jamie y. watkins

Tag: God

  • The Virtue of Uncertainty

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    jywatkins
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    I was recently having a conversation with a coworker who described herself as “spiritual, but not religious,” and she said something like, “well everything happens for a reason, right?” I paused, and then I told her that I don’t know if everything happens for a reason. She was shocked because she assumed that because I…

  • Tension

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    jywatkins
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    Take a deep breath. Relax your shoulders; let them drop. Unset your jaw. Exhale. Listen. Unwind. Be still. About three years ago I chipped my front tooth biting a pen at work. Later, I chipped that tooth again on a piece of pizza– really, just pizza. It turns out, I grind my teeth at night,…

  • Celebrating a New Baby

    Celebrating a New Baby

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    jywatkins
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    Today, I got to go to my friend Kelly’s baby shower to celebrate with her, and all her family and friends, the expected arrival of “Peanut.”  Chad and I met Kelly and her husband Frank a few years ago and we served together in our satellite church. Since then, we’ve built an even stronger friendship,…

  • 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…

  • Seeking Community: Evangelical Free Church

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    jywatkins
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    Just over a year ago, Chad and I, and the rest of our community, lost our church. It was a satellite location of a larger evangelical church that I had attended for several years. We set up our small satellite community in an elementary school every Sunday morning, held a worship service, children’s church, and…

  • Seeking Community: Episcopal Church

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    jywatkins
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    A couple weeks ago, Chad and I continued our church visits by attending the local Episcopal church. I’ve been reading quite a bit lately about some evangelical Christians who have been attending Episcopal churches, drawn in by the liturgy and tradition. Rachel Held Evans wrote a beautiful, poetic piece about the community and the sacredness of…

  • It’s Not About the Building

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    jywatkins
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    I love debating the topic of church buildings because I can see the merits of both sides. I like discussions with no right answer. I think it leads to much deeper conversation and shows the layers and complexities of our world and the ways in which we relate to God. So let’s talk about the…

  • Norway: Peace in Learning

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    jywatkins
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    Chad and I arrived in Norway this week. The flights (we had a layover in Munich) went well for the most part, even felt fast for coming all the way to Europe.  We made it successfully to the hotel to unload our giant bag and rest. Carrying around our luggage is one of my least favorite…

  • Seeking Community: Bible Fellowship

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    jywatkins
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    For our third church visit, this past Sunday, Chad and I visited a Bible Fellowship Church just a couple minutes from our house. Like the Mennonite church we visited a few weeks ago, this church was small and friendly, about 30 people at the service.  Unlike the Mennonite church, it was not very diverse, but…