In 2006 I spent the summer in Australia with World Service Corps. It was an amazing experience learning about another culture and being introduced into what it means to be present with others.  


​The 15 hour flight had us arrive first thing in the morning in Melbourne. Our hosts met my world service corp partner and I at the airport and let us know it was better for us to stay up as long as we could that day to help us adjust for the time difference.  

I have no idea what scripture we studied but half way through my eyes shut. Good night folks thats all there was!  The back of my eyelids were just too hard to resist. Luckily I don't snore and hopefully I didn't drool. Someone eventually woke me up and I was welcomed to have dessert with them. No matter how tired you are, you can always eat dessert! They pulled out this amazing trifle which I scarfed down before traveling an hour back to our hosts home.  ​

Hospitality and Hostmanship

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Hospitality is ​the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. This definition indicates it is an action but I also think it is a mindset we can choose everyday if we wish. Hospitality is all about welcoming others with an overwhelming grace. We do not have to be perfect, or have everything in place. That's not what its about. We must remove all of our expectations and conditions. Its about understanding the needs of others and meeting them where they are at. If we can do this we will truly be hospitable and welcoming to others.  

Jan Gunnarsson from Sweden talks about Hostmanship in his Tedxtalk "How To Make People Feel Welcome." He lists qualities of a welcoming mindset (openness, curiosity, non-judgment, humility, sensibility, respect, presence, and dialogue) which I really like and goes on to state it really starts with us as an individual. Its a call for us to be present in the moment.  Not thinking about the next task, our own intentions, but merely listening to the person whose face we see in front of us.  Enjoy the short Tedtalk! ​

The Welcoming Nature of God

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Community of Christ believes God's divine self is best revealed in Jesus Christ. Jesus' message and actions speak to the welcoming nature of God. Jesus loved those he came in contact with unconditionally. His radical love crossed cultural boundaries, gender stereotypes, and religious laws. Children were asked to come unto him as he welcomed their presence.  Matthew 25:35 says "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." 

I appreciate the comments and positive statements on all of our social media posts.  Keep them coming! 

​This week take a breath and give the next person you meet your undivided attention.

Many churches make bold claims about God, Jesus, heaven, hell, and various other Christian terms. It's awesome to have a belief system that helps you navigate the roadways of life. However when those belief systems cause division, point fingers or break down relationships then maybe its time they are questioned.  

​One thing my family and this faith community, have taught me that its ok to say “I’m not for sure” or “I don’t have it all figured out.” It's a freedom in knowing I do not have to have all the answers. The notion throws away rigidity and rightness and declares questions and lack of knowing as a natural process of our faith. With this sigh of relief people are allowed to lean into the divine being a mystery to which we are all discovering. Knowing any encounter can be the spirit breathing further understanding of God in our lives. 

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So why do some of us feel the need to be right and believe we have all the answers? How can our faith grow with the openness of not knowing?  

Understanding Bias

Much of peoples need to be right comes from our own personal biases. A bias is a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. When we specifically look at faith much of our beliefs come from what we have grown up knowing. We hold biases based on the belief system that has been engrained in us. Now this is not bad, its just important to be aware that how we see the world and what we believe about the world may not be the entirety of what there is.  


Chaehan So talks specifically about selective perception in regards to confirmation bias, self-serving bias, and hindsight bias. The ones he goes over is just a few of the 50 cognitive biases he states there are. It's a great Tedtalk informing us about our own internal processes and how many times we are wrong. Take the time to check it out as I promise he is entertaining and has good information.  

​So what does this information about biases mean for our unique faith journeys? Well we all might use this information differently. It informs me that I need to continually be open to listening and hearing ideas that are contrary to my prior judgements or beliefs. For others it may mean that exploring faith and other denominations is ok because its about figuring out what is right for you instead of holding onto potential bias. 


Faith Growing By Not Knowing

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Now many of us hate not knowing. I mean google is at our fingertips and with a few strokes we calm our fears by finding the answer.  Uncertainty can be a beast in our lives.  Researchers have found uncertainty is correlated with stress.  The article "Why We Hate Not Knowing For Sure" indicates the more someone knows what will happen the less stressed they are even it if is a horrible outcome. Its calming for us to know, and we seek out that feeling.  

However on the other hand, in some situations we can feel like we are the only ones that do not know causing added stress. Think about new experiences you have had, or walking into a church for the first time. We put stress on ourselves because we do not know how it will be or what to do. The article "The Wisdom of Not Knowing" talks about the freedom associated with not knowing everything. Many times others have been in the exact same situation or don't know either. But it seems like it takes so much time to figure that out. That's why being vulnerable is so important because it allows us to be free.

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With faith there is great benefits of knowing your beliefs. It becomes an internal and external moral compass for how we live. However knowing your beliefs can also create lines causing what is not on that side or challenges it, to be wrong. When we take on an attitude of not having it all figured out we open up the freedom of finding God in new ways. Now I'm not saying throw everything away. That would be demolishing and send us into a crisis. Your past faith experiences should be lifted up and held valuable. But just as there are two sides to every story we must figure out the rest of it for ourselves and what is right for us individually.  ​

It is perfectly ok to be set in what you believe if that works for you. Just be aware of how those beliefs inform your actions and dialogue with others. Ask yourself if it hinders in anyway relationships from being formed or good deeds from being done? If we are to live like Jesus we need to eliminate the biases from our lives by being open to the spirit that leads us. We must see outside of our own perceptual lenses. It is in this task of opening ourselves up that we may actually begin to figure things out.  ​

Our blog is continuing to see great growth. If you feel like you have something to contribute and would like to be a guest blogger please submit your information at our contact us page and we will consider it.  

This week reflect on your own interactions. Identify biases you have and how you can make changes.

This week we have the privilege of hearing from Dakota Matthes as our guest blogger. Dakota is a first year seminary student at Graceland University which is associated with Community of Christ. Dakota loves animals and especially his dog Bowser who he takes everywhere. Recently he moved to Falmouth, Maine taking a job as an LPN at a retirement community. We wish him the best of luck on this new adventure as Dakota and Bowser get acquainted with their new patients and friends. Big thanks to Dakota for being vulnerable and sharing his story with us!    


Thinking about my faith journey through the 50 years of my life thus far, I have so much gratitude for where I am right now! I am currently in my first year of Seminary in the Community of Christ Seminary through Graceland University Online. I have reconnected with the fellowship of disciples in the Community of Christ, and my cup runneth over with love and peace as I journey on. It hasn’t always been this way, however.


I started my life out in the Catholic tradition, being christened as an infant in 1969 at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Boynton Beach, Florida. My maternal grandmother was Catholic, and so my mother and her siblings and all of us kids/cousins started out that way too. Unbeknownst to me then, but as I would much later realize, the presence of addiction, alcoholism, mental illness and dysfunction plagued my family-of-origin. I suppose like most children I thought my childhood was normal, and that everyone else’s lives were the same. I began to see in adolescence though, that my home was anything but normal.
Suspected in adolescence, but really discovered in my adult years, I learned that Mother had many symptoms of bipolar 1 disorder, dissociative identity disorder, and covert, gaslighting narcissism. Suffice it to say, there was a lot of neglect, confusion, and abuse as the years went by. We converted to Lutheran when I was 5 years old. Then at age 9 we converted to RLDS (after hearing about the church through my Aunt Anne). As it turns out, the RLDS—now Community of Christ—was my saving grace through adolescence and early adulthood.

What joy was mine in 2017, when after being clean and sober for nearly 5 years, I entered the congregation in Leavenworth, Kansas, was met with love and gladness, and found out all the new growth and change in the church since I had left in 1991!! I was elated!! To learn of the enduring principles and the mission initiatives of the church, to hear talk about the worth of all persons, unity in diversity, and all are called: it’s like every ounce of the pain of my isolation and rejection and exile was gone in an instant. I was loved! I was seen! I was welcomed back into the fold with open arms! I have experienced nothing but love, kindness, welcome, and appreciation ever since, and it is the greatest blessing of my life. ​

Big thanks to Dakota for sharing his heart with us! I'm always amazed at the journey's people travel to find acceptance and love.  

This week hug someone close to you! Let them know they are loved by you no matter what life situations present to them.   

My in laws recently took a trip to Africa with Outreach International to learn about the culture and process Outreach has with people. Check out my earlier post “The Eyes of Love” talking about my experience with OI. At one village they got off of the bus to visit with their community leaders and see the progress they have made in community change. My mother in law vividly remembers stepping off of the bus and the real young kids immediately running in fear and crying. 

​Now of course this is where I insert any mother in law joke that comes to mind.

Joke - I am amazed that her reputation is not only known nationally but internationally.

Joke - I am assuming they were taking my strategy of not speaking to my mother in law. It's been two years, we haven’t quarreled, I just don’t want to interrupt her.

Joke - The kids had heard there were more vicious things than Lions they just hadn’t seen them until now.

Ok that’s enough! In all reality I have a great mother in law that is very respectful of boundaries and I received her approval before posting any of these jokes.


She said the kids ran because they had never seen this big a group of white people before. They were stricken with fear for something they had not experienced. As she thought about it, it became real to her that we fear what we do not know. Fear is a natural emotion we feel. It was in this moment she realized the importance of educating and teaching acceptance to overcome fear.

​Acceptance allows us to see and understand others instead of letting fear drive our actions and behaviors. Too much of what we see and get from media or others today is fear. Fear others are taking our jobs, creating unsafe situations, or not practicing the right beliefs. But we have to find ways to not follow the fear but go to the source to truly understand what is going on.

So lets explore how acceptance impacts our spiritual journey's. Specifically lets look at what teaching acceptance is, a more in-depth look at why its important, and where God is in the midst of this. ​

​How to Teach Acceptance?

​Teaching acceptance is a process of eliminating fear from our lives slowly while embracing who others are. Culturally respecting others beliefs and perspectives is imperative for peace. Acceptance is not about coexisting but embracing others differences. Others' choices may not be our own but respecting who they are and the choices they make are vitally important for building community.

So what are some ways to help us teach acceptance?


Story Telling - Stories are essential ways for people to hear others perspectives. They bring emotional attachment to situations and problems creating more pull with people. Stories have a way of working into our heart strings and pulling them ever so gently.

Dialogue - Talking with others allows multiple perspectives to be shared so there is common understanding of all potential concerns and problems present. There is almost always two sides of every problem.

​Let Go of Personal Stereotypes/ Judgments - We are not void of judgments as much as we try. But acknowledging our judgments and letting go of them creates an openness for others and ourselves to learn. Internal awareness of our own processes is some of the major work we can do.

Exposure - When we find ourselves with negative thoughts or ideas in our head about a certain group of people its important that we go to the source. Direct exposure tends to be the best and most accurate knowledge. Spend time learning for yourself what the group is about and who they are.

Tolerance Is A Dirty Word?
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Some people believe tolerance is what needs to happen while others believe that is not enough. Where do you stand? Should we as society just be tolerant of others? Is tolerance a step toward acceptance? Or does acceptance need to happen for someone to be truly valued?

​I tend to think its not about just being tolerant of others but accepting others as able and capable of making their own decisions. This means seeing the positive qualities and characteristics we can out of individuals. Below is a TEDx video by Andrew Sayer which talks about Tolerance being a dirty word. I thought it was an interesting perspective and wanted to share it with you.

Unity in Diversity

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Community of Christ has an enduring principle of Unity in Diversity. It’s a core belief that our differences make us better and that those differences are needed for us to be whole as a community. I find when I really try to live by this principle, I become less frustrated with others, more open for help, and more willing to learn.

​I think this enduring principle is also a goal. If we truly are to be one with each other we have to acknowledge and value the differences we find. This can be difficult but when we become more diverse we actually become more efficient and effective. As I have stated before more diverse work forces actually create better financial gains. Check out this article “Why Diversity Matters” for details.


Another example is just looking at nature! The diversity in the habitats of the world create balance and support systems. Look up the root systems of aspens, the pollination of bees, or the running of salmon to see how we are all integral parts of one another. Others depend on us and our unique roles in this world.

It’s about seeing the Christ in me and the Christ in you as parts of the whole. Without all of us in this together what’s the point? Without you alongside with me what really matters? Unity in diversity breathes the need for us to truly sit and be with one another. Bask in each other’s presence and love the person for who they are. So how do we live this as a community? Well how about we figure that out together. 

Thank you for all those who are enjoying our posts! We welcome any feedback you have.

This week ask another person what is something that has been hard for them to accept. Truly listen to their perspective no matter how different it is from yours.

Happy One Year Anniversary! It has been one year since we started this blog with the post "Let's Explore Together." I want to thank everyone who has visited our site and followed us throughout the journey no matter when you started. I also want to give a big thanks to Jim Fairchild who manages our website and all of our social media posts. A lot of our success is on his constant dedication of caring about others through social media. Thanks Jim! 

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When I was younger I went on a backpack trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. On the trek, we planned to cover 85 miles in ten days. The first two were with a guide before we were cut loose on our own.


After leaving base camp we hiked a short two miles in before stopping at our first campsite. We scheduled to take it easy the first day before getting into more difficult hiking. It was beautiful outside, perfect weather for hiking. Tents were pitched, gear was laid out, and most of us laid down to take an afternoon nap.

A few hours later I woke up to a loud pounding on my tent. I opened my eyes and noticed my breath rising. As I followed my breath, the tent ceiling came into sight where I saw indention's being made from something hard hitting it. My body shivered from the cold air. I rolled over to look out the window. And to my amazement the ground was covered in white. It was hailing quarter to golf ball size hail everywhere.


The storm persisted for a few more hours requiring us to cook dinner under a tarp. I remember laying in my bed that night thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?" The significant change in weather was unexpected and caught me off guard. However I also thought how the covered white ground was also beautiful in its own way. Luckily the rest of our journey had fairly good weather; sun with bouts of rain. We were able to skirt away from any bear encounters and hike up the ranges highest mountain, Mt. Baldy. ​

​The trip was an awesome example of persistence and the welcoming power of nature. Even in the midst of terrible weather God meets us there. Everywhere we look throughout nature God is present asking us to welcome the beauty around us. Our spiritual journey's will be filled with obstacles and tough questions that may make us fall. When we begin to welcome all that life brings we will truly understand the love present in our God.  

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How do we welcome the unpleasant happenstances in our lives? How do we let go of our own desires and bask in God's presence?  Let's explore together to find answers about welcoming all moments.


Welcoming Unpleasant Situations
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No one wants to experience the difficult situations and circumstances life brings. From a red light making us late for work to a loved one dying we all encounter them. Our response is typically to become upset, sad or frustrated in the moment thinking only of the negative. What we don't realize is these unpleasant situations also shape who we are. Our response is critically important for who we are to become. And many times accepting them is a process.

​So how do we live a life in which we welcome what life brings? You are probably thinking, Craig you are crazy, why would I ever welcome the bad things life gives. Well when we focus on welcoming all the aspects and dimensions of life we come to accept the emotions, thoughts, and situations we have as opportunities to experience and learn. I too many times get angered, say a few choice words, and become upset over situations and events missing the opportunity to see the beauty present. Welcoming what comes simmers our emotions, removes our expectations, and makes us see the situation for what it is.  

Adversity makes us reevaluate our life to decide what we want and how we are going to go about getting it. Our actions in these critical moments in our lives dictate if the moment will be something positive or negative. It's not how we classify the moment but what we do with it that makes the difference.  These challenges are all about learning and moving forward.  

Marc Chernoff wrote an article "9 Hard Things You Have to Do to Move Forward With Your Life" identifying tips of what needs to happen for positive growth in your life. These are powerful steps for us to take in moving beyond our past experiences to become who we really want to be.  

Welcoming adverse situations or unpleasant experiences is all about being open to God's spirit. Knowing we cannot control the moments that come but how we respond to them. Finding God in the adversity, in the difficult can be challenging and yet at the same time powerfully rewarding. ​​Sometimes we learn so much more about God and what the divine has created us to be during these challenges.  So if you are experiencing obstacles on your faith journey I understand and sincerely hope for you to find your way. I pray these uneasy times will be filled with God's love steadily moving to put a deeper imprint on your life. May the unpleasant come to be welcomed! 

Thank you all for your kind support! Midlands Mission Center Camps are starting up for the summer. Get signed up if you aren't already.  

Reevaluate a few difficult experiences from your past.  What is your attitude about it still? What did you learn? How did it form who you are today?