Musician. Composer. Recovering perfectionist. Minister-in-transition. Lover of puns. Hijacker of rock song references. Questioner of the status quo. I'm not really a rebel. Just a sincere Christ-follower with a thirst for significance that gets me into trouble. My quest has taken me over the fence of institutional Christianity. Here are some of my random thoughts along the way. Read along, join in the conversation. Just be nice.
Categories: How I am, moments of truth
So…I’m back, blogging on a Sunday. The new worship leader is in place at my friends’ congregation, so I’m officially relieved of duty, so to speak. I’m looking forward to resuming some sense of discussion here, at least weekly. (Sunday mornings are my “blogging” time.) 🙂
Categories: changing mindsets
So here I am, on a Sunday morning, blogging. For those who have been tracking with me, I haven’t been blogging much here lately because I have been helping out a congregation with their worship music while they are in between leaders, occupying my Sunday mornings for awhile (which is when I usually blog here). But today they are trying out a new candidate, so I have the morning off. Sweet. 🙂
Categories: How I am
Sorry for neglecting this here blog…unintentional, I assure you. In case anyone’s been wondering, here’s a brief update on where I’ve been, and stuff.
I mentioned a couple of posts back that I had agreed to fill in temporarily leading worship for the congregation I was helping out when I first moved here. Their worship leader (the one who replaced me) has moved out of state, and the church hasn’t settled yet on a new candidate, so I’m holding the fort, as it were. As my paid freelance writing workload has continued to increase, Sunday mornings had become my weekly “time” to blog here, to process thoughts and reflect. Now, for the time being, my Sunday mornings are occupied as they once were–with loading equipment, rehearsing, and leading worship for a congregation. I’ve agreed to be available at least through Easter.
Categories: How I am, Meanderings (look it up), Tags: how I am, mission of Christ, ramblings
A few posts ago, I mentioned that I would devote some time talking about what I’m currently doing with music, and the role I think it’s playing in the context of mission. This post is my attempt to make good on that promise. 🙂
I know…you all have been waiting with baited breath. The suspense was driving you mad.
Categories: food for thought, Tags: ramblings
Unless you have nothing to do with American sports at all, or live under a rock, chances are you’ve heard the name “Tim Tebow” sometime in the past several months. Living in Denver, the home of the Broncos, we probably hear more about him than all y’all. He’s the young quarterback who replaced Kyle Orton this year in the middle of a losing season, and somehow ended up turning things around and taking the Broncos to the playoffs for the first time in years. People in Denver have been buzzing about this guy ever since the Broncos picked him up, and Tebow jerseys were common in the stores and on people’s torsos back when he was still a third string QB. It’s obvious that he’s still getting used to playing pro, and he’s young and inconsistent (as demonstrated by last weekend’s fiasco at the playoffs)–but it’s also obvious that the guy is extremely talented. At any rate, he’s injected a level of hope and enthusiasm into Bronco fans that hasn’t been felt for a long time.
Categories: Meanderings (look it up)
I’m writing this, coffee in hand (well, not actually in HAND–that would make things rather messy for the laptop), looking out the windows of my favorite coffee shop at the freshly fallen snow still clinging to the tree branches, with a crystal-clear blue sky in the background. Yesterday’s snowfall was just enough to make things pretty, and not enough to shut down traffic. I chose this morning to sit facing outward toward the windows rather than inward toward the shop, just to take in the view. It’s a very nice reminder of what I love about this place.
Categories: My Story, Things that Are Amazingly Awesome
Four years.
Nearly 700 posts.
Four years ago today, I began documenting my deconstruction from traditional church by launching this blog.
I had a lot to say.
For the first two years, there was hardly a day when I didn’t post. I had so much to say, and it was coming out so furiously, that friends were telling me they couldn’t keep up. Emotions were rampant–anger, pain, joy, and peace–often changing from day to day as I processed my journey.
Categories: Meanderings (look it up)
Can I be honest? There are actually some things I miss about my life in the institutional church.
[Collective gasp from the crowd.]
I’m serious.
I guess with my particular story, it might make sense that I’d miss some things about institutional Christianity. If you read back through the history of this blog (or if you’ve been tracking from the beginning), you’ll remember that I didn’t walk away from this thing in a huff. It was more like God dragging me out by the feet while my fingers clawed the dirt. Even when I was doing house church, I was in such denial about where I stood with the institutional church that it took a real wake-up call for me to recognize that I truly was no longer part of it.
Categories: changing mindsets, Tags: changing mindsets, church, food for thought
I always get just a little bit amused when I check my Facebook on Sunday mornings. So many of my friends who are believers (no offense to them whatsoever–I hold them in the highest respect) put out these little updates about getting ready for church gatherings. They range from the understated (ex., “Getting ready for church”) to the uber-caffeinated (“Hey everyone! Let’s all get ready for CHUURCCHH!”). One common thread goes something like this: “Getting my worship on.” Or “Let’s get our praise on this morning!”
I guess my first impulse (though I never act on it) is to ask: “What was your praise doing ‘off” in the first place?” 🙂
Categories: Rantings, Tags: changing mindsets, food for thought, rants
The title of this blog, not to mention the nearly four years’ worth of posts within it, should make this clear: I despise religion.
Please understand when I say this that before I go pointing fingers at anyone, I realize that four other fingers are pointing back at me. Before I go on this rant (if that’s what it ends up being), I want to make it clear that I’m not coming from the standpoint of someone who is totally free of religion, passing judgment on those who are not. There are very few Christians who do not have some sort of religion embedded in them, and with all my personal struggles to be free of it, I still see remnants of it in myself on occasion. I see religion as a sort of disease that afflicts us all, one in which healing is mainly gradual, as layers of it are removed from our minds. At least, that’s how it’s been for me.