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Culture

Culture

The Desire To Be Right Is Killing Us. Here’s How We Overcome It.

by Frank Powell
written by Frank Powell

We live in uneasy times. The anxiety is tangible. You can feel it the way you feel a summer’s day in my hometown of Birmingham. It’s heavy, like your breathing under water, like you can’t catch your breathe. Our world feels that way right now, doesn’t it? Gun control. Abortion. The war in Ukraine. Sexual abuse in the church. I’m to the point where I have pre-pre traumatic stress disorder. I’m anticipating the anticipation of the next cultural earthquake, bracing myself for an event that hasn’t happened but will happen soon, maybe today.

Combine this unsteadiness with the opinions of every human at our fingertips, and you have a world that threatens to implode on itself. In times like this, what do we do? We disconnect and meditate and pray. Pssh. Please. 

We pick up our digital box and open our social media app of choice. And what do we see? The musings of the people who think like we do. We turn to our news source of choice and what do we hear? The ramblings of talking heads who pamper to our perspective. 

The ground underneath our feet is shaking hither and tither, and we need a firm place to stand. So, we double down on the voices we know. These voices seem so certain, so sure of what’s right and what’s wrong, and we want to be on the right side of every issue, so we turn on Fox News or CNN or whatever and we allow these sources to cement our worldview. 

And, look, I get it. I’m penning these words because I feel the pull to hunker down in my little corner and shout truth bombs at every unsuspecting person in my path. 

Look, there’s Larry. Larry believes guns are the savior of the world. Larry owns enough guns to supply a small platoon. Well, take this, Larry. 

“The answer to gun violence isn’t more guns. It’s gun control. You’re living in fear, Larry, and as long as people like you love their guns as much as they love their God, our land will overflow with the silent cries of innocent lives taken too soon.”

Boom. Direct hit. 

And, here’s the thing: I’m right. Most days I’m convinced that if every human adopted my worldview, every problem would float into thin air – poof! – and disappear. This sounds prideful and arrogant – and it is – but it’s true. 

If you’re honest with yourself, though, you feel the same way. All of us, to some degree, suffer from certainty bias. We believe our perspective is THE perspective and all others perspectives are wrong, at best, and the manifestation of Satan’s plan to take over the world, at worst. 

THE DESIRE FOR CERTAINTY IS KILLING US

I want to ask you a question, though, a question I’ve asked myself in recent days. 

Has my desire to be right made me a healthier, more engaged and loving person?

Here’s another question: Has our desire to be on the right (or left) side of arguments helped us becoming the kind of community that respects and humanizes every one, regardless of worldview? 

I can’t answer that for you, but I can for me. The answer is no. I’m more anxious and less hopeful today than I was a few years ago. I have less love and respect for people with a different worldview than I ever have. The world is caving in. And it’s their fault. 

Friends, this is not okay. We don’t exist to convince the world that we’re right. I’m beginning to realize that even if I did, by some divine sorcery, convince every human to think just like me, I wouldn’t find the peace I desire. I don’t think you would either. 

Our collective anxiety and constant access to technology has duped us, tricked us into believing it’s more important to be right than to love our neighbor. I could give you all sorts of Scriptures and theology to support this, but that’s not necessary, is it? Just look around. Or in the mirror. We indict ourselves. What we’re doing right now isn’t working, and we know it.

We need a new path, an alternative way forward.

Fortunately, we don’t have to continue like this. We can choose another way, a way that opens our hearts and minds, a way that gives our souls rest. And this way starts with three words:

I. Don’t. Know. 

This is the way of uncertainty. Can you imagine a world like this? A world where we don’t need things to resolve, where we recognize and embrace our limitations, a world where we realize we don’t know everything. We don’t even know most things. And that’s okay. 

CERTAINTY IS AN IDOL

Certainty is one of the greatest idols of our time. I know this because we’ve justified its existence for so long, we now call it a virtue. When you begin to champion something that drains life from your soul, you’re in trouble. Big trouble. 

And we’re in big trouble. In every Christian community I’ve been around, certainty is a mark of mature faith. The more certain you are about what the Bible says and how God interacts with the world and so on, the more likely you are to become a leader in the church. The more knowledge you acquire, the closer you are to God. 

The goal of Christian living is to acquire knowledge about Jesus, not follow him. Again, I know this because most Christians, myself included, can tell you where Jesus would land on every issue and who he would hang with in every situation, but their behaviors and actions look nothing like the Son of God. 

JESUS DIDN’T CARE ABOUT CERTAINTY

Meanwhile, Jesus, wasn’t concerned with clear or correct thinking. If certainty mattered to God, Jesus failed. God’s son often spoke in parables and used unclear, mirky stories to talk about God. He said over and over that the kingdom is like this or that. He frustrated religious leaders because he side-stepped direct questions about important religious things, like the sabbath or the after life. 

And when he chose his disciples, he didn’t show up to the local Bible college and ask for the best students. He went to the streets and chose the outcasts and misfits, people who knew little to nothing about religion. 

I’m convinced that if the Savior of the World stood in our midst today, both sides of the spectrum would find him deeply unsatisfying. Jesus wouldn’t land on one side of an issue because Jesus didn’t care about being right. 

Jesus came to destroy the idol of certainty. He came to make a mockery of correct thinking. Jesus came to break us from the trance of needing to be right. You can’t love people if you feel compelled to correct them. And Jesus cared about loving people.

Let’s admit – and I’m talking to Christians here – we care more about acquiring knowledge and fine-tuning our theology than caring for people. 

We care more about labeling people than loving them. 

And this has made us anxious, angry, depressed, lonely people. Would you agree? We’re divided, fractured, fragmented. A pro-lifer, for example, doesn’t just see a pro-choicer (that’s not a word, I know) as someone with a faulty view. They’re the enemy. Them, those guys, over there, they’re the reason the world is caving in. If they would just repent of their incorrect thinking, everything would be fine. 

Would it, though? 

We don’t need any more correct thinkers We need more people who can – with great courage – admit the obvious:

I. Don’t. Know. 

THE SPIRITUAL BENEFITS OF SAYING I DON’T KNOW

1. I don’t know connects us with God. 

It dismantles the either-or mindset that separates us from our neighbor and stunts our spiritual growth. You can’t grow if you believe you’re right. What’s the point? You have it all figured out.

2. I don’t know heals us, physically, mentally, and spiritually. 

Say the words out loud. If you’re like me, you feel something in your bones. Do you feel it? It’s your ego and the accompanying anxiety releasing ts grip on your heart and mind. You don’t know it all. You don’t need to. It’s okay if you’re unsure. Your body knows certainty is unhealthy, toxic to your health. Saying I don’t know is self-care. It’s a healing balm to your physical body. 

3. I don’t know opens the door to transformation. 

Not the kiddie pool transformation we see in American Christianity, where being a Christian means adhering to the cultural values – security, prosperity, progress, etc. Oh, and, of course, certainty. No, this is real transformation, where we begin to see things as they are, not as we are. Where we begin to grow in love and peace and joy. Where we see our neighbors as a reflection of ourselves. 

4. I don’t know allows us to see people as image-bearers, not as a collection of issues. 

Correct thinking almost always leads to dehumanization. Saying I don’t know allows you to re-humanize people. Think about your own life. No matter where you land on an issue. How do you feel about those on the other side. Hmm. Do you love them? Or do you see them as problems to be resolved? For me, it’s the latter. That’s why I need this alternative way, the way of I don’t know. 

Once I don’t need to be right, I’m free to be curious, to hear everyone’s story. Why does my neighbor support strong gun laws? Did he grow up in an unsafe home? Is he a military veteran who’s seen the worst in humanity? Or what about my pro-choice neighbor? Why does she support abortion? Maybe she grew up with abusive parents or she was forced to raise her siblings because her parents absent or something like that. She knows that you can be alive without ever living. 

Regardless, it’s clear what we’re doing now isn’t working. It’s not working because it’s not the way of Jesus. We’ve allowed the world to convince us that certainty equals faithfulness and it doesn’t. There’s nothing noble or godly about certainty.

The way of Jesus, the way of Healing, begins with three words:

I. Don’t. Know. 

May we have the courage to walk this path.

Grace and peace, friends. 

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Culture

8 Life-Changing Lessons I’ve Learned Since Graduation

by Frank Powell
written by Frank Powell

I received my college diploma thirteen years ago. It feels like thirteen-hundred years ago, though. I’ve lived multiple lives since then, some of my own choosing, some not. 

Graduation is a crossroads. It’s one of life’s biggest transitions. 

The most important lessons you’ll learn are in front of you. Some lessons, however, I can tell you now because I’ve been there. These lessons, if you soak them in, can keep your life free from a lot of unnecessary suffering. Why do some people seem to thrive in the years to come and others don’t? How do you experience capital-l Life? I don’t have all the answers. But these might help. 

Because I’m a sharer, here are the most important lessons I’ve learned since graduation. These are true, by the way, whether you’re a graduate or not. 

Here we go. 

1. Nothing is wasted. Everything matters.

In the years to come, you will experience days so good and full that you will reach the end of them and ask, “Can life get any better than this? Surely not.” I’ve had a few of those days. You might think those days occurred in the big moments of my life. The day I got married and held my kids for the first time. And they did. But I also had them in otherwise ordinary settings. Hold onto these days. Soak them in. 

Because you will also have hard days. You will have really hard days, days where the suffering is so intense it feels tangible, like an actual hand is choking the life from your bones. Since graduating, I’ve been diagnosed with cancer. I’ve changed careers twice. I held my dream job in the palms of my life only to be told I wasn’t the man for it. I lost a family member to suicide. My parents divorced. I lost a child. Oh, and I developed a chronic illness that sucked the life from my bones and left me in language-less pain, bed-ridden for almost three years. 

It’s easy to look at the highs and the lows and the plateaus and assign them a moral value. This day is bad. This day is good. And so on. It’s natural to look at the failures and disappointments and setbacks and assume those days are a hindrance to your life’s journey. 

Don’t do this.

Because everything matters. God uses all of it. Every single moment of your life matters. The good, the bad, the ordinary. It all counts. Even our mistakes. Yes, God even uses our sin. Somehow and for some reason, he uses it. 

2. The world is not caving in. 

We need your optimism and hopeful naivete right now. The optimism that believes in the future. I hope you believe in the future. We need that so bad right now. Most of us no longer believe in our future. We’ve listened to too many talking heads, too many fear-mongering news analysts whose only objective is to sell us fear. They’re good salesmen (and women). We’ve bought it. 

We believe the human experiment is reaching its end. It’s not, though. Here are the facts. At this point in history, we’re experiencing all-time lows in infant mortality, poverty, famine, and violence. When COVID threatened to destroy us, we developed a vaccine in months and saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Humanity is NOT on its last leg. The human experiment hasn’t failed. 

The best is yet to come. We need optimism that hasn’t been tainted by the suffering and cynicism of life. We need you. So give it to us. Show up and show us how we should live, with energy and passion and hope. 

3. Your integrity is more important than your accomplishments. 

In the days ahead, you will build a career and maybe find a spouse and build a family. You will face decisions of all kinds. In your decision-making, remember this: your integrity is the most thing about you. It’s more important than your job title. It’s more valuable than all the money in the world. Protect your integrity at all costs. 

Here the thing, though. Protecting your integrity will cost you. I don’t know how. But at some point, money or recognition or success or even friends or family will ask you to compromise your integrity. One or more of these things will ask you to make a decision that goes against who you are. Don’t do it. Whatever you gain is temporary. It’s fading, even as you acquire it. And what you sacrifice is far greater. You’re sacrificing the chance to live untethered from your true self.  

There’s great freedom in integrity. This is the only way to find freedom, by the way. Don’t give it away for a few coins or a fleeting title or false security.

4. Take care of yourself. 

I lived the first twenty-seven years of my life unconcerned with my body. I pushed myself at work. I pushed myself physically. I stayed up late. I ate too much. I didn’t establish boundaries in my relationships. I didn’t prioritize number one. 

When I turned twenty-eight, the years of neglect cost me. I began experiencing nausea and body aches that progressed into pain so severe I struggled to stand or leave my house. I became bed-ridden. 

Thankfully, I found a program that gave me my life back. I would’ve never lost it, though, had I taken care of myself. 

Self-care is not selfish. Make the decision now that you will prioritize yourself, your well-being. Take breaks. Pace your days. Get plenty of sleep. Life is a marathon, not a sprint, and there are no medals for finishing first. Walk the marathon as often you can. 

Listen to your body. Your body speaks to you. If you listen to it, you could save yourself years of pain and suffering. 

5. Make mistakes. 

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Don’t be afraid of anything. If you’re going to fear something, though, fear the status quo. Fear comfort. Fear a life that reaches its end having accomplished nothing. Failure is not bad. Failure is a sign of life.

The mistakes you make provide the greatest opportunities for growth. As strange as this sounds, you must make mistakes to find capital-L life. So, don’t be afraid of them. Take risks. Fall down. When you do, get back up. Learn. Repeat. 

6. There’s nothing wrong with an ordinary life. 

There’s a toxic message that hovers in the atmosphere of America, a message that says your life is worthless unless you live in the spotlight. You must cure cancer or amass thousands of TikTok followers or whatever. This is a lie. The allure of fame is huge. The payoff is not. 

There’s nothing wrong with an ordinary life, a life where you love the people around you and care for your community and prioritize your well-being and make the right choices. This is the good life. This is where you find joy and peace and hope. 

7. Live in kairos time, not chronos time. 

Time has two systems of measurement: chronos and kairos. The first is clock time. It’s the hours and minutes and seconds as determined by the thing on wrist. Most people are enslaved to this time. This is not the way God created us to live, though. It’s a mindless existence. We go from here to there, and never stop to ask why we’re doing what we’re doing. It leaves no space for the presence of God. 

Always leave space to experience the presence of God. This is kairos time.

Kairos is transformative time. It’s God time. Kairos is time outside the clock hands. When you live this way, you’re not enslaved to the hours in the day. You can stop and ask questions. You can look for God. You see opportunities. You prioritize what you value most. 

You don’t have to live in the shackles of the clock. You can choose a different path. This is the path all the great ones choose. It’s hard. It requires awareness and intentional decisions and sacrifice. But living in kairos time is the only way to experience True Life.

8. Never stop learning. 

Most of your life, teachers threw assignments in your face and told you to read this or that book and come back the next time with the right answer. All that is over. 

Congrats. Now, I would like to welcome you to the classroom of life. This is your most important class, more important than all your previous classes combined. You never graduate from this class. You have no assignments or textbooks, and there are no wrong answers. The only way to fail this class is to refuse to show up, to live your coming days in willful ignorance, indulging every selfish desire.

A lot of people stop learning after they graduate. I pray you don’t. This is the surest way to waste your life. The world has so much to teach you, so many beautiful and amazing lessons. If you press in, you can experience a life you never thought possible.

Visit new places. Read a lot of books. Learn from different people. Stay curious. This is your task for the remainder of your life. It’s a humbling and exhilarating task. 

_______

Here’s to a new season. May you learn and grow. May you find peace and love and joy. Good luck. 

Grace and peace, friends.

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Culture

Buffalo, White Supremacy, And The Great Sin Of Our Generation

by Frank Powell
written by Frank Powell

My heart aches for the families who lost someone they love in this evil, heinous act by a young man brainwashed by racist fantasies, fantasies fed to him by far-right media. I hate using that vernacular – right and left. It carries so much baggage. But I searched for better language and found none.

To the black community: I’m so sorry. Tears stream down my face as I scribble these words. I can’t imagine the pain you feel. I’m a white man who lives a comfortable life. I don’t know the deep anxiety you harbor for yourselves and your family as you spend your days in a country where the system has failed you. Who can you trust? Not the police. Not the government. Not even your neighbor. I’m so sorry.

This young man drove out of his way, fueled by a cocktail of hatred and racism, and intentionally targeted the black community. Let’s not pretend this isn’t our fault. It is.

Our silence condemns us. We live in a time where silence is no longer an option. If you refuse to speak out against these racist acts and the ideologies that fuel them, you’re guilty as well.

“To remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all,” writes Elie Wiesel, an Auschwitz survivor. 

“Indifference to evil is worse than evil itself,” says Abraham Heschel. “It is a silent justification affording evil acceptability in society.” 

Martin Luther King says, “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people…There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” 

Indifference is a virus that infects the soul, drains it of love. Many white people are sick from this virus. I’m sick from it. We’re sick when we hear that a white man targeted and killed black people and feel bad for a moment, then carrying on with our lives. We’re sick when we see a young black man killed by the people hired to protect him, and our first thought is to defend the killer. We’re sick when we watch and support media outlets that feed racist ideas and defend our consumption of such garbage because they also support our views on abortion or gun control. 

It’s sad how many Christians say they’re pro-life until their stance bumps up against their privilege. Then their hypocrisy is exposed. They’re not pro-life. They’re pro-abortion, which is fine. But do the lives of those killed in shootings like Buffalo not matter as much as they ones who haven’t been born? Of course they do. God values all life, and equally, not just the lives of the unborn.

Why, then, do we not fight for these lives with the same vigor? I think I know the answer, and it grieves me to say it.

We fight with such passion for abortion because the unborn are an easy group to fight for. The unborn don’t ask anything from us. They don’t have opinions or political views. As Pastor Dave Barnhart says, “You can love the unborn and advocate for them without substantially challenging your own wealth, power, or privilege, without re-imagining social structures, apologizing, or making reparations to anyone. They are, in short, the perfect people to love if you want to claim you love Jesus, but actually dislike people who breathe.“

I’m not saying we shouldn’t fight for the unborn. We should. But let’s not fool ourselves into thinking we’re pro-life. And let’s not pretend we’re on the right side of God’s favor because we fight for this group, while everyone who doesn’t agree with us is evil and wrong. What about those who fight for the men and women who died in Buffalo, giving time and energy to prevent the next mass shooting? What about the people who fight for gun reform? Are they not fighting for life too? Is God not fighting with them?   

And about gun control. For the life of me, I can’t imagine how men and women have access to the types of weapons that allow such atrocities. I’ve heard people say guns aren’t the problem; mental health and broken homes are the issue. Fine. Maybe you’re right. But when I was addicted to porn, the first thing a counselor instructed me to do was place as many barriers between myself and the media as I could. Site blockers. Passwords. Make it as difficult as possible to access the thing that’s destroying you, he said. In the meantime, we would address the mental and emotional reasons behind my addiction. 

So, that’s what I did. And, to my surprise, the barriers made an enormous difference. It’s shocking how the mind stops fixating on something when it realizes the energy necessary to acquire it. 

Is the same thing not true, here? Mental health and extremist people will walk the earth as surely as the sun rises. We need to address mental health. In the meantime, though, should we not take steps to make it as difficult as possible for people to acquire weapons that can kill large amounts of people? We should. And we must.

It seems like the generations in power today don’t have the courage necessary to make such changes, though, so I want to challenge and pray for the next generation, that they will have the gumption and mental fortitude to do what our generation could not – enact laws that keep mass killing devices from reaching the hands of mentally unstable and racist people. 

Today, my heart hurts. For the black community. For humanity in general. Even for the young man who shot and killed those people. 

My whole life, I’ve heard Christians pray for God to heal our land. I pray that too. But, too often, this prayer is yet another form of spiritual bypassing. We speak words to God and wipe our hands clean of the matter, and meanwhile, I wonder if God looks at us and says, “I’ve given you everything you need to heal. Why aren’t you taking action? Why aren’t you using your voice, your resources, your privilege?” 

So, today, I write these words, in faith, in love, hoping and praying something good will come from them. Maybe so. Maybe not. Either way, I can’t remain silent. I refuse to sin in this way, and separate myself from my God and my neighbor. 

Indifference is the great sin of our generation. May we have the humility to repent and the strength to change. 

Amen. 

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Deconstruction
CultureFaith

Deconstruction Is Not Trendy. It Is Necessary For Spiritual Growth.

by Frank Powell
written by Frank Powell

A few years ago, I almost gave up on God. I hauled my faith to the edge of a cliff and prepared to watch its fall to its death. I was lost, wounded, and sad. I was also jobless. Just a few months before, I was a pastor. I loved working at a church. I loved helping people and engaging in meaningful work. But my job began to unravel, and I found myself in a room with a group of elders and they did that thing where they give you the option to resign as a courtesy to you and your family. It’s a gesture of respect, they say. It’s not really, though, is it? Anyone who has been in such a situation knows. I accepted their tainted olive branch, however, and resigned.

I left that church building for the final time on a Wednesday. The following Monday, I started my new job: teaching my two and three-year-old sons about shapes and numbers. That’s right. I became their teacher. I no longer had an income, so we couldn’t afford to send them to day care. Teaching is a good and necessary work. But not for me. For me, it was a reminder of my lot in life, how hard I had fallen. 

WHAT DECONSTRUCTION LOOKS LIKE

And so it began. The months ahead were hard and painful and lonely. Everything I thought I knew about God, faith, and church tumbled to the ground. Every day, it seemed, a different wing of the structure I spent years constructing, split apart from the whole and fell to the earth. I was angry to the point of rage. I was sad to the point of mourning. The sting of standing in the rubble of my faith made my body ache. My joints hurt. My stomach soured. I was a shell of myself. When I opened the Bible, the words looked foreign. When I prayed, words didn’t come out. When I went to church, I anxiety flooded my bones. 

When you lose your faith, though, you see the world through a clearer lens. The game is over. You don’t need to sustain lies anymore, so you see them for what they are. I began to see how the church and the evangelical community bowed to the idol of comfort at the expense of black and brown-skinned people. As police killed black men and women with reckless abandon, the evangelical community remained silent. The black community mourned. Why did we not mourn with them? I couldn’t understand why churches across the nation didn’t rise up and wrap its collective arms around our hurting brothers and sisters. Why did the pain of the black community not matter to the white church? 

The answer, I realized, is many white Christians are racist, and standing with the black community meant losing members and the checks they wrote. Those checks were necessary to support the machine, the massive budgets and campuses that sprawl across huge chunks of earth. Then, I realized I contributed to the machine, and I when I worked at a church, I didn’t say anything either. I needed to keep my job. My job supported my family. The limbs of the status quo stretch deep and wide. 

As I waded through the rubble of faith, I also began to see how the evangelical church held tight to the Bible in a way that dehumanized others – women and the gay community, among others – and diminished the role of the Holy Spirit in our own life experience. We hand-picked verses and used them as chains to keep women from using their gifts of teaching and preaching and leading. We hand-picked others to marginalize and dehumanize the gay community, as if we had the authority to tell people who can and can’t experience the love and grace of God. 

DECONSTRUCTION IS NOT TRENDY

I heard a pastor talk about deconstruction a few months ago. I used to love this pastor. For years, I listened to almost all his teachings. Surely, he would bring some perspective to the conversation. 

I was wrong. Here’s a wise and true saying: don’t trust the words of someone who hasn’t waded through the fire themselves, and most pastors haven’t waded through the fire. Pastors, you see, and many Christian leaders, have a vested interest in your compliance. They need you to fall in line, to adhere to the cultural norms. Their platforms and status and power depend on it.

Deconstruction, this pastor said, has become trendy, which I found odd. That wasn’t my experience. I wasn’t riding the cultural winds. I wasn’t interested in losing faith and friendships. Who’s interested in that? 

Then he said if you experience the true grace of Christ, there’s nothing to deconstruct, as if deconstruction is for the weak or the half-hearted, those who haven’t experienced the authentic love of Christ. 

The words of this pastor are the voices of the past, of fear, the voices that want to discredit your experience, to shame you, to keep you small. These are the voices that want to maintain order and certainty. Don’t listen to these voices. You’re strong and brave and courageous. Don’t let the voices of the past prevent you from discovering a deeper and more beautiful image of God. 

Trust your knowing. Trust your gut and your heart. Yes, those are reliable and trustworthy sources. This is new, I know. You heard most of your life that you couldn’t trust your own knowing. You were told that the Bible is the primary source of authority. But that’s not true. Those are the voices who want to keep you hemmed in. Does the Spirit of God not also live in you? The answer is yes, so feel free to listen to your gut, to trust your experience. 

DECONSTRUCTION HAS NO TIMELINE

Most of the articles and sermons I listened to on deconstruction were glorified attempts to expedite reconstruction. 

“Here are 5 tips for anyone going through deconstruction.”

“If you’re deconstructing your faith, consider these 6 questions.” 

Every time I read or watched content like this, I thought, now there’s someone who knows nothing about deconstruction. They think you can manipulate it, fix it, the way you fix a child’s lego creation when his sibling flings it across the room. 

Suffering isn’t something you can manipulate. Like the wind, it comes and goes as it pleases. We want to move forward, to have a plan, an end goal. But most of life’s transformative realities – love, suffering, death and so on – aren’t subject to the hands on the clock. 

Anybody who tells you there are steps to this, that if you follow x, y, and z, you will arrive on the other side of deconstruction, isn’t being honest with you. They’re looking for clicks or likes or money. I don’t know what they’re looking for. But they’re not looking out for you.

So many days, I sat down, legs crossed, my broken faith scattered around me, and I attempted to piece it back together. 

“Let’s see. I still believe in the Resurrection. I still believe in the Holy Spirit. Let me grab some glue and piece these two together. Okay, now we’re off.” I grabbed a shard here and another there, riding the momentum of the moment, hoping, praying I could re-create some semblance of faith. This happened several times, and each time it ended with frustration. I was attempting to wrangle something eternal into chronology. I knew it wouldn’t work. But I hated the unknown. I wanted it to end. 

HOW TO RECONSTRUCT YOUR FAITH

So, how do you reconstruct your faith? I have an answer, but you won’t like it. Here it is: don’t give up. That’s it. Not much help, I know. You want tips or tricks or shortcuts. You want a secret code to bypass this level of the game. There are no secret codes, though. The only way is through, and the only way through is perseverance. You must keep showing up. Every day, you must resist the demons that ask you to throw in the towel, and you must trust that God is doing something behind the scenes, something you can’t see.  

You don’t piece your faith back together. God does. If you cling to hope and stay present, God will put things back together. That’s the most unnerving thing about pastors who see deconstruction as weakness or the by-product of a half-hearted relationship with God. God is the very one present in the deconstruction. Does he engineer it? I don’t know. But he’s present with you in the rubble. 

Deconstruction isn’t abandoning God. Deconstruction is dismantling false images and perceptions of God.

Deconstruction isn’t abandoning God. Deconstruction is dismantling the false images and perceptions of God, the ways we thought we knew God. This feels like abandoning God, but it’s not. You’re abandoning distorted projections of your ego. That’s all we have in the initial stages of the journey. Unfortunately, many Christians never move beyond this stage. They reach the end of their days, and God thinks like them and acts like them and votes like them. Did these people ever have have a relationship with God or did they have a relationship with a projection of their ego? 

WHAT RECONSTRUCTION LOOKS LIKE

How do you know when you’ve made it to the other side? Again, no tips or tricks. But I’ll give you some markers, some pointers to look out for. 

You no longer need to be right. 

You used to believe correct thinking was essential to faith. You spent an inordinate amount of time perfecting your beliefs and scanning the Bible for proof and convincing others why they’re wrong. Now, you know correct thinking comes from the ego, not from God. The goal is relationship. The goal is wholeness. Wholeness begins with the man in the mirror, but it extends to your neighbor and eventually to all of creation. Everything is in relationship with God. You no longer have patience for systems or institutions that divide and dehumanize other humans. Before, you defended these systems. No, you defend the humans they marginalize. 

You reconcile with the people and theology of your former faith. 

This is huge. I can’t stress it enough. 

Spiritual teachers call this transcend and include. You can transcend or grow beyond a set of beliefs and the people who believe them. A lot of folks do that. It’s easy. But until you make peace with your past, you aren’t transformed. This is the problem with so many liberals and people on the far left. They transcend, but don’t include. They move beyond the faith of their youth, but they can’t acknowledge anything good or redemptive in their former life. These people aren’t transformed. They’re mostly angry and bitter and cynical. You might know some of these people. They’re not much fun to be around. 

In the early stages of deconstruction, you’re bitter and angry. That’s part of the journey. Eventually, though, you must move beyond that. You must come to see the people in your former life as God sees them: as men and women created in his image. 

The white evangelical church, for example, has flaws large enough to fly a Boeing 747 through, but it also has strengths. It equates spiritual maturity with certainty, but it also challenges you to live your life for a greater good, a larger purpose than your own ego. While the white evangelical church isn’t concerned with racial reconciliation, you can’t deny the role the church has played in helping people, the homeless and women caught in sex-trafficking and the millions around the world who don’t have necessities like clean drinking water. I could keep going, but you get the point. 

While I no longer hold to a lot of the core tenets of that tradition, I’m thankful for the role the white evangelical church had in my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the white evangelical church. The people I met, the conversations we had, all of it mattered. Every word shaped me. 

You realize you are the primary (and only) barrier to your spiritual growth.

Before deconstruction, the problem is always “out there.” Someone or something else is the barrier standing in the way of your spiritual growth. A lot of your energy, most of it, in fact, was spent trying to change people. 

Now, you realize you are the only barrier to your spiritual growth. Your spouse isn’t your problem. Your pastor isn’t your problem. Your family and friends aren’t your problem. You are your problem. You stop trying to manipulate or fix everything outside of you. You know if you change yourself, your reality will change. 

____________

Deconstruction is disorienting and painful. It’s lonely. But when you arrive on the other side – and you will arrive on the other side – you have a lighter and more inclusive faith. The baggage of illusions and the need for certainty are no longer necessary. You realize how much of your former faith was bound by the shackles of fear, fear of not getting it right, fear that God would smite you if you didn’t do this or that, fear that God would smite others, you know, the ones with flawed theology, those Christians who didn’t think like you. Faith founded in fear is no faith at all, though. You know that know. You no longer feel the burden of needing to “save” people, which mostly means convincing them to believe your theology. You just need to love. 

Keep showing up. Stay curious. Remember that God is with you.

Grace and peace, friends. 

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CultureFaith

Liminal Space and What Happens When You Love Certainty

by Frank Powell
written by Frank Powell

We’re coming out of a pandemic, one of the worst in the history of humanity. I think we’re coming out of a pandemic, at least. Historians and sociologists and such will write about these years in textbooks and use this pandemic as case studies in classrooms, maybe as long as humans tread on this dusty ball. 

I’ve been fortunate to this point. I haven’t lost my job. No one close to me has died. But I’m still affected by the collective grief and loss caused by this virus. So are you. My kids missed a year of school. We didn’t step inside the walls of our church for a more than a year. I can’t watch a movie without getting anxiety after two people hug. You’re not supposed to hug, anymore. Do Monica and Chandler not know? 

Though some will arrive on the other side of this pandemic with more acute pain than others, none of us will arrive unchanged. 

The question we must ask ourselves is will we allow this season to change us? Will these hard and pain-filled times birth something new in us? Or, in our anxiety and haste, will we return to the way things were before? 

We’re in a liminal space, as individuals, but also as a society. 

WHAT IS LIMINAL SPACE?

Liminal space is an ancient phrase that means between one place and another. We are neither here nor there. In a spiritual sense, and that is the sense I am concerned about, liminal spaces are essential for transformation. Until and unless we are thrown out of the world we know, the world of certainty and order and so on, we won’t change. We will continue with business as usual. We will idolize normalcy, and therefore fall asleep to God. You can’t worship God and the status quo, and that’s what most of us do before and unless we enter a liminal space. 

Liminal space is, therefore, sacred space. In this sacred space, our old world falls apart, and a new world is revealed. We lose control, and we’re forced to open our hearts and minds to the Divine. In these spaces, God molds and shapes and transforms us. God prepares something new, a new way of seeing him, of approaching and interacting with him.

Eventually, we emerge from this most painful place, transformed. 

Or do we? 

That is the question before us. In this season, where so many have suffered and lost people they love, where we endured the pain of isolation and loneliness, where we battled with the fear and anxiety of a virus that could strike at any time, will we emerge from this pandemic changed? 

I fear we won’t. I fear we will run back to the old ways. We will return to business as usual. We will resurrect the idol of normalcy. I fear this for myself, for our culture, for the church, for our world. I see signs already, as return to my church, after months of online worship, and nothing has changed. Nothing. The church has grown increasingly irrelevant over the years. Now with an opportunity to re-imagine how we engage with the culture and love our neighbors, we go back to the same old thing.

But, Frank, why does it matter if we return to normal? What’s so bad about that? 

Here’s the thing about liminal space. In a liminal space, reality as we used to know it goes away. Liminal spaces exist to lead us into a new reality. If you return to business as usual, if you refuse to change and grow after emerging from a liminal space, you’re signing up for slavery. It is the classic story of the Israelites, which is also our story. God leads the Israelites out of slavery and into a liminal space, the wilderness, to prepare them for the Promised Land. Rather than entering this new land, though, the Israelites, long to return to Egypt and to slavery. Why? It’s safe. It’s comfortable. 

It’s an indictment on our image of God when we choose to live in shackles rather than step into the unknown. God ordains the future. He baptizes it in his presence. Why are we so afraid to enter it? Answer: we don’t believe God will take care of us. 

We trust the demons of the past more the God of the future. 

WILL WE STEP INTO THE FUTURE OR RETURN TO THE PAST?

We’re in a similar position now, still in the wilderness, but on the cusp of a new reality. Will we enter this new place, this new world, or will we return to Egypt? 

The choice is ours, of course. This is the grace of God, that he gives us freedom. But if you choose to return to Egypt, you will find it dry and desolate. You will find that God’s presence isn’t there, because he’s leading his people somewhere new. 

If you return to business as usual, you will grow stale. An angst, which is the prelude to bitterness and cynicism, will sprout like kudzu and take over. You, eventually, have two options: give in to the cynicism or fall asleep and live your days on auto-pilot. Most people fall asleep to the pains of the world because they’ve chosen to live in a reality that no longer exists. This false reality is comfortable, though, so they remain, but they can’t bear the pain of God’s absence, so they numb themselves with food or drink or drugs or Netflix or Amazon. 

You can’t grow spiritually if you idolize normalcy. You can do spiritual things – read the Bible, go to church, pray, etc. – but you have no fresh or compelling vision of God. You have nothing to say to the world or even to yourself that will awaken awe and wonder. You find it a worthy and worthwhile thing to fight for the way things used to be, to preserve the old way of doing things. Nostalgia is your closest companion.

In a world where people don’t emerge from liminal space and step into a new way of being, you have a community who believes it’s more important to preserve institutions than protect people. You’re riddled with fear, ungrounded and superficial, unsure of your identity. You attach to a political party or a football team or whatever, and leech your identity from that group, which always leads to unhealthy loyalty. God is no longer alive and dynamic, but always the protector of your worldview. God never leads you to a new place or reveals to you a new thing. He always thinks like you and acts like you and supports your decisions. 

Meanwhile, a remnant remains, a small band of people, who enter the Promised Land, who choose to embrace the unknown, who dare to see God in a new way. This way is scary. Walking with God is always that way. But these are the people whose lives flow with milk and honey. When you step out of liminal space and into a new reality, you come alive and live with purpose, meaning you have a reason to wake up every morning that connects you with the greater good. You become self-aware. You feel the pain of the world, but also have relentless peace and joy. You less sensitive to criticism and people who don’t like you. You’re walking with God, and the Spirit of God is un-offendable. You love everyone. You don’t choose sides. You choose life, justice, and wholeness. 

As we emerge from this pandemic, will we emerge different? Will we open ourselves to new ways of seeing God? God wants to reveal new things to you right now. But you must be still. You must endure the anxiety that comes with silence. You must be willing to tear down some old ways of seeing God. God might invite you to make changes. He might ask you to look honestly at your relationship with your children or your spouse. He might open your eyes to the ways your church places loyalty to the institution above justice and reconciliation, and he might ask you to do something about it. Maybe that means you leave your church or maybe that means you stay and call for change. God might ask you to look at the man in the mirror and assess his or her priorities. Is the Creator really your God, or do you worship success or fear or validation? 

I don’t know the changes God is calling you to make. But I know right now, in this season, we have an opportunity to experience a deeper knowledge of God’s love and peace. God wants to reveal himself to you, and though this revealing will scare you at first, it will eventually heal you.

May you have the courage to emerge from this liminal space and step into the Promised Land.

Grace and peace, friends.

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Culture

7 Tips For Surviving a Pandemic

by Frank Powell
written by Frank Powell

Every time I talk to a friend or co-worker about the pandemic, one of us eventually says something like this: can you believe we’ve been doing this for two years? We can’t. Who could? If you told me in February of 2020 that you saw this coming, I would’ve called you a fool, and maybe worse, and you would’ve deserved it. The idea that a virus could so completely alter our world wasn’t just ridiculous; it was unfathomable. It was as likely as aliens landing on earth or your neighbor sprouting wings. 

Yet, here we are. It’s 2022, and the pandemic lives on. 

I’ve been lucky. I don’t like the term blessed. If you like it, fine. You can use it on your own blog. I choose not to. It implies that God might have his divine hand on my life while not having it on others. I haven’t tested positive for COVID, and no one I know has died from it. I haven’t lost my job. Many of you can’t make that claim. Nearly 860,000 people in the U.S. have died from this dreadful virus. That number will continue to swell, along with our collective grief. 

MY BREAKING POINT

After the initial pandemic shock wore off, I mostly handled everything okay. I kind of liked the change of pace, actually. It was slower, my schedule less riddled with activities. I like slower. 

I reached my breaking point this week, though. I received a phone call from my kids’ elementary school. Due to the number of teachers testing positive, our kids would be out of school for the next week (and maybe longer). My kids just returned to school after being out a month. I was at a doctor’s appointment with Micah when I got the call. I got through that alright, dropped him off at home, and returned to work. When my butt hit the leather seat of my chair, a trigger went off. Tears formed in the corner of my eyes. What is going on, I thought. My emotions snuck up on me like a stealth ninja. Usually I can forecast them. Not this time. I ran to the bathroom, locked the door, sat down on the floor, head between my hands, and cried. I pounded my knees with my palms in frustration. Why? Why? Why? I repeated this over and over, like a Gregorian chant, starting soft and getting louder with each iteration.

I don’t know if you’ve reached this point. Maybe you have. Regardless, many of us are tired and stressed. We’re disoriented, lost, and weary. We’re in the midst of collective trauma right now. No one is immune from it.

I’m not a psychologist or a counselor, but I do know something about trauma. I endured a severe trauma for several years, one that confined me to the bed. It destroyed my life. For most of that time, I didn’t know I was dealing with trauma. I thought I was dealing with chronic pain. I began to heal as I learned the deep mysteries of the brain, how it changes every second, and how simple techniques can transform your life.

So, I want to share some tips I learned about healing from trauma. We’re in a stressful season as a society. But stress doesn’t have to consume us.

Here are 7 tips for surviving a pandemic. 

1. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR EMOTIONS. 

Emotions aren’t facts. You’ve probably heard that before. It’s especially true in seasons of high stress, when you’re brain is primed to recognize negative or harmful stimuli. Your brain always searches your environment, sending signals to your mind based on the sensory input around you. These signals aren’t always real or true, though. Yes, your brain can send you false signals. It’s your job to filter these signals, to determine whether or not they’re real. 

When you feel anger or sadness or anxiety or shame lurking around the corner, ask yourself “Is this emotion legitimate?” 

In other words, do you have a reason to feel anxious or angry? Can you trace it something in your past, present or future? That’s an important question. Maybe your sadness is legitimate.  Many times, however, you’ll find that the emotion is a by-product of your stress. In this case, it’s important to stop the emotion before it floods your mind. This prevents toxic thought loops and unhealthy spiraling patterns. 

Emotions are just signals. You determine whether they’re true.

2. LIMIT THE INFORMATION YOU TAKE IN. 

Your brain responds to the information it receives. That’s all your brain can do. It’s like a pet. It grows in response to what you feed it. Let’s be honest. At this point, you know everything you need to know about the pandemic and our government’s handling of it. You have more facts than you will ever need. 

Feed your brain something good and wholesome, instead. Read the Bible. Read a good book. Watch a good movie. Spend time with friends, if you feel comfortable doing so. As you do this, you’re telling your brain that although this season is stressful, you won’t allow stress to define you. In response, your brain will build new and healthier connections. 

3. PRACTICE PRAYER OR MEDITATION. 

When I discovered a brain-based program that helped me heal from years of chronic pain, at the core was mediation. I spent an hour everyday meditating on positive and uplifting experiences, and I allowed those experiences to permeate through my entire body. 

Prayer, by the way, is the same thing. It’s just awareness. Prayer is intentional focus on the good and true and holy things around you. 

Meditating, you see, releases a host of chemicals in the brain, chemicals like dopamine and serotonin and oxytocin. These chemicals are responsible for everything from mood to pain to sleep patterns. Meditation is the great elixir against stress. 

Try this: before you go to sleep or as soon as you wake, bring one positive thing from the day into your mind – the smile on your child’s face, the love of your spouse, the beauty of the trees, your job, etc. – then sit with this one thought for a minute. Or two minutes or five minutes. Doesn’t matter how long you do it. Just start somewhere. I promise this one practice, if you stick with it, will change you. 

4. LET GO OF THINGS THAT DON’T GIVE YOU LIFE.

When I started my brain healing program, the instructors emphasized the importance of energy leaches on your overall health. Some of us tolerate unhealthy thought patterns and relationships and work environments and even churches. We don’t realize that these things leech spiritual, mental, and physical energy from us. But they do. They drain us. They diminish the energy we have to give to people we love (and who love us), and activities or causes we’re passionate about. 

To navigate a stressful season, you need to pare down, to let go. You have limited stores of energy. Don’t allow energy leaches to siphon this most precious resource. Now is the time to let go of things that don’t give you life. 

5. BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF (AND OTHERS). 

Some days, for no apparent reason, you might wake up and feel like a cowturd. Anger or depression will feel close enough to touch. You can’t push them away no matter how hard you try. You might even experience bodily pain, joints hurting, muscles sore, things like that. 

I adopted this mantra during my healing. It goes like this: DO NO HARM. 

It means I won’t allow the pain or discomfort I feel to breed more pain and discomfort. I won’t take my pain out on my wife or kids or my co-workers or friends. I won’t take my pain out on myself, either. I won’t hurt myself by self-indulgence. I won’t turn to my addictive tendencies. I won’t gorge myself with food or binge shop on Amazon or watch porn. I will DO NO HARM. I will get through this day, and I will find joy where I can, and I will go to sleep, and try again tomorrow. 

Friends, some days, just doing this is an enormous win. So, you didn’t accomplish everything on your to-do list. You didn’t spend much time with your family. You weren’t productive at work. Who cares? You also didn’t self-indulge. You didn’t hurt yourself. You didn’t hurt others. The world is a better place today because you didn’t give in. That’s cause for celebration, not shame. 

6. LIVE IN REALITY. 

If you want any chance of peace and hope in this season (or any season), you must accept reality. Running from it or pretending it doesn’t exist is just another form of suffering. But it’s a worse form of suffering because it never heals. Reality is the foundation for healing. If you don’t live in reality, if you don’t see things as they are, you will live your days bitter and angry and cynical. 

Some people pretend this pandemic isn’t serious. We need to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and stop all the whining, they say. That’s false. This is the most serious and tragic thing our world has endured in decades and perhaps will endure in our lifetime. We don’t get to choose our circumstances, only how we respond to them.

Accepting reality doesn’t mean losing hope. It doesn’t mean basking in sorrow. No, it means we see the world as it is, we stare in the face of the grief, pain and sorrow. And we choose love. We choose joy. We choose life. 

7. STOP TRYING TO CHANGE WHAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL.  

The people who believe this is all a hoax. The people who refuse to wear masks when they’re required or who believe vaccines are the devil. The government’s response. Stop focusing on all of this stuff. What actual good is it doing you? None is the correct answer. You can’t control those things. I know you want the pandemic to end. You want the pain and suffering to end. We all do. But you can’t manufacture or manipulate your way out of this pandemic. You must endure it. 

So, here’s a question: What can you control? 

You can make sure your family does what they need to do to help us get through this season. You can love those close to you. You can take care of yourself. You can choose to love your neighbor, even the ones who believe this whole thing is a hoax. 

Don’t allow people or situations beyond your control to steal your mental energy. It’s not worth it. 

_________

We can and will get through this pandemic. Until then, we tarry on. We do the best we can. But we don’t lose hope. God is with us. May you feel his presence. May you know that the Great Comforter fills the space you’re in. 

Grace and peace, friends. 

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Culture

Racism And The Curse Of Whiteness

by Frank Powell
written by Frank Powell

I woke up angry this morning, my joints aching, my head throbbing. That’s not abnormal, I confess. Anger is my forever friend. I know it well. Today, though, my anger was something different. It was sadness dressed up as anger. All my emotions dress up as anger. It took me a long time to realize this. I used to think I was angry all the time. I wasn’t. Sometimes I was depressed or anxious or sad. In a former life, I might have rolled out of bed with my anger and sought to expel it as fast as possible, on my wife and kids, perhaps. 

Today, though, I know better. I know I must sit with my anger for a moment, allow it to marinate in my heart and mind, bathe it in my circumstances, in the past and future. Then the actual emotion shows itself. It showed itself quickly this morning. Why am I sad? I’m sad because people are racist. I’m sad because, last night, I saw this demon face-to-face. What I saw shook and disoriented me. It was scary and heartbreaking. I would give a lot of money for Will Smith to pop me with one of those Noisy Crickets and erase my memory, purge the snapshots from my consciousness. Is ignorance really bliss? Sometimes I think so. 

I’ve watched the videos. The ones where white people expel their hatred onto black people for no reason. They’re disturbing, unnerving. There’s an emotional disconnect with those videos, though. They illicit a response. But the response is short-lived. I’m upset, then I’m over it. They lull your conscious mind to sleep by leading you to believe the problem is “over there.” It’s not here, not in my backyard. Racism exists in evil lands like New York City and Philadelphia, not in Birmingham. As long as it’s over there, it’s not my problem. This is a lie, of course, but if you never see it, with your own eyes in your own context, is it reality?

It became reality last night. Here’s how. 

We grabbed two large pizzas at Dominos and went to our friends’ house, Dave and Lucy, to eat. When we arrived, we noticed several cars parked in the road, at least three, maybe four or five. It’s a block party, I thought. But why? Dave and Lucy should’ve mentioned this before inviting us over. I need a heads up if I’m expected to engage with strangers for any length of time.

When I got out of the car, I different energy filled the air, though. It wasn’t the energy of friendship. Something was off. A lady stood at the front door. I didn’t recognize her. At least two more ladies stood in the road, their cars parked directly behind the lady’s at the door. I heard one screaming, “She tried to steal something out of my mailbox. Then she assaulted me. She’s going to jail!”

What is happening, I thought? This isn’t a block party. What have we rolled up on? I grabbed our dinner from the backseat and walked across Dave and Lucy’s yard. The closer I got to the front door, the clearer the picture became. The lady at the door was upset. She was crying. “I didn’t do anything,” she said. “I was just looking at the numbers on the mailbox. That’s it.” The lady worked for one of those meal delivery companies. Lucy had her arm own around this lady. “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s a misunderstanding.” The lady at the front door was black. The two ladies on the street were white. 

I was about to walk inside when I heard sirens. Then I saw the line of blue lights coming around the corner. They filled the night sky. A fire truck lagged behind. Why a fire truck? Maybe it was protocol, but it looked like a turtle fell in line with a row of ducklings, hoping the other ducks wouldn’t notice. 

The pieces of this horrific puzzle continued coming together. The black lady couldn’t find our friends’ home. She wasn’t from the area and couldn’t see the numbers on the mailbox, so she pulled next to one, thinking it was Dave and Lucy’s. It wasn’t. She pulled up to the wrong house. When she did, the owner happened to be outside, sitting on her porch, and immediately ran to the mailbox. Without asking any questions, she accused the black lady of stealing her mail. She was aggressive and confrontational. I noticed that when I arrived. You could see it in her demeanor, as she yelled at the air, demanding punishment, hurling accusatory words across the road at a woman she didn’t know. Then I realized why the two white ladies parked their cars where they did. They were blocking the black lady in, preventing her from leaving.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Five police cars and a fire truck lined the streets of my friend’s suburban neighborhood. I didn’t see the incident unfold, so I can’t say I know what happened. But I know what happened. The old demon, racism, manifested itself right here in suburban Birmingham. 

The police asked my friends some questions. Did you see anything? Do you know the lady at the street? Things like that. They didn’t see anything. The altercation occurred up the road. The police apologized to my friends, and said we could go inside, that they would handle the situation. So that’s what we did. There was nothing else we could do.

We sat down at the kitchen table. No one said a word. The magnitude of the moment descended on us, paralyzed our thoughts, muted our tongues. We tried to make sense of what we saw. Finally, I spoke up. “Do you think that lady would have called the cops if the delivery person was white?” Sometimes it’s better to tolerate awkward silence than allow your anxiety to break it. What comes out is almost never helpful. My friend Dave looked at me, and said, “I think we all know the answer to that.” We did. I grabbed a piece of pizza. Pizza never tasted so disgusting in my life. 

The rest of the night, time was in a vacuum. It didn’t seem real. We talked about different things, but the racism that filled the air outside dominated our consciousness. I wanted to stand in for the black woman, advocate for her. I hoped, prayed she wouldn’t go to jail, that the police wouldn’t mistake the white woman’s loud tone for truth. We do that, don’t we? In a world with so much noise, the loudest voice often sounds like the right one.

We are so easily manipulated. 

Racism Is In Your Backyard

“It’s time to go, kids,” I said. I opened the front door. Everyone was gone. It was like nothing happened, like this dreadful incident never occurred. How is it possible that the world can so soon return to normal? I still felt the hateful energy. Its remnants remained, even though the individuals who created it left two hours ago.

“Did that lady get arrested?” I’m not sure which of my kids asked this, but my first thought was which lady are talking about. In my mind, I hoped the screaming lady got arrested, but I knew my kids meant the black lady. They heard the white lady screaming and carrying on. The black lady must have done something awful. People don’t scream and yell like that for no reason. These little ones are so naive, their heart and mind so innocent, and I wanted to cry thinking about all the grief that awaits them as they get older. Things aren’t always as seem. 

Me and Tiffani tried to answer the question. Tiffani did most of the talking. She’s so good with things like this. She knows how to navigate hard conversations in age-appropriate ways. She told our kids that some people choose hatred over love, and that some people don’t like others because their skin is a different color. She told them that our family celebrates all skin colors, that we don’t tolerate the sort of behavior we witnessed tonight. She went on for some time. I don’t remember all she said, but it was beautiful and redemptive. It was Truth. 

Racism is evil, man. It’s demonic. It’s alive and active, and it’s in your backyard, right now. Doesn’t matter where you live. You can’t pretend it doesn’t exist. And you can’t pretend you don’t have a role to play, especially if you call yourself a Christian. Yes, this demon is large and powerful. It’s tentacles stretch through generations. A force like that can paralyze you, make you believe you’re powerless. That’s part of its game. You’re not powerless, though. You can do something. Educate yourself. Allow different voices to permeate your mind. Teach your children. Tell them the truth about our country’s racist history and about privilege. Sins that extend through generations often take generations to heal. Maybe it will take a new generation coming of age with a healthier worldview to lay this demon to rest. If so, then the healing starts with us. 

The Curse of Whiteness

As I meditate on Jesus and the gospel, I can’t help but wonder if whiteness is a curse. We have created a god that looks and acts like us. We sing and worship this god every week, and we never have to look honestly at ourselves or our god. Meanwhile God doesn’t appear to side with the ones in power. God seems to warn comfortable, success-driven peoples over and over, and over and over they don’t listen. We’re doing just fine, thank you. Those in power know very little about oppression and neglect and therefore very little about letting go. You can’t know God if you don’t know how to let go.

Jesus let go of everything, after all, to walk this dusty ball, to give us Life. Whiteness loves Jesus, which is odd, because Jesus stood against everything whiteness stands for. Then I realize that whiteness doesn’t really love Jesus. Whiteness loves white Jesus. We leave the hard parts out, the parts about letting go, for example, and loving our neighbor, which involves learning their story. We know Jesus only through the lens of power, and that’s no way to know Jesus. Jesus rejected power, in all its forms. 

Whiteness fights to protect the status quo. It says that if a black lady pulls up to my mailbox, she must be stealing something and I have the right to hold her hostage in other person’s driveway until justice is served. (Justice was served, by the way. No charges were filed.) Whiteness says I can shoot a young black man for running in my neighborhood. Whiteness says I can storm the steps of the capitol when my worldview appears threatened.

Whiteness doesn’t look after the well-being of the world. Whiteness only looks after itself. Whiteness is the opposite of love. We’re blinded by our privilege. We can’t see that God sides with powerlessness, not power, and until we learn this we can only know little-g god, the one we fashion into an idol with our values. But we can’t know the Ancient One, the Creator of the Cosmos.

I want to know God. I have no greater desire than this. But I also feel a strong pull to protect my whiteness. Letting go is uncomfortable. Listening to different worldviews is hard work. But I must try. I must. I want healing to descend on our land.

Racism will one day cease to exist. Will we wake up and engage the hard work necessary to see its end? I pray we will. I pray I will. 

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Culture

What The Rise Of Donald Trump Reveals About American Christians

by Frank Powell
written by Frank Powell

After months of rumors and OMGs, I turned on the TV Tuesday night to witness Donald Trump for myself. Before I get too deep, I’m laying my cards on the table. I’m not a political guy. I don’t buy the agenda-driven promises from any politician. I get insanely annoyed by the talking heads (which appears to be almost every news analyst), and I don’t know the political jargon. I would rather hit golf balls, spend time with my family or dress up as a clown than get lost in political debate and discussions about who’s left, right, where, and why.

After Mr. Trump’s “victory” speech (and the awkward, “I just saw an alien” posture from Chris Christie), I took to social media. I wasn’t prepared for the tidal wave of fear and “oh crap, this guy might actually lead our nation” responses. I’m not sure why the world unraveled. Maybe everyone thought Mr. Trump was secretly shooting a spin-off of his reality show, The Apprentice. And at some point, he would pull a “gotcha,” revealing the whole plan, and millions of Americans would breathe a deep sigh of relief.

Apparently, however, there is no reality show.

The Super Tuesday voting painted an abundantly clear message: Donald Trump is more than serious, he has a good chance of winning the whole kit and caboodle (What does “the whole kit and caboodle” even mean?). And, look, I get it. The inconsistencies, the fear mongering and talking down to are obvious and concerning. I don’t know Donald Trump the man. But his demeanor, tone, and vernacular remind me of old-school, fundamentalist, “do it my way or else” church leaders who drove me out of Christianity for a number of years. Again, I’m not saying this is who Donald Trump is, I’m just noting my observations.

Two groups: one false hope

Mr. Trump, however, is not the reason for this post. It’s what I saw afterward that disturbed me. I witnessed two groups on opposite ends, both reaching for false hope.

Group one: Trump supporters. Those who believe this man will “make America great again.” Those who believe building a big wall ensures their safety. Those running to a man’s words for hope, safety, and security.

Group two: the haters. Those who see Trump as the end of democracy. Those who believe a Trump nomination inevitably leads to the 2020 Hunger Games (it would take the better part of his term to make this happen…may the odds be ever in your favor). Those who equate Trump  to America’s Mussolini or Hitler. And, although, this group stands in stark opposition to group one, it’s reaching for the same thing, hope in a person (any person but Donald Trump).

Quite frankly, I’m not sure whether or not Mr. Trump would make a good President. Does it disturb me that he seems to draw from wells of manipulation and uncertainty? Of course. But I also understand this. Donald Trump reveals that many Christians have taken their eyes off the cross. Many professing believers have placed their hope on something or someone who will ultimately fail them, whether it’s America, the military, or a Presidential candidate. Mr. Trump didn’t create the madness I witnessed last night.

He exposed it.

You see, whether Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, or Mickey Mouse win the general election in November, there’s a figure hovering over them, one who’s unmovable, unchangeable, and all-powerful. He won’t be overcome or overthrown.

His name is Jesus.

Assuming the worst, that America crumbles or succumbs to outside forces, two things won’t change: King Jesus will control whatever power controls you and that power will never destroy the church. Even if some group’s anti-Christian practices extinguish the American church, Jesus’s church will never die. This is the promise He made to Peter in Matthew 16:18.

[blockquote cite=”Matthew 16:18″ type=”left”]Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. [/blockquote]

Maybe someone takes your freedom. Maybe someone takes your family and possessions as well. No one, however, no man or force of hell, can take your inheritance, your salvation. The world can take your life, but, as Paul’s says, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

The War Is Over

Are we in a war? Yes. Are the forces of darkness strong and persistent? Absolutely.

But let’s not forget the nature of our fight. It’s not against flesh and blood. Verbal assaults might appease your flesh, but they’re counter-productive to the divine fight. Dragging Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, or your prideful, arrogant co-worker through the mud means you aren’t pointing others to Jesus. Our war isn’t against the world. It’s “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

[tweet_box design=”default”]Christians act like they’re fighting on the losing team. Have we forgotten? Jesus won the war.[/tweet_box]

Also, don’t lose sight of this: the war has been won. Jesus declared victory on the cross and sealed Satan’s fate three days later when he walked out of the tomb…alive.

Yes, the battle wages on, but the war is over.

Stop fighting as if you’re trying to win the war. Stop running fearfully as if you’re fighting on the losing team. If you’re a Christian, you’re a victor. The mission now is to draw others from the darkness into the light.

If you follow Jesus, I’m challenging to take your eyes off CNN and Fox News. It’s fear-mongering propaganda. Without fearful people, news outlets, local, regional, or whatever, become obsolete. Turn it off. Spend time in the Word. Rather than watching the latest talking head bombastically break down everyone who doesn’t pad their pocket, spend time in prayer. I’m convinced our country’s enslavement to fear is largely the result of too much exposure to TV.

The Challenge

Close your Facebook, Twitter, and SnapChat apps. At almost all times, but especially in times of unknown and uncertainty, social media skews reality. It gives everyone a platform, and it’s usually the fearful, immature, and perspective-less who talk loudest. During times of crisis, the loudest voices aren’t the leaders. Leaders aren’t reactive. They might respond to current events and cultural crises, but they won’t be coerced by fear, manipulation, or outside pressure.

The challenge before us isn’t the direction of our country. It’s the position of our eyes. If we stay focused on the cross, no force has power over us, whether it’s Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Puff the Magic Dragon, or a demon from the pits of hell.

[tweet_box design=”default”]Don’t place more hope in a man’s words than an empty tomb.  [/tweet_box]

Fix your eyes on the living Hope, the risen Savior, not the mirage of words and politically-charged promises. You’re citizenship isn’t here. It never was. Stop running with the masses. They’re enslaved to fear. Stop allowing a man’s words or a country’s principles to distract you from an empty tomb. Jesus is alive. Fear is dead. This world is temporary. Heaven is eternal. Regardless of who becomes America’s 45th President, as Christians, we rest in this truth: Love always wins.

[tweet_box design=”default”]Regardless of who’s President, Love always wins. [/tweet_box]

I love you all. To God be the glory forever. Amen!

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Culture

New Year’s Manifesto: 6 Declarations To Inspire You in 2016

by Frank Powell
written by Frank Powell

It’s time to say, “Goodbye” to 2015 and welcome a new year. With a fresh calendar comes new goals, ambitions, and dreams. Tone those love handles. Read the Bible every day. Watch less TV. The options are endless.

But, be honest. How many New Year’s goals live to see February?

If you want a systematic plan for setting goals and keeping them, I recommend Michael Hyatt’s “5 Days To Your Best Year Ever.” This post isn’t about systematic goal setting.

This is a manifesto.

What is a manifesto? It’s a declaration of values, a statement of principles. A manifesto is bold, inspiring, and often rebellious. It challenges status quo and mediocrity. It says, “My life matters. This world matters. I refuse to waste my days. I will stand for something.”

Goals are good. But most of us suffer from goal-setting fatigue. We need inspiration, at least, that’s what I need. We’re desperate for a spark, something more than “I will lose 20 pounds this year” or “I will read the Bible every day” or even “I will share my faith with one person every week.”

What we need is a manifesto.

Well, here it is, 6 statements that will inspire you to live with passion.

1.) I will seek Jesus first, above everything else.

Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom of God…and all these things will be given to you.” Most church people are desensitized to these words. Here’s how I know. Take a question, any question. How do I overcome my anxiety? What’s wrong with the church? What are the steps to salvation? What’s the solution to racism?

Now, what’s your first response?

If your first response isn’t Jesus, you’re desensitized to the power of this statement. I know. I don’t understand your problem. Your church’s issues are complex. The Bible clearly says salvation includes “this” or “that.”

But Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom of God.”

You see, what you seek first informs everything else. Call me naive, inconsiderate, or whatever, but I believe seeking Jesus first radically changes everything else.

This year, pursue Jesus first. Stop placing hope in a series of steps, a new medication, or a newly elected official. Place your hope in Jesus. Devote your conversations to Jesus. If someone wants to discuss other stuff, like why Obama sucks, why the church down the road teaches false doctrine, or why a particular group is to blame for the systemic race problems, politely leave the conversation. This year, your focus is Jesus.

2.) I will place my relationship with number one above all other relationships.

One day, a religious leader approached Jesus with a question. “Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?” You know the first commandment. But listen carefully to the second (Jesus says it’s equally as important).“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

[tweet_box design=”default”]How you treat your neighbor is determined by how you see yourself.[/tweet_box]

Important point…you will always treat your neighbor how you see yourself. You can’t hate yourself and love your neighbor. Many people have an unhealthy relationship with themselves. They look in the mirror and say, “Dang, I look good. Someone should put a bow on me because I’m God’s gift to women (or men).”

No, you’re not. You’re full of pride (and probably insecurity). Your relationship with #1 is unhealthy.

Then you have the other side of the coin. Many people, sick of their choices, looks, etc., refuse to look themselves in the mirror.

Until your relationship with number one is healthy, your relationship with your neighbor will suffer. When you think too highly of yourself, you look down on your neighbor. When your view of number one is too low, you will raise others to unrealistic levels.

This year, learn to love number one. Refuse to avoid the man in the mirror. Refuse to throw pity parties. You will leave the “woe-is-me” attitude in 2015. Whatever baggage lies in your heart, you will dig it up and remove it. In doing so, your relationships with others will flourish.

3.) I will use my words to give life to as many people as possible. 

For Christmas, I wrote Tiffani a book called Words Create Worlds. I won’t bore you with the details, but the premise comes from Genesis 1. Just three verses into the Bible, God begins creating. What’s his building tool?

Words.

God speaks, stuff falls into place. At their core, words create. Light is powerful, but it needs an opponent. It’s only effective when darkness is in the opposite corner. Words don’t need opponents. They create from nothing.

Here’s the point. You have at your disposal the same tool God used to create the world. Words. Don’t underestimate this power. I believe words have killed many more people than any “conventional” weapon. Words drain life from your soul. Words also give life to your soul.

[tweet_box design=”default”]Words create. They give life and take it away. Use your words wisely.[/tweet_box]

You will be held accountable for how you steward this tool. Will you breathe life into others with your words? Will you take life from others with your words? Will you do nothing with your words?

This year, choose to give life with your words. You will not withhold encouragement from someone because it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable. You won’t use your words as a weapon, regardless of the pain you feel. You have a powerful tool at your disposal. Steward it well.

4.) I will live with courage, take risks, and pay no attention to cynics. 

“If you don’t live courageously, you will stand by the water cooler and talk about those who do.” I love this quote from Jessica Hagy. It also reveals a lot about courage.

Every day, you have a choice. Live courageously or talk about those who do. The water cooler includes cynics, fearmongers, skeptics, manipulators, and the like. They will talk trash about you. They might even attack your family. But the water cooler crowd isn’t upset with you. They’re upset with themselves because they wasted their lives.

The world has enough commentators. Remove the headset. Get on the field. Take a stand. Jump in the mess and vow to make an impact on the world. God has a plan for you, and there’s a zero percent chance it includes water cooler conversations.

[tweet_box design=”default”]God has a plan for your life and it doesn’t include cynicism.[/tweet_box]

This year, choose to be courageous. You will not allow commentators to distract you. And you certainly won’t allow people who wasted their life to coerce you into wasting yours. As Nehemiah said, “I’m doing a great work; I can’t come down” (Neh. 6:3).

5.) I will stop trying to “do” and spend time being “still.”

Recently, I was talking with a family member about “lazy Saturdays.” This family member couldn’t understand how I watched football for three hours on Saturday when there was so much to do. The house needed to be picked up. The cars needed an oil change. Yada. Yada.

I’m not indicting my family member. I understand the mindset. Our culture equates “doing” with production. To sit, rest, or be still is lazy.

After this conversation, I thought about why we hate stillness. Why am I so against doing nothing? Why do I become anxious when I have nothing to do?

I came to a stark realization. Maybe our addiction to busyness has nothing to do with productivity and everything to do with our fear of dealing with ourselves. We don’t like who we’ve become. We aren’t sure who we’ve become. Silence reveals our emptiness.

When will we put down the facade? When will we realize that more tasks won’t equate to more satisfaction? God says we must be still to know Him (Psalm 46:10). He is the power source, the ONLY source of life. Stillness refuels our souls. Prayer is more than talking to God. It’s pumps life into our hearts and minds.

Looking for life and satisfaction by doing more is equivalent to refueling an empty gas tank by siphoning gas from your own tank.

This year, choose to be still. You will not search for satisfaction and contentment by doing more. Even if silence reveals emptiness or forces you to deal with some messy stuff, you will choose stillness.

6.) I will be present, regardless of the events on tomorrow’s calendar.

God created you to live in the present. You don’t have strength or wisdom to control tomorrow. Yet, most of us spend an incredible amount of time controlling future events. No wonder anxiety and worry plague us. Anxiety is the result of trying to control tomorrow.

We eat lunch with a friend, but our mind is focused on the “to-do” list. We draw up worst-case scenarios, hoping to prepare ourselves for tragedy. But we miss precious time with the very ones we fear losing. We pour money and resources into 401Ks and savings account, thinking our fat nest egg will give us future security. Meanwhile, we’re one doctor’s visit or false turn from losing everything.

All the while God is saying, “Why are you wasting so much energy on tomorrow? I control tomorrow. Place your faith in me. I will give you what you need. As it stands, you’re filled with anxiety, worry, and discontent because you’re trying to control something I never asked you to control. Be present. Let me handle the rest.”

God never promises grace for tomorrow. The moment you step away from the present to deal with the future, you step outside of God’s grace.

This year, fight to live in the present. Go to war with our culture’s love of tomorrow. Every time tomorrow’s worries knock on the door, turn the knob ready to scrap. I’m not a fighter, but some things are worth “throwing blows” over. Your joy and peace are two of those.

________________

If this manifesto inspires you, write down the points. Look at them every day. If not, come up with your own manifesto. Regardless, it’s time to stop meandering aimlessly through life. It’s time to live inspired.

I love you all. To God be the glory forever. Amen!

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Culture

Top 10 Blog Posts Of 2015 (And Exciting News For 2016)

by Frank Powell
written by Frank Powell

Here we are at the conclusion of another year. First, I want to say, “Thank you.” Your honesty, boldness, and transparency inspire me and challenge me to keep writing. I take every story seriously. I prayed over many of you and with a several of you. Regardless of your background or circumstances, I want you to know I am for you. More importantly, God is for you.

In 2015, this site received over 785,000 page views. Although pageviews are an important metric, the stories of freedom, encouragement, and strength are infinitely more valuable. Page views without changed lives equal a huge fail. My goal is to serve you. I pray my posts accomplished this. With that said, some posts resonated more than others. I want to introduce the top posts then provide a few insights afterward.

Here are the top 10 posts of 2015.

 

12 truthful marriage vows you won't hear at a wedding(10)

12 Truthful Marriage Vows You Won’t Hear At A Wedding

Vows are markers that guide your marriage. So, while I’m not against writing vows Casanova would applaud, I am against vows that are more romantic and emotional than practical and honest.

In a culture that idolizes romantic love, we don’t need any more Shakespearean vows. We need vows that will shape and impact marriages.

Here are 12 truthful marriage vows you won’t hear at a wedding.

[su_button url=”https://frankpowell.me/truthful-marriage-vows-hear-wedding” target=”blank” background=”#336699″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”round” icon_color=”#336699″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000000″]Read the Rest[/su_button]

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8 Statements American Jesus Might Make But Savior Jesus Never Would

Savior Jesus and American Jesus are more enemies than friends. More like Batman and Joker than Batman and Robin. Unless we take off our American sunglasses and allow the Savior Jesus to influence our American ideals, we risk spending our lives serving a God who isn’t real.

So, I want to highlight some differences between American Jesus and Savior Jesus. Here are 8 statements American Jesus might make but Savior Jesus never would.

[su_button url=”https://frankpowell.me/8-statements-american-jesus-make-savior-jesus-never” target=”blank” background=”#336699″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”round” icon_color=”#336699″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000000″]Read the Rest[/su_button]

Dear American, I Am Not Renewing My Membership This Year. Heres Why.(8)

Dear American Church, I Am Not Renewing My Membership This Year

Dear American Church,

Let me cut to the chase. I am tired of this club. I want out.

Here is the thing. I didn’t sign up to join a club. Maybe there was a misunderstanding. Maybe I contributed to the confusion. I am not sure how we arrived here, but things are going to be different. I am not renewing my membership this year.

Here’s why.

[su_button url=”https://frankpowell.me/dear-american-church-i-am-not-renewing-my-membership-this-year/” target=”blank” background=”#336699″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”round” icon_color=”#336699″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000000″]Read the Rest[/su_button]

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4 Lies Christians Believe About 50 Shades of Grey

I see no value in 50 Shades Of Grey. And I am certainly not against freedom of expression. But it’s the same song, different verse for Christians. We beat the world over the head with our verbal attacks, but we fail to provide any substance or foundation. We lash out at the evil world, but our refusal to explain why only leaves us looking like control freaks. Worst of all, we believe attacking a movie means we actually stand against sin.

Maybe the world bought some lies about 50 Shades, but we bought some as well. Please understand my aim here. I want the Spirit to awaken us to inconsistencies. I want us to deal with the substance behind the shadows. With that said, here are four lies Christians believe about 50 Shades of Grey.

[su_button url=”https://frankpowell.me/lies-Christians-believe-50-shades-grey” target=”blank” background=”#336699″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”round” icon_color=”#336699″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000000″]Read the Rest[/su_button]

9 "church approved" sins that plague your life(6)

9 “Church Approved” Sins That Plague Your Life

I was in an engineering class the first time I watched the tragic explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Even though I wasn’t alive when it happened, I caught a glimpse of the horror thousands must have felt as the events unfolded.

After months of investigation, here’s what the Rogers Commission (the group commissioned to investigate the explosion) discovered: an o-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster failed at take-off. I won’t bore you with the details, but an o-ring is a small device relative to the size of a space shuttle. Very small.

I think there’s a lesson here for the church. What if the big sins, you know the ones you try hardest to avoid, aren’t the greatest threat to your joy and the church’s mission?

[su_button url=”https://frankpowell.me/church-approved-sins-plague-lives” target=”blank” background=”#336699″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”round” icon_color=”#336699″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000000″]Read the Rest[/su_button]

10 reasons churches are not reaching millennials(5)

10 Reasons Churches Aren’t Reaching Millennials

Many people are pessimistic about Millennials, but I believe the next generation is poised to transform the culture (and the world) for the good. For many churches and leaders, however, Millennials are (to borrow from Winston Churchill) “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”

There are churches, however, that are thriving with Millennials, and if you did some investigation I believe you would find similar results, regardless of the church locale.

So, what differentiates a church culture that attracts Millennials from one that repels them? There are many factors, but I want to highlight ten really important ones. If your church wonders why reaching the next generation is difficult, the following points might shed some light on your struggle.

[su_button url=”https://frankpowell.me/ten-reasons-church-absent-millennials/” target=”blank” background=”#336699″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”round” icon_color=”#336699″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000000″]Read the Rest[/su_button]

12 signs of a modern-day Pharisee(4)

12 Signs You Are A Modern-Day Pharisee

The Pharisees are mentioned in pulpits and classrooms all over the world. They are the source of jokes. The topic of sermons. Man, I wish I had a penny for every time a Christian teacher referenced the Pharisees. I wouldn’t be here. Maybe in the Caribbean somewhere. But not here. #truth.

Pharisees still exist today. And nobody wants to be a modern-day Pharisee. It just happens. Here are 12 signs you are a modern-day Pharisees.

[su_button url=”https://frankpowell.me/12-signs-you-are-modern-day-pharisee” target=”blank” background=”#336699″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”round” icon_color=”#336699″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000000″]Read the Rest[/su_button]

7 truths about marriage you won't hear in church(3)

7 Truths About Marriage You Won’t Hear In Church

Ever wish you had the answers to a test before you walked into the classroom? Maybe some of you did have the answers, but you better keep that to yourself. I took some really hard tests during my time in college.

But it never failed. I would follow the guideline. I would study the handout. But on the day of the exam, the professor would put the exam on my desk…and there it was. A foreign formula or equation. It wasn’t in the notes. It didn’t show up on the study guide.

The same is true with the church and marriage. I am grateful for the foundation the church gave me in regards to marriage. But there some things on the test I did not learn until marriage began.

[su_button url=”https://frankpowell.me/truths-sex-marriage-never-learned-church/” target=”blank” background=”#336699″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”round” icon_color=”#336699″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000000″]Read the Rest[/su_button]

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Should I Post This On Social Media? 6 Questions To Ask Before You Publish

Social media is a world without guidelines. And where guidelines are absent, chaos is inevitable.

It’s time to admit we need some boundaries when it comes to social media. Look, I get it. The idea of a boundary-less world is enticing. We all want to be free. But the irony is freedom never rests outside of boundaries. A boundary-less world only leads to chaos.

I want to propose some guidelines.

[su_button url=”https://frankpowell.me/posting-social-media-questions” target=”blank” background=”#336699″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”round” icon_color=”#336699″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000000″]Read the Rest[/su_button]

i am waking up at 5 a.m...and it has changed my life(1)

I Am Waking Up At 5 A. M. And It Changed My Life

I hate mornings…I mean, if the morning was a person and could breathe, I would meet it in a dark alley and punch it in the teeth…twice. I always preferred to stay up late at night because that was when I did my “best work” (whatever that means). I always slept late in the mornings and woke up grumpy.

You might be tempted to stop reading, but I implore you to hear me out. I always believed staying up late at night and getting up early in the morning did not matter when it comes to productivity and effectiveness…then I read the book and actually started getting up early. It has changed my life.

[su_button url=”https://frankpowell.me/i-am-waking-up-at-5-a-m-and-it-has-changed-my-life/” target=”blank” background=”#336699″ size=”5″ center=”yes” radius=”round” icon_color=”#336699″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #000000″]Read the Rest[/su_button]

____________________

Here are a few insights (and some exciting news for 2016).

1.) Archived posts aren’t dead posts.

I wrote several of this year’s top posts in 2014. If you’re a blogger, don’t underestimate the power of archived posts. Mix them in with newer posts. There’s benefit in writing timely posts with a timeless perspective. God is eternal, timeless. But, as bloggers and followers of Jesus, we must address timely issues and current affairs. We must be careful not to allow timely cultural issues to shape a timeless God. God never changes. Culture constantly shifts. Stand firm on the Constant.

[tweet_box design=”default”]Timely cultural issues should never shape a timeless God.[/tweet_box]

2.) Relationships are important. 

By comparison, I write fewer posts about relationships than other topics like Christian Living and Church. Looking at page views (and this list), it’s clear relationships matter. As they should. God is relational. He desires a relationship with us, and meaningful relationships for us. This year, I will devote more posts to relationships, especially marriage.

[tweet_box design=”default”]God desires a relationship with us and meaningful relationships for us.[/tweet_box]

3.) You’re not okay with status quo Christianity.

Most of the top posts in 2015 were the most challenging and direct I wrote. When I combine this list with the comments and e-mails, one thing is clear: you aren’t content with status quo Christianity! Amen! If God is okay with status quo, he’s not a God worth serving. Keep challenging your faith. Stay open to change. Embrace the tension!

[tweet_box design=”default”]A God who is okay with status quo isn’t a God worth serving.[/tweet_box]

Now the exciting news!! 

With every new year, I challenge myself  to wade in deeper waters of faith. I want this for you as well. This is hard! But we can’t settle or drift. God’s plans are too large.

Here’s the exciting news!! In 2016, I will write my first book.

I’ve prayed about this for months. Now, it’s time to make it happen! Please pray with me through this process. I love writing, but I care nothing about writing for my own satisfaction. I’m writing now because God gave me a topic (I will reveal the topic in the coming months), and I’m convinced he’s preparing hearts to receive the words.

I would love to hear from you. What big idea is God stirring in your heart? How will you venture into deeper waters of faith this year? Leave a comment below. 

I love you all. To God be the glory forever. Amen!

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