Christian Liberals & Progressive People of Faith

Chapter One - UNBOXING GOD

** My take, so far, God IS EVERYWHERE, even in the box, but on HIS own terms. **

8:54 AM 6/6/2022
When we experience moments that we identify as spiritual or miraculous or transcendent, they’re seldom attached to organized religion or a single building, and rarely confined to a church service or Bible study.

Pavlovitz, John. If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk (p. 31). Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.

I disagree. I've had both.

I was a serious and devoted Catholic through my 20's until the Church started turning it's back on Vactican II and the ideal that WE as Christians should behave in an ecumenical way and agree where we could to do the work of God together rather than fighting with each other all the time. I was hearing from a new seminarian that they were going back to the idea that ONLY Catholics were going to Heaven. Then there was the whole gay bashing scene and my Mother got taken in to it.

I was in 12 Step Programs for a long time, so I kept what I liked of my faith and left the rest.

As a Catholic

Every Sunday in the pew for the sermon, I'd wait to see what GOD's Word would have for ME that week. How the message pertained to OUR life was the focus of the Preists at our church. I'd always get something and feel that warmth like GOD was reaching through time and space to touch me and care about my life. The sparrow getting his notice.

Sitting/kneeling in the crying room on a saturday with my young adult group saying the rosary together and feeling the power of that prayer moving through us and out into the world.

A spiritual retreat with my church where we had the mass outside and a few of us put flowers around the alter that we picked on the property. standing together in the sunshine and singing god's praises. holding each other and listening to the word of god. it was magical.

On the road...
On my way to a new job in LA and being lost at 4:20am and pulling to the side of the road and YELLING AT GOD. "YOU HAVE TO SHOW ME THE WAY. THIS IS IMPORTANT!!" and suddenly the fear left my vision and i found the way. seriously. God said, "I just wanted you to know it's ok to be angry with me. now you do. it's ok."