Lament is a cry from the gut. Some of the passages in the lament psalms are so raw we seldom read them in public worship. Their inclusion in our Scripture, however, reminds us there's no feeling that's outside the bounds of our faith.
If our theology is threatened by the affirmation, inclusion, and empowerment of others, our theology is about control, not love.
Jesus couldn’t have been clearer. Faith is love, inclusion, servanthood, submission. People will always turn against the vulnerable. But they don’t get to call their behavior “Christian.” Love means feeding.
The Hebrew term for peace is shalom, which is related to the word shleimut, meaning full or whole. Shalom requires radical inclusion — we can’t be whole unless everybody is included — and harmony — it can’t be peaceful unless all the diverse peoples commit to getting...
Jesus' message is shocking not because he extends the boundaries to include outsiders. His message shocks because it doesn't recognize boundaries at all.
What Jesus taught was a radical message of welcome and inclusion and love. I feel certain God loves me just the way I am, and I have a huge sense of calling to communicate that to young people. When I think of myself at 13, sobbing into that carpet, I just want to...
For far too long, Christians used the Bible as a weapon and not as a mirror. The gospel for oppression instead of liberation. The church as a judgment gavel, not a table of inclusion. And Jesus as their mascot instead of the example. Time to flip the tables.
The Bible does not limit God to masculine images. God as Father is not the only image in Scripture. Faithfulness to the complete biblical revelation leads us to include other images. Opening our minds to new ideas can be scary at first. Growing up I learned that God...
Jesus shows us, when women lack jurisdiction, church commissions lack women, and even altar girls are barred in a Christian community that says they are permitted, the invisibility of women in the church threatens the very nature of the church. from In the Heart of...
Today We Honor Women in Ministry My pilgrimage can be described rather simply and easily. Basically, the scenario goes like this: I listened to the Story, and I believed. When as a child the community of faith told me Jesus loved me and when they demonstrated that...