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Purity Culture: A Corrective (Part 2)
Part 2: A Better Way Last time we looked at the some of the developments in purity-culture trends among evangelicals in the US over the past thirty years. Teaching on the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit was noticeably absent from much of the instruction focused on making vows to tame the flesh till marriage. In Song of Songs we read that the beloved tells her lover: “I would lead you and bring you to the house of my mother who taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates” (Song of Songs 8:2). Having been taught the facts of life by her mother,…
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When Heaven Comes to Earth
Listen to this as a similar podcast: “The LORD reigns! Let the earth be happy! Let the many coastlands rejoice!” (Psalm 97:1) The declaration that the LORD reigns is common in the Psalms. I know in my head and believe in my heart that God is ruling His creation. It is hard to see in real life, though, in a practical sense. He tolerates more rebellion and disobedience than any earthly king or dictator I’ve read about in history or current events. If left to evidence alone, we could easily think that God’s rule is “hands off” and passive and that Satan is really the ruler. I have to remind…
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“My Daughter Says She’s a Boy–What Do I Do?”
A real question from a real mom: “Sue, my daughter insists she’s a boy. She has rejected all things feminine since she was a toddler. Now as a 15-year-old she says there’s a mismatch between her brain and her body. She wants “top surgery” (a double mastectomy) and testosterone to bring her insides and outsides into alignment. She says God made her this way and He doesn’t make mistakes so she is embracing a transgender identity. What do I do?” Oh sister. I am so sorry. I can only begin to imagine the pain, the chaos, and the conflict this is causing in your family. Let’s start with, what do…
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Break A Leg: Practicing God’s Presence in Pain
On my very first birthday, I fell off the front porch of our home and broke my leg. Because I lived in a remote village in Papua New Guinea with my missionary parents, I was flown to the closest town with a western doctor. Upon admittance to the hospital, my leg was put in traction and my mother told to go home. The nurses loved me. Who wouldn’t adore a one-year-old baby cooing and doing acrobatics on the traction ropes? My dear mother, having five other children to care for, could only come to visit me after three weeks. Medical practice in the early 1960s also did not allow parents…
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Barley
“Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many people?” (John 6:9 NET)
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Purity Culture: A Corrective (in Two Parts)
Part 1: The Context Purity is good. Purity culture, not so much. Purity culture isn’t new. And it’s global. While a young son may live the wild life, family honor depends on the daughter’s virginity. People tend to connect worth and worthiness with a woman’s sexual purity. Muslim, Hindu, Christian, atheism. Name your major belief system, and you’ll find purity-culture elements manifested in its subcultures. In the US, purity culture reveals itself differently in different geographical areas and ethnic groups. But in the past few decades it has had a deep hold on the evangelical church. Especially the white evangelical church. Women of color already had their own unique challenges. …
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The One Who Hears and Sees
It’s not often that I feel seen—understood, valued, heard—as a medical mama. But two conversations occurred recently that gave me pause. The first was with my son’s pediatrician. While I reviewed the updates to the long list of supplements and over-the-counter medicines that help keep my son’s body functioning in a normal way—rattling off names and dosages from memory— the pediatrician paused our conversation and said, “It’s a good thing you’re his mom. This is a lot.” She acknowledged my burden and my giftings in it. I felt understood. I felt valued. I felt heard. I felt seen. The second was with a nursing care manager with our health insurance…
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Are the End Times Near? Why you can ‘Keep Calm and Carry on.’
Sometimes it feels like there is no doubt that we are living in the End Times. Fires burn, pestilences rage, and unrest abounds. What does that mean for us now? Nothing. Well, nothing different anyway. What makes today unique is that despite what sometimes feels like rising tension in the world, the mission hasn’t changed. In these moments of history, when it feels like hardship is coming at us from every angle, it feels as though Jesus should return. It’s easy to ask oneself, where is the Lord? Isn’t today a good day to be rescued? Something about that feels like the wrong question. A better question might be, what…
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The Hundred-Mile Wilderness Adventure
Over the years, my husband and I have had many adventures backpacking in many different terrains and altitudes. This summer we had the opportunity to backpack through the Hundred-Mile Wilderness in Maine at the northern end of the Appalachian Trail. Although we have hiked in various terrain, this adventure was the most challenging. We were grateful to be able to hike it and finish injury-free (besides some bruises, a few blisters, and swollen feet)! When you’re backpacking for a length of time, there is plenty of time to contemplate God and life. This time was no exception. Being in God’s creation brought several lessons regarding my relationship with God and…
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What Really Matters in How We Spend Our Time?
I walked into class and saw friends scurrying through their notes, stuffing their brains with facts like squirrels hoarding nuts. I froze. I forgot about the science test. Instead of studying the night before, I played Rummy with mom and watched an episode of Quantum Leap with a bowl of popcorn. I sat down and quickly skimmed my notes. The teacher handed out the exam and I filled in circles with graphite, half-guessing. I passed the test—barely. It’s been decades since memorizing facts about neutrons and electrons, but sometimes I feel the same way. Like I show up to my life, unprepared. Especially in raising three kids. I’m busy, sure.…
