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A Dry and Thirsty Land
I was reminded of one of my first blog posts this morning as I once again prayed for rain. The shriveled clumps of grass clung weakly to the dirt. Brown and brittle, they crunched under my feet. It hadn’t rained in weeks. Everything was dry and dusty. Just walking around kicked up so much dirt that a light tan film constantly covered my feet and legs. My favorite summer camp was quickly turning into a desert. We were desperate for some rain! It has been incredibly dry here in Michigan for the past few weeks. The grass is yellow with the exception of some weeds and I have to water…
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The Value of Losing Our Faith
I’m not sure what I believe these days. I think I’m losing faith. I don’t even like going to church. I don’t know how to be a Christian any more. Scarily honest statements. Beautifully raw. Terrifying to admit even to ourselves. If you said them to the wrong person, they might have freaked out. And you may have gotten an earful of Christianese — those secret phrases and well known statements that only make sense to other Church People. There may have been panic on their faces. They might have interrupted you with Bible verses and prayer chains. I’m sorry! Perhaps you have kept your doubts and questions to yourself…
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The God We Long For…and the Real Jesus
A couple of days ago I threw a few scattered thoughts out on Facebook. “What if God cares more about your heart than your outward actions? What if He wants to heal your deepest wounds and messes more than He wants your behaviors to change? What if He wants you to understand yourself…your deep needs and longings and the things that trigger you? What if He cares about ALL of you, the visible and invisible parts? What if, instead of expecting you to get your act cleaned up, Jesus wants to sit with you in your mess? Sift through it? Sort it out? What if He is totally okay with…
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Finding Answers at Book Club?
Why are so many of us, former Church People, so cynical and cranky? Even those of us, like me, who haven’t actually left the church? What’s wrong with us? I’ve wondered about that (and what to do about it) for a while now. Thanks to Mike Cosper, I finally have an answer. Who would’ve thought it would happen at Book Club? Who would’ve thought I’d ever end up at Book Club? I guess that’s what happens when you make new friends and ask the Holy Spirit what to do next. I am NOT a literary. I’m not really even a writer, at least not personality wise. That fact is made…
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Our Cranky Hearts are Leading Us Home
This is the final part of a three part series. Yesterday I left off with this sentence: “So where do we go from here? How do we find enough faith to seek when we just feel tired, and cranky, and cynical?” That’s exactly where we are going to pick up. Fair warning, this might be a rant! 🙂 Don’t be ashamed of your doubt and questions about God. Or afraid of your cynicism and the snarkiness that simmers just beneath the surface when it comes to organized religion. Or feel guilt because of your depression and/or disillusionment with Christianity. Can I be honest? I am so over American Christianity. I literally…
