I just wanted to draw your attention to a new addition in my blogroll. David Hayward is known affectionately as The Naked Pastor and as you can imagine he writes with some very real honesty and transparency (including some pretty cool cartoons).
I include this from one of his latest entries;
I’m finding it very difficult lately to be two things at one time: a critic of the system I’m a part of. As you might have guessed by now, I’m both a critic of official Christianity and institutional church as well as being a full-time professional pastor.
I find it really challenging to remain in the system. I experience why so many people abandon the church and religion. One of the main reasons, I must confess, is because of the backlash from the system itself and those within it when you express unrest with it.
If you criticize an institution it is assumed that you have no moral right to be a part of it. You’re said to bite the hand that feeds you. And we often conclude that to criticize something is to hate it rather than suspect that the criticism is borne out of an intense passion for the thing.
If that interests you then there’ll be lots of good stuff coming from this same blog and you should go and read more. Even if he is naked. http://nakedpastor.com
Filed under: Cool Web Sites, Ministries
Oh, it is so good to be naked; but so hard. A couple of days ago, I learned that I had offended some people–people whom I dearly love, and who are the last people on earth I would want to hurt. You know what? They were right to be offended. What I had said–though entirely with good intent–had been hurtful. I’ve gone to each person and sincerely apologized and have written a card to each of them. It was so awful, and I feel sick as I think of it today.
This experience has made me naked, and it was not comfortable. It also has made me consider the subject of motive. Sometimes we think if our motive is right, everything is made okay because of our pure motive. Not so. …enough of this now, but I will be writing of it later.
I’ve enjoyed reading here today, as I always do when I come by.
Shirely, thank you so much for stopping by. I enjoy it when you do.
Going for a skinny dip is extrememly difficult and exposing. From what you write, I know that God is working in Lake Havasu behind the scenes as a weaver. It looks messy but the resulting tapestry on the other side is an incredible work. God bless you as you keep following the destiny that God has placed in your heart.
And do stop by again - I like to know that you have visited.