TheTruth About Faith...

Making the statement, "I'm in this mess because of church leaders who didn't have any faith in their hearts" will put a wrong slant on things.

It's a true statement, but what I'm in is not a mess. Actually for the first time in about two decades, I'm NOT in a mess. I'm in a plan.

But how different my life would have been, would be now if oh so many church leaders had chosen to attend to the deficit I exposed in church leadership instead of trying to discredit and dissuade me from being seen and heard as someone who was accurately reporting events and conditions.

So, how do we end up with church leaders who don't have any faith in their hearts?

Start with seminary, go through tradition and end up with culture.

Seminary is just a head trip. Pure and simple. No one gets sat down in seminary and asked, 'Why did Jesus die for you?" "Where is the pain that needs the healing of the Balm of Gilead?" "What has God designed in you.?"  Those are questions that lead to faith.

No, sadly in seminary they debate whether those are questions that need to be asked.

Second, tradition says church leaders will have a very narrow view of the world.
They worship at only one church with an occasional field trip, they have duties that keep them away from non believers or a-believers or former believers, who ask very good questions.
They are put on a pedestal and not taught how to be player coaches.
They like all of the above because it keeps them from having to endure social intimacy which makes them uncomfortable ( according to one particular study).

No, I am in this plan because I have faith. As one leader put it one time, "The trouble with you is that you take all this sh*t seriously". Yup...faith can cause you trouble.

I don't have their retirement plan right now, but I do have my spiritual integrity. I think I'm going to be OK.