Peter gets out of the boat and begins to walk on the water towards Jesus. The man actually… Walks. On. Water. I can barely bathe my sweet pup in the bathtub without making a soggy, sloppy mess. I can’t even imagine actually walking on the same element that ends up all over my bathroom floor. … Continue reading A nap and a snack
Author: The Rev. Janie Koch
Self awareness is a fickle bitch
In the parables we are to ask ourselves who we are. In the parable of The Good Samaritan, are we the robbers who beat up a lonely traveler (are we the gossip who ruined a person’s reputation, are we the guest at a restaurant who refused to tip the server because of ego, are we … Continue reading Self awareness is a fickle bitch
We cannot define who we are by who we exclude.
The Wizard of Oz. The Grapes of Wrath. The Gunslinger. The Fellowship of the Ring. Pilgrim’s Progress. On the Road. Red Barchetta. In my years as a high school English teacher, I discovered a book that helped target the literary components of the story. How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster says, … Continue reading We cannot define who we are by who we exclude.
The Conversation
I should have known. You didn’t know? No. Of course I didn’t. What do you remember? I remember the closet. What about the closet? You know. Yes, I know. How did you feel? Betrayed. What did you think? Monster. Did you say anything? Yes. You know I did. What was the answer? It’s nothing. How … Continue reading The Conversation
Unraveling: part 6
The idea begins in youth group. Perhaps it’s never been done in this church before. Perhaps it’s an annual event. The youth pastor/youth minister brings the idea forward. Reveals the destination. Gasps from the senior high group, and maybe even the junior high group — if a group that young is allowed to join in. … Continue reading Unraveling: part 6
Unraveling: part 5
A tingling force grips the core of my being within my chest. This Cage…. This Cage…. The bars are not rattling or twisting now, but the entire edifice shifts. The metal scrapes across the concrete with the force of movement. This Cage created by years of manipulation and indoctrination and abomination. The Being within, birthed … Continue reading Unraveling: part 5
Unraveling: part 4
“Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Saviour. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to … Continue reading Unraveling: part 4
Unraveling: part 3
Today, I would like to tell you the story of the Tower of Babel. The twist? I’ll tell you the story of the Tower of Babel from how I was taught in the Southern Baptist Church in Texas. As a recap, this deconstruction, or as it feels to me as an unraveling, is a modern … Continue reading Unraveling: part 3
Unraveling: part 2
What is this “unraveling?” What does it mean? How long does it take? Does it hurt? Well…. Hmmm…. Those questions are really good. And, really difficult to answer. Umm. Wait — No. They aren’t difficult to answer. Actually, they’re easy to answer. The difficulty arises within you, the reader, and your ability to read with … Continue reading Unraveling: part 2
Unraveling: part 1
At each pulse of my blinking cursor the unseen Being pounds the cage inside. This cage crafted by instruction and stories and time and rules and shame and fear. This Being began its life many years ago; in fact, it’s been alive-not-yet-birthed for close to 40 years. Dormant for much of of those years, prowling … Continue reading Unraveling: part 1