This is beautiful, thanks for sharing. I too have been in a season for questioning my faith, but we’ve recently found a church community that loves like Jesus, and I’m slowly finding my footing again.
Today was just my second Sunday with our new community, but I know already that they love like Jesus as you described as well. The effect on my soul from just 2 weeks in this new community (and removed from my old community) has been shocking honestly. It feels like the hand of oppression has been removed and we can walk in freedom and life with the actual Jesus. Such a gift!
A beautiful and important word. Asking questions, if anything reveals a deeper faith, not a weaker one. I’ll never forget the first time I heard that. 🩷
This was an eloquent description of my journey also… sadly it took over 30 years to walk away from graceless legalism to encountering a truer faith filled with grace, love, and a righteousness based on what Christ did for me. I still frequently “backslide” to the guilty burdened way , but slowly, step by step…
I’ve been tossing around the possibility of a new rap album titled “Heretic” since 2019, based on some of these exact thoughts. I don’t know if the title will stick, but I know there’s definitely a place for it in our current Christian climate.
I am someone who came out and needed to reconcile that with my faith a couple of decades ago. Some expressions of Christianity indoctrinate that they are the only way and true expression of Christianity. It is a lie. Always has been. There are Christian traditions that welcome women’s leadership, imperfectly try to make the world a better place for all, welcome LGBT+, care about the environment, etc. They have been doing this work for decades. Don’t give up your faith. Leave behind the specific faith identity that has tried to tell you otherwise. Their music will be less emotional and they often have pews not auditorium seats : - ). They care about their neighbors and our environment. God bless your journey. Find your place that you are being called to.
Gun violence is one of the few hills I’m willing to die on. It is such a solvable problem and I fear Christians are the ones getting in the way of the solution,
"Letting go of a version of Christianity that needs to die because it is a version without Christ at the center." So relatable.
This is beautiful, thanks for sharing. I too have been in a season for questioning my faith, but we’ve recently found a church community that loves like Jesus, and I’m slowly finding my footing again.
Today was just my second Sunday with our new community, but I know already that they love like Jesus as you described as well. The effect on my soul from just 2 weeks in this new community (and removed from my old community) has been shocking honestly. It feels like the hand of oppression has been removed and we can walk in freedom and life with the actual Jesus. Such a gift!
Incredibly beautiful and relatable. My journey was similar and led me from Evangelical roots into the very imperfect Catholic Church.
No matter where end, he knows we never stopped searching.
Thanks so much for helping clarify my own feeling.
A beautiful and important word. Asking questions, if anything reveals a deeper faith, not a weaker one. I’ll never forget the first time I heard that. 🩷
That was beautiful, I love how Todd said I still love you. I need to do that to my daughter who left a horrible church that ruined her faith.
She lost Jesus but she will find him and I will say I love you!
Yes- Todd’s response was extremely healing to me.
I love you’re writing and all you do, I love the b4np episodes on sbc❤️
This was an eloquent description of my journey also… sadly it took over 30 years to walk away from graceless legalism to encountering a truer faith filled with grace, love, and a righteousness based on what Christ did for me. I still frequently “backslide” to the guilty burdened way , but slowly, step by step…
Thanks for this!
I’ve been tossing around the possibility of a new rap album titled “Heretic” since 2019, based on some of these exact thoughts. I don’t know if the title will stick, but I know there’s definitely a place for it in our current Christian climate.
I am someone who came out and needed to reconcile that with my faith a couple of decades ago. Some expressions of Christianity indoctrinate that they are the only way and true expression of Christianity. It is a lie. Always has been. There are Christian traditions that welcome women’s leadership, imperfectly try to make the world a better place for all, welcome LGBT+, care about the environment, etc. They have been doing this work for decades. Don’t give up your faith. Leave behind the specific faith identity that has tried to tell you otherwise. Their music will be less emotional and they often have pews not auditorium seats : - ). They care about their neighbors and our environment. God bless your journey. Find your place that you are being called to.
Thank you, I often wonder how Evangelicals seem to love their guns more than Jesus.
Gun violence is one of the few hills I’m willing to die on. It is such a solvable problem and I fear Christians are the ones getting in the way of the solution,