We've possibly grown numb to the cavalcade of abuse allegations both within and outside the church. Recently the Grand Jury investigation in Pennsylvania went public. Willow Creek is reeling in the aftermath of allegations against its founder, Bill Hybels. A well...
"We are all sinners," people post when a sexual predator, who happens to be a Christian leader, is outed. Some other frustrating (albeit well intentioned, perhaps?) responses: "Let's not cast the first stone." "Gossip is a sin, so by posting or warning, you are...
But we don't talk about it. I'm reading through Romans every day in preparation for a book I'm writing. Recently I made the connection between Romans 7:7 and 13:9: Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that...
Today I'm grateful for Meadow Rue Merrill who shares a story so achingly beautiful I devoured her book in one sitting. You really ought to pick it up. Here it is: Today Meadow gives us a glimpse into her family's life as they adopted little Ruth. Meadow's Story: The...
Holiness means set apart, to be different. But as I scan the landscape of the church, so often I see sameness with our culture. The divorce rate is the same. People are sleeping together before marriage without so much as a blink of conscience. You see Christians...
Since when did Christianity become crossless? Jesus said, "Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me" Matt 10:38. He tells his disciples about the mystery of the seed, that unless it falls to the earth and dies, it won't bear fruit....
This topic has been ricocheting in my heart and head many years. I've noticed a greater influx of reader email and Facebook conversations about this topic, so much so that I felt it would be wise to address it again. (I wrote this post five ago, and I've updated it to...
It has never happened in my entire life. In fact, I never thought it was a thing. I mean, I know they do it. Every animal does, right? Even people do. But squirrels? A few weeks ago on a walk, I noticed a stationary squirrel. And guess what he/she was doing? Yep,...
(I recently found out this post is no longer available on the site I originally wrote it for, so I'm posting it here for the sake of those who need it. This post is the impetus for writing Not Marked: Finding Hope and Healing after Sexual Abuse. And it is birthed in...
Prayer appreciated again. Heart is heavy. And yet I refuse to capitulate. I will shout it: sexual abuse is soul-killing and the church has for far too long kept it hushed, re-victimizing victims and protecting perpetrators under the guise of cheap grace, while...
I received this email from someone struggling with sex after rape: When I was in my twenties, I was gang raped by 6 men. I started counseling but stopped. I felt that unless the counselor had ever been raped, how could she possibly understand what I was feeling or how...
In my recent co-authored book, The Day I Met Jesus, I retell the story of the woman caught in adultery. At the end of her story, after all the folks who understood their sin slipped away, she is left alone with the Only One who could and should condemn her. Jesus, the...