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Vulnerable Faith Chapter 5 Pat 2 Devotional Time

Chapter 5 part 2 ‘The Witness of Failure’ to end of the chapter
Today I listen to classical music.

So many thoughts and impressions and in no order other than that which will help me to remember.

I write this for myself. You who read this are peeking into my mind… or at least my journal (of which I am currently writing in #45). I am trying to not make apologies or rational here because I wouldn't do that in my journal. I know my story. I know my shit. It stinks. I also know that Jesus can make fertilizer out of it for good things to grow. 

I reflect on thing. I will not share my list of failures and moral lapses on the internetz. That is not the way to build intimacy and community with real people. It is often a panacea to the same. I will say it frightens me to my core. I am scared to share. I do know that road of telling things does get easier each step. I think it is because I am not convinced of deep community in close proximity. My best, deepest, dearest, and oldest friends are flung far and wide. This makes me think of marriage and the sphere of family and sharing with my wife. Is there such a thing as too much? Do we need to intentionally seek out greater community then simply the two of us? I think more than two is better. It is certainly better support in life. 


Reflections

My various social media news feeds have had a lot about what it means to be ‘Church,’ why are so many leaving the ‘church,’ and what do we do with those who have been hurt by the ‘Church.’ Jamie asks “ Do we honestly believe that the best witness we can have as Christians before a watching world is to show moral perfection?”  The short answer is no. There is a much longer answer that is also no. 

In this mission tribe I am part of we run schools. Part of the schools is an aspect called 1 on 1. A staff and student are paired up and the staff person is there to check up on the student, talk, pray, and answer questions. The best 1 on 1 experiences I have had are those that are described in this chapter as the AA sponsor. Thank you Darbs for being awesome. I will use this going forward to communicate the idea of the 1 on 1 to those part of our tribe. 


Jesus help.

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