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May 1 to May 31, 2008 Issue
Guest Editor: Erin Word erinword@gmail.com www.erinword.com May 1, 2008 Theme
The Myth of the 'Good' Christian Have you ever felt as though you didn't quite measure up to much of what Christianity expects of you? Ever wonder if it really matters that you have an hour of "quiet time with the Lord" every morning or go to church every week? Have you ever hid your secular books, music or movies from your Christian friends? Ever 'just not feel good' about yoursel' in comparison to all the seemingly more righteous Christians in your church or community?
If so, you are not alone. I believe the ideal of the so-called "Good" Christian is a myth. I have tried all my life and with all my might to become that person, but after 30+ years, I have come to accept that she doesn't exist. A few years ago, I finally stopped beating myself up for all the ways in which I wish I were better: better wife, better mother, better friend, better Christian. I have embraced that I am who I am for a purpose and a reason; or as Jim Palmer says in his book Wide Open Spaces: "Trees don't aspire to be fish. They don't even aspire to be better trees. God was saying to me I could experience my rightful place in creation by simply being who he made me to be. This is another one of the most significant discoveries I've come to concerning life in God: life is not about becoming something I'm currently not, but instead being at every moment who I already fully am." I believe real Christianity can be summed up this way: "Live, Love, and Follow the Carpenter. We are meant to be who we already are." Articles Editorial: Eviction Notice  My Resignation Church A Parable: Sometimes I Make Myself Sick With Teeth: Nine Inch Nails Don't Have To Be Perfect Free To Be Me Real Man or GCM? Confessions of a Bad Christian The Story of Sadhu Sundar Singh: The Saint of India by Cyril J. Davey Rags To Riches The Mythical Good Christian is Just a Piece of Topiary. And who wants to be that? Announcements
NOTE: Bill Dahl is on sabbatical during 2008. He will not be writing here (well...not much and certainly not every month anyway). Enjoy what you find beneath the surface of this site. Dive in and Explore!
The June 1, 2008 edition of The Porpoise Diving Life is dedicated to Questioning the Unquestioned Answers.
Send your articles, poems, songs and images by May 25th 2008 to:
Upcoming Guest Editors - 2008
If you know of people who you think should be heard by a broad, global audience, have them get in touch with Bill at wsdahl(at)bendbroadband(dot)com. The Porpoise Diving Life Audio Book has been Released! Click here.
4 CD set. Mastered in a professional recording studio by an incredibly talented narrator. Includes footnotes used in the written version of the book. A GREAT GIFT For You, a Friend or Group Study!
Audio Book Endorsements:  Photography by Bill Dahl
4 CD set. Mastered in a professional recording studio by an incredibly talented narrator. Includes footnotes used in the written version of the book. A GREAT GIFT For You, a Friend or Group Study!
Erwin Raphael McManus wrote:
"I am convinced the great tragedy is not the sins that we commit, but the life we fail to live." (a)  You don’t need to stand on the beach gawking at those who claim to have God figured out any longer. This site, and the associated book by the same title, are an invitation to you to get in the water and swim with me as we as we explore beneath the surface of what you may have been experiencing, watching and hearing. It involves the adventure of discovering new ways to see God, experience Him, and consider joining a pod of people just like you, who are perplexed by the same, unspoken concerns, yet yearning to swim in open waters. I’m not going to attempt to sell you a bunch of beliefs. My desire is to liberate you from the aquarium and restore you to your rightful place in the open seas of life, free to pursue a relationship with The God of More. The rest is up to Him and you.
There are millions of people, a species if you will, who are terribly confused, wounded, angry and fearful about life and God. No matter how deeply these folks feel about their faith in God, their lives don’t seem to match up with all the promises that are being sold in the name of Christ in this world. Deep within every human being is a voice that whispers within each of us (some more frequently and intensely than others)..."What have I done wrong? I never expected this to happen? Life is not turning out as I had hoped or had been led to believe. What did I do to deserve this? Where’s God? Am I some sort of exception? Is there a reality for the rest of us?" Maybe you don’t feel that your purpose in life has been predetermined like a bullet fired from a gun headed for the target…there’s not much you can do about the trajectory of the projectile after your Creator has pulled the trigger at birth. Perhaps your life experience has been more like a ricochet, bouncing off one experience into the next. You’re not an exception. Maybe you don’t feel driven all the time by some sort of burning passion, the need to succeed or a distinct sense of unwavering purpose. Maybe you did one of those 40 day deals and ended up at day 41 wondering, "Now What? If this is the case, relax. You have loads of company. Just because your journey through the seas of life does not match up with the current mainstream promises of evangelical Christianity (peace, financial security, prosperity, always happy, loved by everyone, loving toward all, protection from disease, misfortune and the unexpected) does not mean that you are not loved by God just as the purveyors of these promises claim to be. News-splash! It’s all about us! God, you and me. Those who claimed to have religion down pat consistently annoyed Jesus. His focus and compassion were always primarily directed toward those who were excluded and marginalized by the mainstream religious establishment…the people who live The Porpoise Diving Life. Are you confused, curious or perplexed about life, God or postmodern culture? Have you been wounded by Christians or the Church? Do you have a sneaking suspicion that there's more to God than what you've been led to believe? Have you or someone close to you ever been whacked by the inexplicable...something that utterly defies explanation? Do you have fears, uncertainties and doubts about what you've been sold in the name of Christianity? Do you desire a safe place to come and listen or participate in the dialogue that is ongoing about these sorts of issues? Perhaps you have questions. Guess what? You''re not alone. There are a species of people on this planet who swim in the same seas of life that you do. We are the people of The Porpoise Diving Life. We have created this resource just for you. Dive in with us as we share our experiences, insights, resources, hopes, prayers, doubts, questions, struggles and triumphs as we pursue The God Of More...He Who created and lived The Porpoise Diving Life. NOTES a) McManus, Erwin Raphael "Seizing Your Divine Moment - Dare to Live a Life of Adventure." Nelson Books - A Division of Thomas Nelson Publishers/Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville, TN © 2002 by Erwin Raphael McManus p. 34.
Take some time to pray for people in the Shark section.
The work in this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
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