Author: Ruth Everhart
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Death of the Pastor’s Wife and the Failure of the Church
I recently watched Death of the Pastor’s Wife on Netflix. This 3-part documentary tells the story of Mica Miller, who was abused by her husband, John-Paul (JP) Miller, and died — either by suicide or by “murder by suicide” as her brother put it. Unequal Power Underlies Abuse In my writing about sexual abuse in the church, I…
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Does your mission-driven organization need a Social Media Manager?
We all know that our organization needs to be visible online in order to survive, much less to thrive. Yet we may believe that we don’t have the necessary skills or resources. There is a solution to that dilemma.
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Philip Yancey Falls from Grace
Phil Yancey has written a shelf of books on spiritual topics. There’s no doubt he’s been successful, reportedly selling 15 million copies to a primarily evangelical audience. In 1998 I heard Yancey speak at a Festival of Faith & Writing at Calvin College (now University). I appreciated his straightforward way of approaching theology. In the…
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Giraffes & Joy
Could you use a dose of joy today? Sometimes it can be hard to find. A few weeks ago, we found a big dose of joy by hanging out with some giraffes! This is how and why that happened. We recognize that it was a great privilege to take this trip. I hope it encourages…
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Measuring My Life in Coffee Spoons
Today is my birthday. I woke up with a hankering to listen to “Afternoons and Coffeespoons” by Crash Test Dummies. If you’re not familiar, do yourself a favor and give it a listen! The lyrics to the (very hummable) refrain strike me as quite perfect for a birthday: Someday I’ll have a disappearing hairlineSomeday I’ll…
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Graham Nash at the Birchmere April 19, 2023
When I heard the news of David Crosby’s death last January, memories came rushing back. The music of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young formed the soundtrack of my college years. “Our House is a very very very fine house,” a song for Joni Mitchell, fed my romantic aspiration. “Teach your parents…
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Connecting Biblical Justice, Human Rights, and Civil Rights
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be speaking at a conference on Biblical Justice, sponsored by the John Leland Center for Theological Studies in Arlington, VA, and hosted by Memorial Baptist Church, also in Arlington. The two-day conference runs Friday and Saturday, June 9-10. I’ll be speaking on Saturday at 10:00 AM on the topic…
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Leading Ideas Talks
If you’re coming over from the Leading Ideas podcast, welcome! I appreciate your interest in the work of pursuing justice for victims and and survivors of sexual abuse and misconduct. The Lewis Center for Church Leadership comes out of the United Methodist tradition. I welcome all partners in this important work. Ann Michel interviewed me…
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PCUSA Ordination Exam on Judges 19
(Content warning: sexual assault) Yesterday two friends messaged me to ask: “Have you heard the news? The PCUSA announced the text for the Winter Ordination exam: Judges 19.” While I have stepped aside from doing “hot takes” on breaking news about sexual assault, I am choosing to respond. After all, this is my wheelhouse. I…
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NYC Weekend: Celebrating a Milestone Birthday
How do you celebrate a milestone birthday? Last summer as I enjoyed some friend’s photos of NYC, I realized that it’s been almost a decade since I visited the Big Apple. I decided my upcoming birthday was a perfect time to fix that! I made hotel reservations on Expedia and researched the Broadway shows. Doug…
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Greetings to the Rock Creek Presbyterian Church (Tallula, IL) on their 200th Anniversary!
Greetings to the Rock Creek Presbyterian Church (Tallula, IL) on their 200th Anniversary.
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Lady Gaga in Concert, DC Aug 2022
To celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary, Doug and I attended the Lady Gaga concert in Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Some 40,000 fans overflowed the ballpark on a sweltering August night. The Chromatica concert began late, at 9:00, and lasted a full 2 hours. The orchestration of video, sound and choreography was impeccable. What a…