Posts Tagged ‘Gospel’
Confessions of a Reluctant Christian
“Tell me your story,” he said. Where should I start? “Start at the beginning.” So I did. I think I was about eight years in when he stopped me. “Wait, you’re still a Christian, after all that? You realize that’s a miracle, right?” Yes. And yes. /// They always say that, when they pull up…
Read MoreThe Prodigal (A Theologically Correct Parable)
Jesus loved using stories to mess with people’s theology. One of my favorite stories from Jesus is the one we’ve come to know as “the parable of the Prodigal Son”. However, Jesus’ telling of it left out a few important theological points, leading to some rather unbiblical implications. So I’ve taken the liberty of rewriting it to…
Read MoreWhy I Held This Sign at Gay Pride
I ran into a street preacher at Charlotte Pride this year. I was carrying a sign that say “God Loves Gays”; he was carrying a big Bible and wearing a t-shirt that said “Jesus is the Standard”. He handed me a tract and asked if I had received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I assured him…
Read MoreWhen I Was Ashamed of the Gospel
Every time I read something Ed Cyzewski has written, I feel he wrote it just for me. Ed puts words to so many of my questions, doubts, and struggles of faith – and always offers a way forward. Today he’s sharing a bit from his brand new book: A Christian Survival Guide. I think you’ll resonate with his story. When…
Read MoreTo the One Losing Her Faith
You tell me you don’t believe anymore. Your faith is slipping away, like sand through your open fingers. You say it as if it’s a simple thing, but between the words I can hear all you’re not saying: The sleepless nights spent staring at the ceiling. The hopeless prayers you’re sure no one hears. The doubt.…
Read More4 Reasons I'm Not Going to Heaven
A few days ago somebody gave me a scrap of yellow paper with blue letters on it. Across the top it read: “Am I Going to Heaven? QUIZ!” Not too long ago, I was the one carrying those papers, handing them to strangers in hopes of altering their eternal destination. So I recognized all the…
Read MoreWaiting for Permission
“I guess I’m pretty fucked up,” I tell him. “I’m still waiting around for permission to believe the truth.” It had been one of those weeks where everything I read made me angry. I wanted to fight everyone whose opinions weren’t the same as mine. I had a hard time thinking clearly through the clouds…
Read MoreWhat Nobody Ever Told Me About Jesus
I’ve been wearing my heart on my sleeve around here, all torn up. It’s no secret that there’s been a lot of anger, swirling confusion, throbbing frustration. I’ve metaphorically stomped around the house slamming doors, yelling till my throat was raw. Mostly yelling about the Church. I want to talk about this again a bit…
Read MoreIn Search of a Better Gospel
“I don’t know whether or not I’m an evangelical anymore. Is there a BuzzFeed quiz for that?” I tweeted that a month ago, half-joking. As it turns out, there is no simple quiz. Instead, there’s this bleeding disaster that has been throbbing for almost two weeks now — lines in the sand, farewells, angry words,…
Read MoreHere's to the Children
“Love saves people.” (My three-year-old son says more in three words than I can in a thousand, and it’s the Gospel.) “Love saves people,” he told Mommy as he rubbed her head, and he was trying to save her with all the love his little hands could hold. No wonder Jesus said that the Kingdom belongs…
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