Tanya Dennis Books

Tanya Dennis Books

  • Can we talk about idolatry?

    Can we talk about idolatry?

    Any kid who has grown up around Bible stories knows what idolatry is.

    It’s bowing down to golden statues and carved images and worshipping any deity other than God Almighty. We learned this when Sunday School teachers told us about Moses and The Ten Commandments; about Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar; and then when missionaries shared slideshows of foreign temples and unfamiliar people in ethnic dress lying prostrate in lands far away.

    From a kids’ perspective, this all felt very exotic and kinda stupid. Modern, educated people would never fall for something like that, right?

    Some insisted Westerners were not immune to idolatry. They said anything that “sits on the throne of our hearts” other than God is an idol. That’s true! But then we drew outlines: drugs, sex, and money. Those were the usual suspects.

    The take-away seemed to be: if you stayed away from sex, drugs, and obscene wealth … well, then you were safe. Idolatry wasn’t something you needed to think about.

    But we do.
    Need to think about it, that is.

    Idolatry can be carved images and golden statues and money and addiction and all sorts of tangible, easily-identifiable vices. But it can also be ideals. It can be priorities. It can be politics or politicians. It can even be Christian leaders. If we find ourselves getting super-defensive, we might need to step back and take a look at our heart’s throne. What’s really comfortable there?

    Last week a gold statue was wheeled into a conservative political conference.

    Now, I know the statue is not a calf and that very few have literally bowed down to it. (Yes, I have seen photos of bowing.) It’s not an exact copy of what we see in the Old Testament, but does it need to be?

    I find it and the celebration of it disturbing … darkly humorous … and definitely ironic. Especially for a group composed predominantly of people who claim to be Christian.

    My point is less about a direct parallel and more about consciousness.
    Are we paying attention? Like, really? 

    When I was a teenager I bought a necklace with Marvin the Martian on it. (Anyone remember him?) When I wore it to youth group, a friend’s mom took me aside to question why I was worshipping this idol over Christ. (Yes, really.) It’s silly and ridiculous, and I am not at all suggesting we can’t be fans or even supporters of our preferred politics or pop culture or whatever. 

    What I am suggesting is this: 
    As Christians we are called to a higher standard. 
    As Christians, we should be wise and discerning.
    As such, we must perpetually challenge our choices with good, honest questions. 

    • At what point does fandom become idolatry? 
    • When does allegiance become dangerous?
    • Are our politics speaking louder than our witness?
    • When others see us (and our conferences and merch and everything else), what would they say we worship?

    When I ask questions like this, when I call out believers to be better, people accuse me of being divisive. That’s not at all my intention. I write this truly out of admonition. I say it to myself as well as anyone and everyone else who claims to be a Christ-follower.

    May we remember why we’re here.

    Hint: It’s not about making ourselves or America great.

  • We need to get this right.

    We need to get this right.

    This post was originally created as a status update for my personal facebook page, the second of two posts decrying the incongruity paraded at the Capitol this week. Because so many have shared and copied these words, I want to give them a permanent home. I encourage you to also read the article by David French that prompted this lament. You can find that here.


    Oh, Church…
    We can’t keep saying “This wasn’t us! This isn’t who we are!” We can disagree with the actions and call them “fringe”, but if they’re playing our music, waving our flags, wearing our symbols, and speaking in the name of our Lord, we need to do something about it.

    That “something” starts with confronting the lies we’ve permitted to fester within our communities.

    I confess I’ve dismissed conspiracy theories, even ignored them. I thought they would just go away. Instead, they’ve taken root and spread like kudzu. There are many unbiblical, un-Christ-like positions we’ve permitted to remain in our midst far too long. Dare I say— We’ve even nurtured them. It’s got to stop. We need to root them out and fill those voids with truth.

    We need to remember who we are and what we’re called to do.

    Jesus didn’t save us so that we could possess political power. He saved us so that we could have relationship with Him and love and serve others.

    When the vast majority of Americans believe Evangelicalism is a political movement rather than a religious conviction, we have a serious problem.

    When we have droves of our own leaving because they don’t want to be associated with the label, we have a serious problem.

    The moment we decided character doesn’t matter, that policy positions are more important than heart conditions, we sacrificed the Gospel.

    Now, listen —- We’re not going to turn this into an “us vs. them” argument. This isn’t about Right vs. Left. This is about our house. Let’s stop making excuses. What are we doing in our Christian communities to preserve and promote TRUTH? To live and exhibit LOVE? To disciple others to reflect the GOSPEL?

    Because if those who stormed the Capitol claim to be with us, we’ve clearly confused and distorted the message. We need to get it right.

  • Are you the eggshell, the mine, or the foot?

    Are you the eggshell, the mine, or the foot?

    My mama used to use a phrase: “walking on eggshells.” Do people still say this? Having moved around so much, I’m not always sure what is true vernacular and what is just my family or my generation. I may not know the origins or journey of the phrase, but we all knew what Mama meant. She meant one of us was being too sensitive, resulting in her needing to tread carefully. When she said it, she let us know she felt the environment was unstable, and that one wrong move could make someone (or some situation) fall to pieces.

    A similar, though slightly more graphic phrase: walking through a minefield.

    That time I almost stepped on a landmine…

    In 1998 I moved to Bosnia as an intern with CrossWorld (UFM International, it was called back then). This was a church-planting mission built on the foundation of humanitarian aid and the practice of loving our neighbors. The war had ended just two years earlier, but evidence of it remained everywhere. You could see it not just in the pock-marked buildings or damaged infrastructure, but in the people as well. Reconstruction takes time. Governments, buildings, and property can be restored much quicker than human hearts and minds.

    In some sections of the city or the surrounding countryside we would find mine tape. You know the yellow CAUTION tape law enforcement or construction workers might use? Picture that but with MINE written across it. Far more sinister than the seagulls of Finding Nemo, this marked property where they suspected landmines had been buried. They had not yet had the opportunity or resources to sweep the field. To make things a bit more dangerous, there wasn’t always enough tape to circle the suspected area.

    I remember walking with a friend one day when she suddenly stopped. Thinking only of the photo I wanted to capture and how to position myself right to get it, I took five or six more steps up the hill before turning toward her.

    “What’s wrong?”
    “Mina.”
    The Bosnian word for landmine.

    She needn’t say anything more. She stared in the direction I had walked, her feet cemented to their spot as fear filled her features. As awareness filled me, I slowly backed up, surrendering all cares about photography. We never walked that way again.

    Parenting teenagers is hard. Some days we’re walking on eggshells and other days we’re traversing minefields. Some days, like this weekend, we’re doing both in a matter of hours.

    Let’s be honest: this doesn’t apply only to parenting teenagers. We could say the same about raising toddlers. Or sustaining high-maintenance friendships. Or attempting a political discussion in any sector of America.

    We could blame hormones or stress or social climate. We could blame education, communication skills, or even incomplete discipleship. I’m not a psychologist and, while I believe we often have very good explanations for what triggers us, I’m not interested in diving into those root causes today. Rather, I want to just talk about our reactions.

    Believe it or not, we do have a choice in how we respond. We can decide to be the eggshell, the mine, or the foot.

    The Eggshell

    The eggshell is delicate, easily broken. This would be the person who gets crushed under pressure. If confronted or (seemingly) threatened, this person will crumble emotionally, likely internalize the situation, and deepen her insecurities. She’ll collapse on herself. She may become sharp, poking here and there in her pain, but mostly she allows the impact of whatever force comes against her to destroy her.

    The Mine

    The mine, like the eggshell, can be tremendously sensitive, but the effects go out rather than in. This person often seems fine on the surface. A lot can happen around him, and the ground may appear stable, but if you hit just the right spot with just the right pressure, he’ll explode. The reaction may end just as suddenly as it begins, but the damage goes far and wide, sometimes inadvertently setting off other nearby mines with their own spheres of destruction.

    The Foot

    You might think that the problem in all these situations is what’s underfoot. Maybe. Maybe not.

    The eggshell is responsible for her reactions.
    The mine is responsible for his reactions.
    The foot is responsible for where it steps and how hard it stomps.

    And all three can take some responsibility for clean-up.

    So which one are you? And what will you do about it?

    • Are you fragile to the point of having your personal worth damaged easily by the words and steps of others?
    • Do you appear safe, but then explode at simple, but specific provocation, often hurting others around you?
    • Are you careful about how you approach others? Do you stomp around like you own the world and everyone else can just deal with it?

    You may be all three, choosing a primary mode in different seasons or situations.

    Now, I don’t really like suggesting that we “ARE” any of these. It’s a metaphor. We are not defined by our reactions, but by who God says we are. This is just an exercise to evaluate the choices we make. Because we do have choices.

    The point isn’t which metaphor fits best, but what we do about it.

    “A gentle response turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.”

    Proverbs 15:3 (NET)

    “Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.”

    Philippians 2:3–4 (NET)

    How might we apply these verses to situations that find us underfoot? What about situations we (unintentionally or purposefully) provoke?

    We can opt for the gentle answer. We can give the benefit of doubt. We can employ words and compassion that deescalate or even diffuse a potentially volatile engagement.

    We don’t always do these things, but WE CAN.

    Good news: one reaction doesn’t need to destroy everything. We can prioritize healing, for ourselves and those around us. May we promote peace and communication. May we pursue understanding and unity.

    Remember, unity doesn’t mean we must agree on all matters. It simply means we favor the relationship over the issue. It means we value the person more than winning the argument.

    Let us exude grace with patience. Let us be known by our love for one another.

  • Is God REALLY on our side?

    Is God REALLY on our side?

    Romans 8 may be my very favorite chapter of the Bible. Okay, in truth, I have several favorite chapters, but this short segment of a letter to the Roman believers cut straight to my heart as a teenager. It brought me to a saving knowledge of my separation from God and my need for grace through Christ. It continues to cut straight to my heart today, twenty-five years later. I could go on and on about the beautiful truths laid bare in these verses, but – well, that’s not the point of this post. Let’s just look at verse 31.

    “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

    This verse rests within the very specific context of salvation. The whole chapter goes to great lengths to assure believers that once God has chosen to save us, we cannot be snatched from His all-powerful, gracious, and loving hands. How gorgeous is that truth?

    The American church loves this verse as a rally cry. It’s a strong comfort, a brazen proclamation. And it’s a handy little finger-in-the-eye justification for just about anything we want to do that might offend our neighbors. You don’t like it? Well, God is for us, so who are you to stand against us?

    Adding convenience to power, anybody can use it. And we all do.

    Politically, I’m independent. I don’t fully align with any of the major parties, which means all of them have a problem with me. My liberal friends think I’m too conservative (because I’m pro-life, pro-marriage and traditional values, and crave small government and fiscal responsibility). My conservative friends think I’m too liberal (because I believe being pro-life should extend to all of life, not just the unborn; and because I support racial equality and justice, immigration, and gun control).

    Please don’t get trapped by the issues or confessions I’ve just shared. None of that is my point. Stay with me.

    I have friends on both sides of the spectrum spewing hatred and arrogance, all bolstered in religious fortification and argument. I humbly confess: I’ve taken my turns doing the same. It’s not pretty. For any of us. Least of all the Body of Christ.

    This christening of ideas and motivations can go well beyond politics.

    • If God is for me, I cannot fail at anything.
    • If God is for me, I don’t need to defend myself or my ideas … ever.
    • If God is for me, then anyone who claims Christ should agree with me.
    • If God is for me and my boss is against me, defiance becomes righteous duty.
    • If God is for me and my spouse is against me, then divorce is justified.
    • If God is for me, He wants me to be happy and will bless any path that leads to that end.

    I fear we too often forget the gravity of that very first word: IF.

    We must ask ourselves: Is God for us?

    Who’s side is God on? Who’s side are we on?

    Two passages of Scripture stand juxtaposed. They possess almost identical wording, yet not. For some reason that verse in Romans gets a lot more publicity than this next one. Perhaps because it’s in the New Testament and this one is in the Old Testament. Or maybe it’s because the Romans passage feels empowering and brazen and this one … well, this one requires humility.

    Joshua 5:13—14 reads:

    “When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’

    ‘Neither,’ He replied. ‘I have now come as a commander of the LORD’s army.’

    Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship and asked Him, ‘What does my Lord want to say to His servant?’”

    This one doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as quickly nor as easily as that verse in Romans. It doesn’t fit on a bumper sticker either. But it is so important. It gives us some practical advice for walking with the Lord.

    Joshua knew this warrior was great, and he didn’t dare assume He was with him. He asked. He inquired. And guess what? The warrior wasn’t on either side. Not on Joshua’s side. Not on Joshua’s enemies’ side. The warrior wasn’t taking sides with humans. Rather, he wanted to know who was on the LORD’s side.

    What happened next? Joshua humbled himself, face to the ground, and sought direction. He didn’t take another step until he heard from God. Rather than ask God to bless his human plans, Joshua inquired about God’s plans for him. Then he obeyed.

    We often want God to bless us. We want Him to condone and support our plans. What would happen if, instead of asking God to join OUR side, we truly sought to join HIS side?

    What would happen if, instead of asking God to join our side, we truly sought to join His side?

    What if God isn’t on our side? What if – even more terrifying – we stand against Him?

    It is natural to defend our positions passionately. We want to win the battle, to argue toward a won debate. May we, as humble servants of God, pause. Take a breath. And truly seek God.

    It’s great if He’s on our side. It’s even better if we’re on His side.


    I’ve committed the great taboo of raising politics in a post about spiritual intimacy. As such, many will want to argue points and positions based on those issues. Please don’t. This isn’t a platform for political debate or grandstanding, and any such comments will be deleted. Refuse to chase the red herring.

    This post isn’t about politics. It’s about humility. Supplication. Introspection. For myself most of all.

    If you have comments and insights about Scripture or about seeking God in the dailies of your life, please post them! I’d love to know your thoughts on that.

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