After yesterday’s nakedpastor post, “Why I Would Not Attend Pastor Steepek’s Church”, and the huge traffic it received as well as the responses, I realized how healthy and robust shaming is in our culture.

So what I want to do today is be your personal cheerleader. I want to encourage you to own your spirituality. Believe what you believe. Know what you know. Be spiritually independent. Love yourself and everything about you. You want someone in your life to do that for you, don’t you? So start by doing it to yourself!

There are plenty of people out there who will tell you what you should believe and how you should live, and they aren’t afraid to embarrass you into it either.

This is one of the values we treasure at TLS… spiritual independence. That also means that we respect the spiritual independence of others. We don’t correct, judge, or belittle anyone else for the way they believe or live.

This is why we can be such a rare community. If we hold these values dearly, I am assured that this community will grow in depth and significance as well as members.

Peace upon your individual paths that intersect occasionally here on TLS!

And love to all.