#ChurchToo

Trigger warning: This article addresses various forms of sexual abuse, including rape. The #MeToo movement has inspired lay and clergy members to begin to break the silence surrounding sexual harassment and abuse in and surrounding the church. It is very rare to hear a pastor or priest speak about sexual abuse – in the twelve […]

Simon Peter: Humility and Confidence

The day I met Jesus was awful. To begin with, I was exhausted. The guys and I had been up all night trying to catch some fish and we just couldn’t catch a single one. By morning, I had given up and was ready to eat seaweed instead. I was cleaning out my nets when […]

Jonah

Being inside of a big fish is disorienting. You can’t witness the coming and going of the sun to keep track of the days. You become completely disconnected from time and space. That dark, warm, smelly cove becomes your entire world. It’s no wonder I finally agreed to go to Nineveh. Apparently, God can sometimes […]

Cozbi: The Midianite Affair, Part 2

As the eldest child of tribal chief Zur, I took my responsibilities seriously. I would help my father when he had to judge cases. I helped to maintain peace in our tribe. I knew how to care for livestock. And when I would pray to Asherah for fertile soil she would always answer my prayers. […]

Eleazar: The Midianite Affair, Part 1

My father and my brothers were set apart from the rest of our people by the Lord. He made us His Priests. We would help my father in the temple so that we would know how to fulfill our priestly duties when the time came. But I never took my studies very seriously since I […]

The Boy with the Loaves and Fish

It was the greatest day of my life. I was only six years old. Nobody took me seriously. I wanted to be just like my dad – to take care of my family. But whenever he would take me fishing, he would catch so many fish – and I wouldn’t catch any. My dad would […]