Welcome to Grace and Space, a weekly newsletter from the Deconstructing Mamas Podcast! GRACE for who you have been, are now and SPACE for who you are becoming and will be!
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"Wait, so you don't believe in original sin?" I laughed. "No. I definitely do not." "Then why do we need Jesus?" Sin plays a starring role in Christianity's elevator pitch. But it shouldn't. Original sin is not the gospel. The gospel is not a story of us being separated by sin from God. It's the story of a God who is so faithfully for us and intent on being with us that God became human to help us embody the wholeness and fullness of life we've been made for.
It's not a story of separation. It's a story of invitation and participation. (It's a story of) original blessing.
Far more than just being made in God's image, original blessing claims we are steadfastly held in relationship with God.
Original blessing reminds us that God calls us good and beloved before we are anything else. Sin is not at the heart of our nature; blessing is.
While there's nothing original about sin, original blessing is the healing bal of God's faithful and endless love.
--An excerpt from Danielle Shroyer in her book, Original Blessing--
This Week on the Podcast: The funny, yet very insightful Danielle Shroyer, is our guest this week. Danielle Shroyer is an author, speaker, spiritual director, and former pastor. A founding member in the emerging church movement, Danielle served as the pastor of one of the nation’s first independent emerging communities of faith for nearly a decade. Her primary goal as a pastor was to help people going through a season of spiritual deconstruction find healthy, sustainable, and meaningful ways to reconstruct their faith.
Danielle has a particular heart for the spiritual-but-not-religious, and has long advocated for fresh approaches to spiritual community. Over the years, she has offered guidance to struggling and transitioning congregations searching for new ways to embody their purpose. You can find her reflections on meditation and other grounding spiritual practices at www.beasoulninja.com.
A resident of Dallas, Texas, Danielle and her husband have two children. She’s a self-declared nerd who reads voraciously and enjoys in-depth conversations about stuff some people may find boring. What she loves most in the whole world is watching someone do what makes their soul come alive. When she’s not working, you can often find her at the yoga studio or in her taekwondo dojang.
On this episode, Danielle unpacks the revolutionary and healing idea of original blessing and how it informs and transforms the way we interact with ourselves, our children and the world around us. This is a MUST-LISTEN and it drops Tuesday, November 29th.
You can find Danielle at the following:
Twitter: @dgshroyer
Instagram: @danielle.shroyer
Website: www.danielleshroyer.com
Latest News:
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Don't forget to sign up for our private and exclusive Deconstructing Mamas community on Facebook for those of you who want to move to the next level with us via our PATREON platform.
At this level, for as little as $3, you can ask questions, experience a safe and welcoming community with others who are deconstructing and receive special surprises along the way from Lizz and Esther.
We've been doing this for a couple of months now and it's been more than we could have imagined. We love it there and think you will too! Head to this LINK to sign up!!
I think we are the only people in the world who started their Twitter account during this all of this media insanity. Why not, right? We now have a few followers, so come on and join the fun over there for however long it lasts!! Tweeting is fun!
So far!
We think! Here's our Twitter name: @deconmamas (apparently, our other name is way too long)
Resource Alert:
Ever since we had the incredible Torri Williams as a guest on our podcast, Lizz and Esther have been following Black Liturgies with Cole Arthur Riley on Instagram. Not only is her book, This Here Flesh, sitting on Esther's nightstand next in line after No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler, Esther and Lizz are following along on her advent journey called Holy Dark, which is already opening their eyes to new ways of seeing and being during this "howl of the not-yet" time.
Seriously people, this girl may look young, and she is, but her wisdom is far-reaching and soul-healing. At the very least, follow her on Instagram and perhaps, get the book as a gift for yourself for Christmas! Or maybe both!!
We also want to remind you that we are so glad you are here. We wouldn't be the same without you. You will always find GRACE for where you've been and who you are now, and SPACE for who you are becoming and will be.
Carry on, our new-found friends. Welcome to the twisty-windy, full -of-adventure faith path that's laid out before us all. Love,
Lizz & Esther
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