Rev. Karla's Blog

Demolish, Repair, Restore

by Rev Karla May 22, 2022

A Season of Healing

In 2013, my husband and I began a serious renovation project. Our 40+ year old home was in dire need of being rescued from its 1970’s design and we were looking forward to bringing our sacred living space into the current decade. Our excitement morphed into exhaustion after discovering the importance of contractor integrity and planning for the unexpected. Months after the original completion date — I vowed to never take part in another remodeling project.

Christianity's Day of Reckoning

by Rev Karla May 08, 2022

For a minute, it was somewhat entertaining.

The scenario would go something like this….

I would make a video disparaging the churches that are “welcoming” but not “affirming,” or who are intricately linked to white supremacy, which is inherent in American Christianity.

The Strength and Beauty of a Snowflake

by Rev Karla May 01, 2022

The hypocrisy in disparaging creation

The 60’s were a dichotomy. They held great tension as people risked their lives to free themselves from the oppression their ancestors had endured. Even brutal winters did not deter activists from marching in frigid temps to stand together and fight for their rights.

What Does the Lord Require of You?

by Rev Karla April 24, 2022

Time to Dismount that Spiritual High-Horse
With respect to the quotes that have hung in my home, one specific aspect may stand out for the discerning eye — they are found in the Christian Bible’s Old Testament.* I have heard them used in church sermons for years, always directed at those of us sitting in the pews.

Dear Mr. President

by Rev Karla April 10, 2022

I have no expectations that you will actually read, let alone respond, to this letter.

In all honesty, I write it for another audience — my grandchildren.

You see Mr. President, one day they will read this letter and know that I wrote to the highest governmental office in our nation to share my concerns about our country and the threat to our freedoms.

Holy Holy Holy

by Rev Karla April 03, 2022

Grieving the Religion I Lost

Grief arrived today, wrapped up in the words of a song that I hadn’t heard in years. A song that at one time in my life, I played during prayer time. If I was dealing with a tense situation or just needed a reminder that “all things worked for the glory of God,” I would press repeat and listen to it while journaling. And when I was preparing to be in community with my church family for some project or event, I would listen to it to remind myself of the sacredness of gathering to “work for the Lord.”

Keeping God in a Box

by Rev Karla March 27, 2022 1 Comment

If you had told me that four years after seminary I would be creating an online ministry to help people heal from religious trauma and explore a spiritual but not religious path, I’m not sure I would have believed you. I knew I was being called into community with people who had left church but I had no idea what that would look like.

They Fear Your Strength

by Rev Karla March 13, 2022

I shouldn’t be surprised, but yet somehow I was hopeful for a different reaction.

The Christian’s response to anyone leaving church is to hurl phrases dripping with fear and manipulation in an attempt to control them. From the outside looking in, it’s a power move of cowards. Anyone who uses fear and manipulation to control another is acting on their own fear of losing control.

When Leaving Your Faith Feels Like Leaving a Toxic Relationship

by Rev Karla March 06, 2022 1 Comment

There was a time in my life when I would have despised the person I am now. That sentence was hard to write because packed in those words is a lifetime of living as a judgmental, arrogant Christian who took pride in my membership in the exclusive, closed-minded club of Christianity.

The Wisdom of the Ages

by Rev Karla February 27, 2022

23 and Me, the test kit that assesses your DNA for your ancestral heritage, became even more popular during the pandemic. The company announced that they grew in the 1st quarter of 2021, due largely to the lockdowns that kept people home and away from their normal routines.

What If You're Wrong

by Rev Karla February 20, 2022

Nichole Nordeman remains one of my favorite contemporary Christian singer/songwriters. In the years leading up to the deconstruction of my religious heritage, her songs comforted me in ways that I couldn’t explain.

For the Good Times

by Rev Karla February 13, 2022

My childhood was filled with all genres of music. From country and soul to hard rock, music was a huge part of my life. Throughout the years, that early exposure to music helped develop one of my superpowers that comes in extremely handy during a trivia match.

1 2 3 … 7 Next