Blog
The Veil
1/6/2023 by Matt LewellynAwareness of the veil doesn't solve the veil, so we become fascinated with probing the edges of this experience. We explore the margins where souls are caught in purgatories constructed by the hands of men and of demons. We fixate on this veil, in the face of hell itself - daring God to show up.
Still Life
9/27/2022 by Matt LewellynI want my life to be like a great movie. I can picture it in my mind sometimes - starting from the past, where I've been. The present is usually the middle part of the script, when the protagonist (that's always me) runs into some problems. Some of those problems are new. Others have been there since the beginning. Some are from the actions of various antagonists. Others are troubles of my own making.
But thinking of life that way brings some unexpected psychological pressures that can trip us up. Especially when hardship enters the picture - how do we put past, present, and future together?
Surviving the Storm
9/19/2022 by Matt LewellynWe want to see life's storms coming on the horizon. We'd like to think we have some influence and agency to use to avoid them. Some can be sidestepped. And some, well, they can't. And the storm comes, we find ourselves disintegrating, and it can be difficult to figure out what to do next.
Earth’s Ends
8/29/2022 by Matt LewellynMissionaries can and do experience trauma. Some have it on the field. Others, before they even get there. And instead of an intentional, soul-care-based response from their missions agency, many of them receive silence or pressure.
A large number of missionaries feel like they are alone. But the gospel they're sharing says they aren't.
In the Beginning...
8/15/2022 by Matt LewellynA day like any other day. You do the same activities. And you have the same patterns and struggles... Many of us do, really - you're in good company. And the voices of the life-is-victory style of Christianity sound tone-deaf to your ears.
If any of this rings true of your experience, drop me a line, and let's chat a bit. None of this is easy, but it's worth walking through it.
Victory’s Voice
7/17/2022 by Matt LewellynLife can be long. We can have a certain schedule, or a set of coping mechanisms, or some relational techniques that help give us "victory" for a season. But days turn to weeks, weeks to years... And what helped us some years ago might not work for us anymore.
The tectonic plates shift, we feel the earthquake. We know the poor in spirit are blessed. How do we react and speak when victory turns?
Progress
7/8/2022 by Matt LewellynTake a peek in the mirror, like it's a large television. Yes, you recognize that person in there. You know this show, you know this set. You know this character's backstory backwards and forwards. You know how you would write this character, if you were playing that role. What you would do, what you would accomplish.
Then you look back to the real, and you wish the mirror world was real instead...
Woods
6/29/2022 by Matt LewellynLife can have trails that seem clear and safe at first but lead to seemingly impossible situations. And the answer is not to stomp on the problem with our best verses, pithy sayings, and turns of phrases.
Only one thing to do: put one foot in front of the other, again and again.
Reckoning
6/9/2022 by Matt Lewellyn"Faith communities and institutions should be a place of safety and refuge, but oftentimes for survivors of sexual abuse the church has been a negative turning point in their recovery and their faith journey... What they often receive are negative social reactions to disclosures which can result in worsening symptoms of shame, depression, posttraumatic stress syndrome, disengagement from the faith community, and even suicide." (Guidepost report, 135)
The investigation is complete, the report is released, and the next SBC annual meeting is just days away. For decades, trampled souls have cried out for justice. Will the church answer?