I have been an evangelical for many years, deeply immersed in many things God.
Years (and years) ago I gave up my alarm clock, believing God called and calls me to be awakened by Him each morning to spend time together.
I have weathered many denominations, and many people have weathered my rocky portrayal of belief as I moved from "hit you over the head with it" to "how can I release my translation of it to better invite you to investigate it?"
A searing question comes to mind:
Have I ever pushed people away from God while insisting my words and actions were in the name of God?I know the meaning of recovering.
A recovering alcoholic leaves alcohol. A recovering drug addict leaves drugs.
I am more like Overeaters Anonymous. They can't leave eating; they work to move away from the overindulgence that is unhealthy.
I am not leaving the evangelical world; I just want to move away from any of my practices that defeat rather than promote.
I see an overindulgence in evangelical circles where we put our beliefs and behavior up on a pedestal--designed to inspire--but in reality paint a disregard for the real person needing a reach from God through believers.
What does Scripture say about a genuine reach from God and our role in it?
Since language in and of itself is loveLESS, how do we insert invitation into our language? How important is invitation to God?
This series is a call to myself. I want to get it right on God's terms, not mine, not tradition, not anything other than Truth with God's capital T.
Just this morning, James 1:27 was in my inbox:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...As evangelicals, we are representing a religion--Christianity. How can we become pure and faultless in such a way that those who watch feel drawn to investigate?
Lord, please for forgive my attempts to parcel up You, Indivisible God, into parts that misrepresent. Teach me the Whole of Your invitation.
Comments are welcome at feedyourstrength@gmail.com.
