Sticks and Stones may Break my bones...

There is a new sermon series we are beginning at the church Justin and I are attending that I am very excited about...It is called "Sticks and Stones: When God's Word HURTS". Our pastor, Will, is bringing this to us as a means to help answer many of the questions we as humans struggle with...or maybe not fully answer but raise questions and shake our foundations and help us find a sense of new purpose.

What Will did this evening was begin the series off by having members of the church stand and read Bible verses that many of us as God's children struggle with...Whether it was verses concerning slavery, the demonization of homosexuality, or the involvement of women in the ministry and in the church. We read from Leviticus, we read from Exodus, we read from Corinthians You know the ones...Its the Bible verses that get quoted over and over and over and over and many cling to to judge, to support, to negate, to cram, to squelch you as a human being...and was the very reason I strayed from the various churches I tried to reach out to for soul inspiration...

Then Will closed with a selection from Galatians...I want to include it here for my future reference...
Galatians 3:26-29
"For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise."

Will went on to say that Paul was telling the Galatians that all of the things listed were irrelevant in comparison to being one with Christ, being in step with our Creator. Our identity is not defined by what we wear, who we hang out with, but open for all with a oneness for Christ. I like this very much.

Now obviously I can only speak about one of the three topics...But in the end they are all dealt with the same way. It's the Bible verses that get crammed down our throats by those who cling to their own version of the word...and that's really it...and it is ok...they have every right to build their own foundation however they see fit...but they lose sight of this idea of "oneness in Christ" that I think is the most important and how can you be in step with the Creator when you are tearing down those around you to gain sure footing in your own mind?

My coming out process was very difficult when it came to the Bible. I struggled with it for YEARS. I read what it said in the Old Testement. I have read those verses. I have had them smeared in my face by family members. Reading my verse this evening in front of the church brought back the same cold sweat, the nerves, the shakey voice, the feeling that I just wanted to cry. Why wouldn't it? Would you want to be told you were an "abomination"? Who chooses that? Seriously?

The older I get and the more comfortable I get in my own skin, the more in tune I become with what I believe God is telling me...I can sense that He is leading me down this path and has guided me every step of the way to this point in my life. I firmly believe that. And that He has lead me to listening to my heart and reading what Jesus' teachings were and that is something I can build a firm foundation on.

I want to be in a oneness with Christ. I look forward to the evening session on my life's journey, my foundation, who I am and have always been...a child of God who is created different than others around me, who is not an abomination, whose" blood is on my own hands"...but someone beautiful and worthwhile.

I have not felt so inspired and hopeful about church is soooooooooo long. I began to call all my friends here in town to see if they would want to come...I think it is a very courageous discussion Will has begun and I am so grateful that I am here and now and able to experience this...

MORE TO COME...you can be sure of it!