Cookie Cutter Souls
For far too long the church has had an unhealthy and unrealistic expectation that all people should be at the same place at the same time.
I love this quote from “When The Heart Waits” by Sue Monk Kidd,
“If all souls developed in cookie-cutter fashion, we would have spirituality by duplication rather than by waiting and transformation.”
In so many different ways we often communicate…
Everyone should be happy. (But at times even Jesus was sad.)
Everyone should be balanced. (But doesn’t God speak to us in our seasons of imbalance.)
Everyone should be serving. (But didn’t Jesus commend the woman who just sat at his feet.)
Everyone should relate to God in the same way. (But isn’t Scripture full of examples of different people relating to God in different ways.)
These expectations have done immense damage to the body of Christ.
We need to help people begin to understand that God can and will meet them in the midst of whatever season they may find themselves.
We need to help people begin to understand that God can and will work differently in your life than He has worked in my life.
I don’t have all the answers, I just know souls don’t develop in cookie-cutter fashion and churches were never intended to become factories which cranked out people who would be at the same place at the same time.
53 Comments:
@pete, too many times I think churches feel they are “responsible” for the spiritual development of their members. imho, I don’t think anything could be farther from the truth. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. Most of the time the church is just responsible for hindering the spiritual growth of it’s members.
[Reply]
Harold
7:20 am
Well said Pete.
Jason´s last blog ..Gnash ate my head
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Jason
7:31 am
Pete-I GET YOU!!!
I don’t know where to start except to say that it was not by accident that I discovered your ministry. I have tuned in for the first two installments of the Religion Lies Series, and I am beyond hooked. Aside from the fact that it was exactly what I needed to hear at this point in my spiritual life, I have been inspired to look at the world in a different way-reflection instead of judgement. Christ instead of religion. Wow.
I wanted to share with you that our family is currently a part of a church much similar to the one you described on Sunday-one that tends to condemn instead of restore, one that boycotts everything from Disney to Darwin to organic fruits and veggies. One that likes to add conditions to Jesus in order to “grant” you salvation. For a while now we have struggled tremendously with feeling trapped in a place where we don’t belong, among people we disagree with, who wear a whistle around their neck daily and take each opportunity to throw a flag.
Aside from the fact that my husband was raised in this church, there isn’t anything that ties me to it. The only bright spot is our recent move to what they call the “renegade” SS class where we are among people with similar beliefs to ours.
I have prayed that we would find direction and find a church family for us to belong to, for a long time. The problem-we live in a small rural town in South GA where there are very limited options, Democrats are the Devil, and Ann Coulter and Bill O’Reilly are saints. My hybrid is smirked at, and my organic farm is laughed at, because it is a loving home to several rescued dogs. How I wish Cross Point were a few hours closer, and how I wish there was a church with similar values near me. Sure, I can follow your services online, but how I wish we could be a part of a community like yours at CP. Any chance of a GA branch? Would you happen to have an idea on any churches in my region(SouthWest GA) that resemble yours in values, beliefs, and make-up?
polly´s last blog ..Young (Goat) Love
[Reply]
polly
7:43 am
Everyone should be happy. (But at times even Jesus was sad.)
I feel this is so true, so often! We are supposed to put on our plastic faces that say, Yes no matter what, we are happy people. I remember right after my grandfather died in 2001, for a few weeks people would give me sympathetic glances. He was a charter member of our church and extremely involved, so most people at our church knew him. Then, a few weeks later, life was radically supposed to return to normal and I wasn’t supposed to be sad anymore – after all, he was in Heaven and so it was selfish of me to want him back here with me. While that might be true – to some degree – what I really needed was the body of Christ to be the body of Christ – to wrap their hands and their hearts and their prayers around me to be with me and comfort me. I think we, as a church, focus so much on the happy plastic cookie cutter people we THINK we’re expected to be, we forget that the person sitting next to you in the pews is probably hurting just as much, or even more, then we are.
Pete, have you heard Casting Crowns’s song “Stained Glass Masquerade”? It was the first thing I thought about when I read your post. Such a convicting song!
diane´s last blog ..Labor Day Weekend
[Reply]
diane
7:45 am
Well said, Pete. We want life to be very clean and neat and the legalistic rules we impose on others in the church are often an effort to keep life at a safe distance. In reality, life is very messy, which makes ministry very messy.
The Church needs a new paradigm where we can truly connect at our weaknesses rather than spend so much energy trying to impress with our strengths. When we talk about sin, what is often implied is that we don’t struggle with any “big” sins…only little ones and we will have those under control too shortly. Little sinners need a little savior.
Our paradigm must be that we are all fellow strugglers and the Church is truly a hospital for sinners. Then we can embrace life’s messiness and offer grace and love to those who are struggling to believe the Gospel is true…God loves us just as we are. Oh what a wonderful scandal! We will never be the same when we allow that radical truth to invade our heart.
Traylor Lovvorn´s last blog ..Grace on the Gridiron
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Traylor Lovvorn
8:02 am
I couldn’t agree more. And sadly I have been one of those people before. SO short sighted on who GOD is. He sees beginning from end. He knows the exact path a person needs to go down to work in their lives. It’s not going to look like my path even though we will all experience similar things and emotions so we can encourage each other.
Knowing that God called David a man after His own heart even though Gd could see from beginning to end. He knew the horrible things David would do, but God looked at the whole picture.
Lately I keep thinking I don’t want to be known as one of Job’s friends…sounding so intelligent and RIGHT, but missing GOd’s heart all together.
Thanks for another great post!
Marleen-ladylighthou´s last blog ..Beer Bloggles
[Reply]
Marleen-ladylighthou
8:16 am
So yeah I am fighting a losing battle with ignorant, dare I even say foolish, individuals in the church that want to see church growth but don’t want to see new Christians in the church. They seem to think salvation=finished product. I recently had them yelling at my Youth and calling them the freak show. I want so hard to throw it back in their face, but then I remember “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9.
So I pray and ask others to pray and hopefully someday they will see light themselves.
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Nick the Geek
8:19 am
I think it’s more about teaching people to let go of themselves and embrace the God (Holy Spirit) within them. That happens at all stages and all places along the journey.
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[Reply]
Chad Spriggs
8:21 am
This is so in time to where I am right now. I feel as if I am struggling to keep up with life around me. That maybe in the rush I am missing God’s wisdom and voice. I look around at others and see that we are all in different places in our walk.
I get hopeful then. I see those that are more mature then me and I see those that are a little newer at this. The more mature ones give me Hope as to where I will end up. The newer ones give me a bit of peace that I have surpassed some things.
Theresa´s last blog ..BOOK REVIEW : Fearless by-Max Lucado
[Reply]
Theresa
8:23 am
Pete, I agree that this is a problematic mindset and approach to spiritual formation. It seems that we need to develop one system that accomodates many variances as a dynamic pathway to maturity, instead of exhausing resources (read, “staff”) trying to create a program customized to each “spiritual type” of person.
One clear, concise, effective and prayerful strategic process for placing people in the presence of Jesus and helping them to surrender control and allow the Holy Spirit to transform them is what is needed. In this system there must be built-in compassion, coaching, mentoring, a customized spiritual growth chart with milestones and other elements to make it effective for the masses.
Where have you seen this type of system function most effectively and produce the greatest fruit?
[Reply]
Will Armstrong
8:23 am
@JenniferSturge
So true Pete! One thing I am discoveriung thru twitter, website, blogs, etc is that so often churches have become a matter of numbers now! Like who had the most at church, who baptised the most, etc. This is not what Jesus was about. He even talked about leaving the 99 sheep to go find the 1 that was lost… All this talk of numbers and churches that brag about what they are doing is a turn off to me. We need to remember that Jesus came to seek and save the lost and no two people are ever at the same point in their christian walk at the same time… we aer all unique! We should embrace those differences not look down on those who may not be ‘on the mountain’ when we are… At least thats my opinion…
[Reply]
Jennfier
8:23 am
Insightful post, Pete. Wisdom is needed to properly delineate between immutable foundational theological truths and the malleable circumstances in which those truths play out. I hope the church at large gets wiser in this area as we move on in time.
[Reply]
Brandon
8:25 am
Right on Pete! I was just thinking about that for our church. We have lots of folks at all different stages of their spiritual journey. It would be crazy to expect them all to be at the same maturity level (yet that’s what I’ve done for years of ministry). Balance is highly over-rated,
The problem is, what you are proposing is messy and dangerous – and a little complicated to preach….. I like it.
Mike´s last blog ..What will you do with Him? Mere Christianity
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Mike
8:27 am
As a graduate of a Christian university with fundamentalist roots and a child of a deacon, I 100% agree with you. The professors who touched me and taught me the most were the ones who let down the facade and told us it’s ok to be hurting, to be struggling. I recommend Dark Night of the Soul for thoughts on how God uses the valleys in our lives.
http://www.ccel.org/j/john_cross/dark_night/dark_night.html
V. Higgins´s last blog ..The Heart of Hospitality
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V. Higgins
8:27 am
Word. We are all different people. Created with unique personalities, gifts, reactions, etc. How boring would life be if we all lived/acted the same way – even worse, if we all responded to Him in the same way? Would there even be a need for the Spirit to move and speak, if we were all going to respond the same? Great reminder for not only the body, but for life in general and how we interact with people.
[Reply]
kevin
8:28 am
Dr. James Dobson had a great commentary on this once that I’ve never forgotten. It had to do with those who take it upon themselves to decide who are “good Christians.” The bottom line was that you must to know what the starting point into Christianity was for those individuals. One raised lifelong in a Christian home who knows the Bible forward and back may be seen as a “good Christian, even though they never witness or serve the Lord, while another, not deemed a “good Christian” may be advancing into Christianity from a godless life via baby steps and is walking through the Refiner’s fire, but is fully committed to the Lord, and serves as a witness.
[Reply]
G.L. Douglas
8:28 am
Well said! I am in total agreement. We need to be careful not to indoctrinate people into being copies of one another. Even God knows us while we were in our mother’s womb and knows our inner most being (Psalm 139). If He wanted us molded identically, He might as well have created robots. However, He wants us to be genuine.
Yes, we are encouraged to be joyful always. However, it does not say to fake it because we are called to be joyful always. It is a change from the inside out.
We are to be who we are and encourage one another to become more like Him. God wants our genuine self, and we too should desire the same from each other. The “cookie cutter’ method focuses on the result and not the person.
Let us encourage one another, but let us first be real about it!
David Kim´s last blog ..Endless Love
[Reply]
David Kim
8:32 am
Pete – I think you make an excellent point, and I think this ties in perfectly with what God has shown you that you are expessing through the religion lies series.
God is a God of order, not chaos. However, I think religion tries to tell us that the antithesis to chaos is conformity. However, if you look at God’s Word, the oppsite of chaos is obediance to calling.
From Moses to David to the prophets to Jess himself, the Bible is full of epic stories of people who operated outside of conformity while fulfilling their calling.
In fact, if you look at mankinds original mandate in Genesis, it was to tend to the garden. And our calling hasn’t changed; however, our gardens are now whatever God has put in our lives an called us to.
And in any garden, plants hve harvest times that range throughout the year. All crops can’t come to fruition at the same time.
That’s how I see it is with us. I think that religion; however, loves and tries to enforce confrmity, because greater conformity equals greater control. Just look at a group of trained soilders as an example. Perfect conformity, perfect control.
So religion desperately tries to pressure us into conformity, in order to have greater power over our lives. If we can be beaten into the mold that religion tries to cast as the “correct Christian”, we effectively muzzle the call of God on our lives and render impotent His power to truly transform us into the image of Christ He envisioned for us.
[Reply]
James Reyes
8:32 am
The only thing that should be cookie-cutter are cookies. That gets my attention
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[Reply]
bryonm
8:34 am
Does this relate to those who are standing up in front teaching? Do two standards exist and this article only pertains to those sitting in the chairs of the church? Are there two different cookie cutters? Are we not all created in one image… That of God? Because of the chair I sit in, I am seeing some contradictions and divisions created by Christians. Maybe this is why those outside the church view those inside church as hypocrates.
[Reply]
Heidi
8:37 am
When I was in high school I had an awesome teacher who was a Christian and lived out her faith to her students… I idolized her. I wanted to be just like her. She had such a strong unwavering faith and I deeply admired it. She had a really awesome testimony relating to how she met & fell in love with her husband. I had a boyfriend in high school and this particular high school teacher (who became a close friend and mentor) gently urged me to not have a dating relationship in high school, to instead focus on more important things and my relationship with God. That a relationship with a boy could wait for a better more appropriate time. I really looked up to her and was very conflicted. I doubted my relationship with God. Was I less committed to Christ because of my dating relationship? If I severed that dating relationship would I grow closer to God? In the end I decided that just because she had followed a certain path and had an awesome testimony it didn’t mean I had to follow in ‘her’ footsteps. I needed to follow Christ and find HIS path for me. I ended up staying in that dating relationship. I think it is so important to remember that works for us works for US, no one else. God has different plans for everyone’s lives. God somehow manages to give us each unique personalities, laughs, and noses. I think he can manage working out the unique details of our lives as well. As for me.. I’m glad I kept my boyfriend. He is an amazing husband! ( If Jesus tarries we will be celebrating our 6th anniversary this Christmas! )
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[Reply]
EricaHami
8:39 am
I LOVE that you quoted Sue Monk Kidd.
Have you ever read any books by Karen Armstrong?
Sarah Walston´s last blog ..A Little Political Humor
[Reply]
Sarah Walston
8:40 am
I think I’ve had more rants on this topic of ‘cookie cutter Christians’ on my blog (and spoken in person) than I care to remember….
Been doing a bible study on ‘evangelism’ with my smallgroup and it’s driven me nuts that someone thinks there’s ‘one way’ or a ‘technique’ to evangelism. Like we’re all the same, or that God can only work one particular way.
Sigh.
Brunettekoala´s last blog ..Travelling Tuesday: Portpatrick, Scotland
[Reply]
Brunettekoala
8:41 am
Just like you talked about in your “Religion Lies” series the church is going to the extreme! It’s the role of the Holy Spirit…? True, but is it ONLY his role. Paul recognized his own responsibility in mentoring/discipleship. Paul writing in Colossians (1:28-29 NIV,), “that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” Perfect in Christ, are kidding me? How can WE do that? I don’t pretend to have answers but I don’t have some thoughts.
We must first realize, as you point out with ‘cookie cutter’ analogy, discipleship isn’t linear. We don’t take everyone from point ‘A’ then ‘B’ then ‘C’ … you get the picture. The church keeps trying to develop people systematically, like an assembly line. Only problem is life keeps changing the ‘cookies’. Then they don’t fit in the cutters anymore. As life happens the church should be prepared to meet everyone where they are in their particular stage of life. What would it look like if discipleship had to start at point ‘R’, Then back to ‘B’?
Secondly, if we look at discipleship/mentoring through the biblical model, we find that the teacher took great pains to be involved in his followers lives. Notice, Jesus didn’t send home his disciples home every evening so that he could have his “me” time. They did life with him. Discipleship/mentoring only happens in the context of CLOSE relationships, period. Jesus had to talk to Peter differently than he did with James or Thomas or John. Because each on of them has different a story.
As pastors, leaders, Christ-followers we all have a responsibility to lead people into a closer relationship with Christ. But we miss it when we try to do what only the Holy Spirit can do. But to throw the responsibility off solely on the Holy Spirit is wrong too.
Tad´s last blog ..Losing Faith
[Reply]
Tad
8:43 am
I’m struggling with “how can I continue to reach for my goals if my hands are always tied”.
When putting this out there – I get the COOKIE CUTTER RESPONSE!! Perhaps my dreams are not what God intended for me…or, it’s just not my time… God is teaching me something. Or I’ve even heard that my dreams are too worldly (isn’t the “world” where God does his best work??). Yada yada yada…yea.
What I need is for SOMEONE in the church to simply say “I get it and I’m going to pray for you – that your dreams will come true and God will do amazing things through it all!” (even if they don’t) Why can’t I be impatient for miracles?
Selfish – probably – guess that is where I am for today.
[Reply]
Paula
8:44 am
A-ha! Found it…cartoon by ASBO Jesus
http://asbojesus.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/439/
And one of my very early blog posts which was a little bit ranty on the whole cookie cutter thing…
http://brunettekoala.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/lets-not-be-cookie-cutter-christians/
Brunettekoala´s last blog ..Travelling Tuesday: Portpatrick, Scotland
[Reply]
Brunettekoala
8:45 am
Amazing! I like it – a lot!
Recently I was asked to speak to our church on “Loneliness”, which seemed an odd topic, in a way, for someone as bubby and out-going as I. I have countless friends and yet am no stranger to loneliness. The source of my loneliness was this very topic.
My ‘church’ journey led me away from God because I never fit. We started attending a conservative church when I was nine and, while loved for my personality, they immediately set out to change me. They even had people meet with me to tell me how to look down, to show humility among many other bizarre things as they tried to make me a subdued, meek Christian girl/woman.
I am ‘way’ too outgoing for the deeply conservative, and while I speak gently, I can’t be silenced when God has asked me to speak. I am way to fun-loving for the stoic religous leaders and I am passionate about evangelism, tackling taboo topics and anything else that will rock the church into reality – God’s reality.
That Sunday morning I had no difficulty sharing my journey with my church because I am totally blessed and accepted where I am today. (They actually believe and have prophesied that God has a plan for me! I already knew that was truth, because God already said it in his word, but had never been part of a church that embraced me before and claimed that plan with me and for me!!)
While my journey has been painful, I am able to share it with joy and confidence, adding humor so people won’t be overwhelmed. But when it comes to that part about the church not accepting my personality the way God made me, the emotion breaks to the surface. Probably the most emotional moment that morning, even for the congregation, was when I said, “Loneliness, my friends, is being told that when God pulled out his cookie cutters to make us, he used a broken one to make you.” It is the deepest pain I have ever known to believe that God really messed me up and no matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn’t fix his mess. I was doomed for life.
Amazingly it was unbelievers that played the biggest role in helping me see that God had a plan for this ‘misfit’. The world loved me. They embraced the whole person I am. People wanted to be near me and no matter where I went, I was accepted. But I was repeatedly told by unbelievers to go back to my faith. They said things like, “You don’t belong here!” and once I was even told, “You’re too good to be here – you don’t fit!”
“Good” wasn’t my first choice in words to describe myself, but God got through to me and today I am a very different, fun, passionate and crazy Christian who doesn’t care if the cookie cutter was broken or not – I like me because God first loved me! And I’m happy knowing that, if I didn’t fit into the mould before my rebellion, I sure won’t fit now!
…Sorry so long-winded… this topic turns on a “tap”
[Reply]
Trudy Metzger
8:46 am
Pete, great thoughts… I think it all boils down to the battle between relationship and religion. Saying that our spiritual development will all look the same is like saying that every good marriage or every good friendship will look identical. We’re not called to enter into a religion and mentally assent to a list of doctrines; we’re called to enter into a vibrant, intimate relationship with the loving, almighty, holy God. If you’re interested, I spoke recently on this very thing. You can check it out here… http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2034784
[Reply]
Carter Schultz
8:47 am
@polly I am touched by your story, and I am praying for you as you journey through this.
@pete seeing “balance” on that list was a beautiful thing!
Anita´s last blog ..Are You Expecting the Unexpected?
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Anita
8:53 am
Gary Thomas’ book SACRED PATHWAYS is an excellent resource on this topic. He describes nine different spiritual temperaments and reminds believers to feed their own unique path to God while also learning to appreciate the style of someone else. Great book.
Felicity´s last blog ..What Do You See?
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Felicity
8:56 am
I often wonder if creativity is fully alive in the midst of diversity. We are becoming persons. We are not the same as we were before. And we are not now who we will be in the future, thank God. The problem with cookie-cutters is that there’s no diversity and therefore no true creativity. Thanks for your thoughts.
Alex Colston´s last blog ..The Hanging Of Blinds or The Rhythm Of Our Becoming
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Alex Colston
8:58 am
I love that you are so transparent and honest about this.
I echo the comment above about grief and grieving. Why is emotion equated with weakness? I see people praised for being “strong,” when what that really means is they don’t cry, they put on a happy face and refuse to be vulnerable in their pain.
The paradox: if your faith is so strong, why do you not then have the strength to face how much you hurt and walk *through* it with God rather than trying to go around it by your own strength so everyone will talk about how “strong” you are?
When my Daddy died, I cried. Sobbed. Raged. When the doctor said “It’s cancer,” I cried. When my oldest child left for college, I cried like a freakin’ baby. For three weeks. In 11 months my youngest will leave for college and can bet your last dollar I’ll cry again. Because it hurts, y’all.
But I know that the God who created me catches every tear in His hand. Isn’t that better than just being “strong?”
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beth g sanders
9:22 am
Great post – I would relate this to how my family interacts.
My children are all so different – ages, genders, temperment…I can’t expect to treat them all exactly the same and I can’t expect them to behave in exactly the same way. I have to give each one what they need as individuals – this is what God does for us!
He meets us where we are and works within our strengths and weaknesses and highs and lows.
It’s easy to do that with family because we know them intimately – harder to do that with others…
NanaHG3´s last blog ..Kindergarten Woes
[Reply]
NanaHG3
9:27 am
Pete,
As you already know, I am at a place in my life right now where I am afraid of commitment. I want to be baptized again, but I’m holding myself back. As I told you on Sunday, I was baptized as a baby. Obviously, that wasn’t a conscientious decision on my part. Now that I know the full meaning behind it I want to do it again, only this time with intent. Like I said though, I’m holding myself back. It’s as though I feel like I’m not ‘good enough’ to be baptized.
The closest thing I can relate to this is a story about my dad that always made me laugh. He had received golf lessons as a gift one time, but before he would go take the lesson, he wanted to practice. I just thought that was hilarious! Why would you practice BEFORE a lesson? Why wouldn’t you get the lesson first to see what all you really needed to work on and then go practice those things?
I have accepted Christ as my savior in my heart, but not publically. I want to do it, but I just feel like I need more practice!
[Reply]
rhelton
9:29 am
@Heidi, I absolutely think this agrees to pastors, leaders and teachers. I’m afraid we’ve done them a great disservice as well with our expectations.
[Reply]
Pete Wilson
9:29 am
@Felicity, I need to get my hands on that one!
[Reply]
Pete Wilson
9:31 am
I like this post. I need to think on it more. I have spent the last season keeping the happy face, being strong, doing the right things and stuffing down my feelings of “why God? When God? and not again God” Afterall “real Christians” don’t question God right? They go to church every Sunday, in their nice clothes and sing the songs with a happy face. That isn’t me. My life hasn’t been pretty with sprinkles… Good news is… God knows, He is with me, He understands and has the scars to prove it. I am glad that I didn’t need to be shaped onto a ball and then cut out like my neighbor.
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Kristi Ottmar
9:32 am
Appreciate greatly what you are saying here, and, as always, benefit greatly from all the comments.
My heart felt sad when I read Heidi’s comment and I know there’s truth there. We are a fallen people and as churches we’ve missed it often. But I’m so glad that God is perfect, that He never disappoints, and that He extends love and forgiveness to us all – inside and outside of the formal church.
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Tracy
9:41 am
God has spoken to and through me when I felt as if I was worthless. I think that was the secret. I KNEW I had nothing to offer and it was ALL HIM!
sherri´s last blog .."A Balanced Diet is a Cookie in Each Hand"
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sherri
9:43 am
in response to polly:
I too am from South GA, but I live in Nashville, TN and attend Cross Point. I was raised in Tifton, GA.
Is that anywhere close to you? I may can help you find similar churches. Lori
[Reply]
Lorelei King
10:21 am
First…I love Sue Monk Kidd and that book is amazing!!!
Second…Your words and quotes in the past few weeks have been hitting right where I am. Good to hear.
Found this quote in my recent readings:
“We must love the poverty of others as Jesus loves it. We must see them with the eyes of His own compassion. But we cannot have true compassion on others unless we are willing to accept pity and receive forgiveness for our own sins. We do not really know how to forgive until we know what it is to be forgiven. Therefore we should be glad that we can be forgiven by our brothers. Is is our forgiveness of one another that makes the love of Jesus for us manifest in our lives, for in forgiving one another we act towards one another as He has acted towards us.” – Thomas Merton
I have been so guilty of wanting people to be where I want them to be instead of living with an attitude of forgiveness and love. It is so difficult sometimes to let God “handle” where others are…and let go of needing to “fix” them. To love with a sincere heart no matter what. Forgive me Father.
jessica´s last blog ..Prayer: Honest and Simple
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jessica
11:52 am
Wait…so, what you’re telling me is that we are all supposed to be the same?? Thanks a lot Pete! You just ruined my religion!!
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Aaron B. Reddin
11:54 am
AREN’T!! I forgot the n’t!! my bad..
Aaron B. Reddin´s last blog ..Action = Inaction in Recovery
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Aaron B. Reddin
11:55 am
In my darkest hours, I have not always felt like I had an ally but rather that the enemy was closest. Then I realized, God is going through this RIGHT NOW. He is the reason I can be sad, angry, disappointed. And the reason I can eventually count it all joy. Was that how I was raised? No-but I decided a long time ago that I was born an original and refuse to die a copy. Thanks Pete.
[Reply]
Amanda
12:08 pm
For the most part, our church doesn’t have a strict adherence to type among its parishioners, nor is it really expected. To tell the truth, as far as I can tell, it’s more like we have a “no ask, no tell” policy, and little is discussed among us concerning our personal viewpoints. I do know that “creationists” worship alongside “evolutionists” with no problem, but then again, it’s not even brought up for debate, at least not during regular services. We more or less just teach our kids what the Bible says and use the stories in it for reference for whatever lesson is being presented.
When we do have upsets in the church it usually involves how we view our preacher. We’ve even lost members (usually church hoppers anyhow, and not originally brought up in the United Methodist way of mind) due to issues with which they didn’t agree. Our last “exodus” occurred when we were appointed a female minister for the first time in the 150 year history of our church. She still only lasted two years because some of the longtimers still had issues with her, unfortunately.
[Reply]
Shana Poisel
1:51 pm
@Amanda, it is one of my goals to help people understand that it is in those seasons that we feel God is not there that we actually need to lean into Him the most.
[Reply]
Pete Wilson
2:01 pm
@Harold, you know early in my ministry I really screwed this up. You were there to witness that and unfortunately were probably the victim of it from time to time.
[Reply]
Pete Wilson
2:03 pm
Man, I wish every pastor would read today’s post. Then, maybe I wouldn’t have been burned so badly earlier when I was a young sprig. The good news is that God had my back and brought others along the way to help me heal with the truth and their love.
[Reply]
Faith Barista | Bonnie
3:12 pm
Great post Pete,
—-Everyone should relate to God in the same way. (But isn’t Scripture full of examples of different people relating to God in different ways.)—-
Just saw a clip from John Ortberg in which he asked a group of folks, “how many of you don’t care for journaling as part of your spiritual regimen?” He said the hands of most in the group not only were raised, but SHOT UP! It seems he sensed there was more than a little resentment about “the right way to grow.”
He went on to say that none of us is likely to have the same growth style and that when we (the church) push people to do it “one way” it’s like forcing little left-handed johnny or mary to write right-handed “correctly” like the rest of the kids.
[Reply]
Mike in Milwaukee
3:38 pm
Look at page 70 in Max Lucado’s new book–Fearless. There is a paragraph about where we find God and when He has our keenest attention. It is not usually where we expect to find Him, but that is where He does His best work.
[Reply]
Teresa M.
8:33 pm
@Teresa, I’ve been wanting a good excuse to read that book anyway. Thanks for the motivation.
[Reply]
Pete Wilson
8:43 pm
Wow! There is nothing to add to this! Love, love, love it! Great post, once again. Thanks!
Chrystie´s last blog ..Finding God In Unexpected Places
[Reply]
Chrystie
5:14 am
Pete….CUPCAKES! I could eat a zillion cupcakes. Dan cannot understand my obsession with them but I love it.
Oh and watching the Hills. Don’t ask me why. I guess I just like the drama. LOL!
Tiffany´s last blog ..Back to the Daily Grind
[Reply]
Tiffany
10:14 am
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