#pastoral communities

[farmerstrend]

How Rising Meat Demand in Kenya Exposes the Fragility of the Feed and Fodder Industry

The subject of meat and its rising demand was brought to the fore by the Kenya Meat Expo 2024, the third episode of a growing initiative of Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, in collaboration with the Nation Media Group and development partners. Key among the discussions were the rapidly rising consumption of meat and meat products, as Kenya’s urban populations swell and…

[radfemmauve]

speaking as someone who just turned 18 dating girls when they become adults is extremely predatory. i don't give a shit if they 'can consent' 'are legal adults' iso many 18 year olds still have the minds of teens and most likely aren't mature enough to handle something some guy in his 50s or 60s want out of her.

[bl-mitchum]

We may no longer write as many pastoral poems, but I think farming simulators like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley sort of serve the same purpose.

[unlawfulgames]

The Troika! bundle is five purchases away from the 10K mark and four days left! The profits for Bridgetown will be going to Furtive Goblin and myself for paying off medical debt, transport repair and living expenses. We appreciate any support that we can receive! And you will appreciate some mighty fine TTRPG resources! https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Troika2024

[mandareeboo]

I know I know writing is for yourself and you should write what you personally will enjoy and others will follow but personally doubt anyone would read my personal deep dive into religious trauma and guilt while being queer in second person pov.

[imaginal-ai]

"Hero with Flowers" (0004)

(More of The Heroes and Flowers Series)

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[agnesandhilda]

one thing they don't tell you about regular church attendance is that sometimes the sermon is ass and you just have to be nice about it

[avonlady44]

Today, we have been promised victory. Therefore we ought to begin every day with praise to our Lord. We must sing His praises daily. Worship reminds us of our victory. Worship reminds us of how powerful our Lord is. Worship sets an ambush for the Enemy.

I Believe

We can do Better

2 CHRONICLES 20:21

[thatfriendlyanon]

on one hand home-church* is not my favorite bc i miss community & corporate worship & leaving the house, but on the other hand every time i watch a sermon from my old church back in england it is somehow Exactly what my soul needs in so many ways

*art journaling in my bedroom while i watch a recorded sermon & then listen to worship music afterwards

[lovesodeepandwideandwell]

Feeling the need to chart out my worries again and write through God's answers to all of them and wow it's been over a year since I did that

[pastormike1976]

Poem written by Karen Kaiser. #pastormike1976 #youareawesome #dontforgetit #encouragement #words #quote #quotes #poem #karenkaiser #allmeansall #member #dontwant #exclusive #exclusiveclub #open #selectfew #rules #laws #whosin #whosout #whoisin #whoisout #belong #belonging #belongs #acceptance #welcome #hungryhearts #hearts #holyhaven #lord #prayer #incarnation #inclusion #heaven #sliceofheaven #earth #allmeansallmeansall #pride #pridemonth #progressivechurch #progressivechristian #progressiveclergy #progressivepastor #progressive #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqia #gay #loveislove #evangelical #exevangelical #christian #exchristian #pastor #church #clergy #religioustrauma #religious #inclusive #inclusivechurch #affirming #affirmingchurch

[princess-not-damsel]

Yeah yeah hornyblog and all. But I'm nesty and too embarrassed to post on main. Even though all the people on main I care about seeing this also follow me here I'm just going to pretend that's not true.

I keep imagining myself on the front porch around sunset. It's summery but not oppressive. I'm darning socks or working on some mending projects for a few folks in town. One of our little ones is by my feet playing (sorting buttons). I'm watching my spouse play with the older kids (fosters, neighborhood kids, and one of ours). They've been looped into a game of knights and dragons (the kids have discovered they can drag my spouse into basically any game as long as they get to be a dragon). They're running through our big garden, enjoying the weather and our yard.

My other partner (parent of children) just finished cleaning up after dinner. They've got the littlest one in swaddled against their chest and give me a kiss on the top of my head once they join me on the porch, having dodged around the cat to get outside without her escaping. The baby needs to go to bed soon, but they're already asleep on their parent's chest, so we figure it won't hurt too bad to sit out and enjoy some fresh air. They sit on our porch swing as I hum and continue mending.

Our fourth arrives with some friends and fresh bread. The preserves from our garden are the perfect topper for it, and we'll have it toasted in the morning. They're nearly knocked over by the loving greetings (our oldest giving them a tackling hug, my partner kissing them as they take the bread). I replace my sewing with the baby to make room for the adults to greet each other with an embrace and a kiss. Our friends also brought some wine and honey from their reserves to enjoy with the cookies I made this morning (cinnamon sugar cookies, gluten free). Our fourth gives me a quick peck and a soft kiss on the baby's head as they and our friends enter. My spouse sends the neighborhood kids home for the night, knowing they could stay if they needed.

The baby is waking up, so I leave to put them down for bed, beckoning the second little to be ready to clean up their game so we can do bedtime when I get back. I get to take another long, happy look at our lovely family when I return from bedtime routines with the other parent, who holds me around the waist. It's a life filled with love of all kinds and safety and freedom and community.

And also freak lesbian sex after the kids have gone to bed. That part is vitally important.

[not-so-superheroine]

how did you come to join rlds/coc?

Sorry it took me so long to get to this question. I just knew it was a long answer.

I think my testimony gives a good idea, and i'll include . Because I felt the presence of God calling me to go join them is the overarching answer, but I can also give points that drew me in.

But in a few some points: 

I fell in love with the modern RLDS version of zion (and some of the old one too. nothing to do with israel.)

I saw they strived to be an inclusive place.

The Community of Christ's Enduring Principles are things I want to strive to live my life by.

The community made me feel very welcome and I saw people conduct themselves in a Christ-like manner

The community is very tight knit. society needs more of that.

Like, there is a certain behavioral affect (? cultural distinction?) that many members have that i thought was strange at first but it’s lovely. It’s kind, loving, and welcoming, and you adjust to it very quickly imo. Even to the lingo, which was a fun process. 

Continuing Revelation. Saw evidence of fulfilled prophecy in the Doctrine and Covenants and the spiritual growth in the church over the years

Continuing Revelation in general. I like that my faith is alive like that. We have prophets, God could reveal new truths for new scripture tomorrow. We are encouraged to be prophetic ourselves and discern the future together, i like that.

Also, no new scripture allowed in the mainstream? why not? does God still not talk in this way? great points in my head.

The communal aspect to everything is good. Just like how any sect of mormonism should imo The people i reached out to while seeking (investigating) were very kind to me and open to my questions. They were also there for me spiritually, and became friends. 

I could email leadership with questions and get responses. At one point, one of the church Presidents reached out to me. 

It’s academically welcoming. I was able to accept the book of Mormon as scripture when taught from a 19th century point of view. This, in turn, made me much more comfortable with the Bible. Community of Christ has an official statement on how to read scripture and there is scripture on how to think about and use scripture too.

I can even acknowledge when the history and the religious text don’t match. Because scripture doesn’t need to be historically correct to be sacred and hold an important message from the Lord.

Not really a reason but it is there: Joseph Smith III rocked and was intended to be next. It shouldn’t matter. But what does matter is that he set the church on a good path imo. Emma too. Out of all the early schisms of mormonism I would have to go RLDS belief wise, because Nauvoo era theology isn’t something I believe in. I think Smith got caught up in his own head and desires for much of it. No offense meant to post Nauvoo mormon sects.

This does not mean I haven’t picked some things up from Brighamites. For example, Trinity doesn’t work for me. And I pray to Heavenly Mother. I believe in one Divine source with many expressions. But that doesn’t mean “anything goes” and I accept it, just knowing that God speaks to people of many cultures all over, as the good book (of mormon) says.

But yes. This is why Community of Christ. Not that there are all common Community of Christ beliefs, but I thrive here spiritually and am encouraged to grow all the same.  Older testimony under cut that gives detail

I encourage y'all to watch this on video rather than just the text edited version i put here. not to be like "watch my talk on it" but please, watch my talk on the subject. I also talk about unity of the saints and what i have learned from other christians including other groups of latter day saints. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8w2M6PEKfg

I start giving my testimony and talk at 26:36

____________

I am Wednesday. Here I share a portion of myself and my testimony. At the time of this writing, I have lived 26 years. I am a Black woman of Gullah/Geechee ethnicity. I was raised in the African Methodist Episcopal church, which I am extremely grateful for. My nascent spirituality was nurtured here. I learned the meaning of community and was immersed in my culture. I was taught to love and respect my Black self, in a society that would not be inclined to show me the respect and love any human deserves. I may have converted, but I was meant to be nurtured here. I am a Lesbian, and have experienced discrimination in faith communities due attitudes towards LGBTQ+ persons. I despaired over thoughts that God didn’t love me, and wondered if I would be condemned to Hell. In part because of this and being scolded for my questioning nature regarding God and church doctrines, I fell away from faith. I grew a lot in this away time, but didn’t really deconstruct my faith until 2021. My isolation in the pandemic gave me time for introspection. I would watch content from mainly atheist ex-christians who discussed their deconstruction journey. They were usually ex-evangelical or ex-mormon, and were really helpful to me for unpacking the mess that was my faith. Then something peculiar happened that changed the path of my life. Through the ex-mormons, I encountered the Restoration. There was something intriguing about it, and I wanted to learn more, so I did. I learned history, and the doctrine of different Latter Day Saint sects. I loved how innovative and “of the people” the early church was and how alive the faith seemed to be. I listened to members and ex-members, past and present, talk about their experiences within their faith communities and how they experienced the Divine. These were some of the worst years of my life, but there was something here that gave me hope. 

I came across an interview featuring John Hamer, in which he talked about Community of Christ as a home for those in faith transition. Many of the concerns I had about Christian faith communities were addressed. I craved such a spiritual home and became a seeker.

I asked many questions of missionaries, and my inquisitiveness was welcomed. I got myself an Inspired Version of the Bible, Doctrine and Covenants, and Book of Mormon. I was very impressed by the Doctrine and Covenants and found the contents to be Inspired and even prophetic, so I started attending Beyond the Walls services online.

One Sunday, the service was centered on the Worth of all Persons, Christian acceptance of LGBTQ+ persons, and the church in Tahiti. I listened to the members talk about their acceptance, their being guided by faith in Christ in the process, and how those things were compatible and complementary. The speakers affirmed God’s love and mercy for all. Their faith was strong, and they spoke with authority. Their Christ-like compassion was palpable. I felt what I now recognize as the Holy Spirit, come over me. After the message, the choir sang “Spirit of God like a fire is Burning” and I felt that fire burning in my chest and cried and praised the Lord for hours after.

My faith in God is stronger than ever. And my passion and belief in the Restoration bloomed.

[this-is-me19]

Just a friendly reminder…

The above, I’m pretty sure is based on Pastor Martin Niemoller’s poem “First they came for…”:

First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me

[imaginal-ai]

"Hero with Flowers" (0002)

(More of The Heroes and Flowers Series)

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