Welcome to Grace & Progress
I don’t know about you but growing up in the western American church in the late 90s and 2000s did a number on me.
From Christian lingo being thrown around like free candy, which by the way doesn’t taste as sweet as candy, to growing up in deep purity and modesty culture that I am still in therapy working through.
All these things were well-meaning, and this blog is by no means a source to bash the church… that is not my mission. My mission is to speak frankly, honestly, and lovingly about the truth of who Jesus is.
I want to leave my baggage at the door and speak directly to you; speak directly with you.
You being here, reading this, tells me that you just want someone to speak honestly with you. Leave the Christian cliches at the door (or in our case, the google search bar) and just get down to the real, the raw, the unanswerable, and the remarkable of who God is. Sprinkle in some rants, well-placed swear words and wrap it in a package of truthful reminders from scripture of who Jesus is for us.
One thing I know for sure is that the Bible is true. It is honest, transparent, sometimes confusing, and grey, but the Bible has been infallible. Where many leaders and people we hold great respect for have failed or misrepresented scripture and the gospel, the Bible itself has never been a source of wrong information.
With so much going on in the world right now from injustice, slander, abuse, corruption, and more than I can even list, the only thing I know to do with it all is to look to Scripture and surrender my fears to the Lord.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
I use scripture to put things in perspective, otherwise, I’d be on a lot more than anti-depressants right now. The only true peace I have ever known has been in Jesus’ presence, God’s love, and Holy Spirits’ guidance. Scripture reminds me of those sweet moments with the Trinity, and somehow it makes my biggest fears become a bit smaller.
I want to be transparent about something. If you are in a similar boat as me in regards to how you were raised, you may have experienced the quoting of scripture as being used to “sugar coat” or “make everything better” with no regard for validation or empathy. This is something I have been having to work through for years and still wrestle with today. The lump that forms in my throat before saying a verse to someone is larger than a softball, and the pit in my stomach is hard to jump over to utter the words I know deep down are true. I have chosen to remind myself that even if things were done with good intention, there are still wounds, and just because people have messed up in representing Jesus and his words to me, doesn’t mean I should live in the continual belief that quoting scripture is abusive. I remind myself that the Bible is true; and if there is one thing in this world we need more of, it is truth.
So, here is to speaking, acting, walking, breathing, singing, being, and dwelling in truth. The truth is Jesus and his undying love for us. The truth is that Jesus is for us and not against us. The truth is that there is eternal life if we simply believe in Jesus. The truth is that we were all made for a purpose and to reflect the heart of God in every aspect of our lives.
Let’s honestly wrestle with controversial topics and have GRACE for each other as we learn, grow, and ultimately grow closer to God’s heart.
