Marc Alan Schelske

Not here much until there's new management. Find me here: @marcalanschelske on Threads @schelske on Spoutible @schelske on Facebook Would love to have you subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Apprenticeship Notes at MarcOptIn.com

Is Shame Keeping us from Following Jesus? bit.ly/3TqpqYJ (Archive Post)

Church, take note. Rev. Cremer has it right. “When our Christianity begins to look like vengeance, animosity, and hostility towards the world, rather than love, humility, and compassion, that is when we know we are following someone other than Jesus.” #GoodTheologySavesLives

The only safe environment for a pursuit of spiritual growth is grace. You're not putting on a show. The only worthwhile purpose for your growth is to become more present to yourself and God. www.JournalingForSpiritualGrowth #Journaling

Gentle wisdom for those of us who’ve discovered that faith made of certainty is incompatible with life as we know it. (From @bradley.jersak Out of The Embers)

Facts.

Real listening is an act of humility. When we listen, we de-center ourselves so we can hear the truth of another. That's why there is no intimacy without listening. www.JournalingForSpiritualGrowth #Journaling #SpiritualGrowth #Listening

Spoiler alert: It's not about your beliefs. What is a spiritual life? Do I have one? bit.ly/41vXxne.

True! “Evil is particularly hard for some Christians to face if that evil is intertwined with a version of Christian language or Christian practice that seems inextricably part of faith.” - @ProfligateGrace from Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich

“Fear not the coming of your God; fear not his friendship. He will not straighten you when he comes; rather he will enlarge you… You see then, if you love, how much room he gives you.” - Augustine. From The Roots of Christian Mysticism by Olivier Clement

What kills me is that folks in my extended Christian community believe people are saved by grace through faith alone… and at the same time, act like their favorite 2nd or 3rd order issue really, truly is the thing that determines who is a real Christian.

Yup. Jesus didn’t change anything about God. Jesus showed us what God is already like. // “Jesus didn't welcome outcasts and embrace untouchables to make them acceptable to God. He did it to show them, and everyone else, that God had already accepted them.” - Zach Lambert

Hey Church, What Are We Building? bit.ly/3R7P5EM (Archive Post)

Faith over fear? Nah. “Perfect love casts out fear.” Loving others in the face of fear is courage. Loving others in the face of fear is how flawed humans live like Jesus. You say you have faith? Even the demons believe. Show me your love, and I’ll know what you have faith in.

Did you see this? Maybe you need to steward your attention? bit.ly/3IBvdZc

Navigating Toward LGBTQ Affirmation (or How I became an Affirming Pastor) (TAW060) bit.ly/4kIPrys (Archive Post)

Did you see this? Maybe you need to steward your attention? bit.ly/3IBvdZc

Origen, (3rd century) on the trouble with reading the Bible literally. “…to be unwilling ever to rise above the letter, never to give up feeding on the literal sense, is the mark of a life of falsehood.” 😳 (From Commentary on Proverbs, 2.3

#WritingPointer 11: Do one kind of writing per session. Brainstorming, outlining, sketching a scene, writing a first draft, and editing are all different brain states. Switching between states slows you down and makes you less good at everything. #WritingTips #WritingCommunity

Maybe you need to steward your attention? bit.ly/3IBvdZc

An ancient Christian voice on freedom. Something modern Christians might meditate on: “In his great love God was unwilling to restrict our freedom, even though he had the power to do so. He has left us to come to him by the love of our heart alone.” - Isaac of Nineveh, 7th c…