Some thoughts on the forthcoming Rachel Held Evans book "Wholehearted Faith," the herbs in my yard, and a song that reminds me of a love beyond all loves
I read that Rachel would print the most horrific emails sent by her enemies, fold them into peace doves and pray for the sender. Every time I begin to feel that I absolutely cannot pray for my enemies much less love them I remember this. Years ago in the charismatic Lutheran Church we would sing a lyric…and the gift goes on, and the gift goes on, etc. Thank you for doing your part to further Rachel’s legacy, her gift, to the body of Christ.
Rachel's books have meant the world to me in my faith journey. It was the greatest honor to travel to Kansas City a few years ago to hear her speak (along with Sarah ❤️). For a long time, it was hard for me to believe that there were faithful Christians who asked the questions I asked and harbored the same doubts. Rachel was one of the first authors that I stumbled across who showed me there was a whole world of Christianity outside of the evangelical world I knew. And we're both from East TN, even though she was a Bama fan. I am heartbroken and thrilled to read her final book.
A couple of thoughts: RHE’s writing was a gateway into progressive Christianity that has started me down a path (Perhaps never ending?). But one of the biggest gifts of finding her words was that it connected me to a whole community of writers- who inspire me every week- not the least of which is you- Jeff. Thank you for your letters, for your observations and questions and humility.
I was introduced to you and to Rachel at EF18. You both, along with many other speakers from that weekend, became a wellspring of life to me. I wept, as did many across the world, when Rachel died. She felt like a friend, a confidant, a champion, and so much more and yet, I never spoke one word to her. Thank you for taking on this project. Thank you for all the work and hours you and Sarah Bessey put in. Y'all are authentic, vulnerable, and so needed. You remind us to not give up, that we are not alone, and that there is always room at the table.
I am so thankful to you for completing this book Jeff. I have missed Rachel's voice so much and can now look forward to one last book of her thoughts and powerful words, thanks to you! I have every book she has written. I find her words to be such a blessing, as I continue on my faith journey. She always has the right thing to say just when I need it most. I found Rachel (and all of her friends like you) later in life and only wish I had tuned in earlier as the path would have been paved with softer pebbles I think. I will be forever grateful for Rachel, you, Sarah Bessey and many others in your circle for bringing "true and honest" faith to my doorstep. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Jeff, I read this to my wife Denise through my own tears. What a difficult and beautiful calling it must have been to do this. Your letters offered so much to me during the early days of the pandemic when we were working 90-hours a week to provide virtual offerings to the church I was serving in Colorado. Thank you so much for the beautiful gift to Rachel, Dan, and to the world ❤️❤️
Jeff, Thanks for taking on the hard task of finishing and helping her work get published. A recovering Pharisee, myself, my continued deconstruction and reconstruction have been well-served by Rachel’s Looking for Sunday and I look forward to reading these new missives.
*deep breath and sigh* Wow. I don’t even know where to start. Hearing about this book release pulled up some of the same emotions I felt watching P.S. I Love You when it came out in theaters. SPOILER AHEAD: I’m simultaneously delighted and excited for another chance to learn from her words and anxious that eventually there won’t be new writings.
I find myself fumbling over my words as I try and answer your question, Jeff. I’m in a place where I see the inclusion and love of Christ in radical new ways as a direct result of RHE. It’s been so incredibly freeing. I’ve been able to read scripture again and see it in a way that invites everyone in rather than a rule book that creates a divide of us and them. I’ve found what felt like a listening ear as I’ve read her words and related to so many of them. The pages of Faith Unraveled and Inspired became a safe space to process and respond out loud to much of what I was working through myself. I’ve also found that my community has changed drastically as I’ve started asking and searching for answers to questions of faith that didn’t make sense to me anymore. It’s sometimes lonely, but I slowly continue to find other RHE people, (Side note: Yes, I’m sure she wouldn’t like that expression. I don’t know how else to explain it, so I’m using it,) and I believe my community will grow.
Thank you for saying yes to this project. For braving the beautiful and hard moments that came with it. I’m looking forward to reading it all.
My sister and I both had grown disenchanted with the church specifically Southern Baptist. I just gave up, my sister was searching for something else. My sister read Searching for Sunday. I then devoured all the other books. This was right before she died. I felt such grief at her death, not just because of her death but it felt like I had lost the person who could have shown a light on a different way. I started googling everything about her - who were her friends, what podcasts did she speak on, etc. That's how I found you, Pete, Sarah, Nadia, Austin, Mike, and others. I discovered there were other people forging a new way. I had just given up to soon.
So glad I found you in that online Laity and Spirituality class, Jeff. It was truly a bright spot in the pandemic. I really enjoy your writing, and look forward to reading the book. I can only imagine the bittersweet blessing it was for you to do this for your friend.
We are just thankful that you said the very difficult yes to complete the book. It honors Rachel and is a gift to us, I am positive. ... (hard left turn) I think I can see caterpillar poop on your basil, combined with the irregular holes in the leaves, makes me think it is probably a bug issue and not a furry friend issue. I would look at the tops and bottoms of leaves and see if you can see any eggs, and wipe those away if so. Neem oil spray (by Captain Jacks - Bonide, or whatever brand, from your local garden center or nursery) is a good organic option for edibles. I just had a couple hornworms I got rid of, then came the invasion of Japanese beetles and they are really doing a number on my green beans, zinnias, and plum tree.
Her earlier writings gave me hope that I could grow into a faith that acknowledged the mystery and accepted that growth in faith was a journey that could last a lifetime. I turn to Searching for Sunday when I need a reminder, and Inspired made me actually want to read the Bible again. But the way that her friends talked about her in life and in death made me even more appreciative of the expansiveness of her love for others and ways she used her privilege to bring others with her. What a gift to have these new words brought out to the world, and thank you for your role in making that happen. And for sharing your friend with the rest of us.
Whew, Jeff, I cannot imagine how weighty it must have felt, to be bringing this book to fruition. Thank you for once again standing by Rachel's side.
Rachel's words have been such a comfort to me over the course ofy deconstruction journey. She was the first person who articulated what I had long felt - that it's okay to have doubts. That you don't always have to know for sure, and that questions are sometimes the purest form of faith.
Your, Sarah's and Rachel's speaking and writing have given me permission to question and grow in ways which I preciously would have been convinced I was being condemned to hell. I cannot express my gratitude and depth to which it has moved me and helped me in the wilderness. However, at the Evolving Faith Conference in Colorado, my friends and I were sitting by a gentleman who was by himself. During one of the breaks, he struck up a conversation with me as to how I ended up attending the conference. I gave him the cliff notes version of quitting my church job and walking away from all things church but trying to cling to faith and a google search led me to stream the second conference. When I asked him the same, he said he had never heard of her before her passing. He only listens to NPR and kept hearing things about Rachel and different people speaking about her. He began reading all her books and then heard about the conference and decided he had to go. He was very glad he did.
PS: Thank you all again for doing the Denver conference. I can't imagine the physical, mental, and emotional toll it took. And now for you to continue the hard work with this book... you are loved and appreciated more than you can know.
I learned so much from Rachel. I found her blog 10+ years ago during a very difficult time in my life. I knew I couldn’t hold onto the faith that I had, but I didn’t want my belief in God to completely unravel. She showed me that it was faithful and right to question, that the Bible could be interpreted in different ways, and that changing my beliefs didn’t mean completely losing my faith (which was not the message I heard in my faith communities growing up!). I will be forever grateful to her for her influence on my life.
Thank you for your work on Rachel's new book. I have found myself missing her words especially the last few months because I feel like I need them... I've asked questions, I've left church, I've found a lot of things... but I feel very lost spiritually right now. Her courage and warmth in everything she wrote and said was something I looked up to and was drawn to.
I read that Rachel would print the most horrific emails sent by her enemies, fold them into peace doves and pray for the sender. Every time I begin to feel that I absolutely cannot pray for my enemies much less love them I remember this. Years ago in the charismatic Lutheran Church we would sing a lyric…and the gift goes on, and the gift goes on, etc. Thank you for doing your part to further Rachel’s legacy, her gift, to the body of Christ.
Rachel's books have meant the world to me in my faith journey. It was the greatest honor to travel to Kansas City a few years ago to hear her speak (along with Sarah ❤️). For a long time, it was hard for me to believe that there were faithful Christians who asked the questions I asked and harbored the same doubts. Rachel was one of the first authors that I stumbled across who showed me there was a whole world of Christianity outside of the evangelical world I knew. And we're both from East TN, even though she was a Bama fan. I am heartbroken and thrilled to read her final book.
A couple of thoughts: RHE’s writing was a gateway into progressive Christianity that has started me down a path (Perhaps never ending?). But one of the biggest gifts of finding her words was that it connected me to a whole community of writers- who inspire me every week- not the least of which is you- Jeff. Thank you for your letters, for your observations and questions and humility.
I was introduced to you and to Rachel at EF18. You both, along with many other speakers from that weekend, became a wellspring of life to me. I wept, as did many across the world, when Rachel died. She felt like a friend, a confidant, a champion, and so much more and yet, I never spoke one word to her. Thank you for taking on this project. Thank you for all the work and hours you and Sarah Bessey put in. Y'all are authentic, vulnerable, and so needed. You remind us to not give up, that we are not alone, and that there is always room at the table.
I am so thankful to you for completing this book Jeff. I have missed Rachel's voice so much and can now look forward to one last book of her thoughts and powerful words, thanks to you! I have every book she has written. I find her words to be such a blessing, as I continue on my faith journey. She always has the right thing to say just when I need it most. I found Rachel (and all of her friends like you) later in life and only wish I had tuned in earlier as the path would have been paved with softer pebbles I think. I will be forever grateful for Rachel, you, Sarah Bessey and many others in your circle for bringing "true and honest" faith to my doorstep. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Jeff, I read this to my wife Denise through my own tears. What a difficult and beautiful calling it must have been to do this. Your letters offered so much to me during the early days of the pandemic when we were working 90-hours a week to provide virtual offerings to the church I was serving in Colorado. Thank you so much for the beautiful gift to Rachel, Dan, and to the world ❤️❤️
Jeff, Thanks for taking on the hard task of finishing and helping her work get published. A recovering Pharisee, myself, my continued deconstruction and reconstruction have been well-served by Rachel’s Looking for Sunday and I look forward to reading these new missives.
*deep breath and sigh* Wow. I don’t even know where to start. Hearing about this book release pulled up some of the same emotions I felt watching P.S. I Love You when it came out in theaters. SPOILER AHEAD: I’m simultaneously delighted and excited for another chance to learn from her words and anxious that eventually there won’t be new writings.
I find myself fumbling over my words as I try and answer your question, Jeff. I’m in a place where I see the inclusion and love of Christ in radical new ways as a direct result of RHE. It’s been so incredibly freeing. I’ve been able to read scripture again and see it in a way that invites everyone in rather than a rule book that creates a divide of us and them. I’ve found what felt like a listening ear as I’ve read her words and related to so many of them. The pages of Faith Unraveled and Inspired became a safe space to process and respond out loud to much of what I was working through myself. I’ve also found that my community has changed drastically as I’ve started asking and searching for answers to questions of faith that didn’t make sense to me anymore. It’s sometimes lonely, but I slowly continue to find other RHE people, (Side note: Yes, I’m sure she wouldn’t like that expression. I don’t know how else to explain it, so I’m using it,) and I believe my community will grow.
Thank you for saying yes to this project. For braving the beautiful and hard moments that came with it. I’m looking forward to reading it all.
My sister and I both had grown disenchanted with the church specifically Southern Baptist. I just gave up, my sister was searching for something else. My sister read Searching for Sunday. I then devoured all the other books. This was right before she died. I felt such grief at her death, not just because of her death but it felt like I had lost the person who could have shown a light on a different way. I started googling everything about her - who were her friends, what podcasts did she speak on, etc. That's how I found you, Pete, Sarah, Nadia, Austin, Mike, and others. I discovered there were other people forging a new way. I had just given up to soon.
So glad I found you in that online Laity and Spirituality class, Jeff. It was truly a bright spot in the pandemic. I really enjoy your writing, and look forward to reading the book. I can only imagine the bittersweet blessing it was for you to do this for your friend.
We are just thankful that you said the very difficult yes to complete the book. It honors Rachel and is a gift to us, I am positive. ... (hard left turn) I think I can see caterpillar poop on your basil, combined with the irregular holes in the leaves, makes me think it is probably a bug issue and not a furry friend issue. I would look at the tops and bottoms of leaves and see if you can see any eggs, and wipe those away if so. Neem oil spray (by Captain Jacks - Bonide, or whatever brand, from your local garden center or nursery) is a good organic option for edibles. I just had a couple hornworms I got rid of, then came the invasion of Japanese beetles and they are really doing a number on my green beans, zinnias, and plum tree.
Her earlier writings gave me hope that I could grow into a faith that acknowledged the mystery and accepted that growth in faith was a journey that could last a lifetime. I turn to Searching for Sunday when I need a reminder, and Inspired made me actually want to read the Bible again. But the way that her friends talked about her in life and in death made me even more appreciative of the expansiveness of her love for others and ways she used her privilege to bring others with her. What a gift to have these new words brought out to the world, and thank you for your role in making that happen. And for sharing your friend with the rest of us.
Whew, Jeff, I cannot imagine how weighty it must have felt, to be bringing this book to fruition. Thank you for once again standing by Rachel's side.
Rachel's words have been such a comfort to me over the course ofy deconstruction journey. She was the first person who articulated what I had long felt - that it's okay to have doubts. That you don't always have to know for sure, and that questions are sometimes the purest form of faith.
Your, Sarah's and Rachel's speaking and writing have given me permission to question and grow in ways which I preciously would have been convinced I was being condemned to hell. I cannot express my gratitude and depth to which it has moved me and helped me in the wilderness. However, at the Evolving Faith Conference in Colorado, my friends and I were sitting by a gentleman who was by himself. During one of the breaks, he struck up a conversation with me as to how I ended up attending the conference. I gave him the cliff notes version of quitting my church job and walking away from all things church but trying to cling to faith and a google search led me to stream the second conference. When I asked him the same, he said he had never heard of her before her passing. He only listens to NPR and kept hearing things about Rachel and different people speaking about her. He began reading all her books and then heard about the conference and decided he had to go. He was very glad he did.
PS: Thank you all again for doing the Denver conference. I can't imagine the physical, mental, and emotional toll it took. And now for you to continue the hard work with this book... you are loved and appreciated more than you can know.
I learned so much from Rachel. I found her blog 10+ years ago during a very difficult time in my life. I knew I couldn’t hold onto the faith that I had, but I didn’t want my belief in God to completely unravel. She showed me that it was faithful and right to question, that the Bible could be interpreted in different ways, and that changing my beliefs didn’t mean completely losing my faith (which was not the message I heard in my faith communities growing up!). I will be forever grateful to her for her influence on my life.
Thank you for your work on Rachel's new book. I have found myself missing her words especially the last few months because I feel like I need them... I've asked questions, I've left church, I've found a lot of things... but I feel very lost spiritually right now. Her courage and warmth in everything she wrote and said was something I looked up to and was drawn to.