gospel

3 Ways the Church Can Advocate for Birthmothers

Cowritten with Brittany Salmon The Church is no stranger to adoption. Many congregations in the United States observe Orphan Care Sunday, host fundraisers for prospective adoptive parents, and sponsor adoption charities and scholarships. As we celebrate two adoption awareness events in November, National Adoption Month and National Adoption Day, we might feel confident advocating forContinue reading “3 Ways the Church Can Advocate for Birthmothers”

Ponder the Mystery of I AND

The siren song of mystery stories came calling in grade school. Once I learned how to read, I gravitated toward the whodunit shelves at the library, lured by the prospect of completing a puzzle. I matched wits with Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew, Hercule Poirot and Richard Jury, tracking clues on the streets of London,Continue reading “Ponder the Mystery of I AND”

How a Birth Mother’s Choice Is an Illustration of the Gospel

It’s an odd experience, shaking hands with the mother of your son before you get a chance to hold him. My pulse was racing when my husband and I sat down in the adoption agency office to chat with the woman who was changing our lives at great cost to her own. “Good to meetContinue reading “How a Birth Mother’s Choice Is an Illustration of the Gospel”

Why I Identify with Michael W. Smith, Kevin from ‘This Is Us,’ and the Hulk

Long before the Chris Tomlin Takeover of modern Christian radio, those of us church youth groupies jammed to the kickin’ beats of Amy Grant, Petra, Steven Curtis Chapman, and everyone’s favorite “friend forever,” Michael W. Smith. A pop music crush for my sister and thousands of other WWJD bracelet-wearing teenyboppers, Michael W. Smith released oneContinue reading “Why I Identify with Michael W. Smith, Kevin from ‘This Is Us,’ and the Hulk”

Dear Church: Carry light in your lament for our nation

Fury. Grief. An overwhelming number of sad and seething emojis. If my social media feed is any indication of greater societal trends, people in the wake of the election are bursting with emotions – most of which are in some way negative – and are voicing them every whichway possible. This has turned what is alreadyContinue reading “Dear Church: Carry light in your lament for our nation”