by jakeowensby | Mar 17, 2023 | John 9:1-41, redemption
Brené Brown introduced me to the phrase “shame storm.” If you’re like me, you’ve been caught in one before. You just didn’t know what to call it. Shame storms can be triggered by all sorts of things, and they may take different forms for different people. But in...
by jakeowensby | Mar 3, 2023 | 2 Lent A, John 3:1-17
Rollen Stewart’s name may not be familiar to you. But you’re probably aware of the trend he started: displaying “John 3:16” signs at sporting events. In the 1980’s the media referred to Stewart as Rainbow Man and alternatively as Rock’n Rollen. He’s a born-again...
by jakeowensby | Feb 24, 2023 | 1 Lent, Matthew 4:1-11
It’s not like me. Honestly. But I confess that I binge-watched the entire first season of The Good Place when it first hit Netflix a few years back. Friends had been assuring me that I would love it. One of the main characters is an ethicist, and I used to...
by jakeowensby | Feb 20, 2023 | Uncategorized
Kate Bowler had been suffering bouts of debilitating intestinal distress for some time. Eventually a specialist diagnosed her condition as cancer. Stage IV cancer. She was 35 years old. A rising star at Duke. Married to her high school sweetheart. And the mother of...
by jakeowensby | Feb 10, 2023 | 6 Epiphany A, Forgiveness, Matthew 5:21-37
The parents of a newborn daughter overheard their toddler talking to his baby sister in her crib. The little guy said, “Tell me what it’s like to be close to God. I’m starting to forget.” This story has made the rounds. And even though it may not report an event that...
