jamie y. watkins

Category: Church & Faith

  • Seeking Community: United Church of Christ

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    jywatkins
    in

    Last Sunday we attended a United Church of Christ service in the next town over. It was a beautiful building tucked on the shore of a lake. We were welcomed at the door by a deacon. I am always impressed when the person at the door knows we’re visitors. I’m sure sometimes we give ourselves…

  • Seeking Community: Episcopal Church 2

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    jywatkins
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    A couple Sundays ago we visited a second Episcopal Church. I wrote in my post about the first Episcopal Church we’d visited that I had so much hope in going, because I’ve been reading different articles and books about evangelical Christians who have found a new home in the Episcopal Church. But our first visit…

  • You are Beloved

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    jywatkins
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    This week, I listened to the second introduction video from the Biola University Lent Project. There are three intro videos from theologian Julia Canlis (I wrote about the first one a couple weeks ago) and they talk about the meaning of Lent. In the first video, Julie talked about being in the desert, or those…

  • Seeking Community: Presbyterian Church 2

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    jywatkins
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    Two Sundays ago, Chad and I visited another Presbyterian Church. This one in the town next to us, right up the street from our old apartment. The building is beautiful, especially considering this church has been around for more than 250 years. The sanctuary had a balcony section that went all around the room, which…

  • In the Desert

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    jywatkins
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    Biola University is hosting this amazing Lent Project, and each day they give you scripture readings alongside music and videos, art and poetry. I love it. I love incorporating art into life and faith. Chad and I have started going through it each night together. In the introduction, there are three videos of talks given by…

  • Seeking Community: Roman Catholic

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    jywatkins
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    As far as churches with websites go, this was the last church visit for us in our town. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were home churches or smaller church meetings happening in our area that we don’t know about, but the Catholic Church was the last one on our list of the eight mainline…

  • The Hymn

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    jywatkins
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    My song is love unknown, my Savior’s love to me, love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be. O who am I that for my sake my Lord should take frail flesh, and die? In life no house, no home my Lord on earth might have; in death no friendly tomb but what a…

  • Patience and Reflection for Lent

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    jywatkins
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    Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through…

  • Seeking Community: Church of the Nazarene

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    jywatkins
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    You’re four minutes late! As we walked to the church entrance, this shout came from somewhere behind us, and I thought, wow, it’s just four minutes! You don’t expect to be called out at church for being four minutes late.  It’s not the friendliest of welcomes for your first-time visitors. But when I turned to…

  • We Have an Understanding

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    jywatkins
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    I’ve heard and read a lot of stories from people who have been hurt by church leaders or fellow Christians when they admit their doubts. Sometimes they are blamed or shamed for doubting. When hurting Christians admit they feel far away from God, they often are told to look for a sin in their life that…