Outside the Pigeon Holes

I recently discovered this song: Brian Doerksen - Father I Want You to Hold Me Powered by mp3ye.eu I believe the relationship described in this simple piece is what everything evil in the world seeks to separate people from. If anyone EVER tries to tell you that you can't know God unless you do something first, or because of your past, your present or your future, your political views, your race, your sexuality, your gender, your mistakes, your successes, ANYTHING, they are lying . This relationship is there, all the time, at anytime, for everyone . It's for Christians and Buddhists, Israelites and Palestinians, Preachers and Felons, Nuns and Atheists. If the word "Father" creates issues for you, replace it with 'Spirit' or 'Mother' or whatever. It's not the label that is important. It is the communication between Creator and created. Yes, I am a Christ follower. I believe Jesus died to share this message with the world...

So, last night I dreamt that I had a baby and her name was Eve...I had had her in college, and it seems like she was mature in wisdom but still physically a baby. I knew who the father was and he visited her, but I never insisted on or thought to ask him to support her. Anyone wanna take a stab at that one?! Or was it just because last night I was talking to an old college friend about mutual friends' kids??

Not that I am surprised, but this excerpt from Kurt Willems http://www.redletterchristians.org/evangelical-reject/   confirms it...  "In so far that evangelical means the belief in repentance and conversion into a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, the term  ('evangelical') describes me .  What I continue to find, is that such a central conviction is  NOT  enough to appease those who want the term to mean other things.  So, based on my experiences, I want to let you know that:  You Might Be an Evangelical Reject If… You’re uncomfortable calling  other branches of Christianity “apostate.” You worry that those who cling to terms like “ orthodox ” often do so because they believe it to be synonymous with “ Neo-Calvinism .” You have significant questions about controversial theological “hot button” issues of the day and are  some-what comfortable with the subsequent cognitive di...

I used to be blindly pro-Israel in my opinions of what was happening between Israel and Palestine. I was so because I largely took my faith cues from my Conservative Evangelical upbringing...I didn't understand what was really happening over there. I just knew that I had been told that God chose Israel and therefore, they were entitled to certain land, priveleges and blessings. I was also taught that as a Christian I should support all of their military efforts against their enemies. I was taught that in the book of Revelation, Israel is the winner and God was on their side all the way. I had questions in the back of my mind as I purchased Israel pins and 'liked' Israel on my Faecebook page; Like the fact that Jesus didn't seem to promote this way of thinking. That he says many times that loving enemies and seeking peace is the way of the Kingdom. But I am just a wee little Christian, I don't understand these big issues. So I defaulted to believing and behaving the...

There's a line of thought among Christians that we are just 'passing through' this world and that our real home is Heaven...I used to believe this, too, although deep down I knew I loved this life and loved earth (in spite of the troubles that happen in this life). I no longer live this way or believe this way. In response to a blog post I read recently I was able to articulate my beliefs on this... I   believe that Earth is my home, and that God created me to live here in relationship with Him and in community with others, honoring them and creation. I believe that Jesus' work on the cross freed me from (among other things) religious strictures that placed man's ideas of how to be close to God with a recalibration of God's original intention (direct relationship with Him)...I don't believe that my focus should be on what happens after I 'pass through' this life (and yes, I do also believe that people go to heaven when they die). I believe that I ...

At Monday group, we were watching a teaching by one of our favorite Bethel boy's, Kris Valloton. Inspired by part of his message in which God talked to him about making flowers just because they were pretty, I wrote the following: Flowers Are Pretty So often I seek for profound insight I'm certain you live to share wisdom's light - The sound of your voice brings me to my knees. Ready for you to speak everything deep. But sometimes you just want to talk About pretty flowers and waterfalls. To tell me you love me on a summer walk. Put me on your shoulders and make me tall. My prayers are bound in churchy words Finding the lost and standing in for sinners. My knowledge, I know, is what makes me yours. I don't see that I’ve missed something richer. 'Cause sometimes you say you'd rather talk about why you made color and seagull flocks. You long to hold me so I hear you grin When I stumble around and try to be big. Papa, Papa, I see you now. I will wear your f...

From a response to a blog post:  Great question and response...What I hope to do is be a part of the 'new' paradigm while honoring the 'old' paradigm but never getting clingy to ANY paradigm because God is above all of them.   I used to perform improvisational comedy...The basic tenants of Improv include: Focus, Listening, Putting the other performer/s above yourself (you are not there to make YOU look good or be the star), Agreement and Offering (also called 'Yes..and...' which helps to move the story or scene forward)..If you get too stuck on what YOU want the scene or story to look like and fail to respect your scene partner/s, you greatly impinge the flow of the story or scene. You also make everyone else have to work harder to protect the integrity of the story or scene. Each performer has their own strengths and weaknesses, their own improvisational style, their own unique selves - and when improv works, everyone flows in a wonderful synergy (think ...

Following is what I wish I could have been able to explain at the end of my Walk to Emmaus (Women's Walk #105 Table of Naomi - clap!) (Disclaimer: I will try my best not to put 'spoilers' in here for folks who may one day wish to embark on this journey but in order to express myself I need to talk a little about what happened). I first heard about The Walk to Emmaus from my better half, Jim. He was very blessed by his journey and said it was a wonderful experience. I was immediately intrigued, a weekend away focusing on Jesus and having chapel time to meditate and soak in the presence of Papa sounded great. But the more I learned about the way the weekend worked, the more apprehensive I became. Not because I thought any of it was bad, but because of where I come from in my faith journey...Any readers of this blog understand that the Holy Spirit and the love and prayers of my friends have worked very hard to lift layers of toxic faith from my soul. I finally learned the re...

"I hold in my arms the best little Maltese that ever lived...Rest in peace my sweet Bentley B. I love you." Posted as I held Bentley after he was helped to the Bridge. What a sweet, sweet, boy he was and how much I will miss him...After all of it I think for a while I will even miss his annoying medication times twice a day...I will miss his occasional nights of hacking...And I will always miss and remember that cute face, with the best underbite ever.  God, I wish I could have him back for another day. That little dog taught me that no matter how much life can suck, it's important to stay upbeat...He would have a terrible coughing fit courtesy of that evil heart disease and then when he was done, up went his curly cue tail and he was off to see what fun could be found. When the tail was down for more than a little while you knew he was really not feeling well...And he bounced back so many times when I thought it was the end. Finally it became too much and my littl...

I spend a lot of time daydreaming. I spend a lot of time thinking about later on or tomorrow or where I want to be in a year or five years...My church upbringing taught me that what mattered was what would happen to me when I die and that my job is to make other people focus on what will happen to them when they die and then help them make sure that all their treasures were stored up in heaven so that when they got there they would have everything they needed. I realized yesterday when I was reading an article about day dreaming that I really don't spend a whole lot of time appreciating all the glory of God that is present in my, well, PRESENT. I spend very little time taking in all the sights and sounds, all the blessings that surround me each moment that I am alive. Instead of using the fountain of life that is flowing inside me for bringing the Kingdom to today I daydream about a time - sometime in the future - that there will be peace, that Jesus will come back, when things wil...

Enter In was fantastic tonight...Edgier music than the last one that was about 'rest'...So, some great rockin' tunes and as always the band was right on. Always good to have Jenny visit and bring her talents to the set. I brought along my art bag again just in case. About halfway through I got a picture in my head of a blue sky, so I started there and just went with whatever. I had this page of like falling colors and then pictured a hand coming up from the bottom to collect the falling 'rain'...I am by no stretch a real artist so I could only do a rudimentary drawing...This was what I came up with - I think one of the messages with this one was kind of a continuation/confirmation that I had succeeded in moving past the 'paradigm' issue that came to the canvas at the last Enter In. This seemed to be confirmed by the fact that (as last time) the drawing was finished just as the band went into a song about God's rain falling...I was finally past the...

www.excerptsofinri.com Thank you, Jesus for the unfathomable work of grace that you performed on the cross of hatred - which you endured for all the world.  May I honor you with the way I treat my loved ones and even my enemies. May I never forget that there is no one I lock eyes with that you didn't die for No matter their religion. No matter their history. No matter what they have done. No matter who they sleep with. No matter if they claim to hate me.  No matter if they claim to hate you, my precious savior.  May your love and your grace ever flow from me like a fountain.

Vineyard Westside has a monthly worship service called "Enter In" which is a simple format of music and prayer time around a particular theme such as healing or grace. The last one was "Rest". It opened with a prayer and then the band went into about an hour of music, familiar tunes as well as some extended free-flowing music interspersed with singing of spontaneous prayers. Being the geek that I am I brought my sketchbook, oil pastels and pencils for any arty inspirations I might have. At the beginning of the song "I love your presence" I had a picture form in my mind. So I drew it, not really knowing why it had come to me. It had sort of a sad feeling...Like looking out the window on a rainy day. When I finished drawing it I sat with it a few minutes more and then put it aside. Worship continued. The band moved into the song "Let it Rain" - one of my favorites. During the song I felt like Papa was asking me if I wanted him to break off some of...

I have done these in the past...I always find it interesting how the gifts change with where I am in life and what my focus and interests are at that time. The top 10 are usually pretty consistent but they move around to different rankings over the years...My last test gave me this as my top five: 1. Faith 2. Wisdom (tied with Exhortation and Evangelism) 3. Mercy 4. Teaching 5. Pastor/Teacher At that point in my life I was soaking up all the newly found awesomeness of being free from alot of toxic junk I had picked up over the years. I was reading a ton and learning about praying for others on the spot, sharing my faith and sharing the freedom I had found... Today I am in a different place. I am allowing myself to ask the questions I have always had, going deeper into owning my own faith which is exactly what I was taught to do and was set free to do - in the previous 'season' of life (sorry, Steve, for the season reference!). I am also coming back around to focusing on my crea...

All who are weak All who are weary Come to the rock Come to the fountain All who have sailed On the rivers of heartache Come to the sea Come on be set free If You lead me Lord I will follow Where You lead me Lord I will go Come and heal me Lord I will follow Where You lead me Lord I will go I will go, I will go As I listened to this song today I was suddenly filled with this great sense of freedom. I was filled with love of the Lord who has loved me without condition. Without strings, has never demanded that I adhere to a particular doctrine to access Him. It is the Jesus I have met time and again when ministering Sozo. The One I have found within a variety of expressions of faith - despite hard-lined theology or the polar opposite. The Holy Spirit works in and through, around and with any tethers that are thrown around the Spirit; Leading, molding, shaping and reconciling. My eyes will be trained on Christ. Not on adhering to doctrines and theologies, though I...

"If you are one of those called on this quest, blazing rough trails now so that others can more easily follow in the future, then, please, be a friend to yourself. Understand how hard this process is, and provide yourself the kind of care you would want for a friend so engaged". -Brian McLaren ( A New Kind of Christianity ). Papa is amazing in always giving me resources for my journey and people who are walking in similar territory. Last year my friend Eric turned me onto Brian McLaren who is a fellow lover and follower of Christ. He was a pastor for many years. He has read and taught from the Scriptures most of his life. Sadly, McLaren is maligned among some Christians for his 'post-modern' views and his affiliation with the Emergent Church. But I believe that both he and the Emergent Church movem...

Recently I have been slogging through some spiritual growth. My closest friends are very much - and sometimes painfully - aware of this. I thank them for their consistent love and patience. I have needed it as I have pushed past some anger, frustration and insecurity. Through it I have gained confidence in embracing the faith that has always been inside but that I have been afraid or unsure of. I have finally been able to be honest about some things I have long questioned about mainline evangelical Christianity. I have started to admit that some things I simply can't be down with because I think they fall short of the message of Jesus. I still struggle with fear because I wonder "what happens when I become free enough to accept that my grid is (and in many cases always has been) different on some foundational things?" Do I talk about them or keep them to myself? Would I still be accepted? Would I become the target of prayer intervention? Will I be warned to be c...

Three things I was told this week: 1 - I am 'lost' because I don't believe non-Christian religions, homosexuality and adultery (among other things) should be banned in this country (no answer given on how this would be accomplished or what the consequences would be for violating these bans. I was simply told to read the Bible). 2 - All Christians should vote for God's laws only because man's laws are of Satan (never given clarity on what exactly that means). 3 - The reason God created people was to torment the devil (this from a teacher I greatly respect). Did I wake up on a weird planet last Monday or am I having an extended nightmare?

I take care of myself. I take care of my friends. I take care of my school. These are our classroom rules. We used to have five rules that were more specific. Then we realized that every rule we could possibly come up with points back to one of these three things. Yesterday while on stage at Shiloh during worship, I was having an 'oh, look a squirrel!" moment and this came to mind. I thought, this is a great way to cut down on a whole lot of complicated churchese. I think that from now on I will keep to the following things when choosing how to act (the points are a bit farther reaching than school and friends)... I take care of myself. I take care of others. I take care of the Earth. Now, before anyone gets funny because I didn't say "I love God" as rule number one, I believe that in doing the three listed things we love and honor God and represent Christ. And against such things, there is no law! So, what are ways that you take care of yourself, friends and cre...

Random thought I had today... So, the Dems wanted to "take back America", now the Repubs want to "take back America", and the Tea Party and the Libertarians also want to 'take back America"...And people wonder why the country is being torn apart. I see this on the preschool playground daily "Mine! Mine! Mine! Gimme it!!" I'd love to see this be a country where people were humble enough to realize that there's value in different ideas, that there's beauty in learning to live together. Why is it so hard to see that my neighbor is as entitled to their convictions as I am? Freedom will never be as long as one group believes itself superior and seeks to destroy all others.