God in the middle of chaos

[Willow]

I was just talking to a friend today and surprisingly found that he grew up in pentecostal holy roller type churches. He now is very proud of his native american heritage and I had no idea he was raised pentecostal. It was so interesting to have so much in common with this guy. He is visibly full of the spirit of God. That's how I first connected with him. Now I realize he understands what I came out of.

In our conversation, we both were struck with the awareness of God being in the middle of the abusive church and how baffling that could be... that God's presence showed up in the middle of such a twisted organization. It gave me a whole new appreciation of how someone might be healed in the same type of group that another found abuse. It doesn't make the abuse OK. It doesn't make the twisted scriptures OK either. But... but it certainly turned my head to the grace of God and his ability to use twisted vessels like me... and like the churches who are abusive, or errant in some way or another. I still have to tilt my head and say "HMMMMM" over today's revelation.