Since then...further along the road of deconstruction and rebuilding

Haven't written directly about the process of deconstruction and rebuilding lately.  Here's a bit of an update from the re-building side:

Good News

"...there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."

That little story of Jesus' birth in Luke 2 has become a powerful reminder & revelation - that Jesus came to be good news of great joy!

In the process of deconstruction, I came to realize what was "good news" for me before/in the past was not of "great joy".  

I think I had learned to pretend it was for reasons I might unpack later, but it wasn't a message of "great joy".  

It was a message of possible salvation IF you happened to do everything correctly and died at the right moment.  It was not a hopeful message.

The good news is that a Savior has been born, not a new set of rules and regulations has been created for you to have a possible chance at being saved and going to heaven someday.

Jesus came to save us through setting us free from the idea that we could do something to save ourselves.  

He came to reconcile us to God because there's no way we could do that on our own.

He didn't come to start "the church" as a lot of people think about it and experience it.  

His point wasn't "church".  His point was and is God connecting with us.  God brings us together to be "church".  Church isn't God.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with people getting together and "doing church" in a lot of different ways, but that was not or is not the primary thing God was doing in Jesus.

The good news is the confidence, assurance, freedom and peace we have with God in Jesus.  

He's not longer counting our sins against us (1 Cor. 13:5, 2 Cor. 5:19). 

He's not "up there" putting marks in our "bad" column when we mess up and then erasing them when we ask for forgiveness.  

He's not "up there" putting marks in our "good" column when we "do good things", or "go to church", or believe certain things, etc so he can bless us or give us "favor".

He's no longer distant from us and waiting on the other side for us to finish up our life so he can tally up our score and see if we made it or not.

He came to do away with all that and walk with us now.  

We really can relax and know he is with us and we are his!

We can feel free to share him with other people as he "opens those doors".

We don't have to feel like it's on us to create doors all the time and force conversations.

He will and does guide us.

Life is "worship time with God", not just a few minutes per week.

He is everywhere and in everything, if we have eyes to see Him.

So yeah, it's different.  More soon.  Just wanted to update for those who had asked.  Thanks!

Peace and goodwill!