Faith & Spirituality Archives | Focus Middle Tennessee

7 min
218

“You Are Beloved”

In the South, being affirming to the LGBT+ community is a bold stance to take. We’re fortunate to have organizations that go out of their way to let us know we are loved as we are. The Table is a welcome addition to the list.

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3 min
294

Blessing the Animals Who Bless Us

The bond between pets and their owners is undeniable. It goes deeper than the surface and can be a spiritual connection. No one seemed to know this more than St. Francis of Assisi.

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5 min
497

Chaos and Caring for Our Spiritual Selves

We’re in the midst of a very painful time in our country. In the span of several months, we’ve entered into a global pandemic, experienced great personal upheaval in work and family lives, and now we’re in longtime-coming justified civil unrest. We’re experiencing personal and collective trauma.

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3 min
395

Shamanism: Looking Into the Dark

As one of the oldest world religions, Shamanism is found in Siberian/Mongolian, Indian, Native American, and Native South American cultures and history. It’s been used to fight the oppression of religions and governments around the world for millennia.

tony woodall in a white shirt taking a selfie with two youth

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4 min
563

Reconstruction: Change of Heart, Change of Mind

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they hit a turning point. For some, it’s a personal realization, for others, it’s a life-changing moment. For Tony Woodall, though, it was a life-long process...

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3 min
792

LGBT+ and Ministry in Tennessee

Damien Domenack is an admission fellow and part of the admission team for the Vanderbilt School of Divinity. He recently graduated with a master’s degree in theology and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. He helps people find their calling in ministry and helps them determine if studying theology is right for them.

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4 min
722

Deconstruction: Change of Heart, Change of Mind

Tony Woodall: “My life now is simply about helping people become aware of who they already are.” Tony Woodall grew up like many in the South, attending church on Sundays with a very conservative, far-right view of life in a very fear-based type of religious setting...

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4 min
968

Activism & Faith Makes a Difference

Religion is a tricky topic in the South. For some in the LGBT+ community, it can be even more challenging. There is an unwritten expectation that you go to church on Sunday, are baptized into your parent’s religion, have a “church” wedding, and raise your kids in the church.

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4 min
1K

Conversion Therapy Leaves a Lifetime of Damage

Conversion therapy can be known by many names, such as reparative therapy, ex-gay therapy, Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE), and aversion therapy, just to name a few.

Rob Bell was one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2011. He is probably best known for founding a megachurch, the Mars Hill Bible Church.

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1 min
1.1K

Rob Bell Brings his Progressive Views of Christianity to TPAC

Rob Bell was one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2011. He is probably best known for founding a megachurch, the Mars Hill Bible Church.

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