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# Judith Forgoston

Author

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://www.judithforgoston.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [blog](https://www.judithforgoston.com/blog/)
- [Barefoot Trails](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2026/06/08/barefoot-trails/) - “The Kingdom of God defies any and all worldly standards” - whether a follower of Christ believes this statement or not can be seen by the way they deal with prestige, success, and influence. (This article was originally published in the German magazine Aufatmen in May 2026).
- [Out Of the Silent Planet](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2026/01/27/out-of-the-silent-planet/) - What is 70 years old and sounds like it was written yesterday? It’s a space novel that describes two power players of this age as if the writer had known them personally. It’s scary and fascinating and hopeful – It’s Out Of The Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis...
- [The Things That Make For Your Peace](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2021/01/20/the-things-that-make-for-your-peace/) - Keywords: St Francis - peace efforts - Jan 6th riots - Brian Zahnd This is going to be short and… not sweet, but embarrassing. But thankfully, social media is very forgiving and understanding, so I know I’ll be fine. Let me therefore confess.
- [A Hole in the Ark](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2021/03/17/a-hole-in-the-ark/) - Keywords: Biblical literalism - flood stories - Epic of Gilgamesh Ignoring facts we don’t like is something we’ve all been guilty of at some point. But sometimes we can go to astounding lengths. Allow me to entertain you with an amusing story of burying my own head in the Christian sand and finding a hole in Noah’s ark.
- [Of Rockets and Flags](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2021/05/20/of-rockets-and-flags/) - Keywords: Nasa - space - nationalism - interfaith dialogue - dualism - unity Over spring break, we visited the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, and the first thing that catches your eye when you enter are the numerous rockets on display in the “Rocket Garden”. I’m into all things Space to the point that my family could drop me at the KSC and pick me back up the following year. And yet, this spring was the first time I actually realized that most of these rockets had originally been designed as ballistic missiles to carry nuclear warheads.
- [Organized Wonder](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2022/05/20/organized-wonder/) - Keywords: Creation - evolution - faith - John Cressler “Science and Religion” – hearing the topic for a nearby seminar, I had signed up before you could say “Jesuit retreat”, which is where it was going to take place. Fifteen years ago, however, I would have run from a science retreat as fast as I was running to it last week. So, since I know both sides, this is not a post to judge, but one that seeks to understand what motivates so many modern people today to refuse science with a passion.
- [Blessed are you...](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2021/10/29/blessed-are-you/) - Keywords: Sermon on the Mount -humility - atheism - Nietzsche - The Chosen Since the launch of my first novel just over a month ago, I’ve spent a lot of time in the world of sales and marketing. Honestly, I can’t stand it – like most authors and other artists. We feel deeply that our craft is about more than achieving, comparing numbers, and coming out on top...
- [Les Misérables](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2025/03/04/les-miserables/) - I recently experienced the breathtaking musical “Les Misérables” for the fifth time (spread over three decades), this time in Zurich, Switzerland. I came home deeply moved once more – and should have known better than to gush about a work called “The Wretched” to my teenage kids...
- [From India, With Love](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2024/11/12/from-india-with-love/) - We recently returned from a family trip to India – a trip meant mainly to introduce our kids to the place their parents had called home for four years – and ended up with much more than we bargained for. Instead of just a trip down memory lane, we found ourselves in the middle of
- [Apokatastasis](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2024/06/17/apokatastasis/) - Theology has big words to ponder everyday experiences. Experiences like my husband's accident and the big question hanging in the air whether "something good will come of this". Apokatastasis, the restoration of all things - a big word worth exploring.
- [Epic Fail](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2024/01/23/epic-fail/) - How do you keep a reader’s interest past the first sentence of your blog post? You promise money. You hint at a scandal. Or you write about Rachel Held Evans.
- [Lessons From a Wren](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2023/03/21/lessons-from-a-wren/) - Thanks to a branch-like wreath on our front door, we currently have a house guest, an adorable wren with five eggs of which the first hatched just yesterday. Despite my warnings to the family to be careful when opening the door, this morning the bird got caught by surprise and instead of flying to the nearest tree to wait for the door to close again, it flew inside the house...
- [And The Winner Is....](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2022/12/05/and-the-winner-is/) - This year, December brought us not only the Advent season but also the World Cup season. For our family, this means our usually quite tight TV restrictions fly out the window and we all are glued to the screen, cheering and discussing and generally acting as if we were all soccer pros. And no, I wasn’t sitting there looking for inspiration for a blog post...
- [Lord Have Mercy](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2022/10/21/lord-have-mercy/) - Keywords: liturgy - Eastern Orthodoxy - way of the Cross - Bradley Jersak I just returned from a spiritual retreat at Rocky Mountain National Park with author and pastor Brian Zahnd, his wife Peri, and almost one hundred participants from around the country. The setting was beautiful, the teachings fresh and inspiring, the conversations deep and moving. And yet what probably had the most lasting impact on me came from an unexpected source: The liturgy.
- [A Day In The Life Of A Writer](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2022/08/30/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-writer/) - Keywords: Vocation - Buechner - calling Life has us wear many different hats. Mom. Wife. Missionary. Teacher. Novelist. Those are some of mine from past and present, and your list might be even longer. All these hats define us to some degree, demand our time, and make us constantly question our allocation of resources. No wonder many of us spend years or decades nursing the question of “what am I supposed to achieve in life, and what should I let go of?”...
- [A dangerous Easter Sunday](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2022/03/25/a-dangerous-easter-sunday/) - Keywords: Beauty - mystery - Easter - the Way of the Cross Every now and then I’m astonished by the difference in the way I experience my life as a follower of Christ now and ten years ago. Last Sunday was such a moment...
- [Dancing with the Star](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2022/02/08/dancing-with-the-star/) - Keywords: Ballroom dancing - trust - following Ballroom dancing has been a part of my life for many years. It’s special to my husband and me in many ways - a wonderful date night experience, a new body awareness, lots of fun and of course a chance to wear nice clothes and enjoy great music. And yet….
- [Presenting... my "baby"!](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2021/09/13/presenting-my-baby/) - Keywords: Church diversity - denominations - writing - Brian Zahnd For the past five years I have dreamed about today… the day my first novel is finally seeing the light of day! In many ways it feels like giving birth (without the excruciating pain, thank you very much!) – the moment I’ve been dreading and anticipating at the same time...
- [This "Following Jesus" Thing](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2021/08/27/this-following-jesus-thing/) - Keywords: faith journey - The Chosen - Nicodemus - taking up one's cross With the official launch of my first novel only weeks away, I’ve had to neglect writing for the sake of a million technical tasks related to publishing a book, and it has confirmed my suspicions of the past years: The actual task of creative writing is when I’m the happiest, and the rest is what I do so I can get back to it. And although I might not like the realization of how much of a writer’s job is taken up doing things other than writing, it still leads to a wonderful conclusion....
- [Merry Matrix to You and Me](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2020/12/24/merry-matrix-to-you-and-me/) - Keywords: Christmas - Kingdom of God - Matrix movie With billions of dollars in retail spending in an effort to create cozy homes and bringing festive food to the tables, we have spent the last weeks “waiting” (although it’s more often running around) for the celebration of Christmas. But what exactly do our celebrations have to do with the story of … a refugee baby born into a time of genocide brought on by the oppressing force occupying his home country?
- [An Exercise In Missing The Point](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2020/05/28/an-exercise-in-missing-the-point/) - Keywords: Door-to-door evangelism - curiousness - authenticity Recently, I got visitors. I could see them through the window as they were walking up my driveway, and my heart sank a little. Their clothes and their posture were giving me an uneasy presentiment. I sighed and asked my poor husband if it could be his turn. I didn’t even ask afterwards whether they managed to convert him or not...
- [Why Beauty will save the world](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2020/05/13/why-beauty-will-save-the-world/) - Keywords: Transcendence - Dostoevsky - Les Miserables - C.S. Lewis - Handels Messiah I received a lot of gifts during my time in bible college. Friendships (one of which turned into marriage!), a sense of family, exciting doctrine and many tools for ministry. But something important was missing, and the more I missed it, the more I realized that with it missing, the rest lost some of its flavor, too…
- [A Whole New World](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2020/04/24/welcome-to-my-blog/) - Keywords: Culturally informed faith - Swiss Christianity - American Evangelicalism One of the first things I noticed when moving to the U.S. fifteen years ago was how different this country’s relationship to Christianity is from the one I had experienced back in Switzerland. And since few things are healthier for our faith than to realize that not everybody does and sees things the way we do, I set out to explore those differences...
- [Dear God, You Know I'm Right](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2020/11/03/dear-god-you-know-im-right/) - Keywords: Elections - partiality- prayer - writing It’s election day in the U.S. And yes, I will write about the election in this post, but not to endorse a candidate (which might be a tad late by now…). Instead, I’ll share a very personal nail biter and how it compares, to me, to the emotions of election night...
- [Judge Not...](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2020/10/20/judge-not/) - Keywords: Judgement - unconditional love - USA - Switzerland A few months ago, I wrote a post called “A Whole New World” about some of the problems I perceive with the position of the Church in the American society. These thoughts portray a difficult side of my current home country. But that’s not all there is to this multi-faceted place, and today I’m reflecting on one of its positive sides: the encouragement and inspiration I have drawn from America that I might not have learned anywhere else...
- [Unexpected](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2020/09/27/unexpected/) - Keywords: LBGTQ - compassion - vulnerability - Schitts Creek - Dan Levy - Jeff Chu I’ve struggled with prejudices most of my life. One of them is the conviction that a certain kind of humor is unworthy of my time and an affront to my high standards of interaction with people. So, when my girlfriend urged me to watch a sitcom she had recently discovered, I was more than skeptical. But because I know her to be a woman with deep feelings, with morals and compassion and meaningful relationships, I gave it a try. To my defense, let’s just say, the title didn’t help...
- [Did God kill Jesus?](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2020/08/21/did-god-kill-jesus/) - Keywords: Penal Substitutionary Theory - Calvinism - mystery of the Cross - Plato - Tony Jones The Body of Christ has a tricky invader that often goes unnoticed - not unlike the corona virus - and has infected large segments of Christian society. This virus gnaws at a person’s fundamental beliefs in the unconditional love of God for them, and if left untreated, is able to completely undermine a person’s faith in the goodness of God. It is called the PST...
- [Embracing the Scary Questions](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2020/06/24/embracing-the-scary-questions/) - Keywords: Old Testament violence - Biblical literalism - Brian Zahnd One of the greatest things about a faith with room to grow is that you get to bring up the scary, uncomfortable questions, at least for yourself. You know, the kinds of questions you’ve spent so much time to forget. The ones everybody agrees to leave unasked. The ones you were warned about because they would undermine your faith...
- [Thoughts From A Recovering Fundamentalist](https://www.judithforgoston.com/2020/04/15/recovering-fundamentalist/) - Keywords: Judgement - fundamentalism - deconstruction - definitions of Christianity - evangelism I never thought I’d ever have this experience. Ever. But recently it has started to happen here and there, from well-meaning, "sold out" Christians like the one I used to be. I started noticing how some of them look at me. Linger with some words. Hesitate. They are fighting the fight I know all too well. They are wondering how they should go about trying to get me saved. I know, because I used to be one of them..

## Pages

- [Homepage](https://www.judithforgoston.com/) - Hi, I’m Judith. I’m an author, blogger, and teacher. I’m passionate to hear and tell authentic stories - stories of journeys toward freedom, toward compassion, toward God.
- [Events](https://www.judithforgoston.com/events/) - Join me at the following events! See details below and contact me for any questions. (These events all take place in Switzerland.) August 13 through 16 William Paul Young A weekend with the author of “The Shack” Ref. Kirche Windisch (Aug 13) Hotel Sunnebad, Sternenberg ZH (Aug 14 through 16) This event is in English
- [Scars of Gold](https://www.judithforgoston.com/scars-of-gold/) - A pastor’s search for faith… a trafficked girl’s fight for survival… and a twist of fate that will change their lives forever. Available now!
- [Books](https://www.judithforgoston.com/books/) - A Broken Hallelujah He was sure of everything.Himself. His faith. His future.And then he meets her –and all his answers about faith and life turn into questions. Learn More Scars of Gold A pastor's search for faith...a trafficked girl's fight for survival...and a twist of fate that will change their lives forever. Learn More
- [A Broken Hallelujah](https://www.judithforgoston.com/broken-hallelujah/) - What happens when an evangelical hardliner falls in love with an intriguing woman from halfway around the world who challenges everything he believes? Justin Friedman radically turns from drug dealer to Jesus and joins a fundamentalist movement in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Swiss teacher Sophie Schmid is searching for meaning after a tragic
- [About](https://www.judithforgoston.com/about/) - me in a nutshell I’m an author, blogger and teacher. My favorite people are my three kids and my husband David, whom I’ve been married to for 17 years. I’ve called four continents my home over the years, and we just recently moved to my home country of Switzerland after having spent the last decade
- [Contact](https://www.judithforgoston.com/contact-2/) - reach out If you’d like to contact me about my books, the blog, or any other topic, please feel free to do so through email – I would love to connect! Please email me at : writersdesk@judithforgoston.com

## Categories

- [Culture](https://www.judithforgoston.com/category/culture/)
- [Discipleship](https://www.judithforgoston.com/category/discipleship/)
- [Science](https://www.judithforgoston.com/category/science/)
- [Theology](https://www.judithforgoston.com/category/theology/)
- [Writing](https://www.judithforgoston.com/category/writing/)

## Tags

- [faith](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/faith/)
- [Rachel Held Evans](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/rachel-held-evans/)
- [deconstruction](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/deconstruction/)
- [failure](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/failure/)
- [disciples](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/disciples/)
- [worst foot forward](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/worst-foot-forward/)
- [Trust](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/trust/)
- [St. Francis](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/st-francis/)
- [nature](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/nature/)
- [weakness and strength](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/weakness-and-strength/)
- [Sermon on the Mount](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/sermon-on-the-mount/)
- [losers and winners](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/losers-and-winners/)
- [soccer world cup](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/soccer-world-cup/)
- [liturgy](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/liturgy/)
- [Eastern Orthodoxy](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/eastern-orthodoxy/)
- [way of the Cross](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/way-of-the-cross/)
- [Bradley Jersak](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/bradley-jersak/)
- [Vocation](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/vocation/)
- [Buechner](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/buechner/)
- [calling](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/calling/)
- [Creation](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/creation/)
- [evolution](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/evolution/)
- [John Cressler](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/john-cressler/)
- [Beauty](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/beauty/)
- [mystery](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/mystery/)
- [Easter](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/easter/)
- [the Way of the Cross](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/the-way-of-the-cross/)
- [Ballroom dancing](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/ballroom-dancing/)
- [following](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/following/)
- [atheism](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/atheism/)
- [Nietzsche](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/nietzsche/)
- [The Chosen](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/the-chosen/)
- [Church diversity](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/church-diversity/)
- [denominations](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/denominations/)
- [writing](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/writing/)
- [Brian Zahnd](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/brian-zahnd/)
- [faith journey](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/faith-journey/)
- [Nicodemus](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/nicodemus/)
- [taking up one’s cross](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/taking-up-ones-cross/)
- [Nasa](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/nasa/)
- [space](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/space/)
- [nationalism](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/nationalism/)
- [interfaith dialogue](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/interfaith-dialogue/)
- [dualism](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/dualism/)
- [unity](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/unity/)
- [Biblical literalism](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/biblical-literalism/)
- [flood stories](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/flood-stories/)
- [Epic of Gilgamesh](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/epic-of-gilgamesh/)
- [peace efforts](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/peace-efforts/)
- [Jan 6th riots](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/jan-6th-riots/)
- [Christmas](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/christmas/)
- [Kingdom of God](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/kingdom-of-god/)
- [Matrix movie](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/matrix-movie/)
- [Elections](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/elections/)
- [partiality- prayer](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/partiality-prayer/)
- [Judgement](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/judgement/)
- [unconditional love](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/unconditional-love/)
- [USA](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/usa/)
- [Switzerland](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/switzerland/)
- [LBGTQ+](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/lbgtq/)
- [compassion](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/compassion/)
- [vulnerability](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/vulnerability/)
- [Schitts Creek](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/schitts-creek/)
- [Dan Levy](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/dan-levy/)
- [Jeff Chu](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/jeff-chu/)
- [Penal Substitutionary Theory](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/penal-substitutionary-theory/)
- [Calvinism](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/calvinism/)
- [mystery of the Cross](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/mystery-of-the-cross/)
- [Plato](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/plato/)
- [Tony Jones](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/tony-jones/)
- [Old Testament violence](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/old-testament-violence/)
- [Door-to-door evangelism](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/door-to-door-evangelism/)
- [curiousness](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/curiousness/)
- [authenticity](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/authenticity/)
- [Transcendence](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/transcendence/)
- [Dostoevsky](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/dostoevsky/)
- [Les Miserables](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/les-miserables/)
- [C.S. Lewis](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/c-s-lewis/)
- [Handels Messiah](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/handels-messiah/)
- [Culturally informed faith](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/culturally-informed-faith/)
- [Swiss Christianity](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/swiss-christianity/)
- [American Evangelicalism](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/american-evangelicalism/)
- [fundamentalism](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/fundamentalism/)
- [definitions of Christianity](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/definitions-of-christianity/)
- [evangelism](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/evangelism/)
- [restoration](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/restoration/)
- [Julian of Norwich](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/julian-of-norwich/)
- [suffering](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/suffering/)
- [India](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/india/)
- [culture](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/culture/)
- [community](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/community/)
- [missions](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/missions/)
- [Musical](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/musical/)
- [Victor Hugo](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/victor-hugo/)
- [politics](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/politics/)
- [William Paul Young](https://www.judithforgoston.com/tag/william-paul-young/)