Faith Dance

It is Official

I will be participating in Trinity Evangelical Divinity's Graduation commencement on December, 18 receiving my certificate of biblical studies. 

Something to Think About

"Attractions to certain persons can be a powerful way God acts in human ordinary life.  Holiness doesn't consist in Buddhist detachment from every single desire, but in fine harmony of discerning which desires are the stirrings of the Holy Spirit so that one might do God's will passionately, yet indifferently." 

Terrance McGoldrick reflecting on Francis de Sales and how passionate desire is a virtue in Christian friendship

Cross-Sex Friendship Quote of the Week

"Love not finding us equal, equalizes us, not finding us united, unites us."  Francis de Sales

Foreward to Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions

Wow! 

Sheila wrote the foreward to my book over the weekend. 

It is in wow territory.

Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions: Engaging the Mystery of Friendship Between Men and Women

I like the title for my book.  Things are starting to come together.

28 Years

Sheila and I celebrated our 28th anniversary on Saturday.  The way we looked back then:

What's Hot in Book Publishing

No, it's not The Lost Symbol or The Shack. 

At least in some sense.

Cross-Sex Friendship Quote of the Week

"It's only gnostic if our bodies are only made for sex."  Jennifer Ould

The Overflowing of Friendship: Love and Delight in Male Friendships

This brand new book is an important groundbreaking study on male friendship in the colonial and revoluntionary periods in America.  It is an important book on the breadth and depth of sexuality and friendship.  There have been a number of books recognizing the passionate depth of same-sex friendships among women in recent years.  This book unearths for us the depth of passionate, tender, friendships between men during America's infancy. 

The Overflowing of Friendship: Love Between Men and the Creation of the American Republic by Richard Goodbeer.

Love, Delight, and Friendship

I love this excerpt from Elizabeth Newman in Untamed Hospitality:

Cross-Sex Friendship Quote of the Week

"Rather, our created bodies, male and female, were created to be in communion and fellowship with each other.  This means looking less at the roles we play and more at the ways in which we help each other live virtuous lives while striving toward God."

Jana Marguerite Bennett

I am grateful...

I emailed someone the endorsements/reviews I have had for Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions.  It was a blessing to read them afresh today:

Moving Beyond Sexism

"By sexism I mean any outlook that privileges sexual activity as the root metaphor for our being-in-the-world...Now it is one thing to observe the importance of physical attractiveness in all types of social bonds and the notion that an individual's sexuality and desires are a necessary part of the total person, which may not be and probably should not be ever completely suppressed.  But sexist vocabularies incorporated as part of any sexual identity can construct others primarily as naturalized objects of sexual desire, as opposed to social beings that may be known, befriended and/or loved for reasons and attributes that transcend sexual relations."  William Rawlins

Prayers Appreciated

I have a publishing possibility for my book!  I appreciate your prayers.  I am somewhat encouraged about this direction.  I will keep you posted!

Cross-Sex Friendship Quote of the Week

I love this quote--it could be a fitting summary of my book:

"Our trust in the Trinity's embrace frees us to love others more fully with triune kinds of love--fostering deep relationships that involve solid friendships without sexual innuendo" From Marva Dawn's new book, In the Beginning, God

In the Trenches

I haven't had a chance to post much here in the past few days.  God is continuing to shape me.  I had someone last night share a picture she had from God for me.  She could see clay being molded like the shape of a heart and she could see a thumb (God's thumb) pressing in on it.  She sensed it was the Lord's way of pressing in on me in such a deep way of His presence shaping my heart as of late in the midst of stuff. 

It seems like I've been in the trenches in recent weeks in the midst of community where iron sharpens iron.  It has been good for me.  I see God working in me; it hasn't been pleasant.  I've had to face some fears and look them square in the eye and trust God who is bigger than the fears.  I see God is working in some great ways in our midst.  

Cross-Sex Friendship Quote of the Week

"If a husband plays tennis with a neighbor's wife on Saturday mornings, he need not be a candidate for incipient infidelity...Only those who suspect that every friendship between a man and woman has sexual intercourse as its natural goal will label every friendship as adultery of intent.  The line between tolerable friendships can be recognized not by rules but by imaginative discernment."

Lewis Smedes