Journey Map

As I start this blog, I am amazed at where I've already been on this journey! This is the extremely short version as an overall map to my journey thus far. Additional posts will fill in details as well as provide a bit more theology to discuss.

I was raised in a small town (and thus a small church) in NW PA. Church has been a part of my life as long as I can remember, although I later came to learn that it was just something that everyone from our small town did on Sunday mornings - everyone except my dad, that is.

My journey has been marked by amazing people who have helped guide me through life. Some have helped me connect with God; others have helped me question my faith.

I went to Trinity International University (the Trinity College) in Deerfield, IL. Mostly, I chose Trinity because of the scholarships they gave me, but it was a great place for me to explore my faith further. It was a Trinity that I first was introduced to the idea of women in ministry and was challenged to consider that God might be calling me into youth ministry.

It took me 10 years to finally give in to the call to ministry. When I did, I found myself in what I now affectionately call "the church from hell." It was a miserable experience that led me to question everything I believed. Yet, through that situation, I was given opportunities to explore contemplative prayer, emerging theology, and what it means to be a follower of God in the way of Jesus.

My other ministry positions have been less eventful (for the most part), but my journey has not. I've journeyed from an extremely conservative, fundamentalist theology to what many now consider to be a liberal, emergent, ever-changing, ever-questioning theology. I just see it as a constant pursuit of truth and what makes the most sense. I'm always open to what makes more sense!

The biggest part of my journey at this point is conversation. The ongoing conversation with others challenges me to keep exploring, to keep searching, and to keep thinking. In fact, I started this blog so that I could officially be part of a conversation about transforming theology. I'm looking forward to the conversations in the posts ahead.