“Being more mindful” “Being more present” “Meditating more” “Spending more time in prayer” “Nurturing the spirit more” Please tell me that I am not the only one who feels guilty at the mention of “yoga,” “meditation,” “mindfulness” and “prayer,” with my first thoughts being something along the lines of I should do that MORE. And please tell me that I am not the only one who often feels as if there truly isn’t room for anything MORE in my life — that... Read more
I was nurtured in a Christian tradition that encouraged the daily practice of what was called a “quiet time.” This involved sitting down — preferably early in the morning — reading some of the Bible, reflecting on it, and praying. All good things, all good things. For me, the experience of “the quiet time” was wrapped in conflict and confusion for some simple reasons. You were supposed to get spiritual inspiration from whatever it was you were reading. And because... Read more
Hate me if you must, but I am not a fan of Cheryl Strayed’s book Wild, and I don’t ever plan to see the movie. Why? Because Strayed’s choices were foolish, and could have ended very, very badly for her. I know that she acknowledges this. Still, she frames the story as a story of redemption, without necessarily acknowleging, to my satisfaction, the utter foolishness of much of what she did, much of which is apparent to anyone acquainted with the most... Read more
Once upon a time, I was convinced that as soon as I truly loved God as I ought to, food would cease to be important. And that, I thought, was how He wanted it to be. I would finally understand the sublime sufficiency, goodness, and beauty of God. I would eat only enough to survive and attain the slender, holy appearance of women depicted in religious art and literature. What didn’t occur to me until much later was that the... Read more
People of every faith and no faith at all respect Marilynne Robinson’s formidable intellect, creative brilliance, and, I daresay, the sheer beauty of her vision. Those who have delved into her nonfiction know that she is an astute reader of primary sources and highly skilled at separating the accumulated reputations of, say, the Puritans, from the work and legacy for which they might more fairly and reasonably be remembered. Robinson is also a favorite of Christian liberals, even though she... Read more
It’ll sound like I am joking but I’m not: I was worried about reading this book about worry. Maybe it was the subtitle that had me most worried, partly because it touches a nerve — I know that it is possible to “choose faith in a world full of worry” but it’s a lot easier to return like a dog to the chew the old, tired bone of worry. In true worrywart fashion, I feel that adequately worrying my way... Read more
Anny Donewald lived her young life in the spotlight. Her dad was a well-known college NCAA basketball coach. When one of the players began sexually abusing Anny at the age of 13, part of her soul withered. She had been confident, athletic, and musical. By age 19, she was working as an exotic dancer and high-end prostitute. Today she offers hope to girls and women who are, as she says, living in hell, through her nonprofit organization, Eve’s Angels. They... Read more
Anyone who has spent more than just a little time in a very poor country has seen the sad sight of starving domestic animals. Mother cats with kittens, nearly grown but still yearning to suck, rangy and hungry and not too wild to beg from human passersby. I wept for the dogs I saw in villages in the hungry months before harvest, sides caved in and ribs visible for the counting. Animals, my friend Mel once commented, don’t seem to... Read more
Another guest post by my wonderful dad, written when Gracie-the-dog died more than twelve years ago. She was a good dog. The sign is what finally did it. Day in and day out, week after week, its message insidiously worked its way into my brain until one day I could no longer offer any resistance. Many of you will remember the sign. Perhaps some of you happily fell victim to it as well. It was a large stuffed dog, situated... Read more
So this happened, merely the latest installment in the collection of “dumb patriarchalist sh*t Christian dudes say in order to rally the base and annoy those who already find them annoying.” (What? You don’t know this collection? It has a venerable history.) \ Even better is the Christian Hipster Magazine RELEVANT chiming in to ASK, in a headline, HOW R.C. Sproul, Jr., feels about beards. (You need to ask? Isn’t it pretty clear that they are absolutely definitive markers of... Read more
Rachel Marie Stone
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