Jan 30, 2019 | My First Time Preaching, Preaching, Weekly Words
In Kindergarten I was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My answer: “A princess.” Since then my answer has changed a few times. In middle school I wanted to be an attorney after watching too much Drop Dead Diva. I spent most of my high school years and...
Jan 29, 2019 | +Clergy Sexual Misconduct Task Force, Weekly Words
Dear Friends, It’s been 2,648 days since I found out I was a victim of clergy sexual misconduct. Specifically video voyeurism. I say “found out” because the actual videotaping took place in November 2008, but I was unaware that I was a victim until my abuser was...
Jan 23, 2019 | My First Time Preaching, Preaching, Weekly Words
Photo: Julie (at immediate right of center) at the Jesse Mercer pulpit with some of her balcony people, 2002. I preached for the first time at the weekly chapel service of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, on Ash Wednesday of 2001. I was a junior...
Jan 15, 2019 | My First Time Preaching, Preaching, Weekly Words
In the fall of 2017, I interned for Madison Heights Baptist Church in Madison Heights, Virginia, my home church. At the beginning of the semester, the other intern and I met with my pastor, Todd Blake, and we discussed some things we wanted to experience during our...
Jan 9, 2019 | My First Time Preaching, Preaching, Weekly Words
Five years ago, I was a student at the University of Georgia and worked as a summer intern at Lake Oconee Community Church in Greensboro, GA. Since then, I have served in two different churches, begun seminary, and successfully evaded the intimidating task of...
Dec 19, 2018 | Advent/Lent, Julie Long, Weekly Words
One of the great joys and mysteries of pregnancy is imagining what that life growing inside of you might actually turn out to be. Will his hair be blond like mine was when I was a child? Will she love basketball like her daddy, or will she pick up Mama’s tennis...
