Thursday, December 16, 2010

Permission to Speak

Recently read Anne Jackson's latest, "Permission to Speak Freely," and it was a raw and honest look into growing faith. Anne helps guide the church stare into the mirror, observe all the wrinkles and blemishes, not as a form of disdain, but as an opportunity fully grasp the renewal and beauty that God creates in our honesty. When we can open our lives up, be honest, then we can experience God caress all the deepest cuts and hurts. She offers the church free space to speak freely, question sincerely, and move forward boldly.

I can fully appreciate Anne's invitation and I think the church is in deep need of humbly acknowledging where she has drifted and hung a closed sign. Although Anne's own story is thick and full of such boldness in the way honesty, I couldn't help but feel a little let down with free speaking that surrounded it. Anne lays her guts in the line, with nice slice of wit, and a stunning amount of vulneralbility. It was the other pieces of work that were shared that seemed to fall into buckets of cliche and bitterness more so than confession and an honest invitation to help change the church.

Anne's voice is beautiful and needed within the church today, but I hope she continues to search for fresh material in less churchy bubbles so as not merely adjust the bubble but to full find a new voice outside of it.

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