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Here’s the Link to that Zoom Interview with Me about Patriarchy

Last week Emily Elizabeth Anderson of Thriving Forward interviewed me in light of the recent publication of my second Untwisting Scriptures book, which addresses patriarchy and authority.

Emily is one of the “Jane Does” who brought the lawsuit against Bill Gothard and later went public about it.

Our two perspectives together may have been especially helpful for some, because we interacted as two generations, since I am of the generation of Emily’s parents. Continue reading “Here’s the Link to that Zoom Interview with Me about Patriarchy”

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Second Untwisting Scriptures Book Finally Coming Out!

If you subscribe to my blog, then you got the advance notice that Book 2 of Untwisting Scriptures that were used to tie you up, gag you, and tangle your mind is coming out soon.

That’s because I sent out an email to all my subscribers, asking for pre-readers for the final chapter. I got a great response and I’ve received fantastic feedback.

More on that in a bit . . . Continue reading “Second Untwisting Scriptures Book Finally Coming Out!”

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An Update on My One-on-One Ministry

Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil. ~James 1:27

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Since 2017 I’ve been involved nearly full time with abuse victims and survivors, primarily using prayer ministry (based on the Immanuel Approach prayer ministry model developed by Christian psychiatrist Karl Lehman) to help them connect with Jesus and process their experiences, including traumatic memories. Continue reading “An Update on My One-on-One Ministry”

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That Time I Tried to Be Transparent in a Small Group . . .

About 15 years ago I joined a certain group because everyone else was doing it and it seemed like the thing to do in order to be a better Christian, which of course I wanted very much.

The group followed a format that I found out later was typical, but it was all new to me at that time: We listened together to the respected speaker for the first hour, and then split up into small groups for the second hour.

This is where we would be transparent. Continue reading “That Time I Tried to Be Transparent in a Small Group . . .”

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Why the Jeffrey Epstein Case Matters to Christians

It may feel like voyeurism, reading about it, if you don’t know any of these people.

But as I’ve been saying for some time now, I can be pretty doggone certain that you do know or at least interact with a survivor of sex trafficking, even if you don’t think you do. Because they are all around you.

My primary work is with those who have been sex trafficked in the Christian world. And believe me, there are parallels.

One person or small group of people is/are the traffickers. They may be relatively obscure, as Epstein was.

Others, the wealthy and elites (in my experience, it’s primarily been the wealthy and elites in the Christian world) are the buyers who take advantage of the trafficker’s “services.” (Flying in to the trafficking location is not a problem for the Christian elite.)

There’s a lot to learn about how this all works by reading about the Jeffrey Epstein case. Continue reading “Why the Jeffrey Epstein Case Matters to Christians”

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Here’s What’s Wrong With God Looking Through the “Filter” of Jesus to See His Children

It’s supposed to be encouraging when we hear that God the Father sees His children through the filter of His Son Jesus Christ. I’ve seen Christians almost come to tears when they talk about how God the Father is wearing “blood-colored glasses” to look at us, seeing the righteousness of His Son instead of our sinfulness.

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So, we are told, He sees His blood-bought children as holy instead of the unrighteous, filthy, utterly degraded, deceitfully wicked, totally sinful vile creatures we actually are. Continue reading “Here’s What’s Wrong With God Looking Through the “Filter” of Jesus to See His Children”

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Reflections on My 62nd Birthday: “What if Your Life Were Written as a Story?”

The question

I’ve spoken in a number of Christian school chapels over the years. As a professional storyteller I’d speak in chapel with a true story from one of my missionary books, and then as the “visiting author” I’d go around to the classrooms and answer questions.

One of the questions I’d often get was this: “If your life were written as a story, what would you want it to say?”

(A student would ask it, but I always had a sneaking suspicion that it was a teacher who came up with the question.)

My reply would consistently be, “Oh, I’d never want my life to be written as a story. My life is way too boring.” Continue reading “Reflections on My 62nd Birthday: “What if Your Life Were Written as a Story?””

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You Should Come to Church to “Give” and Not to “Get”

Years ago when we were visiting a large and well-endowed fundamentalist church here in Greenville, South Carolina, the Sunday school teacher went on a bit of a tirade about how wrong it was to come to church to “get.”

“You’re only supposed to come to church to GIVE,” he rebuked us. He went on to express his disgust with people who come to church wanting something, Continue reading “You Should Come to Church to “Give” and Not to “Get””