Comments on: Defending the Faith http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:35:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: syl http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/comment-page-1/#comment-3466 syl Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:17:00 +0000 http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/#comment-3466 To Meg<br/><br/>This may be the safest place you will ever find. I have yet to find a "safe" church. . . sad, but true. But, on the other hand, I'm just a tad cynical. To Meg

This may be the safest place you will ever find. I have yet to find a “safe” church. . . sad, but true. But, on the other hand, I’m just a tad cynical.

]]> By: syl http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/comment-page-1/#comment-3465 syl Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:15:00 +0000 http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/#comment-3465 I think that it's interesting that this ended up being a discussion about safe places. <br/><br/>I really wonder if one of the biggest reasons Mother Theresa struggled so was because of the un-safeness of the church--or, in her case, the orphanages where she served. <br/><br/>Is it possible that the reason she didn't see or feel God's presence was that she was surrounded by so much sorrow and pain? <br/><br/>After giving most of my life to the church (in ministry as a pastor's wife, although I cannot even compare myself to this saintly woman), I can honestly say that I have doubted myself--so many times--church is the hardest (and least safe) place to find God. I am able to get a break by going to a regular job M-F, but her life was absorbed in her ministry, and it was far from easy. It consumed all of who she was. <br/><br/>It's unfortunate that her most private writings were publisehd--what's even more unfortunate is that we even question why she could have doubts. Dont' we all??? I think that it’s interesting that this ended up being a discussion about safe places.

I really wonder if one of the biggest reasons Mother Theresa struggled so was because of the un-safeness of the church–or, in her case, the orphanages where she served.

Is it possible that the reason she didn’t see or feel God’s presence was that she was surrounded by so much sorrow and pain?

After giving most of my life to the church (in ministry as a pastor’s wife, although I cannot even compare myself to this saintly woman), I can honestly say that I have doubted myself–so many times–church is the hardest (and least safe) place to find God. I am able to get a break by going to a regular job M-F, but her life was absorbed in her ministry, and it was far from easy. It consumed all of who she was.

It’s unfortunate that her most private writings were publisehd–what’s even more unfortunate is that we even question why she could have doubts. Dont’ we all???

]]> By: Meg http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/comment-page-1/#comment-3462 Meg Sun, 26 Aug 2007 13:06:00 +0000 http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/#comment-3462 I'm reading B. McLaren's final trilogy in the New Kind of Christian series. The last part of the book focuses on a group that gets together once every other year to do church together. <br/><br/>In this setting they are real about their questions and doubts and I want so bad to have a community that fosters this type of good faith. <br/><br/>I do feel solidermom brought up a good point....should we feel safe in all circumstances? In the book the friends get together every one to three years, and discuss where their journies have taken them. They live unsafely through out the time apart and then come together in safety and share where they have been, what they have learned.<br/><br/>I say this, but I desperately want a safe place. I'm not going to church right now because I don't feel safe. But I do feel that being safe all the time is not what helps you grow. There needs to be a healthy balance.<br/><br/>For me, the fictional community in Mclaren's book can somewhat be seen through this blog, which is great! I’m reading B. McLaren’s final trilogy in the New Kind of Christian series. The last part of the book focuses on a group that gets together once every other year to do church together.

In this setting they are real about their questions and doubts and I want so bad to have a community that fosters this type of good faith.

I do feel solidermom brought up a good point….should we feel safe in all circumstances? In the book the friends get together every one to three years, and discuss where their journies have taken them. They live unsafely through out the time apart and then come together in safety and share where they have been, what they have learned.

I say this, but I desperately want a safe place. I’m not going to church right now because I don’t feel safe. But I do feel that being safe all the time is not what helps you grow. There needs to be a healthy balance.

For me, the fictional community in Mclaren’s book can somewhat be seen through this blog, which is great!

]]> By: soldiermom http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/comment-page-1/#comment-3461 soldiermom Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:44:00 +0000 http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/#comment-3461 Interesting questions now might be; What does "safe" look like to you? How do we know what it looks like to others? Should we be "safe" in all circumstances? What do you think? Interesting questions now might be; What does “safe” look like to you? How do we know what it looks like to others? Should we be “safe” in all circumstances? What do you think?

]]> By: Anne http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/comment-page-1/#comment-3457 Anne Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:19:00 +0000 http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/#comment-3457 Our church has community groups, and though they different wildly due to personalities, I'm sure, my group has been a very safe place to express doubts and question anything and everything. One reason this works there is the intimacy of the environment, I'm sure. There are usually about 10 of us; a safe harbor to explore one's spiritual journey. Our church has community groups, and though they different wildly due to personalities, I’m sure, my group has been a very safe place to express doubts and question anything and everything. One reason this works there is the intimacy of the environment, I’m sure. There are usually about 10 of us; a safe harbor to explore one’s spiritual journey.

]]> By: lisa http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/comment-page-1/#comment-3456 lisa Sat, 25 Aug 2007 14:54:00 +0000 http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/#comment-3456 I think you're right that people are so hungry for grace and that we can only make ourselves safe for others and hope it spreads (like a virus!)<br/><br/>"Hello, my name is Lisa and I'm a sinner." I like it! On the other hand, I also want to remember that because of what Jesus did on my behalf I can say, "Hello, my name is Lisa and I'm clean and free." So maybe it's "...I'm a sinner who is clean and free." I think you’re right that people are so hungry for grace and that we can only make ourselves safe for others and hope it spreads (like a virus!)

“Hello, my name is Lisa and I’m a sinner.” I like it! On the other hand, I also want to remember that because of what Jesus did on my behalf I can say, “Hello, my name is Lisa and I’m clean and free.” So maybe it’s “…I’m a sinner who is clean and free.”

]]> By: One Voice of Many http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/comment-page-1/#comment-3455 One Voice of Many Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:51:00 +0000 http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/#comment-3455 I recently put my thoughts together on church needing to be a safe place on my blog. I'll just put a link here to save space from copying and pasting.<br/><br/><a HREF="http://doubtingbeliever.blogspot.com/2007/08/recovery.html" REL="nofollow">Blog</a><br/><br/><br/>You can skip the blog by me just saying that I so agree that church needs to be a place that you can be honest with questions and doubts and struggles without fear of rejection and judgement. One friend commented that we should introduce ourselves, "Hello. My name is _____ and I am a sinner". Good place to start. I recently put my thoughts together on church needing to be a safe place on my blog. I’ll just put a link here to save space from copying and pasting.

Blog

You can skip the blog by me just saying that I so agree that church needs to be a place that you can be honest with questions and doubts and struggles without fear of rejection and judgement. One friend commented that we should introduce ourselves, “Hello. My name is _____ and I am a sinner”. Good place to start.

]]> By: soldiermom http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/comment-page-1/#comment-3454 soldiermom Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:25:00 +0000 http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/#comment-3454 I agree, we can not make institutions safe places, or other people safe places for us. But we can make ourselves a safe place for others. Safety is contagious. People are just so hungry for grace...don't ya think? If we can be open and graceful to others, some will learn and be that for us in return. I agree, we can not make institutions safe places, or other people safe places for us. But we can make ourselves a safe place for others. Safety is contagious. People are just so hungry for grace…don’t ya think? If we can be open and graceful to others, some will learn and be that for us in return.

]]> By: lisa http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/comment-page-1/#comment-3453 lisa Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:08:00 +0000 http://www.emergingwomen.us/2007/08/24/defending-the-faith/#comment-3453 I want those who I am church with to be my safe place and I want, as a someone who some think of as "older" (almost 45) to provide safe places for questions and wonderings for my younger and older friends. We, the church, have not been very good at providing safe places for doubts and fears. Neil Cole says that there are 3 words we need to learn to say and to say without fear. The words are "I don't know." Could we learn to say these? Could we learn to say "I don't know... and I'd love to explore that with you." I want those who I am church with to be my safe place and I want, as a someone who some think of as “older” (almost 45) to provide safe places for questions and wonderings for my younger and older friends. We, the church, have not been very good at providing safe places for doubts and fears. Neil Cole says that there are 3 words we need to learn to say and to say without fear. The words are “I don’t know.” Could we learn to say these? Could we learn to say “I don’t know… and I’d love to explore that with you.”

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