Derek and I had an interesting experience in ministry straight out of the marriage gate. We got married and less than two weeks later we were moving to Arizona to be youth pastors/ pastors assistants at a church. The denomination is not all that important, but let's just say that the church was a Pentecostal one.

That summer we had contacted the pastor about moving to Phoenix to work at his church. He couldn't pay us anything but would help us find jobs and a place to live.  Things started out promising. He was planning on having us assist with Youth and other areas as well. We stayed with him and his wife for a few weeks until we were able to find our own place to stay. We should have known something was wrong when we felt uncomfortable enough to move out quite a bit before we had planned to.  He also made no effort to help us find a job or a place to live, by the way.

The church was a fairly common one. Things were "ok" until on a Sunday morning we heard the pastor say that Jesus was not divine until after the Temptation. Now this is obviously not a statement that fits with orthodox Christian belief. We weren't positive we had heard right. This seems rather radical and out there. We decided at our weekly meeting with the pastor that we would bring it up and make sure that we had heard him correctly. Derek hesitantly brought it up at our weekly meeting. The pastor FLIPPED out. Saying that we never have the right to question a pastor. Saying that people who go to bible college think they know everything and are arrogant etc. Also, that we were to never come to his church again ever.

We left in a daze because we had never had a pastor scream and yell at us quite the way this man chose to. We went home and started to evaluate what to do next. We decided to call the district supervisor because we, naively, believed that he would want to know what was happening within his district. He told me that the pastor would never have said that about Jesus' divinity that we must be mistaken. He then informed us where the nearest church of the same denomination was...

Things went downhill pretty quickly after that. We were unable to find jobs and ended up living with Derek's parents for almost a year...and so ends that saga.

Two truths and a lie

Today we are going to play a little game. Its an interesting game that you can play with a youth or small group as an ice breaker. I have always enjoyed this game because it helps discern things about people and gives an insight into their psyche... but I digress.

Here is how the game is played: You have each person write down two true statements and one lie.  You then read them all out loud and  everyone tries to decide which statement is not true. Everyone got the rules? GOOD.

Statement #1: Derek and I were once at a church plant where I was the children's minister. We put a lot of time and effort into making sure things got off to a good start. We canvased neighborhoods, we recruited people to work in the nursery, and for the big event we had we went out and asked for donations of a lot of the local businesses. We got quite a few donations including one for a coffee shop in the area. The prizes were supposed to be for a raffle for the community event, but the coffee shop donation was not used during the raffle, instead it was given to a member of the church plant team. Having been the face soliciting the donations I was quite upset, and I confronted the pastor. He stated that there was nothing wrong with what was being done, and that donations could be used how he deemed fit. When Derek and I would not back down he started calling us pharisees and saying that we were the ones in the wrong. *Why this would be wrong: If someone has integrity they get called a pharisee? If they question something based on the perception that has been given they are a pharisee?*

Statement #2: As stated in our previous post Derek and I attended school at Life Pacific College. They have on their site an area where graduates and students can look for jobs at churches in need of help. I sent an email in regards to one of these positions. I received a prompt answer back asking for a picture of my husband and myself. I sent the picture and mysteriously there was never an answer back. *Why this would be wrong: if someone is interested after they see the resume what could change after seeing the picture? Are looks really an important component in being hired to work at a church?*

Statement #3: As a high schooler I attended  a few different churches. One day a man walked into a service I was attending walked straight up to a woman and stared her straight in the eye and informed her that she was meant to be his future wife. He told her God had divinely spoken to him and she was to be his wife.  * Why would this be wrong: Do I really need to answer this question? Think creepy and stalkerish. Theologically? Derek will have to say whats wrong, theologically.*

Now as funny as these situations may sound two of them are completely true and happened in our sight. One of them is true, but was told as second hand knowledge. Now I am curious to see who's powers of discernment will fair the best. Which one do you think is the lie?

getting introductions out of the way aka "in the beginnning"

So, welcome and hello (Derek: I speak in parentheses!). This blog is written by my husband and myself. We are a couple originally from Southern California. We met when we were attending bible college at Life Pacific College in beautiful San Dimas, California. We have been married for four, going on five years.  I jokingly call us nomads because we move from pillar to post and do not really settle (ever, though we have liked most of the places we've been to).

Part of why we have moved around so much has to do with some of our (many of our) experiences relating to church. That is partially (theology is fun too) what this blog is really about. Expressing in a self deprecating way some of the issues and problems we have seen in the modern day church.

*Warning: if you are sensitive (aka, don't like the truth) and get easily offended this may not be the blog for you*

So you have been given fair warning that this is not a touchy-feelie (except when it is) blog about the wonders that make up our modern church (like cheetos that look like Jesus!). For the sake of the innocent. and the not so innocent no names shall be used. If you feel as though you have somehow been maligned by our blog then I have a suggestion: search your soul as to your innocence or guilt (you might also be really self-important).