Have you heard the terms “purpose” and “destiny” a few too many times? How about “vision” or “passion?” Chances are, you hang out in evangelical/Charismatic Christian circles. In our search for personal significance, in our rejection of the American Dream as the end-all, in our bible-based belief that God has specific plans for each of us, we can swing a little too far over – and land in the glamour ministry zone. Does God do big stuff through ordinary, committed Christians? You bet he does. Has he ordained good works for each of us to do from before the earth started spinning? Continue Reading
God Doesn’t Like Platitudes
Have you ever risked sharing your pain with another person, hoping for a listening ear – and gotten an earful of unsolicited advice instead? Have you ever gone through a tough time, only to have a well-meaning Christian quote, All things work together for good? It’s pretty obnoxious, and downright unbiblical, the way we tend to respond to the suffering of others. For some reason, we consider it our duty to fix things, to explain what God is up to, and to make sure we put a smile back on our friend’s face. Is this how God tells us to treat those who are suffering? The writer of Continue Reading
How to Survive a Shame Storm
It started out innocently enough. I just wanted to get some rest one afternoon, but the neighbor’s dog was barking non-stop. So I thought I would simply ask my neighbor if there was a way he could get the dog to quiet down for a while. A reasonable request, right? Not so much, from his perspective. No sooner had I gotten past the initial greeting and to my request when he shouted: “I don’t like you! You’re bad neighbors!” Then came a litany of complaints he had against me and my husband. I stood rooted to the spot, my mouth gaping open like it belonged to a prize fish. All I could Continue Reading