The Whole Kristen ca-Doodle

People Won't Know Their Welcome Unless You Say They Are I once told my dear friend, our church secretary at the time, this, when we were discussing open and affirming congregations.  The thing is, if you are part of a group that has been historically held to the periphery of society, or in some way made to feel less than, or been explicitly told that you are an abomination, it would be really hard, it would take extreme bravery and courage to enter any place, but expecially a faith community that didn't go out of her way to offer you a specific welcome.  So, IT DOESN"T MATTER IF YOU WOULD WELCOME THEM ONCE THEY'RE THERE or not!  Leaving a church after three decades and becoming a visitor in others has opened my eyes to how much bravery and courage is involved in visiting new faith communities at all.   So I picked one that displayed obvious welcome.  One that flies a rainbow flag, one that hangs a banner welcoming refugees and immigrants.  I am none ...

“At the end of the day, it isn’t where I came from. Maybe home is somewhere I’m going and never have been before.”  ―  Warsan Shire I was a member of one church my whole life.  Home and that church are where I learned about the incredible, overwhelming love of the Divine and about a man who was of God and who was God, (say what?) who showed us what it was like to love like the Divine.  (P.S.  I am talking about that radical dude, Jesus.)  Knowing that love, has literally saved my life (another story for another day), and knowing Jesus, has influenced my perspective on pretty much everything.  I will always and forever be grateful for that church and the people in it. Fast forward to the present, almost mid-way through my 4th decade here, that church didn't fit anymore.  I still loved the people, and God and Jesus, of course, buuuuuut, it stopped feeling like home.  Now, that was an incredible bummer because all my BIG LIFE things happened...