Yesterday I wrote to a friend who heads my women’s Bible study group:
It has become quite clear to me that fear of sin is one of the things keeping me from church. The current cultural landscape is such that I will eventually end up offended by something I hear either in the conservative or the liberal church, and I am afraid of being unlikable and conflict-causing when I offer a different viewpoint.
Since the whole point of being a Christian is the grace not to be driven by fear of sin any longer, this is obviously a problem. She wrote back:
I too feel if I went back to [the evangelical church], I would be screaming Since the whole point of being a Christian is the grace not to be driven by fear of sin any longer, this is obviously a problem. She wrote back:
You people are crazy don’t you see that I am right and you are wrong
and if I went back to [the liberal church] I would be screaming
You people are crazy don’t you see that I am right and you are wrong
Once I put that down in writing, it gives [the liberal church] a less compelling pull on me. If I’m likely to be a screeching lunatic wherever I go, might as well go somewhere where Jesus is Lord.
Or to put it another way:
Girl…It’s not about you!!
Hey Jendi- you’re not a screeching lunatic, bearing witness to the brokeness in the church does not make you a lunatic…I’m not sure the dichotomies are always quite so simple as Jesus being Lord one place versus another. he is of, course, Lord everywhere whether we like it or not! The question is where is one called, it seems you have a prophetic vocation wherever that happens to be. Anyway, hope to see you at Grace one of these Wednesdays!
I read the entry incorrectly, nevertheless I imagine it still applies somewhere…