Categotry Archives: healing wounds

by

The Path Toward Healing part 4: A New Community

1 comment

Categories: healing wounds, My Story

In case you’re just tuning in, you might want to start with Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. This post isn’t officially part of the Path Toward Healing series, but it’s apropos as well.

In the previous posts, I’ve largely dealt with the fallout associated with my departure from institutional Christianity, particularly in suffering at the hands of institutional churches and leaders who for one reason or another felt threatened by that decision. Today, I’m going to begin turning the focus less toward what was behind me, and more toward where I found myself, and my new spiritual surroundings, if you will.

by

The Path Toward Healing part 3: Salt On the Wound

No comments yet

Categories: healing wounds

In the previous “official” post in this series, I talked about the question of coming to grips with broken relationships left behind once we decide to leave a certain situation (like a church). I shared a bit of my own story, and how I felt the need to differentiate between forgiveness and reconciliation.

I wish I could say that this was the only time in my journey out of institutional Christianity that I had to deal with injustice (and subsequently forgive). But it wasn’t. And it probably won’t be that way for you, either. There were many times along my path that salt was thrown onto my wounds by church folks, and particularly by church leadership–people that had nothing to do with my Church Left Behind. Lemme ‘splain.

by

The Path Toward Healing

1 comment

Categories: healing wounds

I frequently refer to my transition out of institutional Christianity as a path, or a journey. A lot of people who follow this here blog are going down similar paths. But paths don’t simply lead away from something–they lead toward something (or at least, they should). Ultimately, this path should lead toward healing.

This post might easily turn into a series of posts, because there’s a lot that can be said about this topic, from a wide range of perspectives. But I’m just going to start by sharing some general and personal thoughts about my own path, and see where this “path” leads. 🙂

by

The Voice of the Woman

6 comments

Categories: healing wounds, link love, women's issues

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything about women’s issues. It isn’t for a lack of passion about it, but in many ways it’s perhaps because I’ve said my piece…and the last few times I’ve posted about it, most of the comments were from other men who wanted to waste my time arguing theology, which tended to make the posts counter-productive. So mainly I’ve been focusing more on living out these convictions more than just talking about them.

by

A Woman’s Voice

No comments yet

Categories: food for thought, healing wounds, music, women's issues

Pam’s post on Communitas today reminded me of this song by Patty Griffin, which I recently heard and which captivated me immediately. It’s not a Christmas song, not even a “Christian” song–but the very human depiction of Mary in this song speaks volumes to me about the struggles and sacrifices of so many women, and does so in ways that words alone cannot.

“Mary” by Patty Griffin

Mary, you’re covered in roses
You’re covered in ashes, you’re covered in rain
You’re covered in babies, covered in slashes
Covered in wilderness, covered in stains

by

Who Does She Think She Is?

No comments yet

Categories: creativity, healing wounds, women's issues

Yesterday afternoon, blogger friend Kathy invited some folks over to her house to watch a movie and discuss it, and the family and I went. We can do that now, being that we now live near her. 🙂

The movie was called Who Does She Think She Is?, a documentary about women in the arts, their struggles to find their voice, the obstacles they face–and the price they often pay for their choices. (No–I was not the only man in attendance.) The movie made was by the same people who made the Oscar-winning film Born into Brothels.

by

An Age-Old Grudge Against Women, and How Jesus Ruined Everything

6 comments

Categories: changing mindsets, healing wounds

This post picks up a continuing thread from “Why the Heart of Every Man Should Be Breaking,” which I posted several months ago.

Last week, my blogger friend Sarah published three posts in a series called “Jesus Breakin’ the Rules“, quoting extensively from Walter Wink’s book, The Powers that Be: Theology for a New Millenium. I haven’t read the book, but the quotes Sarah took from it had to do with what Wink calls the “Domination System” of women, and how virtually every record of Jesus’ interaction with women flew in the face of this system. You might not agree with every (or any) of Wink’s specific interpretations (I agreed with about 90% of it), but his take should get you thinking, at least.

by

Proof That Anyone Can Do the Right Thing…And Other Odds and Ends About Women’s Issues

11 comments

Categories: healing wounds, random stuff

First thing out of the gate, let me be honest here…without sparking political discussions, I generally cannot stand Jimmy Carter. Acknowledging his profession of faith in Christ, and regardless of his political leanings or the job he did as President, almost any time he’s made a public statement as a former President, I have found him to be provocative, interfering, undermining, and even disrespectful to sitting Presidents. Sometimes I wish I could go up to him and and say, “Hello? You’re retired! You had your shot. Go play golf and stop complicating world affairs!”

Just sayin’. 🙂

1 2