Rachel Held Evans - Blog Posts

Rachel Held Evans - Blog Posts http://www.rachelheldevans.com/feed.rss en Rachel Held Evans 2006 120 http://www.rachelheldevans.comhttp://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe/images/EIMT-feedburnericon.jpgRachel Held EvansRachelHeldEvanshttp://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with Live.com Weekend Reads http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/bKO7o1Z35Rs/400 <p>Check out my guest post on Scot McKnight’s Jesus Creed blog: <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2009/11/friday-is-for-friends-rachel-h.html" target="_blank">Finding Common Ground in a Common Story</a>. If you’ve never visited <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/" target="_blank">Jesus Creed</a> before, take some time to browse around. It’s one of my favorite sites.</p> <p>Fellow SEC football fans will know why I laughed out loud at “<a href="http://stuffchristianslike.net/2009/11/rooting-for-tim-tebow/" target="_blank">Rooting for Tim Tebow</a>” as an entry on the Stuff Christians Like blog.  (Don’t you know? I can’t root for Tebow until AFTER Bama plays Florida! I’m torn between my allegiance to the University of Alabama and my allegiance to the Kingdom.) Ladies, if you have no interest in college football, check out this post about “<a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/2009/11/empowered-birth.html" target="_blank">empowered birth</a>” from Jen over at Conversion Diary or this post about <a href="http://julieclawson.com/2009/11/05/encounters-with-sexism/" target="_blank">sexism</a> from Julie Clawson.</p> <p><em>So, was it sexist of me to assume that my female readers wouldn’t care about football?</em>  </p> <p><strong>Read anything interesting lately? Post links. <br /></strong></p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/400#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/bKO7o1Z35Rs" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:59:00 -0500 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/400 Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/400 Missional Living in the Buckle of the Bible Belt http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/V3_31sT3mbU/missional-bible-belt <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" title="railroad tracks" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/Amanda_pic_tracks.jpg" alt="railroad tracks" width="188" height="250" />Little Known Fact:  Journalist H.L. Mencken coined the term “Bible Belt,” and popularized it during the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925, right here in Dayton. (You’re welcome, future Jeopardy contestants.) </p> <p>This fact alone should qualify Dayton as the Belt’s official “buckle,” but if you’re not yet convinced, consider Rhea County’s 250 churches, thriving Christian college campus, weekly McDonald’s gospel sing, and solidly Southern location halfway between the Mason Dixon line to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. </p> <p><strong>As I’ve mentioned before, this is a strange place to struggle with doubt, a strange place to deconstruct and reconstruct faith, a strange place to launch yet another church, and a strange place to experiment with missional living. I’ve written frequently about the first two, but as I look ahead, I expect we will be chatting more and more about the second two. </strong></p> <p>“Missional" is a bit of a buzzword these days, and can mean different things to different people. For me, it is simply a commitment to living like Jesus in order to serve as an imperfect participant in the Kingdom of God that is among us now and an incomplete picture of the fully restored and redeemed Kingdom of God that is to come. Missional living is basically redemptive living...within a community and for the community. </p> <p>On good days, this would mean pursuing justice, celebrating beauty, loving neighbors, loving enemies, and sharing the Gospel. On bad days, it would mean feeling like a complete hypocrite because I don’t really like people that much to begin with. </p> <p>The missional approach is different than modern evangelicalism, particularly in this region, because “the work of salvation, in its full sense, is 1) about whole human beings, not merely souls; 2) about the present, not simply the future; and 3) about what God does through us, not merely what God does in and for us.” (I borrowed that from NT Wright, <em>Surprised by Hope</em>, p. 200).  </p> <p>[On Monday, I’ll share a post about how this is approach is different from the so-called “social gospel.”] </p> <p><strong>So how does one live missionally in the buckle of the Bible Belt, where just about everyone knows the name of Jesus? How do you do “church” in a way that is different? And if Jesus lived in Dayton, how might he spend his time?</strong></p> <p>These are questions I’ll be thinking about and addressing over the next few weeks and months, and I’m going to need your input and help. Potential blog topics include: </p> <ul> <li>Rural poverty</li> <li>Racial reconciliation in the South</li> <li>Reaching out to migrant workers and their families</li> <li>Celebrating local artists and musicians</li> <li>Working in harmony with folks who are politically and theologically more conservative than myself</li> <li>Needs in rural education – both in public schools and adult education programs</li> <li>Becoming a friend and refuge for the religiously disenfranchised</li> <li>Living with less in order to give more</li> <li>Southern religious culture </li> <li>Understanding industrial communities </li> <li>Understanding farming communities</li> <li>Integration of nature and worship</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>What else? What do you think are some of the challenges/issues specifically related to missional living in the Bible Belt culture? Do you know of any ideas that have worked? Experts to consult? Links to share? <br /></strong></p> <p>I’d especially love to hear from my fellow rural Southerners…but Yankees and city slickers are welcome to chime in as well! :-)</p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/missional-bible-belt#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/V3_31sT3mbU" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:37:10 -0500 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/missional-bible-belt Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/missional-bible-belt Jesus and the People of Wal Mart http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/LGeuRxgB-xU/jesuswalmart <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/smiley_face2.jpg" alt="smiley" width="300" height="200" /></p> <p><strong>There are plenty of places I’d rather shop than Wal Mart. Believe me</strong>. </p> <p>From the moment I wander through the automatic doors to be greeted by an automatic greeter and lulled into automatic shopping mode, I feel guilty of crimes against humanity. All I can do is keep my head down and pray that God will forgive me for playing sidekick to an evil corporation intent upon running small businesses into the ground and taking over the world one smiley face at a time. </p> <p>But the Evans family is on a budget just like everyone else, and economics often trump conviction…especially when Oreos are two for five dollars. So I’ve grown familiar with the various aisles, absently aware of the ebb and flow of the crowds, oblivious to the endless beeping of the barcode scanners.  </p> <p>By the time I reach the check-out line, I’ve usually checked out of reality. Sometimes I neglect to place the divider between my groceries and my neighbor’s.  Sometimes I’m too tired to meet the cashier’s eye. Sometimes I forget there are other people around me. </p> <p>But occasionally, a fellow shopper will capture my attention in such a way that forces me to confront the living, breathing mass of humanity that surrounds me. </p> <p>Yesterday it was a small, white-haired woman whose thin frame was so severely bent over that she could barely reach the products on the middle shelves.  To adjust to this handicap, she kept her arms close to her chest like a squirrel and shuffled down the aisles with her head cocked to one side. I could see a wrinkled hand grasp the bar of the grocery cart now and then, but I couldn’t really see her face.  </p> <p>Sitting in the cart among her groceries, was a little boy—probably seven or eight years old.  The boy had brown hair and freckles, and his shoes were untied. I thought I heard him humming as I passed.  </p> <p>I looked around to see if there were any other adults accompanying the unlikely pair, but it soon became clear that the two were going it alone. Perhaps the boy was being raised by his grandmother. Or perhaps she was his great-grandmother. Whatever the case, it was obvious that their trip to Wal Mart required a lot more time—and a lot more courage—than my own. </p> <p>The whole thing got me thinking about the people of Wal Mart. The popular <a href="http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/" target="_blank">Web site</a> that bears the name is certainly funny, with its unbelievable pictures of strange-looking shoppers, submitted by readers who capture the images on their cell phones.  Living in a rural community, where mullets have yet to reach extinction, I confess to releasing more than a few knowing chuckles while visiting the site.</p> <p>But as I contemplated the physical handicap that encumbered the old woman I spotted in the pasta aisle, the mental and economic handicaps that no doubt plague many of the victims of Peopleofwalmart.com, and my own emotional and spiritual handicaps that keep me from connecting with and loving my fellow human beings, I realized that the people of Wal Mart are not “them,” but “us.”  We’re all just a bunch of crazy, broken people—whether we wear it on the outside or not. </p> <p><strong>I don’t care what my progressive friends say; there’s little doubt in my mind that if Jesus lived among us today, he’d be hanging out at Wal Mart, not to endorse the company’s business practices, but to love on the people—the poor, the sick, the whackos, the mulleted, the morbidly obese, the sluts, the drunks, the perverts, the lost, the lonely, the bent over, the motherless, and the tragically disconnected. </strong></p> <p>Perhaps I’d catch a glimpse of him now and then if I simply payed more attention. </p> <p><em>What kind of people do you encounter at Wal Mart? What can you learn from them? What do you think of Peopleofwalmart.com? </em></p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/jesuswalmart#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/LGeuRxgB-xU" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:09:54 -0500 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/jesuswalmart Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/jesuswalmart McLaren, Miller, and me http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/3qB5Xh0AuPQ/mclaren-miller-me <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: right;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/DMiller_pg.jpg" alt="dmiller" width="182" height="202" />Happy November! I hope you are enjoying the crisp air, blue skies, and vibrant colors that fall always delivers. Only a few weeks left until winter settles in.</p> <p>So this is going to be an especially exciting month for me, as I plan to attend several local events featuring popular authors/thinkers.  </p> <p>The first, beginning this weekend, features <strong>Brian McLaren</strong> and <strong>Tony Campolo</strong>. Hosted by <a href="http://www.firstcentenary.com/ministries/Adventures.asp" target="_blank">First-Centenary United Methodist Church</a> in Chattanooga, the three-day conference is named after a book that McLaren and Campolo co-authored entitled, <em>Adventures in Missing the Point</em>. The stated goal is to teach Christians how to “talk with each other about sensitive issues without missing the<img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/brian-mclaren-250.jpg" alt="brianmclaren" width="158" height="157" /> point,” and topics include: end times, evangelism, homosexuality, environmentalism, worship, and postmodernism.  </p> <p>It’s unusual to have such a progressive conference in this part of the country, and I’ve heard of pastors from several local congregations preaching passionate sermons against the emerging church in response to the event.  </p> <p>You can learn more about the conference <a href="http://www.holston.org/events/2009/nov/08/adventures-missing-point/" target="_blank">here</a>. I plan to attend events on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, so if you will be there, please let me know. Maybe we could grab lunch!</p> <p>Later in the month, (November 21), <strong>Donald Miller </strong>comes to town!  As part of his “A Million Miles” tour, Miller will be stopping by Ridgedale Baptist Church in Chattanooga.  You can learn about the tour (and order tickets, which are only $15) <a href="http://amillionmiles.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. I'll try to write a review of his new book before the event.</p> <p>I’m pretty stoked about the possibility of meeting Miller, whose writing style and publishing career has inspired me so much over the past few years. (There’s a joke among CBA writers about the optimism…and arrogance…of using the phrase “Donald-Millerish” to describe your book! I’m just hoping that seeing my name within a few sentences of his will force your brain to make a subconscious link between us.)</p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: right;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/tony-campolo-17.jpg" alt="tonyc" width="163" height="217" />Again, if any of you plan to attend, please let me know. We've already got a small group together.  </p> <p><strong>I'm interested to learn about  your opinions of Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, and Donald Miller? Have you read any of their books? Which were your favorites, and how did they impact you? How do you tend to agree or disagree with these guys? Have you heard any of them speak? What did you think? <br /></strong></p> <p>And finally, as you will also notice on my <a href="events" target="_blank">schedule of events</a>, I’ll be speaking to a class of Bryan College freshmen next week. I’m excited about the opportunity, but a little unsure of exactly what to say about how my perspective on “Christian worldview” has changed over the years. </p> <p><strong>Any ideas? What sort of advice/ encouragement/ instruction do you wish you had received your freshman year of college? </strong></p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/mclaren-miller-me#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/3qB5Xh0AuPQ" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:52:04 -0500 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/mclaren-miller-me Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/mclaren-miller-me A Halloween Treat... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/kkAKtSHi03w/lwl-halloween <p> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" style="width:480px; height:295px;" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/rXJGEH80ED8"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rXJGEH80ED8" /> </object> <p></p> </p> <p>Happy Halloween! I hope you enjoy this video treat, compliments of my husband <a href="http://www.chapter2studios.com/" target="_blank">Dan</a> and my friend <a href="http://www.quentinmccuiston.com/" target="_blank">Quentin McCuiston</a>. (Check out my brief cameo at 4:48!) You can watch other episodes from the Learning with Lawrence series <a href="http://www.youtube.com/learningwithlawrence" target="_blank">here</a>. </p> <p><strong>So, do you and your family celebrate Halloween? Has your approach to the holiday changed over the years - perhaps after leaving home, having kids, or moving to a new neighborhood? What do you think of churches that discourage members of their congregation from participating? </strong></p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/lwl-halloween#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/kkAKtSHi03w" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:13:54 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/lwl-halloween Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/lwl-halloween Eight Reasons to Give Evolution a Second Chance http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/zlDnE7JcuPo/give-evolutiona-chance <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: right;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/darwin change.jpg" alt="darwin-change" width="194" height="290" /><em>If you have already embraced evolution as a credible explanation for why life on earth is the way it is, I hope you will find the resources below useful in helping to harmonize this view with your faith. If you still aren’t sure what to make of evolution or if you have always been suspicious of it, I hope these ideas will inspire you to at least give the theory second chance.  They certainly inspired me. </em><br /><br />1. I recently discovered <strong>The Biologos Foundation</strong> and have been really impressed with its <a href="http://www.biologos.org/" target="_blank">Web site</a> and <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/scienceandthesacred/" target="_blank">blog</a>. Established by renowned geneticist and Christian Dr. Francis Collins, the foundation seeks to advance the claim that “faith and science both lead to truth about God and creation.” The site includes reliable resources and reflections on contemporary issues surrounding the creation/evolution debate. Plus it boasts a really clean, pleasant design.  One of my favorite features is the “questions” section, which addresses everything from <a href="http://biologos.org/questions/biologos-and-miracles/" target="_blank">belief in miracles</a>, to the <a href="http://biologos.org/questions/evolution-and-the-fall/" target="_blank">nature of The Fal</a>l, to <a href="http://biologos.org/questions/ages-of-the-earth-and-universe/" target="_blank">the age of the earth</a>, to <a href="http://biologos.org/questions/fossil-record/" target="_blank">the fossil record</a>.  <br /><br />2. <strong>Non-literal interpretations of Genesis 1-2 did not originate in response to evolutionary theory, but have been around for a long time.</strong> Many historical Christian scholars acknowledged the possibility of interpreting the creation account non-literally, including Origen, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and C.S. Lewis.  Believe it or not, 1500 years before Darwin conducted his research, Augustine wrote in <em>The Literal Meaning of Genesis</em> that “in matters that are so obscure and far beyond our vision, we find in Holy Scripture passages which can be interpreted in very different ways without prejudice to the faith we have received. In such cases, we should not rush in headlong and so firmly take our stand on one side that, if further progress in the search for truth justly undermines our position, we too fall with it." (This <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/may/22.39.html?start=1" target="_blank">article</a> by Alister McGrath examines Augustine’s position more closely.)</p> <p>3. <strong>Ancient Israelites accepted a completely different cosmological paradigm than we do today, and the Old Testament was written within that context. </strong>  John Walton’s new book, <em>The Lost Word of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate</em> explores the creation account in light of ancient cosmology, concluding that "its message transcends the culture in which it originated, but the form in which the message was imbedded was fully permeated by the ancient culture" (page 21). The Bible includes references to many of these ancient assumptions. God does not take it upon himself to “correct” such assumptions or to reveal to his people science that is beyond their culture. (Scot McKnight posted a <a href="http://search.blog.beliefnet.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=128&tag=Genesis%201&limit=20" target="_blank">series of reviews</a> about Walton’s book on his Jesus Creed blog this summer. See also this Denis O. Lamoureux’s<a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/scienceandthesacred/2009/08/the-ancient-science-in-the-bible.html" target="_blank"> article</a> about ancient cosmology.) <br /><br />4. <strong>Evolution is not <em>just</em> a theory.</strong> It’s not merely a guess or a hunch. In science, the word theory refers to a well-supported, well-established framework for understanding a set of observations (e.g., the theory of gravity, the theory of relativity, germ theory, etc). A good theory enables scientists to make predictions. Einstein’s theory of relativity, for example, predicted that stars in the Hyades cluster should appear in a different place during an eclipse. Sure enough, in 1919 scientists observed such movement during an eclipse.<br /><br />A theory is accepted as true when its predictions are tested over and over again and repeatedly confirmed. By all legitimate accounts, Darwin’s theory of evolution has consistently made testable predictions.  For example, scientists predicted that if whales evolved from land mammals, they should find intermediate fossils that show whales with feet. Sure enough, whales with just such limbs were discovered in the 1990s in the exact geological strata that the scientists predicted. This is just one example among thousands. <br /><br />Time and time again, scientists have confirmed the prediction that we should find evidence for evolutionary change in the fossil record with the deepest, oldest layers containing fossils of more primitive species and the youngest layers containing fossils of species similar to those of present day. Time and time again, they have confirmed the prediction that we should find cases of speciation in the fossil record.  Scientists have also confirmed the prediction that species should show genetic variation for traits, that we should observe imperfect adaptation in nature, and that we should see examples of natural selection occurring in the present.  The evidence in support of evolution is overwhelming, which is why about 99 percent of scientists accept it as fact. <br /><br />(Biologos addresses the fossil record<a href="http://biologos.org/questions/fossil-record/" target="_blank"> here.</a> The best presentation I’ve encountered regarding evolutionary theory’s success at making predictions was in Jerry Coyne’s book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Why-Evolution-True-Jerry-Coyne/dp/0670020532" target="_blank"><em>Why Evolution is True</em></a>. For a response to so-called “gaps” in the fossil record, check out this <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/216140" target="_blank">excerpt</a> from Richard Dawkin’s new book, <em>The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution</em>.)<br /><br />5. <strong>The easiest way to disprove evolution would be to find a fossil in the wrong geological stratum. This has never happened</strong>. <br /><br />6.  <strong>Advances in the field of genetics provide powerful support for Darwin’s theory of descent from a common ancestor with natural selection operating on randomly occurring variations.</strong> In fact, a computer can construct a tree of life based solely upon the similarities of the DNA sequences of multiple organisms. Its similarities to conclusions drawn from studies of comparative anatomy/ the fossil record are staggering.  I’ve always been impressed with this evidence. <br /><br />7.  <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Collins_%28geneticist%29" target="_blank">Francis Collins</a>.</strong> Enough said. (If you haven’t read <em>The Language of God</em>, consider adding it to your Christmas wish list!) <br /><br />8.  <strong>These days, you can find</strong> <strong>more and more books about harmonizing evolution with faith.</strong> If you’ve already read <em>The Language of God</em>, consider checking out <em>A Fine-Tuned Universe </em>by Alister McGrath, <em>Coming to Peace With Science</em> by Darrel Falk, <em>Saving Darwin</em> by Karl Giberson, or<em> I Love Jesus and I Accept Evolution</em> by Denis Lamoureux.</p> <p><strong>Can you think of more?</strong> <strong>What is your position on evolution? How did you arrive at that position? </strong></p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/give-evolutiona-chance#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/zlDnE7JcuPo" height="1" width="1"/> Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:43:21 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/give-evolutiona-chance Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/give-evolutiona-chance Living in a Construction Zone http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/oEV4l4xsGaw/construction-zone-faith <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/construction3.jpg" alt="construcitonzone" width="207" height="207" />As you might have noticed, I often compare the adaptive qualities and ever-changing nature of faith to that of evolutionary biology. This is one of my favorite metaphors, in part because it is provocative, controversial, and delightfully ironic given my location, but also because few comparisons are as colorful or as spot-on. </p> <p>I was reminded of the similarities the other day when I happened upon biologist Jerry A. Coyne’s observation that <strong>“evolution is like an architect who cannot design a building from scratch, but must build every new structure by adapting a preexisting building, keeping the structure habitable all the while.”</strong> (<em>Why Evolution is True</em>, page 12) </p> <p>You could say the same thing about vibrant faith, which survives change (be it cultural or experiential) by continually reassessing, reforming, and rebuilding upon its current structure. <strong>In fact, if I had a second favorite metaphor to describe what my faith journey has been like over the past few years, it would probably have something to do with a construction zone. Theologically, I’ve been tearing down walls and putting up new ones, rerouting plumbing  and rewiring electricity, tossing out blueprints and sketching plans out in the dirt.   </strong></p> <p>We touched on this a little bit Friday, when several of you encouraged me to focus less attention on deconstructing fundamentalism and more attention on moving forward in the reconstruction process—good suggestions for bringing more life and focus to the blog. </p> <p>Truth be told, the defensive part of me wanted to respond, <em>“But I am rebuilding! Haven’t you noticed? I’ve written posts about moving from absolutism to openness, from eschatological escapism to kingdom-building, from propositions as fundamental to love as fundamental. I’ve written a whole book about embracing change and learning from doubt. I’ve reviewed N.T. Wright and linked to Scot McKnight.”</em> </p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: right;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/construction5.jpg" alt="cone" width="159" height="228" /><strong>But as I reflected on your comments and on my own insecurities and fears, I realized that what you’re really asking for (and what I really need) is not an end to the theological construction zone, but rather the assurance that the structure remains<em> habitable</em>, that life can go on in the midst of all the drilling and sawing and hammering. </strong></p> <p><strong>You see, sometimes I get so consumed with the remodeling process that I neglect to actually live in the house and make it home. I forget to invite people in, to prepare and share food, to rest, to take shelter, to beautify, to do the laundry, to wash the dishes, to throw parties, to play music, and to take off my shoes. I guess I just assume that I can finish all the construction first and start living like Jesus once I know exactly what that means. </strong></p> <p>But this is misguided. Imagine what the world would be like if Jesus had waited for his disciples to figure everything out before using them to launch the Kingdom!</p> <p><em>So what does living amidst a construction zone look like? </em></p> <p>I’m pretty sure that a few things are about to force me to figure that out: </p> <p>1. The first is the possibility of partnering with some old friends to start a <strong>new church</strong> in Dayton. (I should note that this is not a for sure thing, but rather an idea still getting tossed around.) So far, the time I’ve spent talking with Dan and others about our visions for what a church should look like in this community has been invigorating, inspiring, and absolutely terrifying. If anything is going to force me to put my crazy ideas into practice, it’s this project. As we talk together about caring for the poor, loving our neighbors, following Jesus, and living in community, I am confronted with the fact that it’s easier to hang out alone in the construction zone when you’ve got a living room full of broken people with all kinds of different opinions and ideas and needs inviting you to join them in conversation and service. Something tells me that the next few months and years are going to be beautifully uncomfortable and life-changing. </p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/construciton3.jpg" alt="tapemeasure" width="168" height="114" />2. The second is the increased exposure that the <strong>publication</strong> of <em>Evolving in Monkey Town</em> will certainly bring. As I contemplate speaking topics, article ideas, and future book projects, I am continually reminded of the importance of a) providing people with practical ideas for how to respond to my calls to action, and b) practicing what I preach by responding to my own calls to action! </p> <p>3. The third is the possibility of starting a <strong>family</strong>. Seeing as we are both approaching 30, Dan and I know that children are in the not-too-distant future. According to our friends, kids force you to get practical. I think we’ve finally let go of the idea that we need to figure everything out ahead of time before we raise kids of faith. But kids will undoubtedly change the nature of how we go about our faith construction, because they will require a safe and secure home. </p> <p><strong>What about you? What does it mean for you to live in a construction zone? In what ways have you learned to love and follow Jesus in the midst of theological change? </strong></p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/construction-zone-faith#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/oEV4l4xsGaw" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:38:14 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/construction-zone-faith Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/construction-zone-faith What do you people want from me? (A Happy Post) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/4QL-Bn7dOKM/what-do-you-want-blog <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: right;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/Chimpanzee_thinking_poster.jpg" alt="chimp-thinking" width="190" height="244" />So every few months, I like to take a long hard look at the blog in order to generate some fresh ideas about how to draw new readers and keep current ones. </p> <p>Some ideas I’m currently tossing around include: working harder to employ the same writing style in posts that I employ in my books (more story, less ranting!); sticking to the Monday-Wednesday-Friday post schedule; including more interviews with fellow bloggers and writers; including more links as resources; returning to book reviews; and of course updating some of the site’s graphics and pages. </p> <p>Regarding topics, I’d like to write more about church (believe it or not, it looks like Dan and I will be partnering with some old friends to start a new one in Dayton!), community, <a href="newfundamentalist" target="_blank">love as fundamental</a>, Dayton, the Scopes Trial, women in leadership, reflections on Scripture, writing, religious pluralism, and of course my favorite themes—doubt, faith, and questions. I’d also like to respond more quickly to news events and trends, giving you the opportunity to weigh in right away. </p> <p>Of course, there’s always the fear that I will run out of things to say…or perhaps worse, I’ll keep writing even AFTER I’ve run out of things to say! </p> <p>So I need your help. </p> <p>Please consider answering some of the following questions to help me reassess “Evolving in Monkey Town” and make it a better forum and community. </p> <p><strong>1. What are your favorite blogs? Which ones do you visit every day, and what do you like about them? </strong></p> <p><strong>2. How do you keep up with “Evolving in Monkey Town”? Do you subscribe through a reader? Do you follow links from Facebook and Twitter?  Do you simply visit the site when you happen to think of it? </strong></p> <p><strong>3. How did you first find “Evolving in Monkey Town”? </strong></p> <p><strong>4. Regarding navigation and site design, do you have any suggestions for the site?</strong></p> <p><strong>5. Perhaps most importantly - What topics would YOU like to discuss on the blog? Which conversations have you enjoyed in the past? What would you like to see me write more about, and what would you like to see me write less about? <em>I'm really open to your ideas on this! I want YOU to help guide the conversations here. </em><br /></strong></p> <p>Feel free to offer constructive criticism. Remember, I'm a full-time writer...so I'm used to "feedback"! :-)</p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/what-do-you-want-blog#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/4QL-Bn7dOKM" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:08:10 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/what-do-you-want-blog Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/what-do-you-want-blog God Hates… http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/p8ceBS5Odhw/god-hates-signs <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/6887_4080_thumb.jpg" alt="god-hates-signs" width="295" height="244" /></p> <p>I couldn’t help but chuckle at this photo of a protestor protesting the protests of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church" target="_blank">Westboro Baptist Church</a> in Kansas recently.  Gotta give the guy points for irony! </p> <p>But then I noticed the little boy holding the “God Hates Fags” sign in the background and stopped laughing. It’s so sad to see children participating in events like these, so troubling to think of how such memories will affect them as adults. </p> <p><strong>Now, I'm not a huge fan of crowds, but over the past few years, a couple of local incidents tempted me to get out my magic markers and make some protest signs myself. </strong> </p> <p>The first, in 2004, happened when the <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,114467,00.html" target="_blank">Rhea County Commission voted</a> to introduce legislation that would amend Tennessee’s criminal code so that the county could charge gays and lesbians with “crimes against nature.” The decision drew national attention to the area, and sparked protests from the gay community, as well as from the fundamentalist community. I remember that one street preacher carried a sign that said, “Sodomites don’t produce; they recruit.” <strong>At the time, I stayed out of it, but sometimes I wish I could go back and simply stand with the local gays and lesbians who turned out—just to let them know that not everyone in this community hated them or wanted them to be charged with a crime. </strong>The decision was overturned within the week.<strong> </strong><br /><br />I also thought about protesting when local activist J<a href="http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_90690.asp" target="_blank">une Griffin got away with vandalizing a Mexican store in town</a>. The case was dismissed because the immigrant she threatened did not testify. Disheartened by the amount of support Griffin had received from the community, I considered showing up at the courthouse with a sign that included Exodus 22:21, "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt”—mainly because June prides herself on being a strict biblical literalist. But, once again, I figured I’d just be contributing to the madness, so I stayed home.  <strong>I read in the newspaper the next day that a small group of Hispanics showed up at the courthouse and stood alone. </strong><br /><br />In both of these cases, I’m pretty sure that my presence at a protest would have done little to change the circumstances. However, it might have made people from two of the most oppressed minority populations in Rhea County feel a little less alone. </p> <p><strong>So, have you ever been a part of a protest? If so, what did your sign say? What’s the strangest protest sign you’ve ever seen? </strong><strong> </strong></p> <p>And what <em>does </em>God hate anyway?</p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/god-hates-signs#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/p8ceBS5Odhw" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:44:25 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/god-hates-signs Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/god-hates-signs Are we “blessed” or “lucky”? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/FSNnEzC_M5k/blessedorlucky <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: right;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/happyfaces.jpg" alt="happyfaces" width="300" height="200" />It’s sort of an unspoken rule that good Christians refrain from using the word “luck” when describing happy circumstances.  By far the more spiritual word is “blessed,” for it connotes divine intervention by God as opposed to mere chance. </p> <p>So when you reflect on ten years of happy marriage, you are supposed to say that you are “blessed” to have a loving and supportive spouse. When you eat a particularly delicious homemade meal, you are supposed to say that you are “blessed” to have more than enough food to eat, especially when so many around the world suffer from hunger. When your church successfully raises enough money to build a new facility, you are supposed to say that God “blessed” the congregation with a fruitful capital campaign.  When you arrive at the Krispy Kreme just in time to eat the last hot doughnut, you exclaim, “Aren’t I luck…I mean, blessed…to have arrived just in time!” </p> <p>Although I know these rules, and generally try to play by them, the word “blessed” has always bothered me a little.  <strong>For some reason, I feel like calling myself “blessed” sends the message that I have somehow earned God’s special favor, that God is rewarding me for good behavior, and that the millions of people who suffer from war, famine, poverty, and sickness because they weren’t lucky (or blessed or fortunate) enough to be born in the wealthiest nation in the world are simply not as loved by God. </strong></p> <p>In other words, if God has divinely intervened within human affairs in order to “bless” Alabama running back Mark Ingram with a particularly good game on Saturday, what does that say about the family of refugees in Uganda who beg God for just enough food to get through the day…but to no avail? Why would God “bless” me with a wonderful husband, a book deal, and a 1500-square-foot house, while allowing little girls to be sold into sex slavery and little boys forced into armies?  <strong>Am I more worthy of God’s special attention?  Have I sinned less than my brothers and sisters around the world? </strong></p> <p>For many years, the dichotomy between the world’s rich and poor, (complicated by the use of the word “blessing” to describe everything from daily bread to Krispy Kreme), raised serious doubts about God’s goodness in my mind. I<em><strong>n fact, I found myself using the word “luck” more often, simply because I would rather dumb, meaningless luck be the cause of such injustice than God. </strong></em></p> <p>I even struggled with it recently, when a pastor criticized me for concluding <a href="http://queermergent.wordpress.com/2009/01/31/an-evangelicals-apology/" target="_blank">an open letter to the LGBTQ Community </a>with “May God bless you all richly.” (I was thinking of blessings like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.) Gays and lesbians did not deserve God’s blessings, he argued, because they were living in sin. <br /><br />I couldn’t help but wonder, “So does God only bless those who do not sin?” “Are God’s blessings earned?”  </p> <p>The whole quandary really reached a climax when I visited India, where I spent enough time with orphans, widows, and AIDS patients to realize that Americans have a skewed view of blessings. I write two chapters about the experience in my book, concluding:</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">“I couldn’t quite piece it together at the time, but in India I began to suspect that perhaps the problem lies not in God’s goodness, but in how we measure it. Laxmi and Kanakaraju and the women and children at the AIDS ministry, they prayed for basic things—food, shelter, health, peace—and they did not always receive. Yet I saw in their eyes the kind of joy and spiritual connectedness that most Christians I know long for. They spoke of Jesus like one speaks of an intimate friend or lover, as if they had just returned from a long walk by his side, their faces still flush from the movement, their breathing still labored from trying to keep up. The children, though robbed of much of their childhood, showed no sense of entitlement. The women, though burdened, displayed unfailing strength…Maybe we aren’t the lucky ones after all.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Jesus Himself turned the idea of “blessing” on it head, teaching: </p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. <br />Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. <br />Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh...<br />But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. <br />Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.<br />Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep (Luke 6:20-21; 24-25).</p> <p><strong>Perhaps wealth and privilege and hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts should not immediately be taken as signs of God’s blessings after all. <br /></strong></p> <p>...And yet I still use the word to describe everything from my career to my furniture. Why? Because it sounds more spiritual than “luck”…and because describing such things as “potential curses because of their tendency to be idolized”makes me sound (and feel) ungrateful.</p> <p><strong>So, do you use the word “blessing” or the word “luck”? What are the potential hazards of each? What constitutes a blessing? How can we know that the good things in our life are from God? How can we show grattitude without coming across as arrogant or entitled?  </strong></p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/blessedorlucky#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/FSNnEzC_M5k" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:25:12 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/blessedorlucky Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/blessedorlucky It was a wonderful weekend... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/7T0aFaRv4rw/390 <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/AmandaTim.jpg" alt="timandamanda" width="401" height="604" /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">...But I think that every pastor or priest who intends to perform wedding ceremonies should as a prerequisite  spend at least 50 minutes standing perfectly still in a pair of three-inch heels. (My feet were numb for a full 24-hours after the wedding!) </p> <p style="text-align: left;">It was worth it, of course. The ceremony was beautiful, as was the reception. I’m so happy for my sister and her new husband. </p> <p style="text-align: left;">I’ll have a new post up tomorrow, after I’ve had some time to rest, soak my feet, and do something about the explosion of food, flowers, and clothing that seems to have occurred in my house. Thanks for your patience while I catch up on emails/ blogging/ Twitter/ phone calls.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>So, do you have any funny memories from a weddings in which you participated? Been to any strange or unusual wedding recently? </strong></p> <p style="text-align: left;">(Thanks to my friend Cathy Barnes for the picture!)</p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/390#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/7T0aFaRv4rw" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:52:20 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/390 Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/390 Love, Tweet Love http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/VAIMUhnlKSc/lovetweetlove <p>Well, I can hardly believe it, but my little sister Amanda is getting married this weekend! </p> <p>As the “matron of honor,” (a title that for some reason conjures in my mind the image of a large breasted woman in a peasant dress carrying an armful of babies), my duties for the week will keep me pretty busy.  I’d planned to write a lengthy post outlining all the marital advice I’ve accumulated over the last six years, but seeing as I still have to get my hair done, throw a bachelorette party, and work on my toast, I thought I’d keep it short and condense my top ten marriage tips to tweet-sized morsels. </p> <p><strong>So here, at less than 140 characters each, are my top ten tips for a happy marriage: </strong></p> <p>1.  Maintain your sense of humor through good times and bad, richer or poorer, sickness and health. </p> <p>2.  When mad, avoid using the words “always” and “never.” </p> <p>3.  Pray for each other. </p> <p>4.  Honesty is important, but so is a willingness to let those little annoyances slide and not make a big deal about them.  </p> <p>5.  Guys (in general) crave respect. Girls (in general) crave love. Share them both liberally. </p> <p>6.  Have lots of sex. </p> <p>7.  Encourage one another as you pursue both your common dreams and your individual dreams. </p> <p>8.  Give him time to hang out with the guys. Give her time to go out with the girls. </p> <p>9.  Forgive one another by keeping things in perspective. Remember the good times. Remember Jesus. Remember the strength of your partner’s character. </p> <p>10.  communicate. communicate. communicate. communicate. communicate. communicate. communicate. communicate. communicate. communicate. communica-</p> <p><strong>What would you add to the list...in 140 characters or less? </strong><br /><br /><br /><br /></p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/lovetweetlove#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/VAIMUhnlKSc" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:24:18 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/lovetweetlove Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/lovetweetlove On Patience and Peanut Butter http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/JraF-aF6sro/peanutbutter <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/peanut_butter.JPG" alt="pb" width="452" height="300" /></p> <p>So the other day Dan came into my office with a big grin on his face and jar of peanut butter in his hand. </p> <p>“Look!” he shouted. “The expiration date is June 2010! Your book will be out by then!” </p> <p>It was one of those happy moments when I realized I was the luckiest girl in the world – and it had nothing to do with my book. </p> <p>Because so many fellow writers read the blog, I try to include a post now and then that focuses on the writing and publishing process. <strong>Today I want to give those of you interested in authoring a book a fair warning: GET READY FOR A LONG WAIT! </strong></p> <p>For me, the most surprising part of the publishing journey has been how long everything takes.  I started working on <em><a href="book" target="_blank">Evolving in Monkey Town</a> </em>nearly four years ago, signed a contract with Zondervan back in September of 2008, and won’t see the book on shelves until June of 2010! I’m told that this is perfectly normal for a first-time author. In fact, my agent Rachelle recently wrote a great blog post about how writers must learn <a href="http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/09/putting-up-with-impatience.html" target="_blank">to put up with impatience</a> in order to survive and thrive in the industry. <br /><br />It’s true. Whether you’re pitching your proposal to agents, waiting as your agent pitches your proposal to publishers, or standing by as editors and designers and marketing departments work their magic on your manuscript, the process is long and the wait can be frustrating. Sometimes I worry that by the time <em>Evolving in Monkey Town</em> hits bookstores, its content will be considered passé. Sometimes I worry that by the time I get to do readings and signings, I won't even want to look at it anymore!</p> <p>Fortunately, developing a marketing strategy for the first book and working out my ideas for the second (and maybe a third) have given me plenty to do while I wait for publication day. I’m excited about the possibility of starting the whole process all over again…even if it takes forever! </p> <p><strong>My advice to writers: </strong> <em>1) Turn in clean first drafts; it’s one of the few things within your control that can actually speed up the publishing process. 2) If you are writing full time, be sure to take on additional projects besides your manuscript—freelance work, blogging, volunteering, etc. Otherwise, you’ll be pulling your hair out with boredom during those long periods of downtime as you wait on responses from your agent/editor/publisher. 3) Take advantage of the lulls to build your platform so that as soon as the book comes out, you will have readers eager to buy it. 4) Unless you and your publisher have a plan for a quick release, avoid writing about a “trendy” topic. 5) Beware of idolizing your book. This can be tempting because, for so long, it seems like everything you do centers around your book and the big day when it’s released, (which published authors consistently tell me is relatively anti-climactic and uneventful). It’s been important for me to remind myself now and then that, as important as it is to me, this book (or its sales or its release date) doesn’t define me. I mattered before I had an ISBN! </em></p> <p><strong>Writers – How far along are you in the publishing process?  What challenges have you encountered? What do you do when you start to get impatient? </strong></p> <p><strong>Everyone – Have you ever had to wait for something important in your life? What did you learn from that experience? Tell us why IT WAS WORTH IT! <br /></strong></p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/peanutbutter#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/JraF-aF6sro" height="1" width="1"/> Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/peanutbutter Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/peanutbutter Rob Bell, Evangelicalism, and The Gospel http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/rbpNM3i0X4E/bellandgospel <p>In light of our recent conversations about evangelicalism (“<a href="kirkcameron" target="_blank">Kirk Cameron and Six Evangelical Stereotypes</a>”) and the Gospel (“<a href="gospelrelative" target="_blank">Is the Gospel Relative?</a>”), these items caught my eye recently. </p> <p>First, on evangelicalism, Rob Bell caused quite a stir the other day when he too <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/27/bell_aims_to_restore_true_meaning_of_evangelical/" target="_blank">expressed his disenchantment</a> with the term “evangelical.” As he told the <em>Boston Globe</em>: </p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">“I take issue with the word to a certain degree, so I make a distinction between a capital E and a small e. I was in the Caribbean in 2004, watching the election returns with a group of friends, and when Fox News, in a state of delirious joy, announced that evangelicals had helped sway the election, I realized this word has really been hijacked. I find the word troubling, because it has come in America to mean politically to the right, almost, at times, anti-intellectual. For many, the word has nothing to do with a spiritual context… I embrace the term evangelical, if by that we mean a belief that we together can actually work for change in the world, caring for the environment, extending to the poor generosity and kindness, a hopeful outlook. That’s a beautiful sort of thing.”</p> <p><strong>What do you think? Do you agree with Rob Bell’s characterization of evangelicalism? Do you think that, in criticizing certain expressions of the modern evangelical movement for being political/ anti-intellectual, some of us have simply become (as Mike said in a comment at the end of my post) “total snobs”? Or are our concerns legitimate? <br /></strong></p> <p>For a more scholarly look at the tern “evangelical,” check out this interesting<a href="http://files.efc-canada.net/min/rc/cft/V01I01/Defining_Evangelical.pdf" target="_blank"> piece</a> from the Centre for Research on Candadian Evangelicalism, shared by Scot McKnight on his <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/" target="_blank">Jesus Creed</a> blog. <br /><br />Second, on the Gospel, Rob Bell found himself in hot water yet again for the terrible crime of not being able to <a href="http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2009/10/tweeting_the_go.html" target="_blank">“tweet” the good news</a>. <br /><br />Critics noted that Bell’s first attempt was more than 140 characters long, and so the pastor made a second attempt that went like this: </p> <p>"The gospel is the counterintuitive, joyous, exuberant news that Jesus has brought the unending, limitless, stunning love of God to even us."</p> <p><strong>Do you think that’s a good summary of the Gospel? Do you think that<em> you</em> could “tweet” the good news? Is it just me, or does the whole exercise seem like a cheap way to test folks like Bell with a trick question? </strong></p> <p><strong>More importantly, is it really productive to spend so much time arguing over the definitions of the Gospel and evangelicalism when the true test is in how we live our lives? </strong>(I realize that in asking the question, I could very well implicate myself!)<strong><br /></strong></p> <p>For a more comprehensive look at the Gospel and all its forms, check out this <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2008/spring/9.74.html" target="_blank">interesting piece</a> by Tim Keller from<em> Christianity Today</em>.</p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/bellandgospel#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/rbpNM3i0X4E" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:21:34 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/bellandgospel Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/bellandgospel Confessions of the Local Heretic http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/xVJLTnzrHx0/localheretic <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/lonelyleaf.jpg" alt="leaf" width="300" height="225" /></p> <p><strong>I used to care a lot about what people thought of me.  Like, <em>a whole lot.</em></strong> </p> <p>I used to make decisions based on how family and friends would respond. I used to champion causes that I knew were already popular. I used to live with a paralyzing fear of criticism and an addiction to affirmation.  I used to use other people’s eyes as my mirrors. </p> <p>When you live in a small, Southern town, you develop a reputation that likes to follows you around like one of Philip Pullman’s daemons. For most of my time here in Dayton, I was known as a smart and pious conservative Christian with a passion for Jesus, a talent for writing, and the tendency to overachieve. People always said to my parents, “You must be so proud!” </p> <p><strong>That all started to change about five years ago, when I went through a long and difficult period of religious doubt.</strong> Once the young apologist, I suddenly found myself wrestling with the notion that most of my fellow human beings would suffer eternal damnation in hell for being born at the wrong place and the wrong time. Once the cheerleader for young earth creationism, I grew fascinated with the science behind evolutionary theory. Once a hard-core Republican who wanted to “take America back for God,” I became disenchanted with the Bush administration, conservative politics, and the evangelical preoccupation with the culture wars. Once an advocate for unwavering certainty and a commitment to absolute truth, I watched in confusion as all the black and white in my life slowly bled into shades of gray.</p> <p>The worst part of this struggle with doubt was that it caused me to lose some of my closest friends. They told me that they didn’t see the same light in my eyes, that they didn’t like the questions I was asking, and that they felt I was a bad influence. And so they distanced themselves. </p> <p>I miss them still, and I pray almost every day for reconciliation. </p> <p><strong>By the grace of God, I managed to get through the doubts, but as I began to put the pieces of my Christianity back together again (with the help of theologians like NT Wright, Greg Boyd, Scot McKnight, and Clark Pinnock as well as “emerging” voices like Brian McLaren, Shane Claiborne, and Rob Bell), I quickly came to realize that, in the opinion of a lot of folks from this community, I wasn’t doing it right. </strong></p> <p>People began to talk.  </p> <p>Some of the rumors were true (“I heard she voted for Barack Obama!”); others were not so true (“I heard she was a Buddhist!”); others were a weird mixture of truth and fiction that either oversimplified or mischaracterized my positions on things (“I heard she doesn’t even believe in the eternal damnation of Muslims!” “I heard she doesn’t go to church!” “I heard she’s writing a book that makes Dayton look bad!”) </p> <p>Those of you who followed the comments from Friday’s post caught a little glimpse of how talk like this can come back to me.<strong> For someone who used to care so much about what other people think, this has been tough, but it’s been one of the greatest learning experiences of my life. </strong></p> <p>With Dan’s help, I’ve learned that confronting difficult issues publically is healthier than wrestling with them secretly. I’ve learned that being a writer means being misinterpreted, and that if I want to avoid criticism my whole life, I’ve chosen the wrong profession! I’ve learned that my parents are more supportive and understanding than I used to give them credit for. I’ve learned that true friends stick around for the good times and the bad, and tolerate one another’s idiosyncrasies. </p> <p>I’ve learned that the criticisms that hurt me the most are not the ones that have no relation to reality, but the ones that, deep down, I desperately fear are true (“you don’t have any fruit in your life,” “you rebel for the sake of rebelling,” “you don’t care if you destroy other people’s faith”). I’ve learned that there’s something to be learned from every criticism, but that the opinions of others need not define me. I’ve learned that the decision to focus on the negative or the positive resides within me and is within my control.  I’ve learned that some of the best, more rewarding positions to take are the ones that are not popular, but that I truly believe are just and right. </p> <p>In fact, now that I’ve had some time to think about it, becoming the town heretic was one of the best things that ever happened to me!  It’s made my faith stronger, my relationships healthier, and my sense of self more secure.<strong> I guess being a heretic has its perks. </strong></p> <p><em>I wonder how THAT will get spun in the rumor mill!</em> :-) </p> <p><strong>Have you ever been the subject of gossip and scrutiny? What did you learn from that experience?</strong></p> <p>Also, if you are a local who has heard rumors about me (or my book) that you aren't sure are true, I want to give you the opportunity to ask me about them directly - either in the comment section or through the <a href="contact" target="_blank">contact</a> page. Ask me anything!</p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/localheretic#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/xVJLTnzrHx0" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:46:50 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/localheretic Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/localheretic Kirk Cameron and Six Evangelical Stereotypes http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/NLQNWAzaGKU/kirkcameron <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" style="width:545px; height:344px;" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/GN9zpf5cT0M"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GN9zpf5cT0M" /> </object> <p></p> <p>You know that feeling you get when your sweet, 90-year-old grandmother makes a blatantly racist comment at Thanksgiving dinner or your creepy uncle starts rambling about how the moon landing was staged? You are no doubt familiar with the spontaneous full-body wince that inevitably follows an interview with Al Sharpton in which he claims to represent all African Americans, Michael Moore in which he claims to represent all liberals, or Ann Coulter in which she claims to represent all Christians. Whether it’s a politically incorrect relative or a cartoonish pundit, there are just some people who make you want to stand up and shout, “Shut up before people start to think that we’re all like you!” </p> <p>That’s how I felt about this video, in which Kirk Cameron describes his plan to sneak creationist material into the front of a 150th Anniversary Edition of Charles Darwin’s <em>Origin of the Species</em> and hand it out to students at 50 universities around the country. </p> <p><a href="http://jonathanbrink.com/2009/10/06/the-evolution-of-theory/" target="_blank">Jonathan Brink</a> (one of my favorite bloggers) was the first to bring the video to my attention, and I’m not sure whether to thank him or curse him for it because I found myself grumbling for the rest of the day about how folks like Kirk Cameron seem to repeatedly confirm every negative stereotype about evangelical Christian that exists. </p> <p>As I watched Cameron make his case, I counted six evangelical stereotypes that he managed to perpetuate in a matter of six minutes. See if you agree: </p> <p><strong>Stereotype #1: Evangelicals suffer from the delusion that they face religious persecution in the U.S.</strong> As Cameron says, “One by one, we are being stripped of our God-given liberties.” Never mind that around 85 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians, the current president  identifies himself as a Christian, the majority of the men and women serving in congress identify themselves as Christians, and there are absolutely no laws forbidding the practice of the Christian faith in the United States. It is an insult to those Christians around the world who face actual persecution when evangelicals complain because public school teachers are not allowed to lead children in prayer before lunchtime because it violates the Establishment Clause. </p> <p><strong>Stereotype #2: Evangelicals are unable to make a distinction between atheism and evolution. </strong>Throughout the piece, Cameron uses “atheism” and “evolution” interchangeably, and describes the gospel as something that by necessity stands in opposition to evolutionary theory. This creates a false dichotomy that completely discounts theistic evolution as a viable option, despite the fact that many outstanding scientists (like Francis Collins, author of <em>The Language of God</em>) hold both strong Christian beliefs and a commitment to the science behind evolutionary theory. This false dichotomy can wreak havoc on young Christians raised to believe they have to choose between God and evolution, and who after encountering evidence in support of the theory, abandon faith altogether.   According to Cameron, belief in evolution is a sin that needs cleansing. </p> <p><strong>Stereotype #3: Evangelicals love drawing fallacious cause and effect conclusions regarding other belief systems, but have a selective memory when it comes to their own beliefs and history.</strong> With a gleam in his eye, Cameron describes Darwin as a “racist” who “hated women,” and whose ideas influenced Hitler.  (The conclusion: Evolution is wrong because people have used it to support racism, misogyny, and war.) I wonder how Cameron would feel if someone handed out copies of the Bible with an introduction that warned readers about passages in which God orders his followers to commit acts of ethnic cleansing and in which women were considered property.  I wonder how he would feel if the introduction made mention of the fact that Christianity has been used to support slavery, war, genocide, inquisitions, murders, and all kinds of injustices, including recent wars in Uganda in which children are kidnapped and forced into the “Lord’s Liberation Army” by a man claiming to act on behalf of the God of the Bible. (The inevitable conclusion based on Cameron’s own logic: Christianity is wrong because people have used it to support misogyny, racism, and war.)  </p> <p><strong>Stereotype #4: Evangelicals have little respect for science.</strong> The few seconds that Cameron spends discussing the scientific issues surrounding the evolution/creationism debate are inadequate and misleading. As young earth creationists often do, he points to “gaps in the fossil record” as a flaw in evolutionary biology. But the truth is, the case for evolution would be strong even without fossil evidence, and scientists are lucky to have the number of fossils that can qualify as “intermediates” that they do. (Consider <em>Archaeopteryx</em>, which many consider to be an intermediate between reptiles and birds.) The easiest way for Cameron to dismantle evolutionary science would be to point to fossils found in the wrong geological stratum. But he can’t, because not a single fossil has ever been found before it could have evolved. Like it or not, evolution is a respectable theory because it consistently predicts outcomes. </p> <p>Cameron then points to the intricacy of DNA as support for intelligent design (which may be a reasonable argument), but of course, he leaves out the fact that discoveries surrounding DNA and the human genome have actually confirmed Darwin’s theory of evolution in that they support descent from a common ancestor with natural selection operating on randomly occurring variations and they have enabled scientists to construct a tree of life based solely upon the similarities of the DNA sequences of multiple organisms (without any help from the fossil record)that also  confirm Darwin’s theory.  </p> <p>I have a really hard time believing that the 95-99 percent of scientists who accept evolutionary science as sound have simply bought into a completely unsubstantiated “hoax,” as Cameron describes it. (And the fact that Johannes Kepler was not an evolutionist might have something to do with the fact that he lived centuries before Charles Darwin.) Whether you believe in evolution or not, you have to admit that the evidence is compelling. To write it off as nothing more than a hoax simply comes across as ill-informed. </p> <p><strong>Stereotype #5: Evangelicals always have an agenda</strong>. Cameron is super-excited that unknowing students will pick up this book for free only to discover upon reaching their dorm rooms that they’d been tricked into being proselytized to.  The whole thing reminds me of those tracts that look like money that are left by street preachers on sidewalks and garbage cans so that folks will be tricked into reading John 3:16. </p> <p><strong>Stereotype #6: Evangelicals use fear and patriotism as tools for manipulation to call their people to action.</strong> As Cameron concludes, “Remember, this is America. It’s still the land of the free, the home of the brave. And this is a life and death issue.” <em>Really? </em></p> <p><em>Now, keep in mind that these are evangelical stereotypes that I believe Kirk Cameron has perpetuated. I’m not claiming that he represents all evangelicals, or even most, nor am I claiming that these positions are in any way inherent to the evangelical tradition. But the video does represent why I tend to distance myself from the term. Time and time again, in talking with folks outside the evangelical tradition, I’ve learned that THIS is what they think of when they hear the word “evangelical.” Unfortunately, it is slowly becoming what I too think of when I hear the word "evangelical." </em></p> <p><strong>What do you think? Am I being too harsh on the poor guy? What was your reaction to the video? Is this what you think of when you hear the term “evangelical”? How long do you think it will take Micah to tell me that "I'm too preoccupied with labels"? :-)</strong></p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/kirkcameron#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/NLQNWAzaGKU" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:31:20 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/kirkcameron Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/kirkcameron Is the gospel relative? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/7WHIRGX5YXc/gospelrelative <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/dashboard_jesus.jpg" alt="dashboardjesus" width="300" height="200" /></p> <p>As you may know, one of the most talked-about debates between the traditional church and the emerging church has to do with the gospel. Traditionalists claim that emergers have reduced the gospel to social justice to the neglect of atonement soteriology and personal salvation, while emergers claim that traditionalists have reduced the gospel to personal fire insurance to the neglect of Jesus’ teachings regarding the Kingdom of God.</p> <p>It’s a topic that Jim Belcher recently explored in<em> Deep Church</em>, and it’s a topic that has led to some theological hair-splitting over the past few years, as NT Wright and John Piper debate the meaning justification. (<a href="http://search.blog.beliefnet.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?blog_id=128&tag=Third%20Way&limit=20" target="_blank">For a comprehensive discussion of <em>Deep Church</em></a>, check out Scot McKnight’s Jesus Creed blog. For a nice overview of the justification debate, check out <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/june/29.34.html" target="_blank">this article </a>from <em>Christianity Today</em>.) </p> <p>I always get a little nervous when I encounter a bunch of theologians arguing over the meaning of the gospel, each armed with his own sophisticated definition of it. I suppose that it’s the recovering fundamentalist in me that wants to ask, <em><strong>“Shouldn’t the gospel be simpler than this?” “Shouldn’t it be easy to understand and explain?” “Shouldn’t we all be on the same page on something this important?” </strong></em></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: right;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/stainedshepherdjesus.jpg" alt="stainedglassshepherd" width="181" height="272" />Having grown up in the conservative evangelical subculture that cast salvation as little more than a ticket out of hell that you cash in on Judgment Day, I’ve personally been enthralled and challenged by the emerging church’s perspective on the Kingdom of God. It has inspired me to reconnect to the life and teachings of Jesus, as opposed to only focusing on his death. And it has encouraged me to think of salvation in terms of God’s plan to restore and repair the whole world, as opposed to thinking of it in terms of individualistic escapism. With the help of NT Wright, I feel that this perspective has complemented, not replaced, my belief in atonement. <strong>In fact, discovering the gospel of the kingdom has been a bit like being born again…again. It’s like encountering, dare I say it, GOOD NEWS for the first time! </strong></p> <p>It seems to me that both the emerging and traditional perspectives on the gospel are important, and that perhaps the novelty of one appeals the most to those who started with the other. In other words, folks who grew up with the social gospel might need a dose of stubstitutionary atonement to save them from pride, while folks who grew up with the fire insurance gospel need a dose of the kingdom perspective to save them from self-focused individualism.  In this case, it seems to me that the gospel, or the “good news,” is a bit relative—because the part of it that is <em>news </em>is relative to the person receiving it. </p> <p><strong>In fact, I think we could resolve some of the current conflict by acknowledging that there is no one set definition for the gospel, that everyone experiences Jesus a little differently. </strong></p> <p>Matthew responded to the good news that Jesus did not come to call the righteous but the sinners. The bleeding woman responded to the good news that her simple act of faith in touching Jesus’ clothes had made her well.  The Samaritan by the well responded to the good news that everyone who drinks of the water of life will not thirst again, no matter how sinful their past. The Apostle Paul responded to the good news that Jesus loved his enemies enough to transform and use them. The Athenians responded to the good news that God does not dwell in temples made with hands. </p> <p>For years I just assumed that the Gospels were incomplete, that we only caught a glimpse of Jesus’ interaction with these people. I figured that some time after the initial meeting, he must have sat down and walked his new converts through the Romans Road, just to make sure they really understood the gospel in all of its soteriological glory. In fact, it used to frustrate me that the story of Jesus contained no one-size-fits-all method of evangelism. But now I find it quite beautiful.</p> <p><strong>It seems to me that what makes the gospel good and what makes the gospel news is relative to the person receiving it.  </strong></p> <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: left;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/jesuscross.jpg" alt="jesusoncross" width="182" height="244" />For the legalist trying to earn God’s favor through good behavior, the bad news is that works of righteousness are not enough impress a holy God; the good news is that salvation is a gift.  For the victim of war struggling to connect with a God who allows so much evil in the world, the bad news is that mankind’s rebellion has turned the planet into battlefield; the good news is that God loves the world and has a plan to ultimately heal, restore, and redeem all of creation. </p> <p>For the child of fundamentalism whose self-loathing and guilt keep her from experiencing God’s peace, the bad news is that God is angered by sin; the good news is that her sins were atoned for on the cross. For the child of rape who struggles to forgive, the bad news is that she suffered a terrible injustice; the good news is that Jesus did too and he wants to fellowship with her in her suffering. For the elderly facing death, the bad news is that everyone dies; the good news is that Jesus rose. For the relief worker who strives for decades to help bring peace into the world, the bad news is that his work is not done; the good news is that God will complete it. </p> <p>Some discover the good news in the story of the incarnation. Some discover the good news in the Sermon on the Mount. Some discover it in the cross. Some discover it in the resurrection. Some discover it in the kingdom to come.  And some rediscover it every day in all kinds of surprising places. </p> <p><strong>While the gospel always includes themes of sin and redemption, brokenness and setting things right, we cannot be so arrogant as to expect everyone’s experience with it to look just like ours. </strong></p> <p>What do you think? Is the gospel relative? Can you think of some examples of ways in which you have observed this to be true?</p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/gospelrelative#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/7WHIRGX5YXc" height="1" width="1"/> Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:30:07 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/gospelrelative Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/gospelrelative On raising happy kids... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/WJNdWtiumPo/parentsquestions <p><img style="margin: 5px; float: right;" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/tree_with_flowers.jpg" alt="" width="212" height="300" />As you probably noticed, I was away from my computer for a few days, as Dan and I welcomed the fall season at the annual Evans Family Reunion. Held in a quaint little cluster of cabins in Greenbrier State Forest, West Virginia, this year’s reunion included 15 adults, ten children, and three dogs. (Dan is the youngest of six.) We had such a great time that we are still trying to recover from all the fun…and allergens/germs (sniff, sniff). </p> <p>[For those who asked, the photo from the last post was taken just outside our cabin last year. ]</p> <p>As you can imagine, spending this much time with family inevitably leads to conversations about raising children. In fact, Dan and I spent a good part of the drive home time talking about the environment in which he grew up, the different ways in which his brothers and sisters have adopted, adapted, or changed some of those original traditions as they develop their own parenting styles, and how we planned to bring up our kids—should we ever get around to having them! </p> <p>I thought I’d let you weigh in on some of the questions we asked ourselves. </p> <p>1.  <strong>How do you raise your children to be people of faith without either indoctrinating them to the point that they cannot think for themselves on the one hand or leaving them without a solid foundation on the other? How do you help your children have confidence in their faith tradition and in what they believe when you, as a parent, have questions and doubts of your own?</strong> (One of the reasons I feel nervous about having children is because I still haven’t resolved these questions in my mind.) </p> <p>2. <strong>What are the pros and cons of homeschooling?</strong> (Dan was homeschooled his entire life; I went to a private elementary school and a public high school.) </p> <p>3. <strong>What do you think about family devotion time? </strong></p> <p>4. <strong>What’s your take on the “Baby Wise” technique? </strong>(We had a fun conversation with Dan’s brother and his wife about this controversial method, and I knew that if I mentioned it on the blog I was bound to get a few comments on it!) </p> <p>5. <strong>What parenting techniques did you grow up with and continue to purposefully practice with your children? Which techniques did you purposefully do away with?</strong></p> <p><strong></strong>These questions are deliberately open-ended…as I need you guys to carry the conversation for the next day while I catch up on email and continue to get reacquainted with my neti pot. </p> <p>Feel free to simply answer the questions you feel most strongly about.  </p> <p>Also, since we rarely talk about parenting on this forum, I thought I’d ask if you have any favorite so-called “Mommy Blogs.” Mine are the ones that touch on both family and faith, or the ones that are just really well-written. Among them are: <a href="http://www.milkbreathandmargaritas.com/" target="_blank">Another Gray Hair</a>, <a href="http://www.conversiondiary.com/" target="_blank">Conversion Diary</a>, <a href="http://www.elizabethesther.com" target="_blank">Elizabeth Esther</a>, and <a href="http://www.milkbreathandmargaritas.com/" target="_blank">Milk Breath and Margaritas</a>. <strong>What are yours? </strong></p> <p>Get ready to put your theological hats back on later in the week for a post that asks, "Is the gospel relative?"</p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/parentsquestions#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/WJNdWtiumPo" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:57:07 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/parentsquestions Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/parentsquestions A time to rest http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/47KSVgR-dTQ/restfall <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/pathinwoods_sm.jpg" alt="pathwoods" width="316" height="450" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Dan and I are taking a few days off to enjoy this beautiful fall weather with each other and with our family. I knew I needed a little break from the computer when we lost our internet connection for about 48-hours last week and I went into complete panic mode. (Tip: When you find yourself saying, “But my Twitter followers will think I’m dead!” it’s time for a break.) </p> <p>Rest is a good thing. I don’t need to post a bunch of Bible verses or quotes to remind you of its benefits. And yet, I still feel a twinge of guilt whenever I give myself some time off. Thankfully, the guilt usually melts away if there is sun or sand or the smell of a campfire involved. </p> <p><strong>What do you like to do when you need to recharge? Do you have a favorite place to get away? </strong>(The picture above is from one of mine!) <strong><br /></strong></p> <p> </p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/restfall#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/47KSVgR-dTQ" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:55:04 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/restfall Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/restfall Do you like Mike? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~3/t-OHE45jH9k/mikehuckabee <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/images/mike-huckabee.jpg" alt="mikehuckabee" width="355" height="243" /></p> <p>Last week, at the <a href="http://www.valuesvotersummit.org/" target="_blank">2009 Value Voters Summit</a>, former Arkansas governor and presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee won a straw poll for the 2012 election. Now, as I’ve mentioned in <a href="article-1219691919" target="_blank">previous posts</a>, I don’t consider myself a “values voter,” at least not in the sense that the phrase is used in American politics today. To claim that the Republican Party (or any political party for that matter) represents the holy, radical teachings of Jesus Christ is just plain ridiculous in my opinion, perhaps even blasphemous.  And as much as I’d like to dismiss the folks at the Values Voters Summit as too extreme to be relevant, Huckabee is looking strong in several independent polls as well.</p> <p>To get an idea of what Huckabee stands for, check out this <a href="http://www.thecloakroomblog.com/docs/VVS09-Huckabee.pdf" target="_blank">transcript</a> from his speech at the Summit. </p> <p>In it, Huckabee assures conservatives that God is on their side and the source of their strength and power, comparing Republican Party purists to the Prophet Elijah and King David. <strong> </strong>“Let others choose who they will serve,” he said. “But I hope you will join me in saying, as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” <br /><br />Ridiculing Obama’s efforts to engage the international community, Huckabee said, “There was once a time when our foreign policy was, ‘Walk softly and carry a big stick’… Our new policy is, walk softly and carry a great big olive branch, or maybe even a bag of Stay Puft marshmallows so that when we build around the campfire we can sing “Kumbaya” and have a lovely time holding arms and talking about how well we’re getting on.” </p> <p>Referring to torture, Huckabee said,<strong> </strong>“God help us all when we’re more concerned about protecting the terrorists than we are the people in the CIA who were the ones whose information and intelligence helped secure us and it kept us safe for eight years not having another disaster.”</p> <p>And, in a very strange reinterpretation of American history, Huckabee declared, “<strong>I believe America is an exceptional country created out of the providence of God because of the prayers of people who, on their knees, begged for a place where they could be free and raise their children in the freedom to worship and to speak out and to protest, and where every person was equal to every other person in intrinsic value and worth and no person was worth more or worth less because of how much land they owned, what their last name was, what their occupation was and what their bloodline was.” </strong><br /><br />(…Unless you were a Native American, slave, or woman, of course!) </p> <p>Speeches like these trouble me. The mixture of biblical allusions and politics. The culture war antics. The call to choose sides. The ridicule of international cooperation and peacemaking.  And, (by far the scariest and most serious), <em><strong>t</strong><strong>he absolute conviction that God is always on Mike Huckabee’s side.</strong></em> </p> <p><strong>So, what’s your opinion of Mike Huckabee? What are his chances for clinching the Republican nomination for 2012? Can you recommend any good, far away island locations where I can avoid a television at all costs should he be nominated? </strong></p> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_pub="Marturion";</script> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/sm-share-en.gif" width="83" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"></script>  <p><a href="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/mikehuckabee#commentsAnchor">Comments</a></p><p class="endpostimg"><img class="endpostimg" src="http://www.rachelheldevans.com/assets/templates/rhe2/images/lil-monkey.png" alt="end of post" title="end of post"/></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RachelHeldEvans/~4/t-OHE45jH9k" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:40:40 -0400 http://www.rachelheldevans.com/mikehuckabee Rachel Held Evans http://www.rachelheldevans.com/mikehuckabee