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Notable News: Week of August 17-23, 2013

Here we are at the close of another week. It’s been a busy one for me, with my volunteer work at the kids’ last summer camp of the season. I can’t believe that school is just around the corner for us. Two weeks from today, my kids will be finishing their first week of classes. The summer has flown by. Meanwhile, I’m trying some new things in my life outside of blogging. I’m looking forward to new challenges and opportunities.

This week, there have been some great posts. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Religious privilege

This is a great summary of the privileges enjoyed (often unawares) by most Christians (other than those considered too “fringe”). Because I still identify as Christian (even if I don’t always know how to define that, even for myself), I have definitely experienced many of the things on the list. Although I’ve done well as an ally to people of other faiths in some ways, there are places where I can improve.

2. Love and Marriage

This story from Lana Hobbs is incredibly moving. I’m not posting it here in order to “prove” to anyone that courtship works. I’m posting it because so often lately, I read black-and-white pronouncements without any sense of the varied experiences of real people. Lana’s story is one of hope in which despite her feelings about the process, she and her husband value and affirm each other. There is rich beauty in that.

3. Leaps of Faith

I wish erinrebecca a blessed, hopeful journey this weekend in coming out to her parents. I don’t have any special words of wisdom or deep, meaningful prayers to offer. All I have to give is support from one writer to another, a thin line of Internet hope, and an affirmation of God’s love and mercy. Grace and peace be with you as you go.

4. Jesus’ Gag Reflex

One of many fine responses to the gag-reflex-worthy poo fest that was Thabiti Anyabwile’s dreadful Gospel Coalition article.

5. More Gag Reflexes

And, of course, this one. A friend of mine made a similar comment about his gag reflex for het sex. Gee, thanks, guys–you’ve cleared things up for me. Now I know I’m the one sinning because I’ve tripped your gag reflex!

6. Misogyny of the Week

I honestly find purity, modesty, and “courtship” culture kind of trips my gag reflex. I’m glad my parents didn’t encourage any of this. I’m also glad I married a man who even thought it was weird to ask my parents for permission to marry me. After reading this dreadful post, I’m currently glad I will never have reason to allow this man to counsel either of my children. I’m still laughing about how he calls this post “PG-13.”

7. Virgin Sacrifice

I’m glad I wasn’t drinking hot coffee when I read this. Also, I misread “virgins” as “vaginas,” to which my brain helpfully supplied, “That too.”

8. Christian Music

Apparently they meant “Grew Up A Christian Music Fan After 1992,” as I didn’t relate to most of this. But I was a Christian music fan in the late 80s-early 90s, and I was one of those die-hards who refused to listen to secular music. Other than the Billy Joel I used to sneak in. And whatever my sisters happened to be listening to. And U2 after they weren’t Christian anymore. And Metallica. And REM. And…oh. Never mind.

Have a great weekend, everyone! See you on Monday.

Notable News: Week of August 10-16, 2013

Blogs, Cool Stuff, Links, Writing

It’s been hard staying in a rhythm over the summer, with both kids and my husband home. I’ve also had twice as many editing/proofreading projects as last summer, so that’s left me little time to keep up on my blog. Along with that, we’ve had several unexpected things happen, including sending my faithful Nissan Altima to the Great Body Shop in the Sky. I’m now the proud owner of an SUV. I never thought I would say that–it really does make me feel like such a suburban mom. Anyway, I may not have been writing much, but I’ve definitely been reading. This week’s list is a bit short, due to my own limited time, but here are some of the things I really liked this week.

1. Penal Substitution

Anyone who’s been reading my stuff for a while probably knows (or has at least guessed) that I’m no fan of the penal substitution view of salvation. This Naked Pastor cartoon nearly made me snort my coffee out my nose.

2. Too many to list separately

Registered Runaway is my go-to blogger when I feel like I’m just done being harsh and frustrated. I have a pretty forceful personality, and that’s not going to change, but the gentle people in this world are a good balance and keep me from toppling over the edge into cyclical rage. I couldn’t pick just one of his posts this week, so I’m just linking the blog and you can read them all.

3. Well, all righty then.

Simon Chan wrote this. It made me wish I’d had time this week to write something scathing and witty in response, but buying a new car broke my sarcasm function. Fortunately, there are other good writers on the Internet. Check out these excellent responses: Women Are People, Too: A Conservative Baptist Take On Inclusive Language and Why We Call God Father: a response to Simon Chan.

4. Today’s short story

I just posted this on my fiction blog. Haven’t put anything up there in a long time, so it feels good to add a new story.

I’m not sure how the next week will go. I’m volunteering every morning at a summer camp, so it will be sporadic. I’ll do my best to keep up, though. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Notable News: Week of July 27-August 2, 2013

Cool Stuff, Links, News, Odds 'n' Ends

Better late than never, right? Blogging’s been hit or miss this summer, as sometimes happens when both kids and my husband are on school vacation. Today, we kept ourselves busy by sending my car to the shop (possibly for the last time; we’ll see) and hanging out at the children’s museum. Anyway, here I am to bring you my favorite posts from the week.

1. Being used

If you haven’t seen this piece on being “used by God,” you may not have been on the Internet this week. It’s been passed around by just about everyone. I’m sharing it here in case you missed it.

2. Being used (part 2)

Here’s a cartoon by the always-wonderful David Hayward in response. I particularly like this quote (and also the non-use of gendered pronouns for God):

Pushing that to its logical limits, the glory of God is God, and when we are our truest selves, fully alive, this is God in all God’s glory. There is now no separation. There is perfect oneness. There is perfect unity.

3. Being abused

This is a wonderful post over at Deeper Story by Susannah Paul. We are failing to listen to those who have been deeply wounded and spiritually abused by churches. I wish I had just a penny for the number of times someone has said they are reluctant to return to church because of the pain and some well-meaning person has said, “You just need to find the right church.” A small part of me curls up and dies every single time. We can do better.

4. Being owned

If you haven’t been following Sarah Moon’s You Are Not Your Own series, you should go do that right now. I mean it. Stop reading this post and just go do it. If you just want to read the most recent one, that’s cool, because it’s an excellent one about unmarried women and “ownership.” I am thankful my parents never took this approach with me.

5. Being a dancer

A friend sent me the link to this post about boys and dancing. As the mom of a boy who dances, I always appreciate hearing from other parents who are proud of their kids and don’t limit them based on gender expectations. What does make me sad is that nearly all of the ones about boys and breaking stereotypes are by women. If anyone wants to comment here and link to posts by dads of boys who do things society considers “feminine,” that would be welcome.

6. Being an adoptee/adoptive parent

A fresh perspective on the “But people want your unborn baby!” from a mom with two adopted daughters.

7. Being body confident

Like many women, I’ve had a lifelong struggle to love my body exactly as it is. I’m doing my best not to pass those feelings on to my own daughter. Body-shaming must end. (I could write a whole post on this, but I also think health-shaming and exercise-shaming and food-shaming need to end.) Here are some wise words about how we can break the cycle.

8. Being a douchebag

My online friend and fellow writer Tim Gallen has some great advice for those looking to increase their douchebaggery. My favorite line involves a sexually frustrated large mammal. This is a guest post for Kim Ulmanis, who is honest and funny and just plain good; you should check out the rest of her blog while you’re over there.

9. Being a douchebag (part 2)

And speaking of douches, why am I not surprised that Hugo Schwyzer is at it again? Why is this guy continually given a platform? I think Dianna Anderson answers that question to an extent in her fantastic take-down of the culture that encourages people like Schwyzer to behave the way they do.

10. Being a writer

There’s so much advice out there on how to be a “proper” writer. Honestly, it’s easier to explain how to do it wrong than to do it right, as evidenced in this very funny piece by Chuck Wendig. How many of these are you doing?

11. Being a woman

Several of my friends posted this hilarious ad. I shared it on Facebook, but it definitely deserves a second round. If only that kid had been available when I hit puberty.

12. Being a geek

I love this video of Wil Wheaton delivering a message for a convention attendee’s newborn daughter. I admit to having had a teensy (okay, huge) crush on him when I was in 8th grade. Although I no longer sigh like a teenage girl when I see him, I do keep finding new reasons to think he’s just plain awesome.

13. Being a geek (part 2)

That video above is particularly important, because far too many girls grow up into women who have to defend our geekiness. I’m glad I’m raising a boy who thinks that girls who know their video games are the most fun and a girl who knows it’s okay to be completely absorbed in your chosen geekdom. Watch this video for more totally awesome geeks who just happen to be girls and women. Also, Wil Wheaton.

14. Being from Rochester

My own city gets some love at HuffPo with an article on our fantastic street art. I’ve never been more proud of my wonderful city!

That’s it for this week. I should be around a bit more in the coming weeks (I hope). If nothing else, check in on Monday for the first post on Fifty Shades Darker. I would say you don’t want to miss it, but this is Fifty Shades we’re talking about.

Have a great weekend!

Notable News: Week of July 6-12, 2013

Books, Links

It’s going to be a short one today. I have far too much going on this week, including my son’s saxophone lesson and going early to my kids’ dance camp to see their mini-performance. Still, there’s some good stuff in here.

1. To read or not to read?

Why do people stop reading books? This is an interesting summary of the books people abandoned and why. I admit to having read most of the books mentioned, and I felt pretty much the same as the people who didn’t finish them (except for Lord of the Rings). Most of the time, if I don’t finish a book, it’s because it’s so dull I can’t keep my eyes open, I’ve gotten distracted by another book, or I’m having a particularly busy season and I’m not reading much. Otherwise, if I start it, I finish it.

2. Speaking of reading…

Here’s an interview with author Adrian J. Smith. I’ve had the privilege to work with her as a beta reader, and I love her first novel. Her greatest strength as an author is creating memorable characters to whom readers can relate.

3. More on being “deeply broken”

I still disagree with the theology behind the concept of “brokenness”; it’s far too close to the Calvinist doctrine of total depravity for my liking. But it’s true that existing among humans is a messy proposition, so I understand where Zach Hoag is coming from on this one. If this post helps further the dialogue about sin, grace, and how we navigate this thing called faith, then so much the better.

4. On a lighter note regarding brokenness

Turnabout’s fair play; David linked to my post, so I’m linking to his cartoon. I did tell him I think maybe my daughter really did come out this way, but I believe that to be a good thing. It just means she’s not going to take crap from anyone.

Have a great weekend, everyone. I’m off to finish some editing and get ready to record my kids’ dance performance this afternoon. Catch you all next week!

Notable News: Week of June 22-28, 2013

Links

This won’t be the typical NN that I post every Friday. As promised, I’m linking you all up with some really fantastic people who are both LGBTQI and Christian. Even though there are some well-spoken allies out there, you won’t find them on this list. Whether you’re a straight ally (or potential ally) or you just need to hear you’re not alone, these are some places to begin. Some will be familiar, others not. Although I also know lots of LGBTQI people who are of other religions or are non-religious, I’m sticking specifically with Christians here because of the tendency to think there’s no such thing. I will probably have managed to leave out some people; if this is the case, and you are disappointed at not getting a linky-doo from me, let me know in the comments and I’ll add yours in. If you are a total stranger and want to be added in, let me know that too–I like making new acquaintances!

Now for the list:

1. Anarchist Reverend

There’s a good reason Fr. Shay makes first spot on my list–he’s just that kind of awesome. Lots of serious theology. If you pick one of the links in this post, make it this one.

2. Registered Runaway

And then make this link your second stop. Just trust me.

3. My Silent Half

Lots of honesty here, and you need to be prepared that it might stir up your own honesty.

4. Brian Cubbage

Intelligent, witty, and full of observations about life, faith, & parenting. I dare you not to relate.

5. Katie Mulligan

I particularly enjoy the sermons she posts.

6. David W. Shelton

There’s just something so likeable about him. He writes lots of good stuff on politics, faith, and LGBT news.

7. erinrebecca

Yay! A new bloggy friend! Her post from June 25 is one of the best things I’ve read this week; go check it out. I hope you find encouragement in the words.

8. Kevin Shoop

Another new connection. And really, I just like saying the name of his blog. Plus, anyone self-describing as “gay, post-modern, existentialist Christian agnostic” must be cool, right?

9. Peterson Toscano

Very funny and entertaining. He was actually my first introduction to some unique readings of Scripture.

10. Queer Theology

Yesterday, I mentioned Googling queer theology. This is a good place to get started before you search.

11. Places to find support

BJUnity

11. Organizations related to Christianity and LGBTQI interests

As I said, this isn’t an exhaustive list. Also, there are some people who are not on here because I know them personally and linking up would cause them real-life issues (like being outed to our mutual friends). But I would love to see this grow. Feel free to message, comment, tweet at me, or stand on my lawn at midnight and throw rocks at my window (not really). Link up, and have a great weekend, all!

Notable News: Week of June 8-14, 2013

Cool Stuff, Links, Odds 'n' Ends

Happy Friday! Here at our house, this is the last Friday of the school year (for the kids, anyway). They’re done as of next Wednesday. I’m glad, because I need a vacation. The nice thing about the school calendar is that just when I’m starting to feel burned out, we get another break. I’m going to be making the most of mine, that’s for sure.

Here are the cool (and not-so-cool) things I read this week:

1. The “question” of consent

Dianna Anderson has a fantastic post on dignity and not treating people as questions to be answered. She rightly points out the inherent problem of calling consent a question and where the Church must tread lightly in regard to ideas open to debate. Ironically, the same day I read this post, I read another one in which the writer cheerily talks about wanting to interact with “the gay community” in order to demonstrate how loving she is–all while simultaneously referring to “the gay lifestyle” as being outside God’s perfect design. Guess that writer didn’t read Dianna’s post first.

2. The “question” of breadwinning wives

I highly recommend you make time to read all of Danielle’s response to Mary Kassian’s post on breadwinning wives. I particularly liked the second part, My Marriage Is Not a Form of Prostitution. In parallel, I’ve seen couples treat marriage this way outside of the career/financial angle–a lot of people seem to think that it’s an acceptable transaction to trade sex for goods and services. I’m not convinced that’s a healthy view of marriage.

3. Questions for N. T. Wright

If you’re a fan of Wright’s work, you may be interested in his responses to readers’ questions on Rachel Held Evans’ blog.

4. The “question” of women teaching

This is a great read from Laura Ziesel about the illogical view of women as “more easily deceived.” I have long held that not only can we not determine exactly when a boy is too old to be taught by a woman (many churches arbitrarily use 18), we also have the stupid view that a 70-year-old life-long woman of faith cannot teach a young, inexperienced barely adult male of 18 or 21. Now there’s another one–that women, being weaker and more easily deceived, should probably not be teaching children, either. What a load of manure; thanks, Laura, for pointing that out.

5. Questions for a couple coping with chronic illness

This is an interesting interview with a couple in which the wife has endometriosis. I appreciate the wisdom in recommending that the Church develop healthier ways to talk about sex and relationships, especially given the fact that it’s never one-size-fits-all.

6. The “question” of PDA

Yeah, I admit I’m one of those people who prefers that couples not stick their tongues down each others’ throats in public or grope each other under their clothes on the beach. But a little kissin’? Heck no, that doesn’t bother me. It makes me just want to scream whenever I see someone on social media write,

I’m not homophobic, but I really don’t need to see two guys kissing.

I get it that some people don’t like PDA, but until everyone starts pointing it out when they see a het couple doing it, then those people really need to keep that thought to themselves. Anyway, go read this article about couples who were asked to leave for PDA and then try to tell me it’s not homophobia.

7. Love isn’t a question

My fellow writer Aaron Smith has written a beautiful guest post over on Registered Runaway’s blog. He says it all; I have nothing to add.

8. A question of point of view

Novelist Adrian Smith explains using second person. I do it all the freakin’ time, on this blog and in casual speech, but I’ve never written a story in second person. When done well, it’s good; when done poorly, it’s awful. See if you can make it work. (See what I did there?)

9. The “question” of modesty

Oh, dear Lord, here we go again. We women don’t know what we “do” to men. Apparently, they have to repeat the internal mantra, “Don’t think about boobs don’t think about boobs don’t think about boobs dammit I’m thinking about boobs.” This just seriously creeps me out, because I don’t think I know any men who really have these issues, but a few who do have managed to convince a whole generation of young men that they do, too. So gross.

10. A question for Cheerio-despising racists

At the end of this spoof of the Cheerios ad with the biracial couple, the question is: “What? Now this is a problem?” Go watch it and share the funny with your friends.

11. A story with a question

I’m not entirely sure what happens after the end of my story for Fiction Friday. I’ll let you decide.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Notable News: Week of August 17-23, 2013

Notable News: Week of August 10-16, 2013

Notable News: Week of July 27-August 2, 2013

Notable News: Week of July 6-12, 2013

Notable News: Week of June 22-28, 2013

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