Sabbath as slowing down
“Slowing down carries with it the risk of boredom, but it also carries the freedom of genuine rest.” — Rachel Young
More Stories from this Author
“Walk with me, for the journey is long”
Rachel Young reflects on her friendship with Catherine, a trans woman whose life invites her to know Christ in a new way.
If you’re ever blessed with a sabbatical …
During her recent sabbatical, Rachel Young learned some important lessons on what a sabbatical means and how to prepare for one.
You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News
"No one person is meant to do it all, but together, as the Church, we can accomplish much for the restoration of our world."
The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth
Beth Allison Barr Brazos Press, 256 pages I loved “The Making of Biblical Womanhood” and have been recommending it to nearly everyone..
Change fatigue
I’ve been misplacing my eyeglasses lately. I set them down for a moment, for a simple task like changing my clothes, and..
Lessons from (failing) to build a campfire
I grew up around campfires, whether I was tent camping with my family or staying at sleep-away camp. I love roasting marshmallows;..
Unfettered: Imagining a Childlike Faith beyond the Baggage of Western Culture
Mandy Smith Brazos Press, 224 pages Western culture, Mandy Smith says, is obsessed with productivity and is uncomfortable with human limitations. The..
Reading as a listening exercise
I was asked recently what I read for inspiration and information. I had to admit to this person that my reading, especially..
Why I “waste” my time reading fiction
I cannot remember how, as an adult, I first got my hands on “A Ring of Endless Light” by Madeleine L’Engle. My..
Saying no to the church ladies
Around seven years ago, due to a health crisis, I became sensitive to a long list of foods. While I’ve added back..
5th Sunday after Pentecost — June 27, 2021
Mark 5:21-43 Pentecost 5B; Proper 8 One of my college professors, James Edwards, first introduced me to the concept of a “Markan..
Making a new beginning
Things are reopening in at the church I serve. Not that we were ever “closed.” Worship continued throughout the entirety of the..
Order of worship — June 27, 2021
You are welcome to use this liturgy in your online worship services and distribute it to your congregation. It is free for..
Brave Talk: Building Resilient Relationships in the Face of Conflict
Melody Stanford Martin Broadleaf Books, 300 pages How does one deal with conflict in a healthy way? Despite many books on the..
A prayer for Easter
Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! Our alleluias are filled with sorrow, God, over a year lost to a global..
Thin places — Here, there or everywhere?
In the summer of 2004, I traveled for two months in Scotland. Six of those weeks were spent volunteering with the Iona..
Laughter and lament
I rediscovered a book on my shelf that was given to me in 2011 by a church member. The book, by James..
Battery-operated Christmas
Our congregation returned to limited in-person worship in October. One service takes place in the sanctuary and is broadcasted over Zoom,..
Leading Lives that Matter: What We Should Do and Who We Should Be (2nd edition)
Edited by Mark R. Schwehn and Dorothy C. Bass Eerdmans, 650 pages What is my purpose in life? This question haunts not..
Laying fallow
When we bought our house, my husband and I inherited well-tended front and back yards, complete with bushes, flowers and established fruit..
Earth care as a spiritual formation exercise
Someone asked me recently how stewardship of creation relates to my personal faith. It seemed like a simple enough question to answer,..
Staying open to grief
A pastor friend of mine, who recently lost a loved one, reflected to me how hard it’s been to grieve. She doesn’t..
To see or not to see… family
Several years ago, I struggled with chronic stomach pain. My gastrointestinal specialist prescribed a medication and told me I would be on..
Be a good-ish person
One of the things I appreciate (and wrestle with, depending on the day) about Reformed theology is its view of sin and..