Note: This article was written in 2016 and published on my church’s blog; however, the recent heat wave that gripped the nation reminded me that it might be worth sharing again on my own site. Three years later, there are some elements of this post that are no longer relevant to my current life. For example, I no longer have a basement, broken air conditioner, or husband. Minor details. …
Church
“Ladies, you really need to think about your clothing. When you wear a tank top, your shoulders distract my son. How can you expect him to control himself?“ This is a real conversation that was had with me and my fellow female students in our high school youth group. The leaders went on to lecture us about our underwear choices because apparently while I was praying at the altar, it …
Two weeks ago General Conference made a decision around inclusivity that many people within the United Methodist Church are having a difficult time understanding. I’ve taken the last few weeks to process my emotions before putting anything out into the wild west of the Internet. I am still sad. I am still angry. However I have seen a few glimmers that give me hope for a new thing. To provide …
Sometimes I wish I were an inherently thoughtful person, but the reality is I’m just not. Perhaps if you dissect the word based on its Middle English origins: thought + ful = “full of thoughts,” then I meet the criteria. I have loads of thoughts. The problem is they’re usually not good ones. Over the past couple of years I’ve reflected on what type of person I want to be, …
True confession time: I am not a very good Methodist. The rituals and traditions that have been passed down for generations in traditional Christianity are somewhat foreign to me, and I spent several years faking my way through various portions of church services. It wasn’t until I began studying at Wesley Seminary that I realized I should probably learn about some of these customs so that I might be able …
I never knew that Mexican food could become a part of my spiritual practice, but growing up I began to equate chicken soft tacos with church. In a small town, there aren’t many restaurant options. However, during middle school we were finally blessed with a restaurant named “Little Mexico.” I’m not really sure when it happened, but at some point it became understood that Little Mexico would be the central …
