Tag Archive | legalism
Hail Stones, Strep Throat, and Engine Failure: God’s Punishment, or Occupational Hazards?
On June 13, 2012, a line of severe thunderstorms boiled through east Dallas, just west of Highway 75. I know, because I was standing beside my car in the uncovered parking lot beside our apartment building at Dallas Seminary. I watched afternoon sunlight turn a weird shade of green. I smelled ozone in the air. […]
Broken Cisterns: Cultic Codependency (Part 1 of 2)
“Steve, you sound angry,” my pastor said. His voice dripped like brown caramel on my head. The room spun and roared. “No,” I said, but my fists clenched. Ferris* had just told me that I couldn’t go to college yet—I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t spiritually mature enough. Outside, I could see summer sun lean heavily […]
Why Spiritually Abused People Should Not Repent… And Why They Should
If you carry around a burden of guilt because you were spiritually abused, this post is for you. The question is: Do people who have been spiritually abused need to repent for allowing themselves to be abused? Dr. Stephen Crosby—who himself experienced spiritual abuse in the past—wrote in a recent blog post: “If you have […]
Should We Repent for Allowing Ourselves to be Spiritually Abused?
Should we repent for allowing ourselves to be spiritually abused? Yikes. I am re-posting the following article in its entirety from my friend Julie Anne Smith’s blog, Spiritual Sounding Board. It refers to an original post by Dr. Stephen Crosby. This article will make you think. I came across an article on spiritual abuse Spiritual Abuse: […]
Fifteen Feathers of a Legalist (Part 1 of 2)
Birds of a feather flock together. Ornithologists identify flickers of movement in a thicket as a particular bird. They do so by catching characteristics peculiar to a certain species. Wing feathers, tail feathers, and head or throat feathers all serve identifying purposes. In the two posts in this series you will find fifteen “feathers” to […]
One Who Got Away: Libby Phelps Alvarez, Religious Brainwashing, and the Westboro Baptist Church
We’ve all seen the signs; we’ve all heard the rhetoric of hatred: “Thank God for dead soldiers,” “Soldiers die; God laughs.” The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas remains America’s best-known and least-understood cult. Founded by Pastor Fred Phelps, the rural church believes that the deaths of soldiers and Marines evidences God’s righteous judgment on […]
Unforgiveness: How to Staple Your Own Hand
My friend Jeff once flew bush planes in Alaska. He gained great skill as a pilot and also learned how to service his own plane. The reasoning went something like this: If Jeff’s engine ever conked out while he was flying over the remotest parts of Alaska, he’d better be able to land the plane […]
Efficiency vs. Fruitfulness: Lessons from an Apple Tree
My joy-thief struck again. It happened during Christmas Break. My wife and I had just moved to Columbus, Ohio from Dallas. I graduated from Dallas Seminary in December and then we visited family in Maine. As temperatures dropped and snow flew I chopped down a Christmas tree, took naps, and generally did nothing which could […]
Love Bombing: Wax or No Wax?
“Love must be sincere.” – Romans 12:9 I can still remember watching American Marines drop grenades into a stream on a Pacific island during World War II. The black and white news footage showed shirtless, smiling Marines milling about on the bank, surrounded by palm trees and tropical plants. “These Marines have worked up quite […]
Liberty for Captives 