Becca’s Bible Guide – Reading the Bible

So you've selected a Bible that is right for you (that's a different post), and you're ready to start reading! But where to even begin? When I first read the Bible, I started with chapter one of Genesis and read through. This took me a little under a year and I learned a lot, but…

Embodiment and Authenticity (Talking Taboo)

Over a year ago, I wrote an essay for an amazing compilation, Talking Taboo: American Christian Women Get Frank About Faith (Erin Lane & Enuma Okoro, eds), which officially launches today. I'm overjoyed to be included in this book, a huge collaborative effort, and looking at the other authors I'm humbled and a little confused…

iLearning

I'm very excited about the iBooks 2 roll out with textbooks. I've been hoping for something like this since the Kindle came out. I see infinite implications for education, particularly. Wealthier districts are already providing each student with a laptop or netbook; it's get on the ball so each student in the country can have…

That Old Time Hymnal; it’s good enough for…

The United Methodist world is abuzz with the news: production on the new United Methodist Hymnal, slated for the 2012 quadrennium, has been halted. While my congregation rejoices that this means the copies of The Faith We Sing we just bought are not going to be obsolete right away, and I rejoice that people aren't…

Sticks and stones may break my bones…

... but words-- oh the awesome power of words-- words can cause me to hate and fear and kill. Reflecting today about the shooting at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, TN. A virtual friend of mine, Terry, points out that we often tolerate hateful and violent words by people in the media in our…

Nope. I really can’t tell.

Please note: there is no way on God's green earth that linking to this site is in any way an endorsement. One of my friends told me about this site, and I spent a lot of time clicking through it. It's called "You've Been Left Behind," youvebeenleftbehind.com, and here's the thing: I can't tell if…

Irresistible Revolutionary

Okay, 'fess up. Is there anyone out there who doesn't have at least the teeniest crush on Shane Claiborne? Male, female, queer, straight or bi, is there anyone who doesn't want to either be Shane or be near Shane? Because I'll admit, I've got it bad for this grungy Jesus freak! Lookit the glasses! Gotta…

Ouch.

But nothing we didn't already know. Nearly half of Americans have switched religious affiliation/denomination. Oh, and that's not good news for the UMC. With respect to my earlier thoughts about Easter, I read this in Borg and Crossan's The Last Week, which, about three pages from the end now, I highly recommend: "Both parts of…

Wherein I become a Fundie

So my thoughts on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, which includes The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. First, I can't believe this, but it's true: I've finally found a series of books that I would recommend people not read for religious reasons. I don't mean like Narnia and Left Behind,…

Link Rec

Someone recommended this link to a friend to help her pass the time, and it is the funniest thing I've seen ever. Of course, it helps if, like me, you suffered through all twelve Left Behind books just for the sake of laughing at them/ being horrified by them/ being prepared to explain to people…