Melissa Florer-Bixler
Spending Lent with people in recovery
In the company of church members in recovery from addiction, I’m feeling more open to the doctrine of original sin.
Sharing the burden of language disorientation
At my church, some of us are learning Spanish. Others are learning English.
Nature is not an escape
To understand this, I had to stop reading John Muir and turn to the nature writing of the Harlem Renaissance.
As a pastor, it’s my job to pay attention
In the Mennonite tradition, we are all priests. But I still have a particular role to play.
Discerning the body
Bodies get sick. What becomes of a church body when we enact unity at the table while ignoring our brokenness?
Extravagant consumption
For Jesus, the inverse of scarcity isn’t abundance—it’s accumulation.
Science fiction writers imagine the way out
Jesus’ parables give us space to see that something else is possible. Writers of new worlds put flesh on these bones.
Jesus’ resurrected gut biome
In John’s Gospel we meet a body of flesh and blood. And microbes.
Our living waters are struggling to breathe
River baptisms are becoming a casualty of polluted waters.
What hope looks like to one Palestinian
Akram al-Waara sits in a refugee camp and makes art—out of tear gas canisters.
A church made of dust
After each service, I sweep up the dirt, specks of plastic, and tendrils of hair.
God’s nose
When COVID took my sense of smell, I was drawn to the Bible’s description of God’s.
Why I’m not participating in this weekend’s Faith and Blue event for churches and police
The problem isn’t police-community relations. It’s our acceptance of a broken system.
Why my church is done singing David Haas’s songs
It’s not because we don’t believe in grace.
On not getting used to this
My spiritual practices have long been communal ones. I love people—and their presence.
Jean Vanier and the gift of L’Arche
Vanier found fullness of life in those snatched from despair and placed in homes based on mutuality, respect, and care.
The suffering human (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)
Exiled Israel, the crucified Christ, and the thread that holds two interpretations together.
Passed on to us (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
The church that came before us taught us how to love worship and to care deeply for its vitality and life.
The biblical Amalekites are the Israelites’ enemies—and their kin
Enemies are real. They are also closer to us than we may care to imagine.
April 19, Good Friday (John 18:1-19:42)
When I say the creeds, Pilate’s name stands as a warning back to myself.