SisterMaryDandelion

Preacher, prophetess, minister, wife, mother, artist, professional smart aleck.

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On How We Can't Be a Post-Racial Society Until We're a Post-Racial Church

On How We Can’t Be a Post-Racial Society Until We’re a Post-Racial Church

The election has been over for a week and I’ve managed to get into an argument with someone on Facebook about racism at least once per day since. White people, I don’t get y’all sometimes. And that’s weird, because I’m so white I am quite nearly clear. Once you get past my “farmer tan” forearms, I am so white that you can see all my veins. I look like a map of the interstate highway system. I…

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The Rich Man and Jesus: A Contemporary Retelling of Mark 10:17-25

The Rich Man and Jesus: A Contemporary Retelling of Mark 10:17-25

As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and said, “Jesus, you’re the best. I mean, seriously, totally the best ever. You are a seriously quality individual. I’m running for President of the United States, and I was wondering, what do I need to do to win over your followers?” “Why do you call me the best?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly the…

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Mixed Orientation Marriages in the Church: A Problem We'd Rather Not Discuss #bgbg2

Mixed Orientation Marriages in the Church: A Problem We’d Rather Not Discuss #bgbg2

Hello to my 22 faithful readers (I remember when there were only 11 faithful readers!). I’ve been off summering with my teenagers and not doing much writing. Over the course of the last several months, I’ve come into contact with several Christian people who, like our family, are involved in Mixed Orientation Marriages. By that, I mean that one partner identifies as LGBTQ+ and the other partner…

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A Psalm for An Egalitarian Husband #LoveGrowsMutuality

For Dave, my Poor Long-Suffering Husband. Selah Who can find an egalitarian husband? He is more valuable than a well-diversified mutual fund. His wife can trust him, He doesn’t stare at the waitress when they go out to dinner. If important decisions need to be made, He consults his wife and they decide together. He never minds stopping at Kroger on the way home from the office. He comes home from…

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Is Marriage Truly God's Design For Humanity? #bgbg2

Is Marriage Truly God’s Design For Humanity? #bgbg2

You know how sometimes you’re just innocently perusing Twitter and eating trail mix (mostly for the M&Ms) and then you just get hit by a huge, burning question? Okay, maybe it’s just me. Well, that’s what I was doing. Reading Twitter and minding my own business when a thought blossomed like a thunderbolt right in the middle of my frontal lobe. If marriage and submission to a man is God’s plan for…

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Dear Franklin Graham: The Women's Restroom is Not Nearly as Exciting as YouThink #bgbg2

Dear Franklin Graham: The Women’s Restroom is Not Nearly as Exciting as YouThink #bgbg2

Dear Franklin Graham: I will give you props for being dedicated enough to take your message of hate on tour. Visiting all 50 states and saying something incredibly divisive and stupid in every single one of them is a big goal. What you say you’re doing is giving “non-partisan advice” to people in this important election year about voting their faith convictions. What I think you don’t understand…

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The Morality and Ethics of Suffering

The Morality and Ethics of Suffering

Today, I spoke at a rally at the WV State Capitol to advocate for veterans seeking access to medical marijuana. This is what I said.   My name is Mary Nichols and I’m a minister of the gospel. I’m sure that some of my fellow Christians might object to me standing here today to advocate for access to medical cannabis for WV Veterans.  Some of my brothers and sisters in faith believe that all drug…

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Dear Franklin Graham: You Keep Using that Word

Dear Franklin Graham: You Keep Using that Word

Dear Franklin Graham: This is becoming a semi-regular feature. You’re like the New Pat Robertson—saying something incredibly stupid every other day on the Internet in the name of Jesus. Except we still have the OLD Pat Robertson. We didn’t need a new one. Here’s the latest: “LGBT activists are trying to hook their caboose to the ‘freedom train’ and drag their immoral agenda into our communities…

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Good News... for Whom? #bgbg2

Good News… for Whom? #bgbg2

In Christianity, we talk a lot about The Gospel™. Like, ad nauseam. “Gospel” is a word we use to mean a lot of things in a lot of ways. I wonder, though, if we really understand what the “gospel” really is. I decided to ask Facebook. I’m friends with about 800 people, a healthy percentage of which are preachers. I posed the question, “What is *the gospel*? A holy hush fell over Facebook.…

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Ask Dande: What Does the Bible Say About Gender Equality? #bgbg2

Ask Dande: What Does the Bible Say About Gender Equality? #bgbg2

This week’s question comes from my Facebook friend A. A. has read the Bible thoroughly and sincerely and, like me, has a LOT of questions. I like people who have a lot of questions. “Why does the Bible not address gender equality?” Oh, but it does, young Padawan. Here’s the part where, yet again, I offer a treatise on What the Bible Is Not.  If you are already up-to-date on this material, feel…

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Franklin Graham, You Could Learn a Lot From My LGBTQ Son #bgbg2

Franklin Graham, You Could Learn a Lot From My LGBTQ Son #bgbg2

I just read this article about comments Franklin Graham, evangelical icon, made on James Dobson’s radio program about LGBTQ children being the enemy. Children. He said children. I could just throw up. It’s time I came out. The truth is that I probably should have come out long ago. I’ve agonized, prayed, and cried. Now is the time. I’ve soaked the laptop in a river of tears just writing these few…

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Dear Donald Trump #bgbg2

Dear Donald Trump #bgbg2

Dear Donald Trump: That “two Corinthians” thing yesterday at Liberty was a real bummer, huh? The Interwebs are having a field day with that one. I mean, Bernie Sanders is an agnostic Jew, but I bet he knows it’s “second Corinthians.” You seem like the kind of guy who doesn’t handle public humiliation very well. Jesus’s people can be a tough crowd. I mean, you should totally come to a church…

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Will There Be Any Stars In My Crown? #bgbg2

Will There Be Any Stars In My Crown? #bgbg2

Occasionally, a friend on Facebook asks me a theological question. Earlier this week, I received this beauty from my friend, Jinny: I have a question. Someone told me yesterday that you get a jewel in your heavenly crown every time you talk to someone about Jesus. So, even though everyone will have a crown some will be more blinged out than others. Is this biblically accurate? And if so I’m gonna…

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The One Where Dande Visits a Mosque #bgbg2

The One Where Dande Visits a Mosque #bgbg2

Since the Paris attacks and the San Bernadino shooting and all of the hate on the Internet, I’ve had a burning desire to DO SOMETHING. The local Islamic Association published a statement condemning the Paris attacks that made the rounds on Facebook. I linked back to their Facebook page where a horrible little troll of a person posted an extremely hate-filled rant. I objected to the comments…

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When the View From Here Sucks #bgbg2

When the View From Here Sucks #bgbg2

As you may or may not realize if you’re not one of my 22 faithful readers, I have a chronic illness that keeps me close to home much of the time.  Social media is my window on the world. Sometimes, the view from my window sucks. This is one of those times. It’s funny, because I meticulously curate my personal Facebook account.  There are rules.  If you are continually filling up my window with…

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The Ethics of Christian Blogging #bgbg2

The Ethics of Christian Blogging #bgbg2

I’ve spent this whole weekend worrying about how to handle this. I wonder if I were male if I would be so hesitant about calling out another blogger. Here’s what happened. Saturday evening, I saw a post getting shared on Facebook. In the post, a liberal Christian pastor and blogger that I admire made an accusation against a conservative Christian minister who is a candidate for President of the…

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The One About Daleks and the Resurrection

The One About Daleks and the Resurrection

From the archives… For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.  For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of…

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