Category: Christianity
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Be Angry & Do Not Sin
Human emotion is complex. We are created in the image of a complex God and the emotions we feel – though corrupted by sin – are like his fingerprints on our hearts. In this damaged and dying world each of us experiences abuse, betrayal, abandonment, loss, or heartbreak. How do we cope in a Godly…
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2 Lies that Enable Abuse in the Church
My mom knew that my dad was a pervert with a violent temper who never apologized for anything. She thought that if she submitted to him and was a good Christian wife, he would eventually become a good Christian man, repent of his sin, and love her. Her background included catholic, charismatic, and reformed doctrines,…
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The Healing Power of Old Hymns
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There were many times, particularly when I was a teenager and young adult, that I took great solace in hymns. Some seem to think that’s a bit odd. I suppose it is unusual for a teenager to gravitate so strongly toward “old-fashioned” music. However, the lyrics of hymns tend to be much more rich, thoughtful,…
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The Truth About Trolls & Social Media Bullies
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Here’s Why Emotional Abusers Use Insults, Slander, and Online Harassment to Silence Opposing Views
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See, What Kind of Love: How 1 John 3 Speaks to Child Abuse Survivors
This morning a pastor friend of mine, Reverend J. Michael Dixon of The Orchard Church in Chicago, sought to encourage me by tweeting me 1 John 3:1. I frequently speak on social media about a feeling of being orphaned, and this was such a perfect verse to address that feeling. After reading the entire chapter…
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Poem: I’ll Not Have Lived In Vain
If I can keep one hope from fading One faith from failing One heart from breaking If I can keep one tear from falling I’ll not have lived in vain. If I can piece one life together Mend one crack In just one soul If I can be the arms that gather I’ll not have…
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To Turn the Hearts of the Fathers
In anticipation of Christmas, this past Sunday our pastor preached from Luke 1. It’s the chapter where an angel appears to Zechariah the priest and prophesies the birth of John The Baptist. “And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was…
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An Open Letter from a Housewife to a Demon
Dear Apsinthos, You have plagued me long enough. Your bitter lies are like a cancer in my mind, like a poison to my soul, and I am done with you. Like most, at first I mistook your deceit and your whisperings to be the imaginings of my own mind. But I can see you now.…
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Mike Pence, Dining With Women, & Why Manners Matter
Christian author Katelyn Beaty recently published an opinion piece in The New York Times titled, A Christian Case Against the Pence Rule. In it, Katelyn critiques the gender-relations etiquette of Vice President Mike Pence. Pence prefers to avoid meeting one-on-one with women other than his wife. While I agree with Katelyn that this stance can…
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Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross: A Tribute to Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church
A week has passed since the unthinkable occured at Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church, just east of San Antonio, Texas. This morning, during worship at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, I played and sang Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross, which is a beautiful old Baptist hymn. The survivors of the massacre were lifted up in prayer. Here…
Jenn Greenberg 