Author Archives: carolyncustisjames

What do President Obama and Carolyn James have in common? Both of us had speaking engagements last weekend in Minneapolis—home of the Twins, Garrison Keillor, the Billy Graham Association, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Solomon’s Porch, the most eye-popping Farmers Market, and … Continue reading →

“Culturally, it would have been acceptable for the apostles to marginalize the female followers of Jesus after he returned to the Father. It wasn’t acceptable to Jesus. Throughout Mary’s story, Jesus was making value-laden statements about women that went against … Continue reading →

“In our endless search for strong, godly role models for women, we usually do not think of checking out the local high school for prospective candidates. Contrary to conventional wisdom, which teaches us to look for role models among Christians … Continue reading →

“. . . life is full of unpredictable twists and turns—long lulls, disappointments, tragedies, and big breaks—that push us out of the shadows and force us to summon up courage, strength, and gifts we never knew we had. Esther’s beauty … Continue reading →

“From that day on Hannah was severed from the child she had longed for and loved with every fiber of her being. And, at the end of the day, she would go home with Elkanah and Peninnah—the same two people … Continue reading →

“Careful reexamination of the Hebrew text has effectively removed the shrink-wrap that for generations has encased Ruth. She emerges, not as the passive, deferential, demure woman we once thought we knew, but as a surprisingly gutsy risk taker. The young … Continue reading →

“Tamar puts starch back into our definition of what it means to be a woman. She would have loved Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. He was speaking her language when he urged belieers to ‘be strong in the Lord’ and … Continue reading →

Hagar’s story “levels a devastating blow against anyone who tries to make the case that women don’t count or that we are second-class citizens in God’s kingdom. God simply couldn’t have made a stronger statement of how much he values … Continue reading →

“God’s silence is one of the most disconcerting experiences any of his children endure. We can persevere through just about anything so long as we sense the warmth of his presence and the reassuring comfort of his love. But courage … Continue reading →

Sunday morning I experienced the power of technology in ministry when the ping of my cell phone woke me up. Twitter, FaceBook,and other social networking technologies have a surprising variety of uses, from exposing and fueling political crises, as we … Continue reading →