I am very honored to be the keynote speaker at the Disability Awareness Conference in Dover, DE on March 14th at Wyoming, UMC. I hope that you will join us!
Category: Women in Ministry
Book Review: The #MeToo Reckoning by Ruth Everhart
Everhart offers hope to survivors as she declares that God is present with the violated and stands in solidarity with victims. Scriptural narratives like those of Tamar and Bathsheba carry powerful resonance in today's context, as do the accounts of Jesus' interactions with women.
Want to Read Wednesday: The Pastor Wears a Skirt by Dorothy Nickel Friesen
Rev. Dorothy Nickel Friesen, an ordained Mennonite pastor, digs deep into the soul of a pastor with humor, pathos, and passion. Her memoir, a collection of short stories based on true events, visits the agony of bedside death, lost dreams, and angry parishioners who walk away from her leadership. She also shares the laugh-out-loud stories of weddings (a missing groom), rituals of deep meaning (with water from the Jordan River), and tension-filled advocacy for peace (on a military base).
Devotion: Happy New Year- Babies Change Lives (His Encouragement)
Have you or a family member ever known the joy of a holding a newborn baby in your arms? Babies change our lives. One of my friends can vividly remember the day her son was born. “It was a long and painful process,” she said. “I had labor pains for three long, grueling days and the contractions were so brutal that I thought that I was going to die. I had never known such pain in all my life. But then, when they laid that my new son in my arms, my entire life changed. Up until that point, I had loved my son and anxiously awaited his arrival. But that moment, when I held him, I knew what true love was. Becoming a parent changes your life forever, and it has never been the same.”
Want to Read Wednesday: The Black Madonna- A Womanist Look at Mary of Nazareth by Courtney Hall Lee
This book considers the relationship between African American women and Mary of Nazareth. After examining the history of black American motherhood during slavery and beyond, this book then gives an overview of the existing views of Mary in both the church and the academy.
Giving Thanks & Reverse Advent Calendars! (His Encouragement)
This post is part of the weekly series, "His Encouragement: Thursday Thoughts to Strengthen Your Soul." Image: A woman holds a cup of tea and reads her Bible. Black text on a green background reads, "Weekly Devotion: His Encouragement- Words from Scripture to Strengthen Your Soul." Bible Verse: For to us a child is born, to… Continue reading Giving Thanks & Reverse Advent Calendars! (His Encouragement)
What I Wish People Understood About Blindness and Visual Impairment
In order to celebrate the publication of my new book, The United Methodist Church & Disability, here are the top things I wish people understood about blindness/ low vision.
Devotion: Miracles, Mustard Seeds, and Christmas Shoes (His Encouragement #34)
Even if you only have a little bit of faith, God can still work miracles with it. When our church family stepped out in faith, we witnessed a small but powerful Christmas miracle of our own.
#BookReview: A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman by Holly Beers brings the first century to life @ivpress
A Week In the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman by Holly Beers brings the first century teachings of Paul to life for modern readers. I will refer to this book when preparing sermons on St. Paul's teachings in the future.
Book Review: Near the Exit by Lori Erickson- An Episcopal deacon explores death from a spiritual perspective @NetGalley #ReviewAThon
In Near the Exit, Travels of the Not-So-Grim Reaper, Lori Erickson, travel writer and Episcopal deacon, takes readers on a spiritual journey to face death head on in order to learn about what makes us human.
