I wrote an article for Luther Seminary’s faith + lead for pastors officiating memorial services for their loved ones. I hope you enjoy it and find it helpful.
Author Archives: Rev. Tiffany McDonald
On Not Celebrating a Cancer-versary
November 5, 2020 was my five year cancer-versary. I thought that it would feel like a huge celebration if I made it to that benchmark without a recurrence. I believed I would feel relieved. However, that is not how I experienced it at all. Celebrating is something I am not good at, in general. EverythingContinue reading “On Not Celebrating a Cancer-versary”
Lent 2021
Do You Want to Be Made Well? That question hits me differently this year, in the midst of a pandemic, when I am concerned with the health of my family, friends, and neighbors I have not even met. We all want this quarantine way of life to be over, yet we also have pandemic fatigue.Continue reading “Lent 2021”
Christian Nationalism and Civic Religion
I am not one of “those” Christians. I do not want to be associated with a racist, patriarchal institution that spouts a theology of white supremacy and exclusivism. However, I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus, and an ordained pastor in The United Methodist Church (UMC). Christian nationalism is a blending of Christian andContinue reading “Christian Nationalism and Civic Religion”
New Year, New Word
One of my friends inspired me to choose a word for each year. 2020 word was health. I did indeed do a lot of work on my physical, mental, and emotional health. I started last year strong with yoga, tennis, and strength class. The pandemic knocked tennis out, but home school also afforded me moreContinue reading “New Year, New Word”
Sundays
For the second time in my ministry, I am appointed to family leave. The first time was when my older daughter was one. As she grew and became more aware and fun, I struggled with the competing roles of mother and pastor, not unlike many working parents. It hurt when I picked her up fromContinue reading “Sundays”
Pastor Mother
As I leave the school office to walk to my younger daughter’s classroom, I wonder who else I will get to see. This school, the closest elementary to my church, is filled with “my” kids. Not just the two I birthed, but many more from my congregation. The hallway is crowded, and I see Eleanor. Continue reading “Pastor Mother”
Embodied
I am thrilled to be a part of the blog tour for Lee Ann M. Pomrenke’s forthcoming book Embodied: Clergy Women and the Solidarity of a Mothering God. Each day of the blog tour, a different clergy woman will share a story of being clergy and mother. I invite you to check them out eachContinue reading “Embodied”
You are Good
You are good. The goodness of God is inside you, and the Holy Spirit prompts you to act out of that goodness. The fruit of the Spirit outlined in Galatians 5: 22-23 is “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” The Greek word ἀγαθωσύνη (agathosune) means intrinsic goodness, theContinue reading “You are Good”
Cast all your anxiety on God
1 Peter 5:7: Cast all your anxiety on God because God cares for you. Are you anxious? I know many of you are anxious about schools opening or not. Many of you are waiting to hear how you will be needed to care for family members based on school decisions. Some of you are anxious awaitingContinue reading “Cast all your anxiety on God”
Redheadedrev 