- Can you speak your mind…
- Can you openly confess your sin…
- Can you share your perpetual struggles…
- Can you make a mistake…
- Can you question the bible and theology…
- Can you lose your faith…
- Can you come out of the closet…
- Can you fail…
- Can you crash…
- Can you be chronically depressed…
…without fear of reprisal, alienation, demotion, isolation or removal? If you can’t, find a place where you can. Because there are such places. I know this for a fact.
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David Hayward is an artist trapped in a pastor's body, stripping to the essential.
While I agree in general for those of your readers in large metro areas, for those of us in small cities and towns the answer is not that obvious (short of forming a home church).
i am in a small town. there wasn’t such a thing, so we made one. now there is.
Gotta say “Maybe… some of the them… if it’s a good day.”
Pubs.
thanks dave
I wonder if this isn’t really about the location, but the state of mind we’re in and really we can do all of these things wherever we are. we have to start to be able to do this, which gives licence to others in the same place. it is uncomfortable, and not everyone is able to, I acknowledge, but lets change the place we’re in for the better a bit at a time. (sorry to sound so cringeingly optimistic…but it has to be worth a try, and it seems thats some of what Jesus’ life on earth was about )
Thanks.
I’m glad you do.
I think I do too.
Sas x
Where in NW Ohio?
If you know of any place I would love to be pointed in their direction
Bruce
Wow…I don’t know.
But man I would love to be apart of something like that.
It would be interesting to change the question to ‘would you’…
I have been in church related situations where I’ve witnessed around 90% of the list occur – primarily to others – and the responses generally have not been pretty.
We ban be pretty good at instilling alienation.
Can I even do those things within myself, much less a ‘place’…Jennifer
If one is afraid to come “clean” to the pastor, or a member of his church, or a close friend, if his or her deepest, darkest secrets are just too much to reveal…there is always Jesus. He wants to hear about it. He already knows about it. He wants to take it from you, even if he has to do it everyday for the rest of your life.
Your sins are forgiven for His sake.
It’s a good thing that are places and people that are there for us sinners. Being able to confess to another is a liberating thing, a very liberating thing. But for those who just can’t bring themselves to do it…Christ is there now, and always.
Thanks to you and your congregation Pastor for creating such a place.
I’m in agreement with Kim that changes can be made slowly where we are. For instance, when I first started attending my congregation, it was absolute “taboo” to take any food or drink into the sanctuary. Not knowing any better, I did and nobody ever said anything to me about it. Now, it has become acceptable.
David,
There ain’t no such place on earth where Christians meet together.
fishon
- Can you be strong, and smart……..and female?
i think there are fishon.
laura: good one. very.
Nicely put, Steve.
You begin to realize why just so much of our faith (as shared, for example, by Paul) is centred on the cross of Jesus Christ – it is the touchstone of our forgiveness, our freedom, because of what He purchased there.
How invaluable that we can come, without condemnation, but with confidence, to His grace in our times of need.
Nakepastor said: i think there are fishon.
—–Yes, that would be heaven.
MAKE IT a great day.
fishon
Damn near perfect post!
oh, i beg to differ fishon, yes i believe that is what heaven is going to be like.
but i think He intends us to experience a taste of heaven here on earth.
my life is far far from heavenly most of the time but i have experienced at least 9 out of 10 (only because that’s how many apply… but i’ve seen the other one second hand) in this community of which np speaks. he and lisa are two of my BEST friends on earth (and probably in heaven too ) and this community by their example shows grace like you may not be able to believe without experencing it.
and you know what: you can’t always MAKE IT a great day, but when it’s a really shitty one it REALLY helps to know at the end of the day (or the end of the sleepless night) that there are people, here on earth, who love you inspite of it all, it makes it easier to believe that maybe He will love me at the end of it all too.
chronically depressed ( amoung other inadequacys) deb
Deb,
Since I don’t want contribute to not MAKING IT a great day for you, I will not say much. I don’t have a problem with you NOT agreeing with me. Sometimes I don’t agree with myself.
You know what? You are right; ‘you can’t always MAKE IT a great day.’ But….
So with respect to you, I hope you are having the best day you possibly can have.
fishon
I know this has nothing to do with the post, but can I ak my brothers and sisters here to please PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE IN KENYA. A friend of ours, Peter, who used to help our youth group, is there in Nairobi but all his family have had to leave their home which will be ransacked, and are in police protection. It is a big family and their lives are in danger. PLEASE PRAY. My friend and his family are from the Luo tribe which is a death sentence right now it’s one of the wrong tribes to be in. Please pray! Thanks,
Sarah
gotcha sarah
Debs,
Me too – go easy.
Sarah x
Yes I can. My church is the blogoshpere of believers.
I would like to add something to your list.
Can you express JOY?
There are several communities I have been a part of that loved to sulk and an expression of joy or optimism was met with skepticism and even jealousy. Ouch.
Anthony – yes!
And how about genuine Hope (Confidence)in Redemption as that which defines our fellowship, our living, instead of the ‘must do’ treadmill, ladder climbing exercise we so commonly have to endure?
Of the 10, in the church I used to attend, 5 of them were things we could possibly do without some back-lash – and even those 5, if you held any power in the church, was likely to be monitored…I am thinking of going back to the church – because change starts you are – not where you think it might be. Maybe churches need people that have left to come back and help clean up their focus? Never know.
Thanks for praying np, please don’t stop.
Sas x
FYI – I quoted some of this on my blog.
xanga.com/papua2001mk
Short answer (at our last church): No.
Unfortunately, since we have moved to another state, the residual effects of this have made it difficult to plug in to a new church community here.
I can at home with my husband.
A question posed at Sunday school one day, “What would it be like if someone knew everything about you– everything, even the deepest darkest things— and loved you anyway?”
I replied, ‘It’s great” with a big smile, thinking about my beloved husband. I think they were getting to a point about God, but shouldn’t we be this way with our fellow human beings as well?
absolutely