rebelling against low expectations
Winter is all well and good in December – we can dream of a white Christmas (or not, if you live closer to the equator). The chill in the air may be a reminder of hot chocolate at home and presents under the tree. But soon enough, December is past, and we face not only another year, but another few months of cold weather and gray skies. Many of us are also beginning another semester of school and...
Where do you start when you want to understand a verse, passage, or chapter of the Bible? There are a lot of things you could do to help you understand it. But the most important tool—other than prayer—comes before all of those. That tool is context. The Importance of Context My mom once said that every verse you study lives in an environment. If you were going to study an animal—say, a species...
When I need to think through something, I write it down. I know this doesn’t work for everyone—some people are external processors and need to talk it through with a friend. For some, just attempting to journal can cause more stress than it alleviates. But my method of processing the world inevitably involves writing, whether it’s sitting down to journal or just writing angsty poetry in class. I...
Bible reading. Prayer. Meditation. Fellowship. If you’ve spent some time in the church (or even on TheReb), you’ve probably heard a lot about these. You’ve probably also heard about some lesser-known practices like fasting, solitude, secrecy, or celebration. These are spiritual disciplines. Maybe you’re dedicated to practicing some or all of them. Maybe you think it would be a good idea and want...
“We don’t know how to say goodbye.” I discovered the poem during a Zoom class in April. We’d been studying Russian literature since the cold darkness of January. Now in the middle of spring we’d exchanged the long wooden desks and late morning light of our classroom for video calls and suddenly vibrant group chats. Instead of whispering with friends to either side, I made lunch during class with...
If you follow Christian Twitter, you’re probably familiar with Jackie Hill Perry. Her pithy theological tweets and advocacy for justice make her a leading voice in the church today. She’s also written on her conversion to Christianity in her book Gay Girl, Good God. However, I first became acquainted with Jackie’s work through her music. She’s a hip-hop and spoken word artist with an incredible...
The first time I listened to an Arcadian Wild album, I think I was cleaning a bathroom. Maybe that’s why that album (and eventually the rest of their work) became my cleaning music. When Saturday rolls around and I need to clean so I don’t drive my roommate crazy, I put on the band’s self-titled album and sing along. At the end of every break, when I have to pack up the suitcases again, the...
“shaping our minds in the moment” This isn’t another article about how to use all the extra time you have during quarantine. Because honestly, many of us don’t have any extra time. In fact, ever since my college went to online classes, I felt like I had less time to spare (and I was taking the equivalent of nineteen credits this semester!). There’s a multitude of reasons for this. The...
We never wanted to live through a pandemic, but here we are. Maybe you’re annoyed or grieving because it feels like life has been cancelled. Maybe you’re genuinely afraid for yourself or others. Fear. Worry. Panic. Anger. It seems like that’s all we hear and everything that surrounds us. But right now, of all times, is when we need to be remembering truth and focusing on what is good. Maybe we...
It’s a new year, and among other resolutions and goals, you’re probably hoping to read the Bible more. Maybe you’re planning to do an in-depth study, or memorize a verse every week, or join a Bible study at your church. But one question we rarely ask is, “Which Bible translation am I going to use?” Maybe you grew up, like me, using just one translation. Or maybe you’ve hopped around between...
rebelling against low expectations
