Welcome To the Edge of Christianity
Fear Not. You are Not Alone.
Spiritual Growth Coaching for Progressive Christians
~ Are you a Christian who doesn’t feel comfortable with evangelical theology? ~
~ Do you struggle with spiritual questions that keep you up at night? ~
~ Do you feel uncomfortable in a church? ~
Living on the Edge of Faith is Painful
Our faith gets us through the tough times. Our faith anchors us during the storms of life. Our hope flows from living in the spirit of a God who creates us, sustains us, and guides us.
But what happens when our beliefs change?
What if those stories we heard as children start to sound less like history and more like myth? What if we start listening to sermons and think, “I just don’t believe that anymore”?
If that’s you, fear not.
I’m here to tell you it’s perfectly normal for people who are maturing in their faith and growing as human beings.
You are entering into a time of “demythologizing” or “deconversion”.
You're Entering the Dark Night of the Soul
As your spiritual order descends into chaos, you may...
Feel isolated. The people around you may not understand your questions and spiritual struggles.
Watch close friendships unravel. Your religious friends may even label you as an "apostate".
Experience existential pain as the very meaning of your life shatters like a shimmering crystal globe dropped onto the hot, black asphalt.
The “dark night of the soul” is a time of feeling abandoned by God, a time in which you find no spiritual consolation and can see no clear way out.
Don't Fight it. Embrace It.
When the time is right, a caterpillar wraps itself in the darkness of a cocoon to turn into a beautiful butterfly. Think of your darkness as the next step into your own becoming.
After all, this is what spirituality is about: transformation.
It’s not about having the right belief or taking the right stance on issues.
It’s about a slow process through which you become who you were meant to become.
Not everyone who identifies as “spiritual” is willing to embrace their transformation. Let’s admit it: sometimes it’s easier to let one’s spiritual life take a backseat to other concerns. And, that’s their choice. No one is ever forced to grow spiritually.
But, for those of you who strive for a deeper sense of connection with the Divine, your destiny awaits. You can choose to engage the work and embrace the experience necessary to align your pulse with the heartbeat of a God who is Love.
Journey to the Light at the End of the Tunnel
While the dark night of the soul is necessary for spiritual growth, it is not the end of the journey.
The purpose of deconstruction is reconstruction. The purpose of demythologizing is remythologizing.
Having gone through the time of darkness, like the butterfly you will emerge with new wings.
As your ideas about God, the world, and yourself change dramatically, you will find new meaning in life.
Is it hard? Definitely.
Is it worth it? Absolutely!
If you are a Christian who wants to mature in your faith, struggling through the growing pains is part of your calling.
There can be no resurrection without crucifixion.
There's Plenty of Room in the Historic Christian Waters for You
Too often, Christians who struggle with belief fall into an either/or trap: Either you believe and are a Christian, or you do not and therefore are not.
This seems especially the case for those coming from an Evangelical, black-and-white worldview. But, the truth is this…
There is no one-size-fits-all version of Christianity.
That’s just an historical fact.
There has never been any such thing as a “core truth” that all Christians at all times and all places have believed to be true. Historically, Christianity has always been a multi-faceted religious phenomenon reflecting a variety of different beliefs.
Throughout history, different cultures and worldviews have given birth to different expressions of Christian truths. As those cultures move through time and evolve, so too do their understandings of Christianity. Sometimes, those cultures release certain beliefs in favor of others as they adapt.
Which brings me to the question that haunts me today…
Into What is Christianity Evolving?
Finding my answer to that question is my lifelong quest. This website is the current manifestation of where I am in my pursuit.
My goal is for this website to be a resource for those who are disillusioned with Evangelical, and even traditional, Christianity in America, but are not willing to relinquish their Christian identity. I hope it will become a unique and empowering voice for those who need something more than the dominant Christian voice out there.
And so I offer you an alternative Christian perspective.
I bring to the table a mystical, radical, and revisionist approach to Christianity. I seek to help those who need something new to reinvent Christianity for their own lives, to create a spirituality that is more relevant to their actual, everyday existence.
By doing so, I hope that those struggling with the dark night of the soul and living on the edge of faith will find that there is indeed room for them in the distinctly Christian fold. And this is not in spite of their questions, concerns, and changing beliefs. Rather it is precisely because of them.
If this is you, then you are in the right place.
I want to help you find your own understanding of what Christ means for you and your life. Periodically, I will update my blog with sermons and theological reflections. I hope you find in them some sort of inspiration that takes you one more step into a deeper, more vital sense of resonance with God.
Now, if you're ready to jump in . . .
The Evolving Christian Faith Network exists to give voice to and nurture a Progressive Christian theological alternative so that those on the edge of faith can grow spiritually, whether they are inside or outside the church.