*Bump*

What is your Wondercafe testimony?  Have you changed any of your views?  Why do you come here?

How did this get missed??  WWW (if I may) - I loved reading your post, and love that it means so much to you.  I have a church community, and have been connected one way or another ot others, but WC is very important to me too, for all the same reasons you mentioned.

I love your button.  Amen to that.

I came here originally because I was intrigued and I wanted to find out aboot Christianity in Canada.

I'm still here because I think this community we have here is all aboot sharing in the common human experience we all have.

One of my sayings is that universe gives us what we need, not necessarily what we want.

With all of its ups and downs, fires and oceans, mountains and molehills, the genial and the grungy.

Its a place of learning.  It's a Public House.  It's a Storyteller's Stage.  A vast Jazz riff.  A meadow full of unicorns and pegasi.

And we are all here, involved in its creation.

Just a Self-writing poem,

InannaWhimsey

I don't know if I have changed much of my views, but I sure have gained new perspectives. I appreciate the variety and especially the personal experiences and testemonies.

There is certain threads I have too avoid because the ongoing conflicts is just frustrating and I feel that there are some people just wanting to push others buttons and it almost always works (like in real life) and usually I am avoinding those kind of games. I also think those kind of "turn arounds" are pretend, same as  the stirred up conflicts are.

Living in a rural, senior dominated area, I use Wondercafe to pick up a bit of fresh wind to give me hope that not everything in this UCC world is stuck in the past.

I joined Wondercafe two-and-a-half years ago, and the United Church shortly thereafter—as a direct result of joining the Cafe.

Inspired by www.wondercafe.ca, we started a wonderCafe-live! in our church hall, and more recently wonderQuest. Our wonder programs are governed by a body that calls itself wonderCircle, and which consists of people from inside and outside of our congregation.

Wisdom begins in wonder.

-Socrates

Hi Wysewyldwomyn,

I've grown to love Wonder Cafe over the years also.   For me it has been stimulating, heady, frustrating, mundane, obscene, hurtful, hateful, loving, kind, personal, impersonal, deadly dull and truly spiritually transcendent. 

What do I like best about Wonder Cafe?  To a large extent I can discuss with others where our faith lives diverge without fear of anger or reprisal. 

And I can celebrate those wonderful times when our faith lives converge.  And perhaps for me that has been one of the best things about Wonder Cafe.  I have so many more faith bridges now; bridges where I can meet in the middle and embrace fellow travellers  who might believe differently, but who have helped

build

         the

                same

                            bridge

                                        from

                                                   their

                                                                 side.

Armenius

I would love to have a congregation like that.

Hello Shawna -- it's good to "see" you.  Glad you're still here.

What can I say?  Wondercafe is the community I miss since my schedule is chaotic and I'm unable to commit to any other "real" group because of that.

Also, I just love it here.  I like that those who express opinions and beliefs radically different from mine are still my friends.

And since I believe that relationships are one way of manifesting our relationship to God, it's my church.  It's a place I can learn to do that and celebrate this bond.

It's an opportunity to try to develop understanding and compassion under some very challenging circumstances. 

I love watching people grow here, as I am as well.

Shawna, i would be really interested in hearing about your time in Chile. Maybe you could start a thread.

Widowhood brought me to wondercafe. (I like to think it was the Spirit).

I needed a reason to get out of bed in the mornings, and with the time difference between Australia and Canada  helped a lot.

The sun would shine in my window of a morning, and I would say to myself, "I wonder what happened in Canada whilst I slept?"

A year later, I'm still here.

The fellowship I experience here is similar to my "real" church congregation. Some folk I nod at, smile, and say hello. Some I choose to avoid. But there are those I consider as friends, because we have much to share in knowledge, sorrow and laughter.

(And you get to do reading, writing - without the dreaded arithmetic.)

Wondercafe rocks!    

My Wondertestimony?  I've found Wondercafe especially helpful , especially since, due to medical conditions, my spouse is in a medical facility some 2300 kms away.  She's been there almost a year, and I still hate living alone.  Wondercafe has provided me a real outlet, almost like an ersatz family.  It has inspired me, surprised me, comforted me, educated me...  but it has yet to bore me.   It sure runs the gamut between mindful thoughts and mindless drivel!  It's been challenging, intriguing, and, let face it, downright fun.  I'm glad I found it,  wouldn't have missed this for anything!

And we are glad you found us Red.

And PP, I am glad you get up in the morning and think of us.

Why don't you move to Lumby, B.C.?

You know, "B.C." stands for "before Christ," when the movement around Jesus was just an all-inclusive spiritual mystical movement, espousing unitive consciousness and conscience and unitive love.

A special cheerio to redbaron (why does he need his 338?).

I'm thinking, that like me, you're only partially living alone when wondercafe is just a keystroke away.

It sounds like you're going through a personally rough journey - I wish you well.

Thanks, Pilgrims Progress!  Yes, for me WC is more than just a pastime, it's an inspiration (read: breath of Spirit).  The 338?  Happened because when I registered, and it wanted a user name, out of habit I typed in the name I use on another site... and haven't got around to changing it, because it's easier to remember that way.

Peace,  RB

Heeeeelllloooo wonder-friends. I was invited to share this by Wisewyldwomyn. It is my opening post in my "Two Posters Who Have Changed My Mind" thread over at Social.  I hope it's not to long, but I really needed to say this.

Well, it has been a long journey of searching myself, but I have come to a conclusion about one thing that has been on my mind lately. As a very conservative Christian, I, for a long time believed that homosexuality etc...was sinful. Now, I did not rage on about it, but I still believed it was sinful. I now no longer believe that homosexuality, being transgendered, bi-sexuality or other alternative life styles are by there nature sinful.

There are two people who, by posting here have really opened my eyes. The first poster is Rita. Her posts are some of the humblest and most beautiful posts I have read. The thing about Rita is that, although she is transgendered and no doubt has encountered hurtful situations by church and non-churh folk alike, she has not abanded her faith. She understands that even though people can be mean and cruel, God loves her with a greater love than any human being can offer. She has decided to run the race under the power of God's love and Grace and not let anybody push her off the track. I for one admire her. She has become one of my favorite posters on this cite.

The other poster is Patrick (who I haven't seen post for a while). As a homosexual, I can only imagine the hurtful situations he has had to endure. Patrick identifies as an evangelical Christian. Even in an age of raging homophobia (especially from some people of faith), he, like Rita, has not thrown the baby out with the proverbial bath water. He has decided that God's sovereign love and Grace are of greater value than man's opinion.

Rita and Patrick have indirectly strengthened my faith, and my Calvinistic beliefs. Why? Because of their perserverance. Perserverance of the Saints is one of the beliefs of Calvinism, which I believe is solid teaching from the Bible. They hear the rabid hate that can come from some people in the church, and have decided to ignore such garbage and persevere in the faith. I for one look forward to the day when I get to meet them in Heaven.

I am still a very conservative Christian with a conservative theology. I believe that ALL have fallen short of the glory of God. We have ALL missed the mark - gay, straight, bi-sexual. We have ALL gone astray. The difference is Jesus Christ -  His life, death and resurrection and God the Father's sovereign love and Grace. Rita and Patrick have head the Good Shepherd's call, have responded and have persevered. Love is love indeed. From even before the foundation of the world, God chose Rita and Patrick as His own and there is absolutely NOTHING that I or anybody else can do to pluck them from His hand. PERIOD.

To Rita and Patrick, thank you. I leave you both (and others) with this scripture.

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:37-39 (yeah, Paul wrote that)

Hate is easy. Love takes courage.

Good to read that CF. I confess I have been intimidated by you, in the beginning. I joined 2 years ago now. You have not come down on me like a ton of bricks in a long time CF. I appreciate that and I like you better now.

I agree with all the sentiments here about wondercafe, though I can't compare it to a church congregation myself cause I've never had one. Is it really like Wondercafe? To me it's like high school, or a live in job, where we spend lots of time together talking about our lives and important stuff. I have checked our area for a Unitarian Universalist church, thinking that may be a good physical place to congregate with other spiritual, intellectual, open people like here, but alas, there isn't one in my area. So now my eye wanders to the local art gallery... Hmmm... maybe something can be done there...

I still miss my friend KillerRabbit. Never saw his picture, miss his spirit here.

I think I have become wiser, and more accepting through Wondercafe.

Inanna wrote: "Its a place of learning.  It's a Public House.  It's a Storyteller's Stage.  A vast Jazz riff.  A meadow full of unicorns and pegasi."

Love this Inanna!

We are all involved in this WonderMinistry.  That is truly what it feels like to me-  a ministry of sorts.  Of course, I am a United Church gal so I am the "preach the gospel always, use words [only] when necessary" type.  That can be a little difficult in an online forum.  But, it seems like we do get to know each other here on Wondercafe. 

So, has Wondercafe helped you in your real life?  What do you take away from this place and bring into the larger world?

(I find that I can discuss issues with my family- right- leaning, conservatives- without getting as defensive and reacting with judgement.  I can think- "Oh, Serena brought up that same view and I can understand where she is coming from" and just listen.....)

Shawna

bump....bump...

Umm, Well I think about people from the forum during my day, about specific things said. My family can tell that I'm more accepting of christians now. I don't know how it has changed me in real life, except what I said, that I am wiser and more understanding. Not that I wasn't understanding or even wise, before, but I have learned stuff here, about myself, and about others. I feel much less alone.