Evolving Christian Faith

Love is Patient Self-Reflection Questions

We’ve heard “patience is a virtue”. But how often do we actually explore how patience plays out in our lives?

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙤...

-controls everyything
-watches and judges all you do
-demands a blood sacrifice before reconciling with you

...It's okay to let that God die.

Then you can embace a God that is far deeper, expansive, and more loving than you ever previously imagined.

Weekly Recap Here's What Happened and What's Coming Soon

Did you miss anything I sent out last week? No problem. You can see it all in one place here.

Christianity: Religion or Philosophy? An Ancient Perspective that Helps us to Understand Today

𝘽𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙢𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝, 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 “𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨”.

Then, something changed…

That shift might just hold the key for the future of the Christianity.

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/christiani...

𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙨: "𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮."

If the Gospel someone proclaims doesn’t lead to healing, freedom, and love...

Then, it’s not the Gospel.

I don't care how many Bible verses they quote.

Christianity: Religion or Philosophy? An Ancient Perspective that Helps us to Understand Today

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙨 “𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨.”

They saw them as atheists—a threat to the empire itself.

Here’s how Christianity went from enemy of the empire to an accepted philosophy.

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/christiani...

𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙞𝙡, 𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜.

When we forget about the obscuring, we can turn our favorite revealing names into idols.

The prophets say: Every idol must fall.

Let go of certainty.

Allow the veil to be a veil, and it will lead you deeper into the holy unknowing.

Weekly Recap Here's What Happened and What's Coming Soon

Did you miss anything I sent out last week?

Here's your chance to catch up.

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/weekly-rec...

Dire Straits Watch now | 1-Minute Video Reflection

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙨.

Thousands of congregations are closing. But maybe that’s not the bad news you think it is…

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/dire-straits

How to Read the Bible And How Not To

𝙄 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠.

Then I saw how it justified slavery, genocide, and exclusion.

Now, I read it very diffently.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨.

It's also full of atrocities.

Let's face it, the writers were a mixed bag. Every one of them was a flawed human.

Coming to terms with that can be difficult.

But, that's why it's good practice for coming to terms with yourself.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤...

-justify slavery
-engage in genocide
-treat wives and kids as property

Why?

Because It's all in there.

The authors also believed...

-the earth was flat
-the sun revolved around the earth
-the universe was created in 6 days

Am I the only one seeing a problem here?

How to Read the Bible And How Not To

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚...

or bless unspeakable evil.

The difference lies in how you read it.

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/how-to-rea...

"𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣?"

For years, it's been defined by whether you are on the rolls of a church.

But the future church won't be united by official membership.

It won't be about who's in or who's out.

It will be united in a spirit of compassion that continually asks, "Who needs to be loved?"

Has Christianity Become a Religion of Hypocrisy? Rethinking Christian Sacrifice in Daily Life, Part 2

"𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙…"

But from the outside, Christianity's “sacrificial love” looks nothing like love at all.

Maybe that’s why so many aren’t listening anymore.

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/has-christ...

Has Christianity Become a Religion of Hypocrisy? Rethinking Christian Sacrifice in Daily Life, Part 2

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 “𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚”.

Outsiders hear it, watch what follows…and call it hypocrisy.

Their ridicule is prophetic indictment.

How shall we respond?

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/has-christ...

Has Christianity Become a Religion of Hypocrisy? Rethinking Christian Sacrifice in Daily Life, Part 2

𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 “𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.” 𝘽𝙪𝙩...

To many outside the church, it looks more like hypocrisy wrapped in pious words, especially when sacrificial language is used to sugar-coat control.

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/has-christ...

What if Heaven is for Christians and Nirvana is for Buddhists? Into a Pluralism of Religious Ends

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚?

What if God meets people not at our destination, but at theirs?

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/what-if-he...

𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙚?

If so, it isn't failing because it's too spiritual for people.

It's failing because it's refusing to embrace the fullness of humanity.

1,500 churches close each year.

But remember...

The church’s power was never in its buildings.

It was always in its passon to share life with the wider community through...

-its table
-its tears
-its solidarity with the forgotten

And that's where the church's power will 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 be.

Are Adherents to Other Religions Saved? A Major Point of Contention Between Conservative and Progressive Christians

𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙃𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙨, 𝘽𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨, 𝙅𝙚𝙬𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩... 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙠?

This article explores a more generous, more Graceful view of salvation.

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/are-adhere...

Wonderful. Great Job. Let My People Go - Paul Robeson

𝙎𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙥 𝙖 𝙨𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙤𝙭𝙞𝙘 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮.

But there's a unique lesson in the healing process.

Here it is:

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡.

Let's sing it together:

"Let my people go."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtLc...

Theological Thinking and Biblical Thinking Radically different starting points

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝?

Is God loving or wrathful?

Merciful or jealous?

The Bible offers many voices and perspectives that don't dovetail well.

How do we determine which voice speaks truth?

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙣?

If the religion disappears and...

-the hungry are fed
-the marginalized are included
-the dehumanized are rehumanized

...then the Spirit lives on.

It was never about "religion" in the first place.

Am I an Evangelist? 1-Minute Video Reflection

Am I an “evangelist”? I guess that depends on how you define it.

"𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙂𝙤𝙙?"

A lot of people ask that. And I get it. It's an important question for many.

But what if there's a better question?

What about asking instead...

"𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙩?"

I would love to hear your answer in the comments.

Am I an Evangelist? 1-Minute Video Reflection

Do we really need 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 Christians?

The Dark Side of Christian Sacrifice Rethinking Christian Sacrifice in Daily Life, Part 1

My favorite language to talk about the Way of Christ used to be that of "sacrifice".

-Sacrificial love
-Sacrificial giving
-Sacrificial living

But, then I realized how often it has been used to destroy lives.

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/the-dark-s...

The Dark Side of Christian Sacrifice Rethinking Christian Sacrifice in Daily Life, Part 1

𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝.

But what if that isn't as much devoiton as it is dysfunction?

evolvingchristianfaith.substack.com/p/the-dark-s...

𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙘𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙚, 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨.

Doctrine is only articulated belief about God.

When belief becomes rigid and isn't open to new insights and adjustment, it becomes an idol.

And what does we do with idols?

We tear them down and cast them into the dust.