On my mind ...
I have a friend who describes himself as a lapsed atheist.
When he says this, I know I am hearing a very true thing. I tell him that, although I have never been an atheist, his words come very close, perfectly closer, to explaining why I am still a Christian.”
“Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, 'Are you also going to leave?'
Simon Peter replied, 'Lord, to whom would we go?'"
--- Lauren Winner, Still
Moments:
- finding church, for this season
- staying up too late, making homemade ginger syrup, pouring a scotch, and talking to Elora's Bible study via Skype about Lent, Ash Wednesday, and living in the rhythm of the liturgical year (it was 1:30 AM for me when we did and I had a blast)
- sunrise over the cathedral ruins, breaking the firmament of globe, the firmament of self
- houses that become homes, thanks to green place settings and a giant key
- fudge doughnuts and milk pints, aimless walks and coffee
- tables full once more with new faces, a ring of endless light
- paying-forward thanksgiving, delighting in all the good He brings into the lives of others
The best I read this week:
- "So, back to my original issue – please stop assuming that Super Bowl commercials are family-friendly. They haven’t been for years. As long as the formula keeps producing the desired result, a good chunk of the Super Bowl commercials will continue to be inappropriate for young children." from Nish in outraged moms and the super bowl.
- "Stare blankly into your fluorescent sunlamp in the cold, dark morning and say nothing. Or say everything – rant and rave and whine and cry and bare it all – your whole fearful, jealous, angry heart. Both of these things are a kind of prayer, and neither is better or more honest than the other." from Addie in Come Weary
- "Things didn’t start bad with Jim Jones’ church. They got bad over time. And it made me think about how things can deteriorate when we stop asking questions." from Ally in When Things Get Weird at Church
- "Bless them for standing in our thin places between too-much and not-enough, the places where our hearts are breaking and our fears are manifesting and we are so scared and so alone, bless them for being the ones that show up in the fault lines to hold our hands and pray and weep with those who weep." from Sarah in In which I bless the merciful
- "And I don’t think that I have forgiven you." by Alise in Forgiving
- "I tried to rationalize it in the cold light of day but I couldn't. No matter the trend, I wanted to wait to have sex until I was married. Wracked with guilt, I asked God for forgiveness. And then I wondered how on earth I was going to stay abstinent for who knows how long." by Leigh in The Morning After
- "Today he feels about ready to bury it all – the hope he’s had for his music, the earnest effort of a decade practicing and playing, practicing and playing. It has yet to yield a real career, and he’s tired." by Bethany in Picking or Planting.
- Deeper Story also has a roundup of many of the posts written about sexuality and the Church this past week, which you can find here.
Share with me: what was your best post this week, or whom did you read that I didn't?