Author: Sarah Blake LaRose
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Communion: A Communal Worship Experience
In a href=”https://amzn.to/3xa29yA” target=”_blank”>Exploring the Worship Spectrum, Sally Morgenthaler makes the statement that “The celebration of the Eucharist is not simply a private participation in God’s saving work through Jesus Christ; it is an intensely horizontal, bonding, communal rite.” (p. 51) My church shares communion at least once a month; and I often ponder the…
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Employment and Blindness in the U.S.
What should we do about “dones,” “nones,” and church-skippers? Should we treat them as wayward souls who should be won back to the church, give them lectures about why their decision is wrong? That is exactly what Carey Nieuwhof has done in a response to Christians who are done with church. Why Attitude Matters Nieuwhof…
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Thoughts on John Chapter 9
I have received several emails and messages asking for my thoughts about John chapter 9, in which Jesus heals a man born blind. The entire chapter is included in this week’s readings from the Revised Common Lectionary along with Ephesians 5:8-14, in which Paul urges people to “live as children of light … for the…
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About Those Special Needs
The term “special needs” was once considered proper academic etiquette for writing about people with disabilities. It is now a dirty word. Here is an example of the reasoning: The way I get what I want and need might be different or I might need a bit of help along the way. It is still…
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On Beauty and Descriptions
Makeup. It was supposed to be an exciting thing. All my peers at school talked about it–all day long. Even my blind mentors went on and on about why I should care about it: it would make me attractive and people would want to be around me. I reacted to this bribery with great doubt.…
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A Good Translation
In my upper level Greek and Hebrew classes, students are required to submit an exegesis paper using proper sources each semester. Many online students struggle greatly to find adequate sources for their papers. I think there are a number of reasons for this. I hope, in this post, to make the process of research for…
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On Blindness and Relationships
I often hear that sighted people don’t know how to talk with someone who is different from them. … This is not something I am necessarily skilled at either. I have had to learn how as I have lived my life in community with many people who are different from myself, including my own family.…
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Dones, Nones, and Church Skippers
What should we do about “dones,” “nones,” and church-skippers? Should we treat them as wayward souls who should be won back to the church, give them lectures about why their decision is wrong? That is exactly what Carey Nieuwhof has done in a response to Christians who are done with church. Why Attitude Matters Nieuwhof…
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Brring Your Bible to School
I read on Facebook that Focus on the Family is sponsoring a “Bring Your Bible to School” day in October. The comments, as I expected, were all in favor. Some people even asked, “Why does everyone else get to show their faith and we have to hide ours?” I was a bit stunned when I…
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Just Thinking
Every time there is another “current event”–a shooting, a bombing, an immigration crisis, or a development with ISIS–I start reading. And I start thinking… What is the real problem? Right now, there is a great focus on how much racism we still have in America. And it is true. Except it is only partially true…
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Can We Hear Each Other Crying
Disclaimer: Apologies to my African-American friends and colleagues if I have misrepresented your culture in any way and especially for my failure to use politically correct terminology in this post. Please correct me gently in comments if you feel it appropriate. I write this post with deep sadness. This has been a week when I…