Why I Quit Attending Bible College

It's been a while since I last wrote on this blog. In the time I've taken a hiatus from writing, so much has happened. I've transferred schools and my former University announced that it would be closing its doors. 

In the past month or so, I've had time to think over all that has happened, before and after this announcement. I've had to navigate through hurt, anger, and sadness. I've felt lost and alone. I've had moments in which I've just wanted to shout out to the world how upset I was, in a not-so-Christian way. Through it all, I always held fast to my faith in Jesus. Romans 8:28 (NIV) says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose".

It may sound cliched, but I've found that Christ works through all things. No matter how terrible a situation is, there are always reasons for why He puts you in a place. I don't regret being at any place that God has placed me. That being said, these are the reasons why I quit attending bible college.

Sin Isn't Sin; It's Just Your Interpretation

When I first began studying at my former University, I was fresh out of high school. I was more than ready to learn all I could at college, especially about the Bible. So naturally, when one of my professors started teaching about Scripture in relation to gender, equality, feminism, and justice, I was completely sold. I started believing that many "progressive" secular beliefs aligned with Scripture.

My interpretation of the Bible became one that wasn't molded around what God wanted me to hear from His Word- it became me yearning to search for information in the Bible that would confirm my beliefs. I looked for verses for the sole purpose to prove that homosexuality wasn't a sin. To me, the Bible was another book to be read from a feminist lens. I dug into convoluted interpretations of Scripture. I adopted an "open and affirming" theology.

I was pleasantly surprised at all the positive feedback I received from those around me. I was prideful to be labeled as such a "good Christian". I was making people feel loved, accepted, and proud of who they were.

Diverging Theologies

As I advanced in my degree, I stayed happy as ever. I was sitting in another class (with the same professor I spoke about before), one that focused on the Old Testament. While this was a class that was meant to explore perspectives and review the teachings of the OT, I began noticing a troubling pattern. 

My professor only taught one view of Scripture and pushed back against any perspective that was contrary to their beliefs. The book of Ruth was a Hebrew folk tale; Mahlon and Chilion's names were too perfectly fitting to not be a result of a literary work. The Exodus was a metaphor for escaping and resisting oppressive regimes. It went on and on. 

At first, it started with assignments to rewrite stories in the Bible to fit our "current cultural context". I didn't think much of it since I loved to have another excuse to write (I know, I'm basically a textbook Education major). However, after hearing more of these teachings, something inside of me switched. 

This isn't right. I thought to myself. This isn't what the Bible is about at all. 

I struggled through this cognitive dissonance for a decent amount of time. What would happen if my friends found out I wasn't completely affirming anymore? How on Earth could I balance the truth of God's Word with love? Is it even possible to maintain a balance between the two? I re-examined my beliefs against Scripture. After a long amount of deliberation, I ended up dropping the class in question.

Saying Goodbye

That was just one of many encounters I had confronting progressive Christianity on my former campus. There were many more experiences that increased my desire to transfer to another school. I found that attending a small college wasn't my style. I realized that the University I thought I was attending barely associated with the ideologies it was founded upon. I wanted an education that would enable me to thrive as an educator. I left. 

At the time, I knew there was the possibility of trouble on the horizon at my old University. I'd be lying if I said that didn't contribute to my desire to leave. I had known about the spiritual trouble at my school far before I heard about the academic/monetary trouble. While it may sound antiquated for me to say, I do think that it is natural for confusion over spiritual values and beliefs to bleed into other (more secular) areas, if not confronted.

There Needs To Be a Balance

The balance between truth and love is one of the biggest issues I see on the horizon for Christians. Our generation of Christ-followers will need to confront it- head-on. We cannot become engulfed by hatred for sinners, yet we cannot conform to the world and its standards for sin.

While I was preparing to lead a devotional group for my church's youth group today, I came across a verse that really struck me. 

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ." - Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

We cannot stand silent when we hear the Word of God being twisted to fit our own selfish wants. Are we to continue encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ to support theologies that go against what the Scripture itself says? Are we to let the Word of God fall to the wayside? 

As for me, the answer to both of those questions are "NO!". 

Love,

Jennifer xo

Standing for God's Truth Even When It's Hard

We live in a time where facts are defined by subjective feelings and abstract ideas. As Christians, as we spend time in the world, it becomes increasingly hard to distinguish the truth from lies. Being a Christian isn't supposed to be something that is easy to do. The Christian life is one that means that you will often be met with opposition.

In Scripture, we see these struggles demonstrated in a much more dramatic fashion. In the time following Christ's death, when Rome ruled the majority of the Middle East and Europe, Christians were subject to death.

In Acts 7, we see Stephen, the first documented martyr of the faith, speaking to a crowd before he is stoned to death. Acts 7:51-53 (ESV) shows Stephen saying, "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so did you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it."

In this part of the Scripture, Stephen is scolding those around him for not listening to the Holy Spirit and continuing to persecute those who believed in Christ. Like Stephen spread the Word of God and sacrificed himself (by means of being martyred) we are also called to spread the Word of God, no matter what the cost.

In Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV), we see Jesus telling his followers what to do. The Scripture states, "And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."" There are four extremely important things that Christ tells us to do:

1. Make disciples of all nations. 
2. Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. Teach them to observe all that I [Christ] have commanded you.
4. Jesus is with us always, to the end of the age.

As I said before, there will always be resistance to the Word of God. The Scripture speaks extensively on the nature of absolute truth and as we see in the verse above since there is capital-T-truth, we are given the duty to spread that truth and make disciples all over the world. 

The Christian life is one that needs to be lived with the knowledge that things will not be easy. Standing for God is not easy. In Him, we find truth and true structure. The question is, are you willing to take a stand for God?

A few Scriptures to help (all are taken from the ESV):

• 1 John 3:18 - "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and truth."
• 2 Timothy 2:15 - "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."
• Ephesians 6:14-18 - "Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication."
• James 1:18 - "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
• John 1:17 - "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
• John 14:6 - "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
• John 16:13 - "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come."

Love,

Jennifer xo

Our Trip to the Cane Ridge Meeting House

As Caleb and I walked up the drive towards the Cane Ridge Meeting House, the words of Psalm 46:10 resonated strongly within me. "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations,  I will be exalted in the earth!" (ESV). Perhaps it was the stillness of nature around us or the excitement of being at such an important historical location, but in the silence, I felt God's peace. 

April the 13th (yesterday) was our four year anniversary and we decided to celebrate it here. Since we owe so much of our happiness to God, it only felt appropriate to honor Him by going to a place that would serve us as a reminder of His love and presence in our daily lives.

The Cane Ridge Meeting House was the location of a huge revival in 1801. Over 20,000 people traveled to what then was a church to participate in a huge event where they would listen to ministers speak the Word of God. At this event, many claimed to have had supernatural experiences, some stating that uncontrollable laughter and trance-like states were a product of the Holy Spirit's intervention in their life. Supernatural experiences aside, the Cane Ridge Meeting House is seen as a very important historical location in regards to the Restoration Movement.

I've been apart of Restoration Movement-affiliated churches ever since I was born. I even took a class that taught the history of the American Restoration Movement (if you wonder what this movement is, I may be posting a blog on it soon, so tune in for that!!). I'd heard the teachings many times over and practically memorized them. However, before stepping onto the grounds of Cane Ridge, I never truly realized how blessed I was to be exposed to a church that emphasized the truth of the Word of God.

The first location that we explored on the grounds was the Barton Warren Stone Museum (some areas in the museum are pictured below). The museum is filled with many historical books, pictures, and memorabilia from the Restoration Movement. There was an extensive area dedicated to materials relating to Barton W. Stone (since he was the first minister of the Cane Ridge Church), and other areas that held letters, medallions, and books connected to Alexander and Thomas Campbell.

I was so awed by the sheer amount of material that the small building contained. The object that made the largest impression on me was the letter Barton W. Stone wrote concerning slavery in the Americas. In this letter, he expressed his extreme disapproval of slavery. This letter was written around the 1780s or 1790s - at least seventy years before slavery was abolished in America! To me, seeing and reading the letter shows that Christians were fighting injustice in the world years before it was mainstream to do so. 

We then walked a few yards to the actual meeting house. The meeting house was definitely the most beautiful structure on the grounds. Back in the 1950s, they built a stone structure (see the first picture on this post) around the original log cabin church in order to protect it. It cost almost $1,000,000 in today's money to build. Boy, does it show! Each stained-glass window has artwork of Barton W. Stone and other church leaders on it.

Outside of the log-cabin structure, there was a pole that stated: "Pray for peace" in several different languages. Attached to the pole was a notebook that contained the prayers of others who had prayed for peace before. Before entering the meeting house, I paused to write my prayer down in the notebook. I prayed for peace for Christian colleges, the Christian Church as a whole, as well as America. After this prayer, Caleb and I entered the Cane Ridge Meeting House (the outside of it is pictured to the left). 

The Cane Ridge Meeting House was built in 1791, a year before Kentucky was made a state in the USA! When we walked in, we could tell that the wood was extremely old, as it creaked every few seconds. The inside of the meeting house was cozy, rustic, and all around beautiful. Caleb even stood at the pulpit that the ministers of the church once preached at. As we stood within the walls of the former church, we felt peace. 

Since the grave of Barton W. Stone was located on the grounds, we decided to stop by his grave to pay our respects. All around, Caleb and I absolutely enjoyed our trip to the Cane Ridge Meeting House. It served as an excellent place to focus and meditate on God's plan for our lives and His love for us. Reading the stories of the church leaders who came before us was both an exciting and humbling experience. It shows that God's work is never truly done. He has a plan for each one of us. Whether we are called to be a Reformer (like men like Barton W. Stone were) or to perform little acts of kindness to others, we all have a calling to make a difference in the world for Christ.

I urge you to find a place this week to enjoy the presence of God in. It could be your bedroom, in your car at a stoplight, or as you close your eyes before going to sleep at night. Remember the words that Christ has spoken to us through His Word. Remember God's desire for unity in the Church and in our daily lives. As the verse below calls us, pray that God would enable you to answer that call to the best of your ability.

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." - Colossians 3:12-17 (ESV)

Love,

Jennifer xo

Seeking Security in God's Word in the Midst of Busyness

This week (more accurately, this month) has been so exhausting. Between getting sick with food poisoning from Chipotle (yuck, I know!!), writing papers for classes, working at the campus library, completing classroom observation hours, spending time with my fiancé, and various other activities, it's been hard to take a moment to just breathe. The topic of seeking security and finding solace in God (and His Word) is probably as clichéd of a blog topic as possible. We speak about it so often but never truly practice finding time to read the Scripture. I can't offer a simple solution to this and I don't believe anyone can, except Christ Himself.

As I take this time to pause and write this blog, I find myself turning to Scripture. When we experience so much turbulence in daily life, we often lose sight of stability. We find counterfeits for it in relationships, activities, and media. It's busy times like this when I realize that it's only God and His Word that never changes. Even though many of our relationships (whether they be friendships or romantic relationships) may reflect some of God's traits, we will never find complete satisfaction in them. Only God can provide that. Below I've listed (and written out, for your convenience) several verses that help me pause and reflect on the greatness, stability, and holiness of God.

• Deuteronomy 32:4 (ESV) - "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He."
• Isaiah 41:10 (ESV) - "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
• Joshua 1:9 (ESV) - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
• Psalm 118:6-7 (ESV) - "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me."

Think. Breathe. 

Love,

Jennifer xo

Being a "Traditional" Girl in a World Flooded by Progressive Christianity

Often times, when Christians speak about pressing issues that upset them, they're speaking about evolution, politics, or even the latest crazy social media trend. Many haven't noticed, but there's an issue that permeating our churches, schools, and minds. What is this issue, you may ask?

It's called Progressive Christianity, or "Theological Liberalism".

Who are Progressive Christians/Theological Liberals and what do they believe? According to David Platt, a favorite pastor of mine (you can follow him on Twitter here), 

"They are people who call themselves Christian, yet they deny Scripture and orthodox teachings on the primary doctrines of Christianity, often in an attempt to either adapt to a changing culture or appeal to an increasingly non-Christian culture. Both those are important when it comes to the motives. Many theological liberals claim to be making Christianity more respectable or believable for the culture at large. They’ll say things like “Christianity must change or it will die.” Or, “We want people to actually consider and believe the gospel, but if we don’t modify our message, then the culture will see us as completely irrelevant.” The attempt is often to adapt to a changing culture or appeal to an increasingly non-Christian culture, often using language that appears to be biblical, yet their teachings undercut Scripture. You might hear the line, “Well, that’s just your interpretation,” or, “That’s an old interpretation. We have new wine for new wineskins.” But just because somebody quotes a verse doesn’t mean their claim is biblical."

To summarize, theological liberalism seeks to discreetly change the doctrines associated with the Christian faith, while making it "more attractive" to non-Christians. They seek to make the Scripture more "relevant" by modernizing portions of the text. 

In my experiences with being surrounded by liberal theology, I've noticed multiple signs of theological liberalism:

1. The love of God/Jesus Christ is extensively spoken about, but His truth and justice are conveniently left out.
2. The rules that God set aside for us in Scripture are seen as being "for a certain time and a certain place". By and large, they are also seen as non-applicable to modern Christianity.
3. Scripture is viewed as being outdated. Some even view sections of Scripture as fabricated or full of error.
4. Evangelism is placed on the backburner. The focus is placed on ONLY understanding other cultures and religions and not on sharing the Gospel.
5. Unity is viewed as being more important than truth.
6. Most importantly, it is implied that there is no absolute truth.

So what does this have to do with being a woman?

On the surface, Progressive Christianity is extremely attractive. Truth is spoken about the love and grace of Jesus Christ but is then distorted by taking it to an extreme. For example, Progressive Christianity pushes the idea that Scripture is inherently flawed or simply, fiction. They view the verses in Paul's writings as outdated and bearing no relevance to us in present times.

I've noticed that Progressive Christianity/Theological Liberalism majorly appeals to young women. Women who have had negative experiences in the church are especially vulnerable to buying into progressive teachings. Since women experience some of the worst injustices in the world, we reach out for anything that makes us feel known or important.

Before we know it, the teachings we listened to religiously (since they said were about acceptance and love) turn into complete distortions of Scripture. As women, we love to hear things that make us feel empowered and independent. However, it is imperative that we must use discernment when listening to teachings about Scripture.

I'll be completely transparent here, it is incredibly hard to be a girl with more traditional beliefs, especially in a college environment. A lot of times, I feel isolated from the rest of my girl friends and shocked at the outlandish claims I hear people make during discussions about faith.

Here are some tips for coping with Progressive Christianity as a woman:

1. Know what you believe and why you believe it.
2. Don't shy away from conversations with people who may disagree with your viewpoints. 
3. Find a group of like-minded ladies who believe things about Scripture similar to you.
4. When you hear teachings that don't sound Biblical, go into the Scripture and read/examine it for yourself.
5. Find counsel in your ministers and Christians who have spent many years in the faith.
6. Most importantly, if you are a young woman remember the words of 1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV), "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." 

No matter what we encounter in our daily lives, we can make a difference. Don't be afraid to make your voice heard.

Love,

Jennifer xo

Who Am I? / Welcome!

Welcome to Writing on the Wall, a collection of all my personal musings.

My name is Jennifer and I'm a 19-year-old college student attending Cincinnati Christian University (formerly Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary). As all who make blogs would (most likely) claim, I am a lover of both reading and writing. Hence, I am majoring in Integrated AYA Language Arts Education. I know, it's an obscenely large degree title, even when abbreviated! Simply put, I aim to become a middle school English/Language Arts teacher upon graduation. So exciting, right?

Now, onto some information about my personal life and how it will impact the posts I make on this blog. I have struggled with depression and anxiety since I was 12 years old. My struggles with the two disorders have unfortunately had negative effects on my life, but I am thankful that I have both. Through my experiences with them, I have found myself better able to relate to teens who have the same diagnosis. One of the most fulfilling experiences I've had is helping teens who are struggling with depression and anxiety and bringing them to Christ.

When I struggled with depression, I found that even though I didn't want anything to do with God, He was the only one who could give me the feeling of complete peace and from my disorders. Over time, I've viewed my disorders as less of a curse and more of a blessing from God. They're a way that God has me minister to other young girls.

Here are some more positive things about me. Thanks to God's blessings, I am engaged to my high school sweetheart (picture of us below), who is majoring in Youth Ministry. We've been together for nearly four years (our anniversary will be this April)! I'd love to talk more about us, but that will likely come in a later blog post. One of the most important impacts he's had on me and my faith is through the inspiration I get from witnessing his walk with God. Right now, he interns at my home church and it's so amazing to watch him grow in his ministry. His future ministry has impacted me so much and inspired me to desire to pursue middle/high school girl's ministry.

As for my interests/activities outside of school, I enjoy being a camp counselor at a local Christian camp during the summer, working at the campus library, playing video games, scrapbooking, and 

So...why blogging?

There are many reasons I've chosen to begin this blog. Here are a few of them:

• I want this blog to be a resource for young girls (middle school, high school, and even college-aged girls) who wish to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ.
• To use my experiences in the issues of sexuality, purity, and relationships to influence other young women.
• To use my experiences with depression and anxiety to reach out to other struggling teenagers.
• To document my personal growth in my walk with Christ and as a future teacher.
• To write about pressing issues concerning theology. There is so much misinformation about the Gospel that permeates our society and I hope to add my voice to the issue.

So buckle up, darlings! I'm so excited to be starting this journey with you all. I hope this blog will help strengthen your walk in Christ, or, at the very least, give you a different point of view to consider!

Love,

Jennifer xo