Turning 50 as a Christian woman: Trusting God with the Age I Never Saw Coming I am in the last year of my 40s. I’ll pause so you can absorb that with me. The big 5-0 is sitting at the end of this year like a toll booth I cannot avoid, and I am standingContinue reading “Turning 50, Trusting God, and Other Things I Didn’t See Coming”
Author Archives: melissaelsner
But What About Deborah?
The Conversation You’ve Probably Already Had You’re talking about women in pastoral ministry—maybe you just shared an article, or maybe the topic came up at Bible study—and someone leans in and says it: “But what about Deborah?” She was a judge in Israel. She led men. Case closed, right? If you’ve spent any time studyingContinue reading “But What About Deborah?”
Can Women Be Pastors?
Can women be pastors? I know that question is loaded. I know it makes people uncomfortable. And I know that depending on which church you attend or which circles you run in, you might already have a firm answer—one way or the other. I also know that for a long time, I had convinced myselfContinue reading “Can Women Be Pastors?”
Whatever Is Lovely: What It Looks Like When Scripture Shapes Your Wants
Can I tell you something I’ve never quite said out loud before? At the height of my involvement in church—leading ministry, discipling women, showing up every Sunday—I was also making choices that didn’t line up with what I said I believed. Not dramatic ones. Just quiet, consistent ones that I didn’t examine too closely. I’dContinue reading “Whatever Is Lovely: What It Looks Like When Scripture Shapes Your Wants”
The Feeling Fades: What’s Really Missing on Sunday Morning
Can I ask you something honest? When you leave church on Sunday morning, how long does it last? The warmth. The sense that God is near. The tears during worship, the nod during the message, that feeling that something real just happened…how long before it’s gone? For a lot of women, the honest answer is:Continue reading “The Feeling Fades: What’s Really Missing on Sunday Morning”