After four years of seminary and three-and-a-half years in ministry, only two words could describe me at my graduation: burned out. When I entered school, I never thought that upon my completion, I would feel so defeated and drained. I was supposed to be at the zenith of my spiritual journey. Instead, I barely wanted to sit down to study God's Word.

Upon graduation, my husband ...

When I was asked to join the staff of a small church as the small-group coordinator, I was thrilled. I was also naïve. Being on staff meant that I was joining two men, one 10 years my senior, the other just a few years younger than my father. I moved from working with peers in a college ministry where I'd found that my gender rarely had an effect on what I could ...

I knew, by simple intuition, that it was the voice of God I was hearing. He—who had named light and sky, sun and moon, male and female, the very same God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—called my name one hot July day as I stood overlooking a lake in northern Ohio.

Jen.

I was 16—and planning for my prodigal return much later when I would be ripe for domestic life and repentance. ...

Two years ago, our family traded our suburban conveniences for city life. We moved from our Chicago suburb to Toronto, and I remember all the clumsiness of those first several months, especially when it came to errands as simple as returning library books or getting cash from an ATM. I recall my conspicuously poor attempts at parallel parking and my awkward maneuvering of ...

"I see a blind spot in your article."

Dan, a friend who pastors a church in Rochester, New York, wrote in response to my "Get Thee a Sisterhood" articles posted in March. (Click here to read Part 1, and here to read Part 2.)

"I do affirm the articles' primary points: the dangers of isolation, that the distinctive demands of pastoral ministry require support from those who ...

The book:

Just Lead! A No Whining, No Complaining, No Nonsense Practical Guide for Women Leaders in the Church

By Sherry Surratt and Jenni Catron

Published by Jossey-Bass

Why I picked up this book:

I have known both authors for several years now and think the world of them as women and as leaders. I was excited to hear they were partnering to share their wealth of experience and ...

When I read the Bible, I often feel inspired to leap over the highest mountains. The story of David defeating Goliath, Moses parting the Red Sea, Jesus defying the tomb with the resurrection, fill my heart with courage to face any enemy head on.

But then I find myself shaken by news flashes of tragedy, as I did with the news of the Boston Marathon bombing. For a few seconds ...

Six years ago we moved from the inner city to a three-acre plot with multiple fruit trees. I never realized how much work these trees require, naively assuming they produced their bountiful harvests year after year, sans intervention. I had much to learn. Fruit trees must be trimmed twice a year as well as repaired after any storm damage. They need to be sprayed multiple times ...

Darkness is rich with theological meaning. Our first thoughts may be of evil things, ala "the powers of darkness." But there are other applications. Darkness hides things and people, like Nicodemus' first meeting with Jesus under the cover of night. From the darkness, chaos, and formless void God formed all created matter, and God's Spirit hovered over the deep. When Jesus' ...