Abuse, photo by Kat Jayne

2 Lies that Enable Abuse in the Church

My mom knew that my dad was a pervert with a violent temper who never apologized for anything. She thought that if she submitted to him and was a good Christian wife, he would eventually become a good Christian man, repent of his sin, and love her. Her background included catholic, charismatic, and reformed doctrines, and there was a copy …

See, What Kind of Love: How 1 John 3 Speaks to Child Abuse Survivors

This morning a pastor friend of mine, Reverend J. Michael Dixon of The Orchard Church in Chicago, sought to encourage me by tweeting me 1 John 3:1. I frequently speak on social media about a feeling of being orphaned, and this was such a perfect verse to address that feeling. After reading the entire chapter and realizing what riches it …

Chuck, If God Can’t Write A Book, He Can’t Save Your Soul

I recently came across an article on Patheos by Baptist Pastor Chuck Queen. He argues that, because there are horrifying, violent, and tragic verses in the Old Testament, God’s Word, The Bible, is erroneous and full of mistakes. He thinks that these painful verses – these terrible stories – couldn’t possibly be what a Loving God intended to write down. The historic and Biblical …

Sola Gratia: Don’t Blame My Sin On Jesus

I’ve been doing a lot of contemplating about my “ministry” today. That word sounds so stuffy and prideful when applied to me. I’m not a minister and I’m not a preacher. I’m a mother who composes songs, writes blogs, is scribbling down a few novels, and likes to sing and play the piano. I would never dream of putting my “ministry” …

Do You Imagine Bible Prophets As Old Men … Or Teenagers?

So I was reading the Bible tonight, and had a bit of a revelation. Check out this passage from Jeremiah 1: Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then I said, …

Killing The Lies: Should Everyone Be Forgiven Without Exception?

Welcome to the second entry in my blog series about forgiveness. I recommend starting at the beginning for context, so if you haven’t already, check out the debut entry to this series: The Top 10 Most Prevalent Lies About Forgiveness. WHO SHOULD BE FORGIVEN & WHO SHOULD NOT? In the example of Matthew 18, things are pretty cut and dry. …