We took some time to talk to our son and extract some of his wisdom. Instagram Desert Sanctuary Resources Book: Out Into the Desert Book: The Hotel Book: Being Book: The Being Journey companion guide Book: The Tea Shop Book: Apparent Faith Email: Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com Email Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@karl4hand42
Zack has spent the last decade writing about the interplay of faith and politics in the public sphere on his eponymous blog, Substack, and Patheos as well as contributing articles to multiple publications. He’s also made appearances in Rolling Stone, The Boston Globe, Huffington Post, and various other media outlets. He is the author of…
Daryl Carlson is a Certified Meta-Coach & NLP Master Practitioner who loves to help people free themselves from the deep indoctrination of Christianity. He knows that challenge all too well having been indoctrinated from birth, biblically trained at Moody Bible Institute, and worked for 15 years as a missionary in Alaska, Russia, and Ukraine. Daryl…
Amber started really evaluating her faith in her early 20s, and it’s continuing to grow through all difficulties from leaving a cult. After many years of deconstructing, she decided to start her social media presence to give voice to cult survivors and give a space for others to not feel alone. Fundie Freed Facebook *…
Justin is an ex-vangelical, certified hypnotist, and trauma-informed coach who is passionate about change work and psycho-spiritual healing. After realizing that the church and religion didn’t have the answers to his deep pain and sense of inadequacy, Justin began to search outside of the church and deconstruct his deeply held core beliefs. It was in…
https://www.facebook.com/Kylelb23 Desert Sanctuary Resources Book: Out Into the Desert Book: The Hotel Book: Being Book: The Being Journey companion guide Book: The Tea Shop Book: Apparent Faith Email: Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com Email Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@karl4hand42 Advertisements
Sheri was born with two extreme and violent parents. Her father was a drug dealing ex-con once nominated to be a Grand Dragon in the KKK. Her mom was a speaking-in-tongues, book-burning, evangelical. He terrorized her and her mom demonized her. It took her until she was 27 years old to realize that what was…
Jodi and Jesse were both raised in the Pentecostal church. Jesse’s family was heavily involved in their local Church of God. Jodi’s parents were evangelists; her aunt, uncles, and grandparents were pastors in the Assembly of God denomination. They met when Jodi’s parents stopped traveling and became pastors at the AG church Jesse’s family attended.…
Bruce Epperly has served as a university and seminary professor, university chaplain, and local church pastor. He is the author of over 70 books, including Process Theology: Embracing Adventure with God, The Elephant is Running: Process and Open and Relational Theology and Religious Pluralism, One World: Process Theology and the Lord’s Prayer, and Prophetic Healing:…
Joshua Lawson is a former pastor who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies. He is the author of The Face of Addiction, which tells the story of twelve individuals whose lives were forever changed in the early days of the opioid crisis in central Appalachia. His latest book, Drugs & Jesus, is the…
This begins our series of stories from people who are moving forward in the Desert Desert Sanctuary Resources Book: Out Into the Desert Book: The Hotel Book: Being Book: The Being Journey companion guide Book: The Tea Shop Book: Apparent Faith Email: Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com Email Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@karl4hand42
Chad Bahl is a DThM candidate at Northwind Theological Seminary, where he specializes in the study of Open and Relational Theology. Bahl is the author of God Unbound: An Evangelical Reconsiders Tradition in Search of Truth and author/editor of Deconstructing Hell: Open and Relational Responses to the Doctrine of Eternal Conscious Torment. Desert Sanctuary Resources Book: Out Into the Desert…
Dr. Mark Gregory Karris is a licensed marriage and family therapist in full-time private practice in San Diego, California. He specializes in religious trauma, men’s issues, and couples therapy. He is a husband, father, and recording artist. Mark is the author of the best-selling books Divine Echoes: Reconciling Prayer with the Un-controlling Love of God and Religious…
Vanessa R Brooks is a wife, mom, grandmother, and fur-baby mom. She is a Doctoral candidate, thought-leader, humanitarian, and entrepreneur. Vanessa served in the public sector in the social services industry, and pastor a church she founded for 14 years. She is the founder of Life After Church, a spiritual community where she provides spiritual…
Phil Drysdale is a public speaker, podcaster, researcher and coach specialising in the area of Deconstruction. For over a decade he’s helped people navigate the painful journey beyond their faith tradition. He does research into the Deconstruction community through The Deconstruction Network, runs a regular podcast about Deconstruction, provides free resources to help people on…
Elizabeth Urban is a professional psychic and natural Witch. She has been intuitive all her life and has loved metaphysics and the occult since childhood. Self taught from the age of 13, she learned all things centered around the Craft, astrology, Tarot, etc. She lives in coastal North Carolina with her husband and sons. Facebook *…
(In her own words) I am a native New Yorker who is now living in the UK from Newport Beach, CA, by way of Minneapolis and the South of France. I travel often to speak and teach, but also to discover new things, people and places. I love Instagram and cocktails. I learn as much…
Steve and Amy found themselves in a high-control religion that damaged the relationship with their daughter. This is their uncut story of pain and struggle as they attempt to move forward. Steve * Amy Desert Sanctuary Resources Book: Out Into the Desert Book: The Hotel Book: Being Book: The Being Journey companion guide Book: The Tea…
Jim Palmer is an author, activist, speaker, spiritual director, professor, Chaplain with the American Humanist Association, and leading figure in the non-religious spirituality movement. Palmer received his Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Divinity School in Chicago, where he served as a pastor at the mega-church, Willow Creek Community Church. He was later the founding…
I know the metaphor doesn’t make much sense, but I wanted to get your attention and ask for your help. Recently, our new book, Out Into the Desert reached best seller status. Help us ride the wave by sharing this amazing news with people you know. Good News! The Kindle version is $2.99 for a…
SUSAN COTTRELL is an international speaker whose TEDx talk, for a crowd of 5,000 at TedxMileHigh in Denver, has 1.6 million online views. OutSmart magazine calls her “The Mother of All MamaBears.” The Advocate dubs her “our favorite affirming matriarch.” She is a prominent voice for the LGBTQ+ community & their faith parents; allies; and others who…
Will is a licensed clinical social worker who currently works as a therapist in the Detroit area. Will has been married to Heather for 16 years and they have 5 kids. Will has a lifelong disability called Moebius Syndrome and is passionate about advocating for those with disabilities. Will is also passionate about helping those…
I’m not an expert at mental health issues, but I do know that anger is a very normal emotion. I know that it can be excessive and know that it can lead to other things, but it is also necessary sometimes when we see injustice and abuse in the world. I often use the illustration…
Jeff is the founder and Director of Tansmuto, a nonprofit whose mission is to help people identify and overcome barriers to happiness, hope and wholeness.Jeff teaches and coaches individuals, couples, families and organizations to apply the wisdom of the Enneagram. His professional training in the Enneagram comes from The Narrative Enneagram (TNE). He hosts the…
Sister Marcia has ministered in various capacities over the years. She coordinated a Rome renewal program for eight summers, networking with English-speaking Benedictines world- wide. Currently, she is vocation director, provides spiritual direction, and is a staff member for Souljourners, the spiritual direction training program. When time permits, she enjoys making jelly for both the…
Several years ago when I started questioning my beliefs, I began to feel lonely because everyone in my circle of friends thought much the same way I did. When I continued to change, it felt like I was wandering out into the Desert. Eventually, I resigned from the church that I was pastoring, and started…
Laci Bean is a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach who’s focus is Religious Trauma. Laci went from spending her teen years in a highly controlling religious cult to deconstructing herself all the way out of Christianity in her early 30’s. As she started her journey of deconstruction and healing, she began to share it on Tik…
Seth Showalter is a single gay man who is the proud father of a lively cat by the name of Lizzie. Seth works as a Therapist for a Certified Behavioral Health Organization in the Central Region of Missouri. Seth runs a mental health podcast solo called “Mental Health Uncovered” where he gives people the floor…
Dr. Paul Fitzgerald earned the Doctor of Ministry with research in internalized shame and trauma. For more than 25 years he and his wife, Susanna, have assisted people in wholehearted, authentic living through HeartConnexion Seminars. His professional training includes Inner Relationship Focusing and BioSpiritual Focusing. He is a member of the International Focusing Institute and…
Kicking off this month talking about church harm and mental health. Desert Sanctuary Resources Book: Out Into the Desert Book: The Hotel Book: Being Book: The Being Journey companion guide now! Book: Apparent Faith Website: https://karlforehand.com/ Email: Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand
People have always been drawn towards things like religion to try to explain the things we could explain. The ceremonies and communities we built around our understanding and misunderstanding helped us shape some meaning into the world. I believe we can honor those traditions and, sometimes, even memorialize them while boldly and consciously moving into…
Karen Shock’s love for writing began when she got her first diary as a young girl. The lock and key on it made it easy for her to tell the diary some honest, dramatic, truths about herself. Even though Karen is now a 53 year old grandma, she still loves to put pen to paper…
Got to have an unstructured conversation with The Secular Tourist. We talked about our book, Out Into the Desert, atheism and organized religion. Desert Sanctuary Resources Book: Out Into the Desert Book: The Hotel Book: Being Book: The Being Journey companion guide now! Book: Apparent Faith Website: https://karlforehand.com/ Email: Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand Advertisements
Being buried alive is a reality for many. It can be the expectations of family, religion, culture, friends… many things can cause us to hide who we really are, because there is no other way to fill the niche we perceive to be ours. It can take a lifetime to unearth the beauty of our…
Jory Micah has an MA in Biblical Studies and Church History. She is passionate about helping people remember that they are children of God and worth far more than accepting systems responsible for oppression, inequities and injustices. Find her on social media @jorymicah. Facebook * Instagram * Twitter Desert Sanctuary Resources Book: Out Into the DesertBook:…
Ashley Easter is a cult survivor turned survivor advocate. She is the founder of Courage 365, a non-profit for abuse survivors (especially those abused in faith contexts) and a television producer focused on highlighting stories of meaning and mission. She is also an intuition life coach specializing in helping women take back their power and…
Rachelle Mitchell is known as The Hillbilly Exvangelical on Tiktok. Her content centers around helping people to be free from spiritual abuse and the oppressive religious system. She describes herself as “taking a whip to evangelicalism” and wants to make it her mission to highlight the dangers of Christian Nationalism. She also has a Facebook…
We made it through Thanksgiving. So, we sat down to talk about stroke recovery and navigating the holidays. Grab your favorite drink and join us. Desert Sanctuary Resources Book: Out Into the Desert Book: The Hotel Book: Being Book: The Being Journey companion guide now! Book: Apparent Faith Website: https://karlforehand.com/ Email: Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand
Part 1 of this story is Episode 203 In part 2, Kathy begins to describe what it was like when she married into a cult-like experience where fear and control caused her to enter survivor mode. She needed to get small as she tried to navigate raising 6 children with the wrong kind of support.…
Brad Jersak is an author and teacher based in Abbotsford, BC. He currently serves as the Dean of Theology & Culture at St. Stephen’s University (SSU.ca/graduate) in New Brunswick and teaches peace studies courses with IRPJ.org and is a regular speaker with the Open Table Conference crew. He writes regularly for the Clarion Journal and CWR magazine. Through his books and seminars,…
Aaron and I talk about taboos: religion and politics. Desert Sanctuary Resources Book: Out Into the Desert Book: The Hotel Book: Being Book: The Being Journey companion guide now! Book: Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart Website: https://karlforehand.com/ Email: Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com Twitter: @karl4hand
In my best evaluation, people have always been drawn towards things like religion to try to explain the things we could explain. The ceremonies and communities we built around our understanding and misunderstanding helped us shape some meaning into the world. I believe we can honor those traditions and, sometimes, even memorialize them while boldly…
Recently I listened to a discussion about a book I’m involved with called Parenting Deconstructed. It’s a great book for people that are making changes in their spiritual life and exploring different options, commonly known as deconstruction. A couple of the authors that I love talked about making space for their children. What they meant…
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Austin Noll studied screenwriting at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television before moving to Austin, Texas to continue pursuing his writing endeavors. He is a first time author of the book “A Jumble of Crumpled Papers.” Though his focus has primarily been writing for the screen, his…
A native Delawarean, residing on the ceded lands of the Nanticoke and Lenape tribes, Joanne McAfee – Maldonado lives in Delaware with her husband, Carlos, and two adult children. She’s served in roles such as youth pastor, assistant pastor, Bible Study teacher, and healing ministry facilitator, but left traditional church in 2019 to follow a…
I know the metaphor doesn’t make much sense, but I wanted to get your attention and ask for your help. Recently, our new book, Out Into the Desert reached best seller status. Help us ride the wave by sharing this amazing news with people you know. Good News! The Kindle version is 99 cents for…
Laura and I sat down to have a conversation about spiritual life and how deep and simple our practices are now. This a list of 10 things but not in any way a prescription. Let’s keep evolving and having these discussions. Check out our new book, Out into the Desert to help do the evaluation.…
Lola is a cosmetologist from Birmingham, AL who left the Church of Christ cult in 2019. After a devastating divorce, she deconstructed her faith and began exploring new paths to grow closer to spirit. She is a co-host for The Messy Spirituality Podcast. She is currently pursuing a spiritual path filled with witchery and enlightenment.…
by Karl Forehand (Adapted from my blog on Patheos) Before we even get started, let me just say this. I know that many of you might have had good experiences with your church. It’s better than a fundamentalist, evangelical church that you know of and you are more accepting, affirming, and generally more progressive. I…
by Karl Forehand While it’s true that many millions of people are deconstructing their faith, some of them will be convinced to stop short of total deconstruction. I don’t want to judge or criticize them for this. Deconstruction is hard. But for many of us, it was necessary to continue on the journey that we…
Sherri has been in leadership positions and ministry in Independent Baptist Churches from the time she was saved at the age of 11. her and her husband planted a church after leaving the Independent Fundamental Baptist denomination due to waking up to the spiritual abuse we both suffered from the-pulpit-to-the-pew all our lives. They desired…
Topics: Brad Jersak’s new book, Deconstructing Isn’t Easy, Important things to keep. Discussion with us and Kyle Butler Desert Sanctuary Resources Book: Out Into the Desert Book: The Hotel Book: Being Book: The Being Journey companion guide now! Book: Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart Website: https://karlforehand.com/ Email: Karl at karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64 Twitter: @karl4hand
Hailey Dixon is a writer, songstress and a woman with a bone to pick with the American evangelical church. Growing up queer and with a severe mental disability, Hailey often felt rejected not only by the god she grew up with, but by the church as a whole. She escaped a cult only to be…
Our son, JD, lives and works in Taiwan. He is a teacher, podcaster and writer. We are able to have unique conversations because we have all deconstructed and experienced church life as a pastor’s family. I think you will enjoy this look into our frustration with religion and our journey and search for truth. Free…
That is where we are with organized religion. It is systemically broken. There’s a big problem and everybody in the room knows that it’s broken. We try to ignore it. We blame ourselves and we blame others, but every time we try to talk about it, we get defensive. This is a discussion we need…
Tracy King activates potential. For more than 20 years she has dedicated her career to designing transformational experiences. She is a master learning designer, professional development consultant, bestselling author, and owns an instructional design agency. Her work synthesizing how brains learn into a model for crafting transformational experiences has been featured on NBC, ABC, FOX,…
Dominique and Megan have survived spiritual abuse in a variety of institutional settings including a religious cult, a charismatic nondenominational church, and a Southern Baptist church. Together they founded Baptist Accountability, an online database that tracks abuse within Baptist churches. Megan works tirelessly to educate others about spiritual and sexual abuse within churches and religious…
Rev. Dr. Sheri Pallas is an author, ally, and activist. She hosts a weekly live stream, Fireside Creators, with experts and the experienced, tackling tough topics. Sheri was raised between two extremes of judgment and hate. Her father, a drug dealing ex-con once nominated to be a Grand Dragon in the KKK. Her mom was…
Emily Loggins is a religious deconstruction advocate and the creator of Feral Pastor’s Wife, a rapidly growing TikTok community of over 30,000 people. Emily uses humor and critical analysis to question high-demand religion, while creating a soft landing place for those who were brave enough to leave. Instagram * @feral_pastors_wife on Tik Tok
Kyle Butler, Aaron Tomlinson and Laura and I took some time to talk about walking a more authentic path. Can we succeed at deconstructing / evolving, even if it is extremely difficult some days
In 20 years of ministry, I have never had anyone refuse to take communion from me. But this guy quietly told me he was not going to accept what we called The Lord’s Supper. I said, “okay” suspiciously, to which he replied, “I’ll talk to you later about it.” Sure enough, we had supper later…
Kathy is a mom of many. A high school teacher. Former social worker, A homeschooling mom, marriage, and church – drop out. An ex-evangelical and alcoholic in recovery, in equal parts. A connoisseur of history, theology, and useless trivia. Fueled by a deep desire to validate the voices and experiences of people who, habitually, have…
Wren Margaret Grace is a neurodivergent adoptee, mother of 6, Domestic Violence survivor, chronic illness warrior, and passionate about moving Humanity through our existential crisis with the hopes of a better future for all of us, especially the future generations. Wren was raised as Independent Fundamental Baptist, graduated from a strict Bible college, and after…
We got together, one week after the book release, to celebrate. Out into the Desert was #1 for new releases for most of that time. It continues to do well. Keith Giles and Jason Elam came along for the ride! Order the book on Amazon, rate, review and tell your friends! Order Out Into the Desert…
Baptism of Children Confirmation of children Are they really old enough to commit for life to our belief system that they probably, don’t understand? How many different worldviews have they been exposed to this early in life? Won’t they be shamed if they abandon this belief system later in life? Aren’t we forcing them into…
Everyone doesn’t agree with you, and you cant bully the rest of us into agreeing with you. Religion and politics are ripe with bulling, and it’s not always the guy stealing your lunch money. Order The Hotel Order Being or the The Being Journey companion guide now! Website: https://karlforehand.com/ Message us at any time if you have questions: karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64 Find…
What is it about organized religion that is dangerous? Jason Elam and Karl and Laura discuss their experience with hurt in their ministry experience. Order Being or the The Being Journey companion guide now!Website: https://karlforehand.com/ https://ratethispodcast.com/thedesertsanctuary· Message us at any time if you have questions: karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com· Find me on Twitter· See our new Facebook Page: The Desert Sanctuary· Book, Apparent Faith: What…
Aaron Tomlinson joins us to talk about issues with the church and how we handle trauma. Order Being or the The Being Journey companion guide now!Website: https://karlforehand.com/ https://ratethispodcast.com/thedesertsanctuary· Message us at any time if you have questions: karl4hand@gmail.com or Laura at lauraforehand64@gmail.com· Find me on Twitter· See our new Facebook Page: The Desert Sanctuary· Book, Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s HeartBook: The…
Which of the services of the church are still necessary? This week we talk with co-host, Kyle Butler. Jason Elam has graciously organized a fundraiser for my stroke recovery. Please decide if you can donate, share or help in another way. This is going to be a long journey and we are committed to it.…
It was good to get together with Aaron Tomlinson to talk about the Main Thing. In most churches, it’s usually expressed at Evangelism, but usually practiced as the marketing end of the organization. We talked about what truly must become the main thing for us here in the desert. It was a little different for…
Jason steps in to help us talk about being addicted to church. Organized religion is designed to attract people. It IS addictive. Then Monday, the high wears off and we start pre-using, dreaming about going back. Of course we like it, just like I used to like sodas-I was addicted to it. We took Cindy…
So, here we go! This begins our serious on our soon-to be published book, “Out Into the Desert.” The subtitle of the book is Thriving Outside Organized Religion. It is not an attack on religion, it is a review, mostly of Christianity. It is also some of our experience as pastors for 20 years. The…
So, Karl why don’t you just leave religion alone and pursue what you want to pursue? Because religion is part of my roots and religion affects people. I know that people involved in organized religion don’t have evil intentions, but the system is systemically inadequate to deal with the trauma that it often creates. Please…
Dawn Schale joins us and Kyle on our regular monthly episode. The answer to everything today was to look inside and find what brings you joy? The four of us had different experiences in Christianity, but we all agreed that it erased boundaries and focused our purpose away from ourselves. In the process, we lost…
Some Christians like to imagine they are under attack, but maybe they are under review. This week we talk about a comment Karl heard on TicToc from Pastor Joseph Yoo. We also talk about Vulnerability and Bravery and a quote from Brene Brown. It’s always good to talk to Jason! Order Being or the The…
We’ve known them for a couple of years and we finally got to meet with them at their home in Navarre, FL. This was a fun conversation we had when we had Chinese food and reflected on getting know each other online and then finally meeting. It is hard to hear at times, so turn…
A lot of us in the desert wonder about ministry. We were always told that we needed to have a ministry. But, why do we need a ministry? Is is just a ploy to get us to do something for the organization? One our recent discoveries is the idea of finding who we are. What…
This may be a touchy subject because some people love Easter and celebrating Holy Week. This year, we wondered why we didn’t miss it? Should we feel guilty? Are we bad people? Like most of these conversations, it started from a drive. We respect your right to celebrate Easter the way you want? But, we…
These are a few of the people that are very dear to us online. I haven’t known Aaron all that long, but his insight is impeccable. The rest of them I have have grown to love over time. They are all ex-pastors and have unique input into going through a deconstruction as a pastor. We…
This was an off-the-cuff topic from a blog I posted on Patheos this weekend. It was about Carl Jung wrestling with his understanding of God at age 12 when he saw a vision of a giant turd coming from the throne of God and smashing the cathedral where he lived. Carl Jung has given us…
Our discussion about the release of the e-book, now offered free on the website. Find the e-book https://karlforehand.com/books-by-karl-forehand This conversation, like the e-book, is somewhat vulnerable. Support us on Patreon * The Desert Sanctuary Website Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About…
We decided to release our next book as an e-book and offer it for free! Over a year ago, we stopped attending church. After our deconstruction, we immediately started attending a large church. It was a good church, but after about 2 years, we made a conscious decision to step away. There were too many…
Today, we sat down to talk about Community. By far, when people talk about why we should participate in organized religion, they tell us we need community. But Do we really find community at church?What is real community?Can you find commuity online?What is the Desert Sanctuary Community online? Image by Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels Website: https://karlforehand.com/…
Laura and I sat down this morning and talked about what’s going on during the holdays and what we hope for the new year! Be where you are, be who you are, be at peace, Karl and Laura Forehand Website: https://karlforehand.com/ Book: The Tea Shop https://ratethispodcast.com/thedesertsanctuary Message us at any time if you have questions:…
Got together with some mental health professionals and talked about the current crisis and how it is unique in it’s characteristics. How is this crisis unique? How can we cope effectively with the crisis. What is common to all of this? What did the participants hope for our near future? Join our guests: Dr. Mary…
Over the past few years, I have had the privileged of having some great guides lead me on a journey of healing. Most often, the wounds in our life were inflicted by people that genuinely cared for us and by our own stubborn strategies that didn’t work and only made it worse. In a addition…
Jason Elam, of the Messy Spirituality Podcast, and I got together to talk about a couple of things. We didn’t have nearly enough time, but we figured we would package it in bite-sized segments. This is JOINT PODCAST that will probably air on both stations. This is directly from our hearts! PART 1 is about…
Julie McVey is the author of the book, “Why I Left Church to Find Jesus: A Personal Odyssey.” In her introduction to the book, she writes: I wrote this odyssey as a snapshot of some of my most challenging and even ugly religious experiences in a fundamentalist megachurch in an effort to more fully embrace…
Several months ago, when we stopped going to church, the most common injunction from people was, “Community is important.” As I said before, “I couldn’t agree more.” The best way I can answer this issue is to describe my current communities. That’s right, it’s plural. I don’t think any of us just have one community.…
Yesterday, I started talking about the need for community. If you haven’t had a chance, you might read it first. Community is not just within organizations and it is not without pitfalls. Today, I wanted to look a few of the dangers in joining a community, formal or otherwise. The most obvious danger in community…
When I try to discuss the status of organized church, the most prominent push back that I get from those that attend church is in the area of community. They will say to me, “But, we need community!” And, I will say, “I couldn’t agree more.” But, if we all agree that community is important,…
Karl I am pretty sure I heard the phrase first from one of my mentors. Although I very well could have heard in a secular boardroom. The phrase goes something like this, “We have to keep the main thing the main thing.” It is a little more than establishing goals or even priorities. The phrase…
“Religion is the opiate of the masses.” Karl Marx Recently, we interviewed Cindy Wang Brandt on our podcast, The Desert Sanctuary. Don’t blame her for anything I say, but her suggestion inspired this thought process. She stressed that everyone should take a “gap year off” from church. Although I agree with this now, I couldn’t…
Recently we decided not to go to church anymore. We don’t really know whether this is a permanent decision or just what we are doing right now. It probably depends upon which one of us you talk to and what day it is. One thing is for sure, we need some time to heal up…
When people talk about their spouse, they often refer to them as their “best friend.” I have never liked that phraseology. First, because Laura is always more than a friend, even if she is my best friend. But, also because being husband and wife is so much more than a friendship — it is way…
Jerry and Sherry are not just one of our favorite vegan couples, but they are one of our favorite all around couples. They have always embodied love to us in the most purest form. At this stage in their life, they are not very religious; but they are definitely spiritual people. We sat down today…
Disclaimers: I respect my pastor friends that want to preserve the local church. Most of them agree, it needs to be re imagined. That’s what I think i’m doing here – imagining. This series of blogs is about what I’m thinking about. I think it’s good to think through things occasionally, especially in times like…
Disclaimers: I respect my pastor friends that want to preserve the local church. Most of them agree, it needs to be re imagined. That’s what I think i’m doing here – imagining. This series of blogs is about what I’m thinking about. I think it’s good to think through things occasionally, especially in times like…
The Desert Sanctuary 