The Myth of the Perfect Family—and the Truth of Love
Apple YouTube Spotify More! What if the perfect family doesn’t exist—and never was supposed to? Theologian Emily McGowin, PhD, joins Amy Julia Becker to explore family life in America and…
Don’t You Care If We Drown?
“Don’t you care?” I’ve prayed that prayer more than once. In the middle of a conflict with Peter that seemed irreconcilable. In the moments when my grandmother was dying and…
Finding Peace in the Midst of the Storm
When I’m home with a sick kid for the third week in a row, when Peter and I repeat the same conflict week after week, when there are too many…
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Holy Longing
Christmas is a season of holy longing. Whether we are singing along to "Holly Jolly Christmas" or "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," we are longing for joy. Whether we are…
Photo December 2008
When Love Shows Up
On Christmas we celebrate because love has shown up in our world. Not in some vague, abstract way. But love, in the flesh, in the person of Jesus. And when…
Screenshot of cover graphic of RNS essay
RNS | Why do I still go to church?
READ THE RNS ESSAY: Why do I still go to church? For many Americans, going to church has become outdated, impractical, and in some cases even a sign of oppression.…
There Are Good Reasons for Leaving Church. Why Do I Stay?
There are good reasons for leaving church: scandals, abuse, hypocrisy, patriarchal structures, intolerance. Nearly 40 million American adults were once churchgoers but aren't any longer, according to Jim Davis, Michael…
The Things Jesus Says About Himself
I’ve been kind of astonished lately at how Jesus talked about himself. Take this statement: Come to me all you who are weary, and I will give you rest. (from…
Whom Do You Follow?
In the weeks leading up to William’s confirmation at church, we talked a lot about what it meant to stand up in front of a group of people and profess…
S3 E9 | How Jesus Overcomes the Barrier of Wealth with Marlena Graves
Fear often inhabits both wealth and poverty. How does viewing money and self-sacrifice through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus bring freedom and joy? Writer and speaker Marlena Graves,…
