As I was reading Making Paper Cranes by Rev. Mihee Kim-Kort, I found myself feeling simultaneously exposed and held by her analysis and critique of the “both and” world that Asian-American women live in. I regret that until this past month I have never read or been given a recommendation on a book solely based on Asian-American feminist theology. Frankly, I did not know that such a book existed and am both overwhelmed and thankful to have received this blessing.

Read more

Earlier this summer, inside my Consecrate Box (a ministry subscription service for women in ministry), I received a discount code for the book In the Neighborhood of Normal* by Cindy Maddox. I was instantly hooked by the summary:the protagonist is an 82-year-old woman, when does that even happen? Days later, I received my copy and utterly fell in love with the feisty widow and active church lady, Mish Atkinson. The book begins as Mish buys her first-ever smartphone, and as she navigates texting for the first time, hilarity ensues. Through a series of coincidences, naivety, and an open heart, Mish’s new phone leads her to a mission from “Jesus,” much to the chagrin of her (gay, married!) pastor, who wonders a bit at her sanity. But Mish is undeterred. 

Read more

From connecting with pastors over the years, I’ve discovered that there are a number of them out there who adore horror. While I haven’t been able to nail down a complete explanation for this phenomenon, I have found one recurring, resonant theme: belief. 

Horror movies are obsessed with belief. It’s the concept we’re grappling with when we yell at the screen to tell the characters not to go into that dark basement or roll our eyes at the one character who insists on being a skeptic even though they’re in a horror movie: Why don’t these people believe that the danger is real? Why don’t these people believe in the supernatural? How can they doubt the existence of nightmares when they’re living in one? 

Read more

Tricia Hersey didn’t discover rest as resistance when she had the time or the money to rest. She began resting as resistance in the midst of one of the busiest times in her own life while she was a seminarian and a single working mom. This she says is what we must all do in order to counter the impact and influence of capitalism on our bodies and souls. Hersey’s Rest is Resistance* is a powerful recounting of her story as a black working mom to bring rest not only to her own life, but to the lineage of ancestors who were forced to labor as enslaved people and then as people enslaved to grind culture of capitalism.  Read more

Venus figurines are among the oldest pieces of art humans have created. Through them we can see that there is an ancient relationship between figurines and the elevation of some kind of ideal on behalf of a community or culture. Venuses in their many forms have represented the ideal feminine or feminine power throughout the ages. Mattel’s Barbie doll is a very recent addition to the Venus lineage. Prehistoric Venuses are voluptuous and plump – a visual representation of a voracious fecundity. The Barbie that most of us grew up with appears to be missing a couple of ribs in order to be both curvy and slim. She represents the industrial West’s hope for freedom from the demands of the fleshiness of life. She insists that one might be able to both give birth and keep their figure.

In Greta Gerwig’s recent fantasy comedy Barbie, early on the audience is introduced to Stereotypical Barbie as she wakes up in her giant seashell bed, a reference to “The Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli. Soon Barbie’s world is turned upside down because she is unable to suppress her persistent thoughts of death. As I watched her dilemma unfold, I realized that viewers would be embarking on a journey of an epic scale. It is a primal journey that has echoed throughout human history and storytelling.

Read more

Sometime during the catastrophe that was 2020, my husband told me there was a new show we could watch. An American football coach goes to England to coach a professional soccer team. I wasn’t really interested in a sports show, but with a newborn at home and nowhere to go, I finally agreed to watch the first episode a few weeks later. The first half of episode one seemed predictable though charming. By the end, I found my assumptions about the main character, Ted, getting challenged in the best way. I said, “OK, I’ll watch it.” And that was how I became a Tedvangelist. 

Read more

A decorative image of the cover of Peace is a Practice by Morgan Harper Nichols. The book cover features calming shades of blue with threads of gold in swirls.

In her book Peace is a Practice, artist and musician Morgan Harper Nichols posits that finding peace is not finding a state of being but rather joining a river flowing all around us. Perhaps the reason we aren’t at peace is because we are so busy that we miss the river of peace flowing slowly and steadily all around us. Nichols challenges the idea that peace has to be something tranquil and perfect, writing, “Peace does not mean everything is perfect. Rather, peace means you are able to find your breath, to stay connected to your very life, in the face of gritty realism.” 

Read more

A decorative image of frost on a cracked window

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.-
-Proverbs 13:12

While listening to the pilot episode of the podcast “Hot and Bothered,” I was surprised to learn that romance is the best selling and most profitable of all literary fiction genres, and by large margins. Even given its established, if disparaged, dominance, romance is currently the fastest growing genre of fiction. Sales of romance novels have been increasing significantly throughout the pandemic and into 2023. Given the success of the Bridgerton series on Netflix, the arrival of all sorts of rom-coms the likes of which popular culture has not seen since the early 2000s, such as The Lost City or the upcoming Love Again, I think we should all prepare for romance to enter into our lives in a big way, no matter our relationship status.  Read more

Author and cultural critic bell hooks has recently made the news because she has been listed as one of the authors whose work Governor DeSantis cites as problematic for students. Her writing has challenged and engaged students in teachers to use their voice to stand up and to learn who they are.  Read more

A black and white decorative image of a smiling man dressed in a tunic with dark hair and a dark beard, with the words "The Chosen" in blue letters.

Jonathan Roumie plays Jesus in The Chosen.

Until I saw The Chosen, the only shows or movies I had seen featuring Jesus were in one of three categories: boring, educational, or satirical (remember this vintage 21 video? It still makes me laugh). Now I can add a fourth category: thought-provoking and enjoyable.  Read more