“Dr. King was right: ‘We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we discover that, we will be able to make of this old world a new world. Love is the only way.” Presiding Bishop Michael Curry This weekend, many of us were stirred in our Spirit during the sermon spoken by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The words spoken were pure fire harnessed... Read more
Today the world is split into two sides. You’re either celebrating with Israel or mourning with the Palestinians, as the Trump regime has officially established the US Embassy in Jerusalem. If it were ten years ago and I was still a Fundagelical Christian (a term representing fundamental and/or evangelical Christianity), I would be celebrating today. How could that be? How could I possibly have felt any joy today, while also knowing the death and injured toll, which includes innocent children?... Read more
This morning I was researching the Puritans of the 1600’s and 1700’s. I was curious about their belief system as their goal was to transform America into a nation adhering to their view of Christianity. They too were engaged in a culture war, just as evangelicals have been and are currently. I wondered if anyone else has made this comparison, so I began to google “evangelicals are the new Puritans.” However, I didn’t get that far. I only typed “evangelicals... Read more
I know there are so many of you who have been hurt by the church. Not all churches, but, you know the kind. The kind where everything about you is held to a Christian merit system. The ones that hold religious law above love. The type where if you fail, you receive judgment, gossip, shame, guilt, or shunning. I know how it feels. I know how much strength it has taken for me to simply have a glass of wine... Read more
It has been a little over seven years that I hit the reset button on my religion, and still to this day I find theological beliefs in my psyche that have no biblical basis. The deconstruction never ends. There seems to be more to unlearn the deeper I go. Just yesterday I remembered being taught that we would receive a crown in heaven as a reward for following Christ, and we could earn jewels by doing good works, in this... Read more
“What do you mean you are an agnostic student of Jesus Christ?” I am often asked. Let’s face it, none of us know what is going on. None of us have concrete, absolute, observable proof of our faith or lack there of. I cannot commit to belief in one thing, nor can I commit to belief in nothing, which is why I define as an agnostic. I’ve had seasons of both, being a Christian, and being an atheist. While both... Read more
“Every great love starts with a great story…” Nicholas Sparks We all love stories. I haven’t met a human that doesn’t. Whether our stories entertain us through movies, books, TV shows, fine art, or lyrics, it is one thread of life that we all spin. Humanity has evolved through messages brought through this simple yet divine act of storytelling. The meaning derived depends on the listener, yet, an artistic story is near impossible to corrupt because art isn’t so... Read more
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” Harper Lee-To Kill a Mockingbird I was a Christian for 23 years before I ever actually read the Bible. Sure, I was a whiz... Read more
“When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system’s game. The establishment will irritate you – pull your beard, flick your face – to make you fight. Because once they’ve got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don’t know how to handle is non-violence and humor.” John Lennon Understandably, there are many of us in America who have every right to be angry, and we don’t... Read more
Dear God I once believed in, Hello old “friend”, it’s me again. Today, I come to you for the last time. Today, I say goodbye because I don’t know you anymore. I never really did. Since the beginning of our relationship, you’ve been fading out in my mind. I tried to hold on to you with every breath I had, and yet still, I have watched you slowly dissolve like fog into the sun. I realized, today, that I don’t... Read more
Kimberly Stover
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