I continue my journey to learn to walk with God without the trappings and burdens of religion.  I haven’t shared much of the spiritual side of my journey lately, so I thought I’d give you a quick update!

One of the many books I’m working through is (Living in the Kingdom of God Where) Grace Rules by Steve McVey.  Again, it’s about living in grace, not law.  In his chapter called “Sin’s Secret Weapon” he explains that the whole purpose of the law is to stir up in us a desire to sin.

On page 87 in the book, Steve Writes:

God didn’t think for one moment that man would keep the law.  Remember, He knows everything.  He didn’t’ give the law because HE believed man would keep it, but rather because MAN believed he could keep it.   He mistakenly believed that if he had clear instructions, he could achieve a righteous standing with God on the basis of his behavior.  So God gave the law to demonstrate that righteousness can never come by adherence to religious rules.  The law is intended to frustrate us to the point of despair so that we give up all hope that we can successfully live in a way that pleases God.  By forcing us to admit our own inability to accomplish a righteous lifestyle, it drives us toward Jesus so that we can ACCEPT righteousness from Him as a gift.  The purpose of the law is to inflame sin, thus causing us to see our own hopelessness apart from the mercy and grace of God expressed to us through Jesus Christ.

It’s kind of like this song by Jason Gray:

What do you think? Do you have anything to add to the discussion on law vs grace? Post your comments below! Let’s bounce some ideas around!

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Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

Way back in the 80′s Amy Grant wrote a song called “I’m Gonna Fly”  I loved that song – it touched my heart somehow, and has sort of become my anthem.  Sometimes it’s gotten lost in the detritus of life, but it always re-emerges.  Take a listen:

Now, if you’ve been reading my blog even sporadically, you have to know that I’m a passionate reader.  Probably the understatement of the century!  :D  Anyway, I’m currently reading (among other books) Walking in the Will of God: Discovering the Grace and Freedom of His Plan for You where Steve McVey basically says “If you’re serious about following God, and there’s a passion in your heart to do something, do it”  and (thankfully) it doesn’t always mean some kind of missionary/charity project.  Basically, if something makes you fire on all cylinders, and you are serious about following God, you can generally assume that that passion comes from God – even if it’s for something like flying planes, or painting, or whatever, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be “Christianed up” to be acceptable.

Shortly after writing last Friday’s post I was poking through some book titles to add to my iPod Kindle app (as if I actually needed new books to read!) and came across the updated version of  Tim Ferriss’  The 4-Hour Workweek.  I had eagerly and enthusiastically devoured the first version, and decided to read the expanded version, but this time, instead of just reading it, I was going to do each exercise in the book, and create that life.  Tom and I have known for a long time now that we’re not designed to live ordinary lives.  We’ve tried hard to fit in anyway, and it’s just not working.

So here goes something new.  In addition to letting go of the ritual of church life and  the duties of spiritual disciplines (having already released the family from the stranglehold of standard education!) I am now finally going to throw off the restraints of any remaining normalcy in my life (there’s truly very little left, LOL!) and I’m going to learn to live life in a way that makes me fly – literally and figuratively.

Just in case there’s anyone out there who’s interested in following along, I’m going to be posting about that life and the journey it takes me on, here on this blog on Fridays, so you can peek in and see how it works in real life.  If you have always wanted to try letting go and living a truly free life, let me encourage you to grab a copy of the book and follow along.  As I type this, I’m just starting the exercises at the end of Chapter 4, so set aside some time to read, and catch up to me.  I’ll update you on the results of those exercises next week.

Woohoo!  Yes, baby, I’m Gonna Fly!!!

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Who is Darlene Hull? Click here: www.darlenehull.com to find out!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a more “spiritual” post here. Mostly I’ve been focusing on the training. However, I never walk without listening to something, and lately I’ve been deeply challenged by some teaching that I’ve been working through on my walks.

I was born into the church. I could probably count on one hand how many Sunday morning (now Saturday night) services I’ve missed in my almost half a decade. Add to that all the Sunday evening services back when they were part of the “routine” and untold hours of volunteering as a Sunday School teacher for all ages, a youth leader, a musician, etc., I’ve spent probably half my life in some kind of religious setting. I’ve participated in everything from very high latin catholic masses to “no rules” Charismatic frenzies; I’ve been to church in dozens of countries, in several languages, and I’ve even been a missionary. I love the church. I love the lifestyle, the people, the teaching, the music. I love being a part of something that matters.

The truth is, however, that while I take my faith very seriously, and while I’ve striven most of my life to serve God faithfully, some nagging feeling in my gut is telling me that somehow, I’ve “missed the point”. For such a long time I’ve felt “stuck”. Way back in my missionary days half a lifetime ago I met a God who was actively involved in my every day. Everything I was asked to do was so far beyond my capabilities, it was literally “trust God or screw up beyond redemption”. I had no idea how to do that, but I learned quickly – on the job. And God showed up, BIG. I began a relationship with Him that had vibrance, joy, passion, delight, and lots of surprises.

Now, living in a safe city, with a wonderful husband who provides well, two kids with no issues whatsoever, and pretty much able to have/be/do anything my little heart desires, I feel so far from God and who He revealed Himself to be all those years ago. I’m in such a “safe place” that my need for God seems minimal.

And yet, I’m so hungry for Him.

A couple of months ago, in an attempt to help my husband who’s having much the same struggle, I bought the book “So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore” by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman. A fictional book that really challenged the way I saw church and what it meant.

You see, most of my Christian upbringing has been about duty and behaviour: how often I attend church, how much I read the Bible, how well I memorize scripture, how many people I win to the Lord, how many hours I spend in volunteer ministry, etc. It has little, if anything, to do with relationship – either with my fellow man or with God Himself. And yet, isn’t the Bible just one long story of God’s heart longing for relationship with His people?

Somewhere we’ve allowed this to degenerate into a guilt fest – we are constantly checking to see how well we measure up. How much more we can add to our list of accomplishments. How squeaky clean we can make ourselves.

Through my walking and listening, I’m learning about a whole new way of living out my faith. Jacobsen’s book led me to his website which in turn has led me to some more teaching about transitioning out of the guilt of the religious mindset.  In other words, how to be a Christian without being religious.

I’m deeply challenged by what I’m hearing.  I’m seeking God’s heart to learn how to move forward here – or not.

Wherever this takes me, it’s bound to be an interesting journey! 

I’ll keep you posted.

Happy Walking

Darlene