A Different Sort of Faith

I am a progressive Christian.  What do I believe in?  I feel the following tenets sum up my beliefs very well.

THE PHOENIX AFFIRMATIONS Version 3.8

CHRISTIAN LOVE OF GOD INCLUDES:

1. Walking fully in the Path of Jesus without denying the legitimacy of other paths that God may provide for humanity.

2. Listening for God’s Word, which comes through daily prayer and meditation,studying the ancient testimonies which we call Scripture, and attending to God’s present activity in the world.

3. Celebrating the God whose Spirit pervades and whose glory is reflected in all of God’s Creation, including the earth and its ecosystem, the sacred and secular, the Christian and non-Christian, the human and non-human.

4. Expressing our love in worship that is as sincere, vibrant, and artful as it is scriptural.

CHRISTIAN LOVE OF NEIGHBOR INCLUDES:

5. Engaging people authentically, as Jesus did, treating all as creations made in God’s very image, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, nationality, or economic class.

6. Standing, as Jesus does, with the outcast and oppressed, the denigrated and afflicted, seeking peace and justice with or without the support of others.

7. Preserving religious freedom and the church’s ability to speak prophetically to government by resisting the commingling of church and state.

8. Walking humbly with God, acknowledging our own shortcomings while honestly seeking to understand and call forth the best in others, including those who consider us their enemies.

CHRISTIAN LOVE OF SELF INCLUDES:

9. Basing our lives on the faith that in Christ all things are made new and that we, and all people, are loved beyond our wildest imaginations—for eternity.

10. Claiming the sacredness of both our minds and our hearts, and recognizing that faith and science, doubt and belief serve the pursuit of truth.

11. Caring for our bodies and insisting on taking time to enjoy the benefits of prayer, reflection, worship, and recreation in addition to work.

12. Acting on the faith that we are born with a meaning and purpose, a vocation, and ministry that serve to strengthen and extend God’s realm of love.

Equal Signs and Dividing Lines

I changed my Facebook profile picture to the red marriage equality sign yesterday.  I wanted to show my support for gay marriage.  I am bisexual and could have easily ended up in a committed same-sex relationship, but I fell in love with and married a man.  I am friends with people who hold belief systems on a continuum from the extreme left to the extreme right.  I was fortunate that no one confronted me about my beliefs.  I saw others attacked for displaying the equal sign.  I don't understand this.  Why must people be so divisive, derisive, and shaming?  For instance, I support gay marriage.  Many of my friends don't.  I respect that.  I have a right to state my beliefs and so do they.  We don't have to fight about it.  If you are my friend, I like YOU.  I don't care what you believe.  That's your choice.  What I believe is my choice.

And that's okay.  Really. 

I also saw people post signs against marriage equality.  I am certainly not offended by those who posted the pictures because everyone has the right to state their beliefs.  Just because I disagree, doesn't make the opinions of others unimportant or "wrong" to me.  This represents one main message I am trying to get across; they are all opinions, not matters of fact.  Therefore, they are neither right or wrong, simply different.

Just because I believe differently than you makes me no less a Christian.  I believe in marriage equality and God has blessed me greatly in my life.  I fully believe God made me who I am for a purpose.

I thought it was rather interesting that on Facebook, the "opposite" of the equal sign picture was either a "division" sign or a "not equal" sign.  That is a powerful message coming mostly from the Christian right.  Essentially, those who posted the "division" sign are stating or suggesting (likely without thinking) that they wish to be divisive.  Those posting the "not equal" sign are stating or suggesting (also likely without giving it much thought) that LGBT individuals are not equal to heterosexuals.  In the Bible, it is recorded that Jesus treated everyone the same.  And I don't think God gave anyone the right to judge.  He can do that when we meet Him.

My problem with the "division" and "not equal" signs have nothing to do with the non-support of gay rights.  It has to do with equality and human rights.  Who is anyone to say that anyone else is a lesser person.  I have learned over and over again in my career as a professional who works with individuals who are intellectually and developmentally disabled and mentally ill that the people I serve are no less than I am.  They are merely different. Each one has a God-given purpose on this earth.  

As do we all.

How Life is Like a Can of Cinnamon Rolls

I live a lot of my life in my head.  It can be rather scary sometimes.  Intrusive thoughts that won't go away.  Do you live life in your head?

You peel off the label from the can.  The way it suddenly pops scares the mess out of you.  The anticipation is worse than the pop itself.

I've been going through a rough patch lately.  Spiraling downward in a way unexpected.  Have you ever ridden the roller-coaster to hell?

Sometimes the can doesn't pop open.  Then you beat it against the counter to get it to pop.  Doesn't seem like fun for the can.

God sent someone to beat me across the counter.  He was doing me a favor.  It really doesn't seem like one, does it?

You can smell the cinnamon and your mouth starts to water.  You begin to think that maybe this culinary delight might be good.  

I realized God was doing me a solid.  That's when I realized good things await.  Ever have one of those moments of clarity?

You start to anticipate the yummy goodness that awaits you.  You get excited about that certain taste you know in the spiral pastry.

I am getting a chance to stop the spiral before I hit bottom.  However, the process takes time and I am impatient.  Are you impatient?

Eventually the timer sounds.  You open the oven and reach inside. You manage to burn your hand on the oven grate in the process.

Oftentimes when I think I'm already there, I get too comfortable.  That's when I'm most liable to stumble in life.  Do you relate?

So you run your hand under cold water, just like you're taught in First Aid class.  Then, you attempt to retrieve the rolls before they burn.

When I try to do things with selfish motives, I get burned a lot.  Instead of giving up, I refocus my purpose and try again.  Have you been burned?

You get a dinner knife and start slowly pouring out and spreading the icing on each roll.  Then the icing decides to come out quickly.

Most of the time, I try to do certain things carefully in a controlled manner.  However, I cannot control what others do.  Do you try to control others?

The icing begins to pour everywhere.  You try in vain to stop it and you come to the realization there's nothing you can do.  It gets everywhere.

When I try to control situations, they tend to get a bit out of hand.  The more you try to stop it or fix it, the worse it gets.  Has this happened to you?

Despite the fact that the icing is everywhere, you try to spread it around the best you can.  Even though it's not perfect, you still want to take a bite.

I have learned, slowly over time, to try not to control everything in life.  It frees me up to enjoy what God has given me.  Have you felt this freedom?

You get a spatula and put a couple of rolls on your plate.  Most of the icing stays on the spatula and when you try to scrape it off, it won't give.

I have also learned that things don't always turn out like I think they will.  I used to think that was absolutely catastrophic.  Do you catastrophize?

You look at your rolls and you look at the spatula.  Decision time.  Do you lick the spatula to enjoy the sweetness or refrain because it isn't "proper".

I have sacrificed plenty of experiences for the sake of propriety or because I worry about what other people think.  Are you concerned about your image?

You decide to lick the spatula.  You are in heaven.  You realize you can still have your roll AND your icing.  Just not exactly the way you expected.

I think life is messy, hard, and ultimately beautiful...it is a gift, you know, good and bad...and that's what makes it perfect.  Are you with me?

Yeah, I totally licked the spatula.