Anabaptist and Quaker essays, sermons, and other writings
Do you think the twelve disciples ever wondered why Jesus chose them? Perhaps some of them thought they knew. When they were arguing about who was the greatest, for example, can’t we just hear Peter, “Well, you know Jesus chose me because somebody had to be the one to actually […]
The earliest memories I have as a child are of living with my family on the John Brown University campus in Arkansas. On more than one occasion I would find a stray dog to bring home to the apartment we lived in, which certainly did not allow pets. I eventually […]
I once met a pastor who ridiculed me because of the number of members in the church I used to serve. I had just been posted to a church with not more than ten active members. The posting was meant to discipline me as I was part of the leadership […]
…I believe, biography, any and every biography, is inherently theological, in the sense that it contains already…the news of the gospel…We are each one of us parables. ~William Stringfellow A long, long time ago, in what feels like a galaxy far away from my here and now, two friends and […]
My paternal grandmother, whose maiden name was Hollaar, grew up on a farm in North Dakota with eleven brothers and sisters. Their children – my father’s generation – included fifty cousins. With such a large and widely-dispersed extended family, the Hollaars got into the habit of having a family reunion […]
A few years ago when my children were small, a Moms and Tots group would meet in our church building. Being one of the pastors of the congregation, sometimes it was just nice to drop my kiddo off and return to the office for a few uninterrupted hours of work. […]
One of the great joys I have had in the last year is to be a part of a monthly check-in call of women in ministry among the Church of the Brethren. We have a monthly check-in call to share how we’re doing and provide comfort in community. Many of […]
In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul speaks of the different spiritual gifts that are given to build up the body of Christ. I submit that the gift of tears, and the profound and visceral experience of love and grace that it often expresses, is one such gift. […]
This month marks six months into my first pastorate. As I continue to settle into my new role as Co-Pastor at Harrisburg First Church of the Brethren and integrate myself into different aspects of the city, I am constantly reminded that there is never a dull moment in urban ministry. […]
Introduction This was a sermon preached on my first Sunday back after maternity leave. That week as I transitioned back into ministry, I found myself reflecting on my new dual roles: mother to my new son Leo and pastor to Pomona Fellowship Church of the Brethren. I have been the […]