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Christianity Today, March, 2008 |

The Grace Escape

Working as a barista has tested me in ways that speeches, campaigns, and protests never did.

Amy Tracy | posted 3/27/2008 09:46AM

My career trajectory over the last four years has my dad doing a lot of hand wringing. I've gone from working as an aide for James Dobson, to ministering to male prostitutes, to making café lattes ...

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Julie

Posted: April 01, 2008 11:28 AM

Thank you Amy for encouraging us Christians to minister in grace. I too am coming out of a time of difficulty and confusion, into a ministry I know God has called me to. My opinions are not popular with most of my Christian compatriots. But my Scriptural and world view has come from living in community overseas amongst those to whom He has called me. Now that I am back in the West, I continue to know the reality of this perspective. I know I am to share it with my fellow believers by example of ministering in grace. As with you, this does not always make me popular and leaves the door open to ostracizing by believers. But He is able to open the eyes of all sides, beleiver and non-believer. Thank you for your risk taking. You have given me courage to carry on.

Tom	Posted: March 31, 2008 7:09 AM

Thank you for sharing your struggles. I appreciate the fact that you are unashamed of you faith and that you seek to persue authentic relationships with those skeptical to the faith in general. I am currently studying for the minsitry and feel driven to leave my safe "Christian Bubble" and seek out those relationships with the unchurched and just love them as He first loved me. It is not always easy, but we were never promised that it would be.

Bobby N. Hill

Posted: March 28, 2008 7:18 AM


Jesus with skin on.

KidA	Posted: March 28, 2008 1:04 AM

The condemnation is apparant in your condescention that GLBT folks are living lies. What you have discovered is that women weren't for you (or have you discovered it). People who have truly reformed (if sexuality is something that needs to be reformed) have no need to dwell on their pasts. It is those who long for the God given desire of their heart that will dwell on the past with buyer's remorse. Unfortunatly you married into the Focus on the Family, which makes objective thinking about sexuality impossible. How can anyone think authentically when they are around so much repression. Remember repression is not healing. Think John Paulk, think Ted Haggard.

Ted Voth Jr

Posted: March 28, 2008 12:39 AM


Good for you, sister. We're proud of you.

Jim D.

Posted: March 27, 2008 11:10 PM


Great article, refreshingly honest. Just from reading your own words, I think your right where God wants you. Keep loving the lost, and God will work miracles through you.

Pastor Jack Rickman

Posted: March 27, 2008 4:21 PM

Amy, you made my day, too. Your passion for Jesus is obvious and contagious. A word of encouragement: look less for a church at large and seek a spiritual mentor who will pray for you, share some experience and perspective with you. Those folks are out there. A fellow believer with Navigators/Campus Crusade (for example) background who is committed to investing themselves to loving and building into one person at a time. And watch out for being too hard on yourself. Sounds like Jesus has you where He wants you for now. Let Him continue His healing and His loving you. I thank God for you and look forward to reading another CT article someday about how you keep discovering that Christ's love for you is so much deeper and tenacious and more tender than you could ever have imagined!! Jack

Ian Brearley

Posted: March 27, 2008 3:19 PM

Loved your article Amy, and loved you as I read it. I was saved out of the hippie scene in December 1974. I find the same as you do with regard to the good fellowship we had back then and the often insincere, shallow and fearful fellowship I have now. This is so crucial to our healing. Christians I find, have a lot of trouble being themselves. They don't seem to know what to be. I believe coming from a more "broken" background like this gives us more insight into the human condition, and helps us with extra compassion, but is a bit hard to find the quality fellowship we need.

Cathy Heffner

Posted: March 27, 2008 2:33 PM


A wonderful testimony. This made my day. Amy, I hope you can feel the bear hug coming your way from Georgia and the "I love you, God bless you." The way we live our lives with Jesus says so much more than what just comes out of our mouths.

Tom	Posted: March 27, 2008 2:19 PM


Lonely eyes are watching you and I'm sure they are intrigued. Loved this article. Thank you for serving. I serve in the entertainment industry. A movie set is not unlike a coffee shop. I've drawn strength from you today.

Tom	Posted: March 27, 2008 2:11 PM


Great account of God's grace at work not only in redeeming Amy but in her redemptive lifestyle. May her number increase. A great example of authentic faith in the marketplace.

James Wartian

Posted: March 27, 2008 1:22 PM

Thanks for an honest and powerful testimony to what it really means to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Having grown up my whole life in the church, I sometimes look from the outside at what is considered community by those not yet saved, and sometimes it is clear they do have more community than we have in the church! May Jesus' words be true that they will know we are Christians by our love (which must involve community) for each other.

Derek G

Posted: March 27, 2008 1:15 PM


Amy, your article has been a blessing to me - honest, compassionate, insightful. As a 66 year-old follower of Christ for over 50 years, I still find the "heavenly hill" a challenge to climb. But I hope to see you at journey's end. I trust we'll hear from you soon again. God bless you.

anon	Posted: March 27, 2008 11:21 AM

what an encouragement to hear how God worked in Amy's life! This encourages me to keep praying for "my" lesbian barista, and to show-the love of Christ in our limited interactions. Philippians 1:9-11: ..."that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the praise of God."

Derek

Posted: March 27, 2008 10:58 AM


thank you for the refreshing article. i found it honest, real and, best of all, "imperfect".

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