One day, while waiting in the front office for a client to come in, I was outed as being a pastor. She said there was something in my voice that affirmed for her that I either was in the past or am in the present someone who preaches. I smiled back and made a statement…
All posts by nelan
Spiritual Abuse A new old way to dominate within the Christian tradition
It isn’t so easy to spot physical and emotional abuse, though we’d like to believe we are astute enough to see the signs and symptoms. There might be bruises or some form of acting out. Perhaps a broken bone or emotional upheaval. After some investigation, we can deduce that something has happened to an individual…
Relentless Optimism
Think for a moment on those things that have changed our lives. Take your time. I’ll still be here when you’re done. Did you think of the soft smile of a child cradled in their mother’s arms? Maybe it was some other joyous occasion – a wedding, anniversary, or birthday celebration for a dear loved…
The +Man Called Christ
(This post will be a challenging read for some out there. I only ask you keep an open mind, and read all the way through before making and judgments. Be open to my style of presentation. No heresy exists, but I do challenge the age old ways of thinking, and I do toy with the…
The Desert Blooms
I had planned a rather long paper on professionalism and ethics in the church, but I quickly became jaded and upset over something that happened at my internship site – something few people in our varied societies get the chance to embrace, let alone experience. My internship is at a site where I can give…
How Easy It Is To Throw Away People
“Recognize what is in your sight, and that which is hidden from you will become plain to you. For there is nothing hidden, which will not become manifest.”1 Part 1 – Not Quite There Yet The sun is up early today. Muffled conversations fill the air around me and the scent of breakfast cooking in…
The Gift of Flowers
(From the book in progress, “Where Flowers Grow” – All Rights Reserved) Being the typical active child growing up in sparsely populated Dana Point, California, I scampered through the boondocks at the end of our street at every possible moment, often ignoring any danger and seldom thinking how my actions might impact the area around…
The Shell
This empty shell sits alone in silence wondering, “Who Am I,” but discovers only silence enveloping a once symphonic presence. “Who Am I?” again surfaces, balancing moments of deep introspection with moments of complete emptiness. In the mirror stands the seeker, ever asking, “Who Am I?” but never responding – just watching and waiting for…
Validity
It is an issue that comes up from time to time, usually from people who have never heard of us or who have heard vicious rumors and lies spread by insecure and scared individuals – the validity of the Old, Emergent and Independent Catholic Churches. But fewer people know the real truth about how the…
Pedestal Pecking!
I have seen a progression through the many years of my involvement with the Independent / Emergent / Old Catholic Church – one where bishops and priests engage in attacking one another to the point where it becomes their sole ministry. Rather than love, it has become the status quo to attack and destroy the…