"Not all Princesses are found in Castles.

“Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? 

Don’t fool yourselves. 

Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 

Some of you were once like that. 

But you were cleansed; 

you were made holy; 

you were made right with God 

by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” -

1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭11‬

Some of you were once like that. 

What a glorious hope those words give us who’ve found our true selves in the love and redemption found through the resurrection of Jesus.

I had the privilege to attend the Phase Up celebration for the women of the Union Gospel Mission Women’s Recovery Center. It’s always a wonderful time to listen to the various women and Staff retell their journeys from 

chaos to creation. 

Lives being remade, restored, renewed, revived and released from captivity to living free.

They are often stories that move me to tears.

Witnessing miracles is a part of the Christian life 

that every believer is meant to behold. 

God at work in the mess and madness of sin, addiction, devastation, abuse and betrayal. 

It’s not a fairytale of the Disney type, it’s more like the tales of the brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Tolkien and Homer. 

True tragedies and comedies like the ancient bards would weave, full of darkness, hell and horror woven together with hope, wisdom and transformation.

Our Gospel isn’t a sanitized cartoon that reduces everything to a happily ever after. 

Here in these halls only the brave speak, 

the bloodied tell, 

the rescued sing. 

Our songs dance around graves where Kings die and are reborn. We sit at tables of broken body and spilled blood gathered in cup and bread. 

Our hearts burn within us as our Lord appears and disappears among us. 

He enters through locked doors 

and exits in the moments of revelation. 

In our worship we return again and again to remember and to believe.

The women we celebrate are not just the ones working their way through the phases 

but also the ones who guide them. 

Wise and wounded women walking alongside them in recovery. Ladies who know, who haven’t forgotten, 

who are compelled to show up day to day no matter how individual circumstances unfold. 

Women who laugh and dance on the ragged edges of eternity. Women who weep through their smiles. 

Heal through their hugs and pray or prophesy as only Spirit filled souls can do. 

I am humbled by their faithful presence, 

their wild courage 

and the love that leads gently with strength."

Pastor Eric.