and get full credit...if we could make a credible case for it, using textual and historical evidence. As far as I'm aware, no one wrote a… Continue reading On having a “flexible faith”
For the Christian whose testimony is “different”
There are a lot of articles out there for Christians whose testimonies are too "bland." For the person who grew up in a Christian home and answered an altar call at the age of four, who can't remember a time in their lives when they weren't Christian, they often wonder: how can I make an… Continue reading For the Christian whose testimony is “different”
Potiphar’s wife and #MeToo
After my Episcopal church service I went to my husband’s evangelical church to wait for him in the cafe like I usually do. When I stepped out to use the restroom, I heard the sermon topic introduced. It was about Potiphar’s wife. The one who falsely accused Joseph of rape. THIS weekend of all weekends.… Continue reading Potiphar’s wife and #MeToo
Is Jesus found in the Old Testament?
I remember sitting in Bible studies in which the Hebrew Scriptures were studied – usually the prophets. Without fail, someone would mention where they could find Jesus in those verses, but especially in Isaiah 53. That passage in particular was just so “obvious” that Jesus’ life was planned from the beginning of creation. This is… Continue reading Is Jesus found in the Old Testament?
How Some Christians Mistake Honoring Jewish Culture With Appropriating It
This week I had an article published on Sojourners: When I was studying biblical counseling at a conservative Baptist seminary five years ago, a student invited me to a Passover Seder on campus. I was reluctant to respond because the student was a Messianic Judaism major and the Seder was being hosted by his department.… Continue reading How Some Christians Mistake Honoring Jewish Culture With Appropriating It
A brief history of the “quiet time”
I recently listened to a podcast episode by Uniquely Woman on the history of what has become known as the “quiet time” – the portion of the day in which Christians read their Bibles, usually in an arm chair or at a farmhouse table with a mug of coffee and open journal for note-taking (you’ve… Continue reading A brief history of the “quiet time”
