Bishop John Shelby Spong is the author of books like...
Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism: A Bishop Rethinks the Meaning of Scripture
Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers In Exile
A New Christianity for a New World: Why Traditional Faith is Dying & How a New Faith is Being Born
He is one of my favorite authors. In his Book Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, the first chapters is called; A Preamble: Sex Drove Me to the Bible, and the reason for the title of this blog in paraphrase to that title.
My search began soon after I came out as Lesbian. I grew up in an Assembly of God Church. Church on Sunday morning and night, church on Wednesday night Bible Study and Youth Church called CA's, Christ Ambassadors. I knew a lot about the Bible, I knew I was an abomination. So many scriptures told me this. I also knew I felt something deep in my bones when I got close to God. How could my need for a spiritual relationship with God and my sinful nature co-exist?
For years I would go back and forth. Live a lesbian 'life style' or a Christian 'life style' I couldn't have both. Each part of me fought for the right to live. I was never happy, content, or fulfilled with just one. Eventually I gave up. It wasn't doable.
But I still felt a longing for some kind of spiritual connection, so I went searching for other paths that might lead me to the relationship with the Divine I so longed for. I looked into Shamanism having roots in the first Americans, I sought out Native American Shamanism. Herbs, stones, crystals. I read everything I could afford to buy. I found some connection, but not what I was looking for. Eventuality I found a book by John Shelby Spong... Why Christianity must change or Die. It resonated with me. But...
Growing up in the Church you have so many preconceived ideas of what the Bible says and to top it off, there are hooks added to Religion to keep you snagged. You end up looking at anything remotely religious with filters on. Is this a cult? They don't preach it the way I understand it! Satan is a convincing lier and though it sounds good he is the father of lies! I could be turned over to a reprobate mind. I don't want to loose my soul to some false teaching. I mean in the last days false prophets will rise up and in snare the unknowing. FEAR! FEAR! that is the hook.
It took me awhile but I finally realized I was living my parents religion. I had no idea what I believed. I had always believed what I was told to believe. And even as I read the Bible on my own, I heard those sermons of my youth telling me what they meant. I don't know Hebrew, or Greek, or any of the original languages the Bible was written. How can I interpret what is being said. And if I take the word of someone who can read those languages, I right back where I started letting someone else tell me what it means. A no win situation.
I started looking in a whole new direction. With-in. What did my spirit tell me. I still believed that God lived in all of us. I don't know how I knew that but it felt right. I took a merry ride. And someday I may go into the spirit of what I came to believe, but not today, save it for another blog.
I did get back to the Bible, but now I had different eyes to see and ears to hear. Along the way I had read some history of the Christian Church. I don't think most Christians have any idea what the church has gone through to get where it is today. Religion today is based on heresies of the past. Movement of the church into the future has been because of heresy. Someone said your wrong in how you read or understand this, and someone else said heresy.
Just got done watching the movie 'Luther'. The first Martin Luther. What a story. But he was not the first or the last to be called a heretic. Christ was the first. And hopefully there will be many more to come.
I now see the church of present day much like Christ saw the Religious priest and laws of his day. The church has become legalistic. And in some cases hate mongers. What finally got my attention is this... Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. These words have literally saved me. This is about my salvation, not my mother or father's, not my sisters', not the minister's, NO BODIES SALVATION BUT MINE. These words have set me free.
(to be continued)
My search began soon after I came out as Lesbian. I grew up in an Assembly of God Church. Church on Sunday morning and night, church on Wednesday night Bible Study and Youth Church called CA's, Christ Ambassadors. I knew a lot about the Bible, I knew I was an abomination. So many scriptures told me this. I also knew I felt something deep in my bones when I got close to God. How could my need for a spiritual relationship with God and my sinful nature co-exist?
For years I would go back and forth. Live a lesbian 'life style' or a Christian 'life style' I couldn't have both. Each part of me fought for the right to live. I was never happy, content, or fulfilled with just one. Eventually I gave up. It wasn't doable.
But I still felt a longing for some kind of spiritual connection, so I went searching for other paths that might lead me to the relationship with the Divine I so longed for. I looked into Shamanism having roots in the first Americans, I sought out Native American Shamanism. Herbs, stones, crystals. I read everything I could afford to buy. I found some connection, but not what I was looking for. Eventuality I found a book by John Shelby Spong... Why Christianity must change or Die. It resonated with me. But...
Growing up in the Church you have so many preconceived ideas of what the Bible says and to top it off, there are hooks added to Religion to keep you snagged. You end up looking at anything remotely religious with filters on. Is this a cult? They don't preach it the way I understand it! Satan is a convincing lier and though it sounds good he is the father of lies! I could be turned over to a reprobate mind. I don't want to loose my soul to some false teaching. I mean in the last days false prophets will rise up and in snare the unknowing. FEAR! FEAR! that is the hook.
It took me awhile but I finally realized I was living my parents religion. I had no idea what I believed. I had always believed what I was told to believe. And even as I read the Bible on my own, I heard those sermons of my youth telling me what they meant. I don't know Hebrew, or Greek, or any of the original languages the Bible was written. How can I interpret what is being said. And if I take the word of someone who can read those languages, I right back where I started letting someone else tell me what it means. A no win situation.
I started looking in a whole new direction. With-in. What did my spirit tell me. I still believed that God lived in all of us. I don't know how I knew that but it felt right. I took a merry ride. And someday I may go into the spirit of what I came to believe, but not today, save it for another blog.
I did get back to the Bible, but now I had different eyes to see and ears to hear. Along the way I had read some history of the Christian Church. I don't think most Christians have any idea what the church has gone through to get where it is today. Religion today is based on heresies of the past. Movement of the church into the future has been because of heresy. Someone said your wrong in how you read or understand this, and someone else said heresy.
Just got done watching the movie 'Luther'. The first Martin Luther. What a story. But he was not the first or the last to be called a heretic. Christ was the first. And hopefully there will be many more to come.
I now see the church of present day much like Christ saw the Religious priest and laws of his day. The church has become legalistic. And in some cases hate mongers. What finally got my attention is this... Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. These words have literally saved me. This is about my salvation, not my mother or father's, not my sisters', not the minister's, NO BODIES SALVATION BUT MINE. These words have set me free.
(to be continued)
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