Last spring, my editor asked if I had time to work on an article with a quick deadline. I didn’t. After all, I was surrounded by friends I see only every two years, smack-dab in the middle of my favorite conference: the Festival of Faith and Writing. But, the article sounded fun. And easy enough. […]
Waiting Is a Wilderness: An Excerpt
Somewhere in the midst of my reeling with God, doubting his goodness and questioning his role as provider, my friend Marlena Graves offered me these words: “God did not lead you to this desert to die.” Though the words offered little comfort about our current situation (God lead us to a desert, after all. And we’d have time spend […]
I Am One of Them
Years ago, an Emergent Christian radio host teased me about my Reformed-ness on his radio show. The conversation left both of us confused. Him, I’m sure by my claiming Reformed theology took the same holistic approach I saw in the Emerging Church (especially in areas of erasing that line between sacred and secular. We got […]
De-Creeping Mysticism
Last week, a friend sent me this quote: “We are all mystics. The trouble is, we usually miss the significance of the moment because we are not present. Mystics are those who notice–and then live their lives in the light of the glimpses of Oneness that, if we are attentive, are there for us all.” […]
The Sudden Intrusion: A Bit of Ecstasy
On Monday, in my Reformed defense of mysticism, I write that to Reformed is to be mystic. That is, if we actually notice God in every “square inch” of his world. If we call God drawing us to him with his irresistible grace what it is: ecstasy itself. Today, I offer an excerpt from Broke, […]
T.U.L.I.P Fueled Ecstasies & Other Reformed Defenses of Mysticism
I had hoped by now I’d be over my annoyance toward Tim Challies’ unfortunate post in which he calls St. Teresa of Avila a “false teacher.” Certainly it helped ease my frustration when my friend Ellen Painter Dollar wrote such a stellar response. But alas, the annoyance remains. As troubled as I was over Challies’ brutal […]
