It’s not church as usual
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Editor,
I like the Sunday gatherings at JourneyBe, 101 7th Ave. West in Polson.
Consider this: ISIS and other terrorist threats. Health care in America as a right instead of a privilege. Public exposure of violence surrounding NFL star running backs Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson. The Ebola epidemic. Unparalleled greed and big money influences obscuring our democracy. The galloping Gaza gambit. The insidious exporting of America’s manufacturing strength overseas.
You name it, “The chickens do come home to roost.”
What’s this got to do with me liking the JourneyBe gatherings? The answer? Everything.
Here’s why: Each of the things I mentioned are but aspects of broader and deeper problems and behavior patterns we humans face every day. As we meet on Sundays, much of our time is spent listening, learning and sharing our own experiences with each other. We are encouraged to practice connecting with a higher power in our lives than our ego-based human power, which causes and perpetuates these problems.
Rev. John Payne’s ever-evolving ministry and his inspirational talks are geared toward challenging conventional thinking and encouraging, what I term, “aligning with the divine flow of life.”
And there are so many very helpful teachers, books, videos, articles and groups referenced which also help us in changing our thought patterns and changing our lives, if we so choose.
Each of the problems I mentioned are but manifestations of misaligned human thinking which causes destructive behaviors and occurrences. JourneyBe, a very inclusive gathering, has been described as “An alternative to church as usual.” This does not in any way judge other churches and congregations. It does, however, speak to the rather popular acronym circulating among the younger generations when asked about their thoughts on religion: They often say: “I’m SBNR.” This stands for: “Spiritual But Not Religious.”
This opens up a whole other learning opportunity and line of thought and discussion. So goes the journey.
Bob McClellan
Polson
