Blog Archive
Contemplating the messiness of Christian life
The Messy Jesus Business Blog is an ecumenical Christian gathering of musings about what it means to live the Gospel today. A variety of contributors offer prayer, poetry, book reviews, creative nonfiction and prose about what it means to live a life of faith in our complex, modern times.
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#MeToo, #ChurchToo and the hope in breaking the silence
The courage and resilience of survivors of sexual assault choosing to share their stories gives me hope. The wave of very public accounts of sexual assault and misconduct sweeping the United States, for many, has made what once seemed safe and certain seem suddenly dangerous and frightening. For those recently opening their eyes to the…
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Hope and healing playlist
As we wait in the dark for the coming of Christ during these Advent days, it can be tough, at times, to keep going. When we serve others we touch the wounds of Christ; we encounter the heartache and pain of our neighbors. When we read the news headlines right alongside the promises of Christ,…
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Made to make God more present
I am in a dim hospital room, standing at the foot of the bed, a small video camera gripped in my hands. I am trying to hold the camera steady and silence my sobs while I watch one of the most incredible, beautiful scenes I have ever observed: the entrance of a new child into…
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The greatest news of Advent … and all time!
What if things really are better than they seem? Often, people talk like we are living in the darkest period of history yet. There seems to be the assumption that if you look around, it’s obvious that things couldn’t get much worse. Actually, the statistics tell a different story. Oliver Burkeman cites a statement released…
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In this time of great distress
The book of Revelation is a profound example of resistance literature. The author, a disciple named John, is responding to a crisis: the severe persecution of the Church in the late first century. He himself is in exile, in Patmos, a Roman penal colony and island located between Greece and Turkey. The vision John receives and…
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Thanks for giving, not shopping
Happy Thanksgiving! During this time when we pause to give thanks in the USA, I take this Scripture seriously: In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. –1 Thessalonians 5:18 But, the truth is, gratitude is only some of what is stirring in my heart. I…
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Remember! The antidote to spiritual amnesia
Recall a moment from your life when God felt very close; when you had a powerful experience of God’s presence. It might have taken place at home, at work, in church, in a classroom, on a retreat or in nature. What do you remember of the experience? How old were you? Where were you? Did…
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Here’s how to help end gun violence with thoughts, prayers, awareness and action
God have mercy on us: there was another mass shooting in the USA yesterday. Five people were killed, including the perpetrator. An elementary school was one of the targets. Once again we have failed, as a nation, to protect life and to shield children from the horrors of gun violence. When the shooting happened yesterday,…
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Facebook: a contemporary parable
There was a woman who was kind, patient, loving and compassionate. She had a big family. In her later years, in her retirement, she explored new ways of loving and staying in touch with friends and family, especially her grandchildren. She surprised everyone by signing up for Facebook. In fact, she began to use the…
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Honoring all the souls
It felt like an ordinary Sunday Mass. I knelt and prayed next to people I love. I sang hymns loudly, straight out from my heart. I bowed and received communion; chewing, sipping and swallowing all to gain union with the Body of Christ. Then, at the end of Mass, a nice man stood up and…
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Tending to our wells
I spent part of last night cleaning and peeling a recently harvested pile of wormy rutabagas with another sister. We probably ended up having to compost at least half of what had been pulled up from the soil, because some sort of creatures had created little homes in the vegetables. The waste was certainly disappointing…
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Locked up in different prisons
The heavy metal door bangs behind me, the electric buzz locks the bolt in place. After a pause, another door buzzes and is unlocked, controlled by a police officer sitting near a video monitor in another room. I cross the florescent-lit linoleum and open the next heavy metal door, making my way through this threshold…
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