Sometimes, I feel like the church has a hard time lingering in places of pain. Abuse. Homosexuality. Bullying. Singleness. Disability. Abortion. Illness. Addiction. Grief. We tend to skim right over these topics, offering quick, carefully-crafted statements about our stance on the issue. It winds up feeling more like a presidential candidate’s stump speech than a […]
About Jenny Rae Armstrong
Hi there! I'm Jenny Rae Armstrong, an award-winning freelance writer, full-time ministry student, and mommy to four boisterous boys. I live on black coffee and lots of grace (oh, and my husband's incredible cooking)! I'm glad you stopped by--stay and chat a while!Author Archive | Jenny Rae Armstrong
Friday Favorites, 5/11/2012
A collection of some of my favorite reads of the week: “In Which I’m No Angry Feminist” by Sarah Bessey. This post made me cry. When it comes to advocating for women, I’d say there are three primary motivators–intellectual integrity, justice, and empathy. My swollen, weeping mommy-heart squeezes into the folding chair next to Sarah […]
We Are the Pharisees
Pharisees get a bad rap. I know, I know–there’s that whole “brood of vipers,” “conspiring to kill Jesus” thing. Not their brightest moments. But did you know that several of Jesus’ followers, and many, many members of the early church, were Pharisees? At the crucifixion, all but one of Jesus’ male disciples ran off–it was […]
Taking Care of Business
Just for fun–this is some very shaky footage I took at the DeepWater JAM, our version of a “recital.” This is the song that kicked off the JAM, with some of our youngest students. The kids are 8-11 (except for the ringers on guitar and bass–and my hubby playing tambourine and directing traffic). The blondie […]
Oppressors, Activists, and Spiritual Stinginess: St. Paul’s Guide to Praying Better Prayers
“And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.” -Philemon 1:6 I was reading Philemon this weekend, and many things stood out to me. Paul’s tone with Philemon, acknowledging Philemon’s friendship, fidelity, and good […]
Fearless Femininity: Missionaries, Mommies, and Old Ladies on Motorcycles
It’s funny how these things come full circle in our lives. While working on the message about the need for women to find their identity in Christ, instead of in their relationships with others, I’ve been thinking a lot about the women I know who have embodied this, particularly the single missionary women I knew […]
Boyfriends, Bad Ideas, and the Bella-Katniss Continuum: Jenny’s Message on Identity in Christ
I was SO blessed to be able to speak at my beloved Mission Covenant Church last Sunday! The topic was how cohabitation hurts women and children, but we focused on the why–WHY do women get involved in relationships they know are bad for themselves and their children, or stay in abusive, dysfunctional relationships that bear […]
Patriarchy, Pop Culture, and Pornography, Part 2
(Continued from Part 1) What it comes down to is that in many ways, society ascribes value to women based on how attractive they are to men. (This is only exacerbated by women’s idolatrous tendency to base their identity on who they are in relationship with others, rather than on who they are in Christ. […]
Patriarchy, Pop Culture, and Pornography, Part 1
Several years ago, I read “The DaVinci Code” to see what all the fuss was about. It was nothing special—a fast-paced novel with interesting, if inaccurate, historical details woven in—but one line still stands out to me. The leading lady recalls a conversation she had with her grandfather as a child, about the film “The […]
More Statistics on Child Abuse, Or, Why Single Moms Should Probably Stay That Way
(I know, I know–another inflammatory title. But if you’re not feeling a bit inflamed by the end of this post, I don’t know what’s wrong with you.) Wading through statistics makes me cranky. My inner journalist, latent as she may be, pitches a fit when she hears people making making vague allusions to “research,” or […]
Are Women More Physically Abusive than Men? Why Mommies Hit Their Babies.
Okay, yes, inflammatory title. But I read something last night that made my stomach knot up into a ball Contrary to public perception, research shows that the most likely physical abuser of a young child will be that child’s mother, not a male in the household, although the mother’s plight often is complicated by her […]
Simulcasting, Shacking Up, and Very Bad Blogging
I will be the first to admit that I have been a Very Bad Blogger lately. I gave myself permission to put my online presence aside for Lent, but by the time Easter rolled around, I had other things to tackle before I flung myself back into the blogosphere. Like–well–Easter. And kidney stone comebacks. And […]
#Kony2012, Sour Fufu, and All God’s Children
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last few days and haven’t seen Invisible Children’s viral film about Joseph Kony, I’ll embed it here. Go ahead and watch it. I’ll wait… Of course there has been a flurry of negative responses to the video too, some of them very valid. But seriously? […]
Lenten Sausages, Spiritual Chia Pets, and the Practice of Being “Put Out”
In 1522, Protestant reformer Ulrich Zwingli was involved with the scandalous consumption of sausage during Lent, an event that sparked the Reformation in Switzerland. (Given that some of my ancestors were Mennonites who immigrated to America from Switzerland, I can’t help but wonder if the sausage gave Zwingli and his crew a bad case of […]
A Short Word About Birth Control, Health Insurance, and “Religious Organizations”
(Disclaimer–I am recovering from the flu, and only have a few minutes to bang out this post, so I am going to apologize in advance for the gross lack of citation. But that’s what Google is for, right?) This isn’t exactly normal fare for this blog, but the brouhaha about forcing religious organizations to offer […]
Author, speaker, and mommy of four, living on coffee and lots of grace. Pastor at Darrow Road Wesleyan Church. Student at North Park Theological Seminary. Passionate about justice, mercy, and the "one anothers."
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- 50 Shades of Broken: Why Do Women Fantasize About Abuse?
- John Piper, Women in Combat, and How Gender Roles Fall Short of the Glory of Humankind
- How Much Money Does it Take to Be A Good Christian Woman?
- Faking It: Why You Should Stop Treating Your Husband Like a Toddler, and ACTUALLY Respect Him.
- Asking for a Friday FAVOR! What Do You Think Belongs In a Book About Mutual Marriages?
- I am never sure what to say…
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When you’re having a sleepless night of the soul
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Who do you hate? And is it right for you to be angry?
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Wives, Submission, and Slavery, Oh My! A Sermon on the Household Codes
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When you’re not good enough, and it’s okay.
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Dr. kold_kadavr_flatliner, MD: Whoa. GeezLouise. Turn 'em off, girl; Turn-off ...
- Comparing the Anointing Stories - Marg Mowczko: […] For a detailed analysis of the anointing...
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dan ohlerking: great thoughts. working on a message for our team ...
- Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany | Marg Mowczko: […] [9] Jenny Rae Armstrong has written a be...
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Teresa Castillo: I was so blessed to find this article. Only today ...
