It's all grace

My mind is abuzz.  All these new thoughts on religion, Christianity, personality, introverts, differing views, grace -- they are all buzzing around and consuming my mind.

I'm a black and white girl.  Truth is truth.  God's word is true. Believe or don't - but don't go gray on me.  In my Myers-Briggs personality that would be the "j" in me, I suppose.  I believe there is right and wrong, black and white, and I judge those who don't. #truth.

Years ago I was introduced to Anne Lamott through her book Operating Instructions. It was really my first foray into Christians who thought differently than I did. As I read that book, with its incredible irreverence and raw emotions of a new mother (I was not at the time), I was caught by the realness of it.  Was it okay to talk that way, to feel that way?  It was a gray box, for certain.

Then I read Donald Smith's Blue Like Jazz. Dude, this guy is an awesome writer but his thoughts are not well-respected in the evangelical Christian community.  He's a hippie thinker who made his way to the pacific northwest and lived a life very different from those of us in the Bible beltway.  Recently he wrote a series of blogs about why he doesn't attend church.  Gasp, the evangelical movement went crazy with criticisms.  Why doesn't he attend?  In a nutshell he's a kinesthetic learner/introverted thinker who believes that ones' actions speak louder than sitting in a pew each week.  It was a gray box, for certain.

#SB48 week has caused Christians to go out of their way to show "their team" as God on their side.  A photo of Peyton Manning with a quote about him praying and keeping his Christian life private has gone viral.  Aren't we supposed to "live out loud" (thank you Steven Curtis Chapman).  Aren't we supposed to be proud of our God and make certain to make him known?  How can we do that by keeping the impact God has in our life private - especially when we have such a public platform?  It was a gray box.

Bruno Mars performed during this week's halftime show.  For years I only listened to Christian music.  Then I had a teenager who loves music - all genres and I needed to stay in touch with him.  I added Jack Johnson, Michael Buble, Daughtery, Carrie Underwood, Adele, and oh so many more to my pandora playlist.  My list is still dominated with artists who openly glorify God and sing his praises, but now other songs are mixed in.  A prominent Christian artist was nearly crucified when he tweeted that he enjoyed Bruno Mars' half-time show.  He noted he was a great singer, artist and drummer and gave a great show.  Christians were unnerved he could condone some of the lyrics and gyrations and on and on.  He replied by saying (in essence) - it's all grace. Whether you agree or don't agree with me, I'm covered with what I think by God's grace.  He entered a Christian gray area.

Weeks ago I asked to hold a ladies telecast event at my church.  There were 20+ women affiliated with leading this national movement event hosted live in Austin, TX and simulcast to over 2,000 locations across the world. Huge. The format was loosely defined, but the speakers and their topics weren't published. After an initial approval the elders and leaders decided they couldn't agree with what might be presented by Christian woman who had theologies that differed from them. My church is not open to views which differ from theirs.  To me it was gray and covered by grace.  Not so with them. And, perhaps rightly so since they are a church body. I'm still torn.

Last night was the #creationdebate. I believe God miraculously created the world in six days and 6,000 years ago as the inspired word of God says and proves through genealogy. It's faith.  Just like believing Jesus was born of a virgin, died a death for my sins, and was resurrected three days later, and walked the earth for 40 days before ascending to heaven. It's non-sense to the rest of the world (white) and Bill Nye. It's absolute to me (black) and Ken Ham. Interestingly there was not gray.  My twitter feed was not filled with grace. Instead they world ridiculed Ken Ham for his Biblical view.  And, not only the world, but many Christian bloggers ridiculed Ken Ham as a quack. Where's the grace? (sorry - no grace, no follow - #unfollow party.) 

Here's my point.  There are many gray areas I'm growing in. Although I believe Christians should attend church every week (forsake not the assembling together), there are some who just don't for whatever reason. And, they are still Christians.  

I believe that we should use our God-given moments to proclaim his love for the lost - verbally and in action.  Many prefer an internal relationship. They are still Christians.

Some teach that immersion baptism is required, others who believe Jesus is the Christ believe no baptism is required, that confirmation is a baptism.  It's all good - it's all grace - we are all Christians.

My audacious journey is teaching me that we are all different, uniquely created by our Savior who loves us all equally.  My way isn't the right way. Yes, His Holy Bible teaches us "the way", but we'll all interpret it differently. We'll all live it out differently. In the end, in the very end, when the trumpet sounds I believe the only important thing will be "do you believe Jesus is the Christ the son of God, your living Lord and Savior?"  And, the extra crowns are for how much you did to show others the same, to bring them to Him, to love others as Christ loves us.

I could be wrong.  Surely I am wrong - how could I be the one that gets it right?  But, I'm trusting that grace will have the rest covered.