I am now working as a therapist and feeling such fulfillment in knowing this is where I am meant to be. It is such an honor to hear other's stories, to offer support and acceptance, and to create a safe space for inner work to happen. This is a humbling career, and I am grateful for being able to collaborate with clients in choosing to walk towards healing.
I haven't been to church in almost a year. There was such unrest inside me every time I attended church, 2016-beginning of 2017. I felt anger, the need to numb, and a deep dissatisfaction in my church. My husband, Peter and I spoke with friends and pastors trying to work through whatever was happening. We explored our faith and the deconstruction experiences we were having with each other. We tried to persevere through the confusion as faithful church goers.
Our conflicts with the church: lack of affirmation of LGBTQ+ people, need for rule following to guide behavior, lack of respect or inclusion of world religions' truth holding, and a general encouragement of certainty (which excludes questioning, doubts and non-christian thinking).
Our solution: An unexpected gathering of like minded deconstructionists that turned into our home church called OUTSKIRTS. We started meeting in April and took turn leading on topics like "Is Hell Real?," "Sexual ethics in the Bible," and "What is the Sabbath?" We added new people and bonded as a community looking for room to safely explore in a supportive environment. Lately the topics of discussion have been, "Divination," "Worship." and "Energy Work."
Peter and I have been reading voraciously on topics of feminism, the Bible, trauma work, hell, history, and affirming the under privileged. Our passions are stirred by this amazing community we have found and the needs we see at our jobs and in our world. Both of us are pursuing education opportunities to increase our abilities to serve well.
Life is different to say the least.
I would like to begin writing again and utilizing my blog to share our journeys. As I read over old posts, I see firm perspectives on God that are now fluid, I see vulnerability and honesty, and I am okay with the exposure of these deeply intimate stories of mine. I am ready to share where I am now, what I've learned and the mistakes I've made. I'm ready to offer the personal work I'm doing and the layers of heartache and loss that have been slowly peeling away.
I hope you will join me.
No comments:
Post a Comment