church life
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Not the First and the Last
There is a hole in my ceiling. In the basement room where I practice organ, what began as mild water damage is now a hole. My first instinct was anxiety, but as I investigated our home’s new “feature” last night, the following phrase came to mind: “You are not the first to have water damage, Continue reading
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A Midwestern Take on Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light Continue reading
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Every Saint a Singer
While recording a podcast earlier this week, I was asked: “Are all Christians required to sing?” I replied that yes, scripture indicates as much. Not every believer is called to music ministry as a vocation, but every saint is, fundamentally, a singer. The calls to song that punctuate scripture are not only directed to all Continue reading
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The Spirit Moves in Mysterious Ways…and then other times the Spirit is VERY Clear
This title really says it all. Yesterday, I had a moment of angst. I was hard at work on my book proposal when my laptop began to act up again. I’ve been ignoring its quirks for months now and, finally, had to admit it was time for an update. My workflow was disrupted for the Continue reading
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Structural
Our little church is not so little anymore. Attending services still feels like a family reunion and newcomers have a hard time escaping without many handshakes (or hugs) and plates loaded with homemade snacks. I hope that our church maintains this small-church love, but there’s no doubt about it now: we are growing and need Continue reading
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Nuggets of Hospitality
One year ago, my husband and I launched a young adults’ life group for our church. I spent the entire day preparing. I tidied every inch of our house and polished the floors—by far my least favorite chore. I unpacked every charcuterie board (it turns out that I have quite a few) and carefully arranged Continue reading
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Our Temporary Eternal Flame
Many churches feature an “eternal flame” at the front of their sanctuaries, a continually-burning candle that signifies the presence of Christ. Our church, being nondenominational and fairly young, does not have such a candle. This week, however, we did have an eternal flame. When Prairie Bible Church first moved into its building, the congregation read Continue reading
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Joyfully, Ryanne
I sign my emails “Joyfully,” which seems ironic. I don’t tend toward cheerfulness when I open my cluttered inbox. Signing my emails this way began as a choice—much like joy. No matter my mood when I type the body of a message, I am forced to rejoice when I sign and send it. The early Continue reading
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Lessons from a First-Year Pastor’s Wife
One year ago yesterday, we closed on our house in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. One year ago tomorrow, our church laid hands upon us, and my husband became a pastor—and I became a pastor’s wife. This year has flown by, and it’s been one of the best yet. I thought my career as a musician was Continue reading
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Building the Body or Building the Brand?
Examining church doctrinal statements and job postings is a weird hobby of mine. It’s one of the consequences of being a huge theology nerd as well as a pastor’s wife. Recently, I came across several ministry job descriptions that are deeply troubling. Frighteningly, these are coming to represent a norm amongst contemporary evangelical churches. For Continue reading
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Communion Crumbs
Last week, I was provided an unexpected perspective on communion. On Saturday, my husband remembered that it was his turn to bring the communion items—the bread and the “wine.” We stopped by the grocery store for what we expected would be a quick errand and, instead, spent a fair amount of time in the juice Continue reading
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“Water, Water, Everywhere”
The value of poetry is often found in its ability to capture the core of nuanced situations. Prior to moving to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I did some research on the area and was shocked to discover this article by The Gospel Coalition: It’s an article worth reading, at once eye-opening and encouraging. It lays bare Continue reading
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Ryanne Molinari 