My relationship to Jesus Christ within Grace Covenant Church has helped in my recovery from schizophrenia.

October 29, 2005, I, Josh, am inducted into Grace Covenant Church, as a member.

I introduced myself to Grace Covenant by

explaining my schizophrenia as a result of pride. It was at the point of my psychotic break in the spring of 1996 [my history timeline] that I met the Spirit of a Living Savior, and began an experience beyond the dogma and rules I'd learned. I model my experience on the story of Nebechadnezzar, the ancient king of Babylon. When he persisted in pride and disbelief, God in his grace rendered him insane for seven years, after which his mind is returned to him. This humility program was successful and he declares, as I say with him, "Now I praise and extol and honor the King of Heaven, all of whose works are truth, and his ways judgement, and those that walk in pride He is able to abase." Daniel 4.

Read and experience my introductory talk in Real Audio here...

In June of 2005 I continued sharing with the church.

In this talk, I reveal how I was hurt as a child, and how God has brought about a miracle of forgiveness in my heart towards my parents. Family therapy was instrumental in helping us together see our history in a different light. Seeking a heartfelt and flowing forgiveness brought me to Grace Covenant Church in search of the power of Christ. Malachi 4 is now quoted in our family, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." My parents offered me an unexpected gift, a removal of the childhood curse, to be replaced by a blessing.

Read my father's blessing and hear my story of forgiveness in Real Audio here...

Listen to an earlier description of our family experience by my father here...

Finally, the induction ceremony and my words on "What it means to me to become part of this congregation."

I describe the decision to apply for membership as being part of a history going back nine years to my fearful flight from Columbia, when schizophrenia set in because God wanted to make himself personal to me. Since, I my life has been changing from fearful to joyful, as I look to the Savior, instead of my own heart, which I cannot keep.

Pastor Art Dyer welcomes me into the congregation here...