Author: Michelle Van Loon
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Who Do They Say That You Are?
You’re the smart one. You’re the lazy one. You’re the pretty one. You’re the useless one. Those kinds of messages from our respective families of origin form us. I’d heard throughout my childhood that I was ugly, and responded by (a) becoming promiscuous to prove them wrong (b) seeing a deformed image of myself every…
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June 2017 Newsletter
Shalom, friend! Nearly a year ago, I took an epic fall on a rain-slicked deck, and ended up with a broken knee and tailbone. As I went through surgery, post-surgical complications and a rehab that took place in the shadow of ongoing medical treatments for my serious immune system deficiency, I dreamed that someday Bill…
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In No Particular Order…
While they’re hot off the press, I wanted to pass on some observations about church, conflict, and coincidence-that’s-not-coincidence that didn’t quite fit into any of my wobbly Facebook Live videos or Instagram posts I launched into the world from Ashdod or Jerusalem in Israel. Feel free to weigh in in the comments section if you…
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Christian Culture’s Socially-Acceptable Household Idols
I first ran across a mention of household idols years ago when reading Genesis 31. The little statues were common in cultures across the Ancient Near East, and figured prominently in the story of Jacob’s separation of his family from his father-in-law Laban. This isn’t just an ancient practice, as I’ve visited Hindu homes, where…
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A Lot of Evangelicals Have “Unhitched” From the Old Testament
Andy Stanley’s recent sermons contending that we must “unhitch” from the Old Testament in order to get to know Jesus brought a wave of response from the Christian online world. Some were supportive, noting that he was just trying to introduce his hearers to Jesus. Others recognized in his words the ancient heresy of Marcionism,…
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Fruit Inspection
What do unscripted charismatic prayer meetings have in common with carefully-crafted public relations statements on behalf of a leader accused of wrongdoing? When I saw these words posted by Jen Hatmakermaking the rounds on social media recently, I recognized in their well-meaning sentiment an “end justifies the means” thinking I’ve seen at play in both settings.…