my spirit

in the mist of life, and the expressions of others, comes a voice that lifts - and it felt good:

"John, I appreciate the props. I just wanted to tell you about why that's so significant to me. A couple months ago I typed into google "church sucks" and I find your "Ten Reasons Why Your Church Sucks." article and it rocked my world. Then I started searching the site and eventually emailed you to see if you would answer, like you had said is a characteristic of postmodernists I think in the 95 thesis. In any case we had emailed back and forth and that made a huge impact on me. I was at a point where I felt like there was no culture for a person like me, both in or out of the church. My ideas were to radical, my tastes too diverse, etc. But then communicating with you and reading the ginkworld site a LOT explained a lot of it to me. So to have you, probably the main reason I'm into postmodernism and finally feel like there's a community for crazy people like me, give me props on my thoughts about postmodernism, its a full circle incredible thing. So thanks for all you've done for the emerging church, this community has given me a home and a place where I belong and its helped my relationship with Christ by leaps and bounds. Keep up the good work brother and thanks again, it means a lot.

Love and Respect,
Dan"

so here is what i have decided because of this (and other emails) - if in expressing my faith the modern church dislike my words, or my thoughts, or the expression of my heart i am at a loss. if the expression of what i say offends them or causes them to be angry with me, i am at a loss. if stating what i believe offends, i can do nothing about that because i speak the reality i see, in the christ i love.

nothing i say is meant to be mean, hurtful or violent, even if it is taken that way - because i have no control over how people see my words, i only have control of the words i express, and i know they are not meant to hurt - but sometimes what is real hurts, and i wonder if they are mad at what i said, or what they think i said. i walk with christ, in christ and through christ and if others can't see that because they are to blinded by their own views, their own prejudiced and their own desire, so be it.

as a faith we have the opportunity to expand and see the world in new ways - as a faith we have the ability to share christ with the world around us in relevant ways - as a faith we can truly see christ change lives and as our faith move mountains - but we must believe that, own that, express that and allow those who are a bit more radical and daring to lead the way - remember, our faith is based on a radical jewish carpenter from some 2,000 years ago - let us catch that radical spirit, shake the world and make disciples for christ.