Jeremy's World
Do what you like because you like it. Be who you are with no apologies.
6
Ok, I kind of did. My last blog entry also posted to my Facebook profile. In addition to the insightful comments here, it sparked quite the heated debate there! But you know what? That’s awesome (even though it got out of hand). It means people are passionate about their beliefs. And, that’s a good thing for the things that really matter.
I have a lot of replies to send to folks and will try to do that soon. In the mean time (since I’m horrible about writing) there are a few common themes to respond to though:
You just need to find a good church
That’s a natural reaction. Jenn and I have been burned by “bad churches” before, and the natural response to someone leaving a church is that it must be a bad church or we just aren’t being “fed.” That isn’t the case here. Connections Church is amazing. It is the most accepting and community-oriented church I’ve ever experienced. Sure, it has its issues, but every organization, church or otherwise, does. In sum though, it’s an amazing place for Christians or for people considering Christianity as the answer to life’s questions. If that’s you and you’re in the Triangle-area, check out Connections sometime. The pastor, Fred Turner, is one of the most real, genuine, and honest people I know. I fully expect (and hope!) to maintain that friendship even though we don’t see each other on Sundays. And, for the sake of people choosing the Christian path, I hope Connections continues to thrive.
The “find a good church” comment misses my point. Christian churches, at least those I’ve experienced, by definition base their beliefs solely on Biblical scripture as the word of God. There are varieties there in terms of inspired vs. direct word of God, literal or figurative interpretation, etc. But at the core, the Bible defines the tradition. And, the New Testament teaches us how to live based on God revealing himself through the person of Jesus. That is the issue I have, not the quality of the church or the inherent flaws of human organizations.
Jennifer and I recently decided to leave our church. This was a very tough decision because we had been there since the church started, the pastor is an amazing teacher and great guy, and many (most?) of our very favorite people attend there and/or are part of the leadership team. So why leave?
This decision was primarily a spiritual decision for me. Yes, there was an incident in church one Sunday that I wasn’t happy about, but that isn’t why we left. That was just the final straw. The bigger reason was an overarching questioning of Christianity, how it is plays out today, its positioning in the world, and whether or not I agree with its basic tenants. That’s kind of big stuff. What do I mean?
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