A Space for Grace Archives - SheilaKCampbell.com

Hope For Hard Roads

How do you tell someone that the journey may be far different than they expect and that it might be a long, lonely, journey through deep valleys of letting go? How do you offer hope when your own journey doesn’t appear to have a happily-ever-after ending? This journey to find space for grace was a journey that lasted years and cannot be easily summarized in one post. Initially, I didn’t even know what needed to change in my heart and my words and actions, but I found hope for hard journeys.

Learning to Love Well: Navigating the Complexities of Faith, Suffering, and Compassion

Not long ago I received a link to a video which featured young people whose lives had been changed by prayer and community, but rather than receiving encouragement, I was deeply hurt, and discouraged. As I sat in silence in the dark of the morning, and wrestled with my feelings, I asked, “Lord, why am I so hurt by a message that was intended to bring hope?”
None of us loves perfectly, but I long to love better, and often it is my hurt that moves me to a deeper understanding and compassion.

Grace for All

This was one of my first experiences in which I found my brokenness and God’s generous grace colliding. It was both a loving embrace and a gentle rebuke. My love for God grew out of the overflow of His love for me. This is how Jesus draws us closer to Him and exhorts us to a live a life of holiness – He loves us. One beautiful example of this compelling love that brings peace to the broken is the story of Mary and Simon recorded in Luke 7: 36-50.

Suicide: A Family Secret

Suicide. It is a topic not often talked discussed, and not a topic that I have talked about much despite its impact on my life and the lives of my children. This is the first time I have ever written about it. But suicide marks both the living and the dead. So, as I write about my experience, I am posting it in this Space for Grace as a reminder to myself and others that we cannot know what ‘secrets’ have shaped the lives of those around us.

The Comfort of Grace

I think most of us like the places, people, and things that are familiar and comfortable. And most of us struggle – at least to some degree- to love and accept those ideas, things, and people who are different.
As I have been making my way slowly through the New Testament this year, I have recently started reading through the gospel of Luke. Of all the gospels, Luke is perhaps my favorite. As Luke records the teachings of Jesus, he seems to move from one parable to another, which makes me wonder if he too could ‘see’ the gospel in the parables of Jesus.

A Different Love – A Revolutionary Love

I don’t often watch movies on the big screen, but not long ago I watched Jesus Revolution at the Cinemax. It made me wonder how a ‘Jesus Revolution’ might be received today. It is easy while we are sitting in a movie theater to cheer for the underdog and to think we would respond just like Pastor Chuck Smith and welcome and support the hippie-street-preacher. But the movement and the people might look a little different in our current culture than it did in the 60’s and 70’s.

All one – our identity in Christ

In recent months, I have read and listened to several discussions and sermons regarding our identity in Christ. As a reminder of who we are in Christ, many of them have cited Galatians 3:27-28. Since I also used this scripture reference in a blog post on whether Christians should call themselves gay, these messages have prompted me to go back and take a deeper look at this scripture and Paul’s message.

should Christians Call themselves Gay? Tiresome Questions, Trite Answers, Or Thoughtfully Pondered Responses?

Should our identity as a believer in the gospel of Christ be always and only Christian? We often identify as either a man or woman, or according to our ethnicity, occupation, or experience. And although a new creation in Christ, we all still experience both the neutral and sinful aspects of our humanity. So, are there times when it is appropriate for Christians to identity with our humanity as well as our Christianity? And if this is true, is it appropriate for a Christian to identify as gay or same sex attracted or any other identity?

Let’s Learn the Lingo!

Earlier this year, my son, Jerrod, helped me design and rebuild my website. This may seem to be a reasonably simple job for anyone born after 1990, but for those of us born in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, it’s a real challenge. Part of the challenge is the terminology. I think the same can be true of the Christian community and the LGBTQ community. We often don’t get past introductions before the terminology barrier can obstruct any meaningful dialogue. Often Christians may think they know what the terms lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning mean, but the English language is fluid and words have different meanings to different people, so join me and let’s learn the lingo!

Coming Out Gay

When my youngest son, Jerrod, was sixteen, he went on a Fine Arts Youth Trip to Orlando with several other youth from our church. Two days later he disappeared in Orlando, Florida. In the back of our minds was the unspoken fear that foul play was the cause of his disappearance – what else could have happened? Although the police suggested he might be a runaway, the thought seemed unlikely to everyone who knew him. Jerrod was a well-mannered and obedient kid; he had been homeschooled and sheltered from negative influences his whole life; and he was smart and talented. But Jerrod had a secret struggle…

Category: A Space for Grace