The Church-Washing of Your True Freedom
"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." - John 8:36
For the love of God - please STOP letting people Church-Wash efforts to steal your Grace-bought FREEDOM.
I truly am so tired of dancing on eggshells about this subject. I used to be concerned about offending elders, peers, etc. Then I realized many of them have been sadly deceived, as well.
Once you see it for what it is, you just can't un-see it.
It's so painful to watch people you deeply care about willingly handcuff themselves into pay-per-pew seating - and worse, try to support fellow "ministers" as they handcuff themselves to that podium under the same sad delusion.
There is, always, a need for education & edification, don't get me wrong. But we call a weekly seminary meeting "church", and it's just not.
It's SCHOOL.
Blurring that very fine line has been intentional, for centuries.
The inference being: "If we can guilt you into showing up once a week at a building we deem appropriate, and make you pay for it - and our salaries for running it - and make you feel obliged to sign up on a schedule to care for it - we own your mind."
The greatest 'evangelist' of all time was Paul the Apostle, and he made tents for a living... never expecting a dime for his efforts to travel and tell people about the glory of the freedom available to us all. I, too, have worked hard over these past few years to build businesses that sustain my household so I can truly be free to offer what I know and share what - and how - I have learned. I do hope you will support those businesses of mine of they're ever a fit for you, but absolutely no patronage will ever be "expected". I mean that.
The main thing I have felt lead to share for the last two decades or more is this:
The Biblical Acts version of what we now call "church" was WAY more like a Saturday afternoon cook-out than anything we try to call "church" today. Read that, and truly digest it.
So, I implore you - fire up the grill, invite all your neighbors... conspire to love & bless one another as you can. Give Caesar what is Caesar's, and focus on your own neighborhood.
THAT's what "church" (ecclesia) actually WAS until around the 2nd century A.D.
ALL of this other "structure" was just a man-made mess piled on top of Christ's beautiful simplicity.
Jesus destroyed the temple to demonstrate and affect God's Holy Spirit having a true home within US.
Why on earth do we keep trying to reconstruct it? 🙏
I know all too well that I'm mumbled about amongst former peers for posting "off" ideas, or for posting too many attempts at laughter, or for my (unapologetic) feral love of music, or for daring to simply pose questions to make us all think about what we "think" we "know". I COMPLETELY understand that thought process. I once was also caged within it - so I have absolutely no hard feelings when those words eventually do find their way back to my ears. Conversely, I have many peers and long-term ministry family reaching out to me - independently of each other, wildly enough - to consider forming an association of ministers who are also embracing the journey of sharing an understanding of Christ who's alive in and amongst us. This, too, will be a journey... but one I'm certainly up for. It's been a long time, but I've made myself available before - and I'm truly willing to make myself available to do it again, as He leads - IF He leads.
To be clear, I work for an Audience of One. I'm happy to do my own due diligence deep-dives in the hermeneutics sphere, for as long as it takes, to gain clarity on what I believe and why I believe it (25+ yrs thus far). I cross-reference in ways that many may not even bother, or even know they can, sadly. But I truly don't stop, ever, until it is well with my soul. I simply try to share what I've found on that journey, for you - dear reader or listener - to contemplate and then choose to take or leave.
I welcome anyone and everyone to join me - and each other - for this *VERY REFRESHING* ride.
I am simply no longer "religious".
I am free.
By His Grace Alone...
More to come.
As always,
Nicole
"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." - John 8:36