The final article in my four-part series on Advent from the perspective of pregnancy. As I think about Christmas and the birth of Jesus, I can’t help but to think about the process of giving birth. Here I reflect on both spiritual and physical birth as I try to imagine Mary’s experience with Jesus. Birth…
I come from people who visit graves. My maternal grandfather died when my mother was an infant. She grew up going to visit her father’s grave. I grew up the same way. Whenever I’m in the general area of the cemetery, I go to visit, now to the graves of my maternal grandmother and my…
The third in my four-part series on Advent from the perspective of pregnancy. I draw on the Advent theme of Journeying thinking of the scriptures that discuss Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth, the expectant mother of John the Baptist. “Is your back killing you?” “Lord yes! And my feet . . .” This is…
The second in my four-part series on Advent for the religion website Patheos.com. I’m writing about the time when we anticipate Jesus’ birth from the perspective of pregnancy. This second article is following the theme: Accepting I was not a young mother, but I was a young minister. On the later edge of my teenage…
I’m writing a four-part Advent Series for the religion website Patheos.com. The first article is out today. The church year begins with a pregnant woman. Christian traditions have called her theotokos. Bearer of God. Mother of God. Most images of the theotokos show Mary in red or blue cloth, halo-ed and cradling a baby Jesus. But that’s not…
On November 18, 2012, I spoke at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, CA in the Rector’s Forum on “Wrestling with God and Depression.” I referenced the story in the gospel of Mark where Jesus meets the man named Legion and casts out the and casts demons out of him. I talk about what I…
I dashed into the small coffee shop to get out of the rain. The sound of the rain echoed around me as I discovered that I had encountered more than a shelter from the weather and more than a place for a latte or espresso. Just behind the coffee beans, pastries, and made-to-order sandwiches was…
“Can your church help out with that? Isn’t this what churches do?” I heard that question on two separate occasions as I planned for the arrival of my firstborn child. Could church members bring me meals for the first week home after surgery? Do any church members have used baby stuff I can borrow or…
“Somewhere between my unanswered prayers and the realization that I could not worship myself into happiness, my faith died. I stopped believing that God only loved me if I was happy and peaceful.” Mental Illness Awareness Week is the first full week in October. This year, Huffington Post published my article “Losing Faith, Finding Hope:…
I don’t sleep at night anymore. I have a newborn baby, with twenty-four hour needs that come in one hour intervals. My child does not know the difference between day and night and has already learned that I’ll be there whenever. So I don’t really sleep at night anymore. Per the advice of other parents…
Dr. Monica A. Coleman is an award-winning scholar, writer, and minister dedicated to the intersections of faith, social justice, and transformation. Through speaking, consulting, and writing, she empowers individuals and organizations to navigate change with purpose and integrity.
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