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To the Teenaged Girls I Know, And Those I Don’t
By Amanda Markel Dear Teenage Girls: There are so many things I want to tell you. So many things I wish somebody had told me. I was your age not that terribly long ago, so I remember! Here are just a few things I want you to know, things I think will help you navigate the choppy waters of being a teenager in high school: Go to church—I know, some people will say it’s “not cool” to go to church. People who say that aren’t your friends, and they’re flat-out wrong. Every chance you get to receive God’s gifts, to remember your baptism, and to gather with your church family,…
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Vocation
By Amanda Markel Christians, especially Lutheran Christians, understand the concept of vocation…that God has called each of us to unique tasks in life. This can be seen in the form of our careers, a task for which we are often paid, as well as other callings in life, such as relationships like wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, or volunteer positions like Sunday School teacher or after-school tutor. We can hold many different vocations at the same time, and our vocations can change throughout our lives. One thing should remain the same, however. Whatever our vocation is, we should do it joyfully, as though we are serving God Himself when we…
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Singleness
By Ellie Corrow Most children, especially girls, assume they will one day grow up, get married, and start a family. This is a dream that is not qualified with an “if” but a “when” and a goal that marks an unequivocal entrance into adulthood. Some people have no trouble achieving this, meeting the right person at the right time, and no one’s timeline suffers accommodation and adjustment. But, others don’t have this experience, instead they wait, and wait, vaguely wondering if they are running out of time, if there is someone out there for them. It’s a difficult place to be in, when life doesn’t work out as you expected.…
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The Elephant in the Pews
By Amanda Markel There’s an elephant in the living room in some of our churches and it’s time to stop ignoring it. That elephant is the former church workers in our midst. The “elephant in the corner” metaphor doesn’t apply to every former church worker. There is a group of retirees, especially pastors, that receive a place of honor in our congregations, such as the pastors emeriti. They who have served many successful, although often hard, years and are now retired, but willing to help out from time to time, are not the people I’m talking about. The former church workers that I’m talking about are often younger, although not…
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Where do tears go in the Divine Service? Emotions in the Lutheran Church
I’ve never been a mountaintop Christian. In fact, my tent has seemingly been pitched in the valley. But that didn’t keep me from climbing. I surrounded myself with positive people, hung pithy sayings above my sink and by my door, and renounced all negative energy. I even said prayers that bound Satan and established a hedge of protection around those I loved. I chose to praise on the mountain more, and cry in the valley less. I was determined to be too blessed to be depressed. However, incantations and mantras are short lived in the face of real life trials. Dysfunction, disease, and death have a way of making headway…
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Uno
By Anonymous One blessing. Children are a gift from God; my family has been blessed with one child. That’s right, only one. One healthy little girl who made me a Mommy at the age of 33. This little girl has given my family much joy. My heart swelled with love as she grew inside my womb and the day she was born hardly feels like seven years ago. If God blesses my family with another child, our hearts will grow in ways I cannot imagine. There are joys and challenges with having children; I think different experiences are intensified depending on how many kids you have. The time I spend…
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Body Image
By Amanda Markel Our culture has near-impossible standards for physical appearance. Plus-size models are criticized for normalizing — or even promoting — a “fat” lifestyle. All overweight women are that way because they’re lazy gluttons, right? They must sit around all day eating, and never think about exercise. It’s assumed if you’re overweight, no matter how much care you take with your appearance, you can’t be considered pretty, because lazy over-eaters are not good looking. Maybe you’re funny, or skilled in a particular area, but attractive when you’re overweight? Impossible. Skinny women seem to have it made, but they aren’t immune to hurtful critique, either. “You should eat more” is a common…
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So Your Husband Just Received His First Call…
Dear Sisters in Christ, It was June 26, 2005. On that day my husband was ordained and installed as a pastor in the Lord’s Church. I remember it well. There was an illicit buzz in the heavy, hot air that filled the sanctuary. My stomach had been doing regular somersaults since the Call Service a few months prior; it was now out of control. It was real! It was happening! The organ was resounding! The kids and I were all dressed up and ready to go. But…was I ready to go? Was I ready to be THE “pastor’s wife?” I certainly had been doing some research. The previous four years I…
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On Becoming a Titus 2 Woman
By Holly Scheer Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-5 These words are serious. These words are weighted with the expectations of generations of past discussions, among women and men far wiser than I, talking about something we’re often lacking in our communities and lives. But I’m here to encourage you, as best I can, and hopefully provide some…
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The Humorous Tales of Our Children in Church
Our kids are all in church frequently — which is great. It has also provided us all some funny tales of their best (or worst — you decide) moments in church. Come, sigh and laugh with us, and maybe find comfort that you’re not — at all — alone. He was about three, and we were in church. I had been teaching him the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, and he jumped right in reciting them in church. I beamed, looked around to make sure everyone saw it, because, well, my kid rocks, and I’m an awesome mom. A few minutes later, I’m not paying attention, but am focused on the sermon, but he’s standing between…
