rebelling against low expectations
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...
“‘Agree to disagree’ is reserved for things like ‘I don’t like coffee’ … Not human rights.” These words were posted on Facebook by Rainbow Rights, an LGBTQ+ support group. In the textpost, they stated that anyone who supports racism, sexism, or homophobia is going against, in their words, “basic common decency.” To anyone who would disagree, the textpost says, “We do not have a difference of...
Christians tend to have two extremes when thinking about heresy. Some see heresy everywhere. If heresy simply means “whatever contradicts scripture”, we’ll see heresy in any biblical interpretation or doctrinal belief that disagrees with our own. We’ll see heresy in our friends, in our pastors, and—of course—anywhere in social media. (Conveniently enough, we’ll...
We don’t get to choose the world we’re born into. Society doesn’t pause to offer us our choice of the cultural values, global issues, or historical events that will characterize the version of Planet Earth we’ll be a part of. We inherit the world as it is. It’s a lot like a family heirloom. Each generation passes down a world–sometimes dusty, sometimes broken...
When I was a child, I often recited The Lord’s Prayer without an afterthought as to what I was actually uttering. If you’re anything like me, the art of prayer can be a difficult spiritual principle to grow in. Some churches teach to pray out loud or inside your head, while others remark that you need to say, “Our Father,” or “Jesus,” for it to be blessed and valid. Friends of mine raise their...
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...
I love the old hymns. There is something about the deep spiritual and theological truths, and the way the lyrics and the harmonies flow, that compel me to stop whatever I’m doing at the moment and just listen. These are the old-school hymns like Amazing Grace, It Is Well with My Soul, and Great Is Thy Faithfulness. I was raised on these songs and have known them by heart since I was a young girl...
It seems as if there is a disconnect in Christianity today. Very frequently, Bible reading is something prescribed as what I do for me–something directed inward. Evangelism is what I do for others–something directed outward. What if there was a beautiful, God-given fusion between the two? What if we have gotten it wrong and, instead of being opposed, they are actually connected...
It’s that time of year again, time for the low-grade heresies. They appear everywhere: in your mailbox, in your inbox, and even underneath that Instagram picture box. They’re unavoidable. If you are a teen, have a friend who has teens, or even are on the internet, you’ve seen them. Now perhaps I’m not quite being fair, perhaps heresy is too strong a word, but nonetheless, these things still don’t...
Editor’s Note: Throughout the years, TheReb has published thousands of articles, each challenging and encouraging Rebelutionaries to do hard things and seek God. But among these posts, some have especially resonated with you, our readers. So over the next few weeks and months, we’re bringing back these classics, reposting our most popular and well-read articles every Thursday. May they encourage...
rebelling against low expectations
