When I was in Germany, the other American teachers and I decided that we were going to run a half marathon. Now when we decided this we had all been running for a couple of years. I had run the Cooper River Bridge Run a couple of times and had loved it, so I thought …
So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be …
Although many ministers called for the Methodist to make a decision about the LGTBQ question during General Conference this week, a group of bishops has been commissioned to study the LGBTQ issue and possible restructuring of the Methodist denomination. Putting this conversation on hold is asking those who are a part of the LGTBQ community …
Uncovering Spiritual Abuse: Avoiding Difficult Conversations Read More »
There is no one place spiritual abuse happens, but since spiritual abuse is the misuse of power of a spiritual leader, spiritual abuse often happens in the sanctuaries, the fellowship halls, and offices of our churches. For those who have experienced spiritual abuse, the house of God is tainted making it difficult to worship in …
Uncovering Spiritual Abuse: Where Spiritual Abuse Happens Read More »
The process and journey of uncovering spiritual abuse is one that is fraught with fear. It’s fraught with fear because of the memories and interactions the journey brings to light. It’s fraught with fear because if we find spiritual abuse in our past, then we must identify as victims. It’s fraught with fear because it …
In the baptist church I grew up in, there were no women deacons. I remember noticing this and asking about why women weren’t allowed to be deacons, but as a child that question took on another form. I asked women in my life, don’t you want to be a deacon? And I received a variety of responses: …
Uncovering Spiritual Abuse: Why Do You Need to Talk? Read More »
This week was the celebration of Pentecost, a time in the church calendar where we remember God sending God’s Spirt to the apostles after the resurrection of Jesus. Many churches celebrate by wearing red, a symbol of the tongue of fire that rested on each of them when the Spirit came down. When the day of …
The Spirit of God: The Power to Hurt, The Power to Heal Read More »
If you have found yourself on the other side of spiritual abuse, then you know how hard it is to extricate from the community or relationship in which you experienced spiritual abuse. You know because you have become so accustomed to who you are when you are in the midst of abuse that you find …
I’ve just recently finished re-reading Walking on Water by Madeline L’Engle. I’ve had the experience of having the book mean something completely different to me during this time of my life. That’s the power of words, isn’t it? They can change and transform you again and again as you meet or re-meet them at different …
Over the past three Sunday nights, ministrieslab has been popping up at Transitions and leading a communion-based worship service. We knew we were responding to a need for a community who had no worship service on Sundays and who had limited mobility to attend church services, but we weren’t sure what would come out of our …
