Life Sentence

In my vocational spiritual direction, one of the assignments was to come up with a life sentence.

In any previous season of life, this would not have been difficult.  I've been writing mission statements for myself ever since I was a kid.

But in this particular time, I have felt unmoored from many of the anchors to which I was tethered.  I have felt attacked and beaten down by society and ideology and much of what prevails in theology.

Three weeks after the session in which I was to discuss my ideas, I have begun to dream again, and to think more purposefully about my passions.

I am (and have for a long time been) 

drawn to engaging deeply with individuals (seeking answers, help, and healing)

who have been hurt (emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or physically)

by church (aspects of Evangelical and Fundamentalist culture that detract from the Gospel preached and lived by Jesus) 

and the Christian religion (theology that quenches or obstructs the ongoing revelation of God's Spirit)

This includes individuals who have been shunned by church communities, who have been abused by those in spiritual authority, whose doctrinal beliefs have prevented them from achieving their full potential as people, and even those who had positions of leadership and lost their integrity or faith by having undue expectations put upon them.

I seek to do this through intentional relationships that include:
-verbal sessions of conversation and prayer
-organic and fun gatherings of misfits and the "motley crew"
-writings that engage larger ideas and issues and reach wider audiences

Jesus came to heal and to set the captives free.  As the body of Christ, we are to partner with God's Spirit to share this Gospel with the world, starting in Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.