Transformed.

July 13, 2014

We all know there is A LOT of blogging, information, etc. out there about weight, body image, dieting, and all that jazz. It floods our Instagram, Facebook, and twitter accounts; we see ads along the interstates and in our social media feed. We are constantly bombarded about our weight and dress/pant size everywhere we go--it is quite literally an inescapable hot topic. We are an obsessed society. Obsessed about perfecting the body and doing everything we can to preserve its youthfulness.

I want to first say that there is a clear and distinct difference in what our culture defines as "beautiful" and what healthy really is. They aren't always at odds with one another, but I do think that when we focus too much on outer beauty, trying everything we can to gain what is an unrealistic version of beauty tends to be unhealthy. I do not want to take away from women who have worked hard to achieve the type of body that they have, but I also want to recognize that women (and men) come in many different body shapes and sizes, and that ALL are uniquely beautiful.

Beauty does not come from a number on a scale nor does it come from the tags inside our clothing. Beauty comes from a person who is comfortable and confident with the very body they have. We are not all born a size 4. Some of us naturally have wider hips, broader shoulders, and "thicker bones." Bottom line: beauty doesn't have a particular shape or size.

I have spent the last four years working on becoming a more "beautiful" person--inside and out. I have worked to become a more whole, happy, and healthy person. I will be the first to admit that I haven't always reflected the beautiful human being that I was created to be. (I also want to add that my definition of beautiful has plenty of room for messiness and recognizes our sinfulness and depravity as human beings. Beauty is not just skin deep, but is very much a theological principal for me. I won't go into too much depth about that, but keep it in mind as you continue reading).

Let me catch you up to speed, for those of you who have not known me throughout this process. (Sorry if it's a repeat for those of you who have heard this story many times). Just over four years ago I was significantly overweight, tragically unhappy, and undeniably unhealthy. I made a decision to change that. I knew I had to change all of me--mind, body, soul. And so I did. With the help of gastric bypass surgery, I began a complete lifestyle change. As I watched the scale go down and inches disappear from my body, I began to see myself differently. The walls that I had spent years building up, protecting myself, were literally coming down. In total I've lost over 160lbs. But my physical appearance wasn't the only thing that had experienced a transformation during this time, and I knew it couldn't have been the only part of me to change. There was so much inside of me that had to transform alongside my body.

This takes work. Hard work. Continued work. It is a constant struggle. The greatest gift I received, and continued to receive, as a result of all of this is the awareness of God's grace/love in my life. Again this is a constant struggle and, unfortunately, I take advantage of this gift way more than I would like to admit. But the simple, amazing, awesome truth is that God has loved me long before I ever took a breath or had a say in the matter. God loved me before I loved myself, before I loved God. God loved me through my messy years. God loved me when I was seriously overweight; God loved me when I was changing, and God continues to love me now. Cool, huh?! Even when I was experiencing the biggest changes of my life, God's love remained constant. When I lose sight of the fact that God's love has always been offered to me, it isn't long before I am put in my place and reminded that God has never forsaken me.

Thanks be to God for that!

September 12, 2014

I have been thinking a lot about what to post, because there is so much more to this story than I could ever begin to say. This journey has been a total transformation in many aspects of my life. As I mentioned before, it wasn't just a physical transformation, despite the fact that that's what most could see. An inner, spiritual (an absolutely BEAUTIFUL) transformation occurred within me. The best part? God continues to transform me on a daily basis. The even better part about all of this??? IT IS NOT ABOUT ME!!!! Sure, this is a journey that I have traveled on, but God has totally used this for God's glory, and for that I am sooooo thankful!  I have been so amazed at the way God has used this experience to be part of my ministry, in various ways. However, I cannot take credit for anything other than being imperfectly obedient (emphasis on imperfect). I can now see that this total transformation was necessary for my future as a pastor. That is not to say that if I hadn't lost all of the weight I did that I would not be as effective as a pastor. But I can tell you that I would not have been as confident as I am now. As I have grown more comfortable with my body, I have become more comfortable with my call; as I have grown more comfortable with my call, I have become more comfortable with my body--my whole self, whom God has called. I am a more holistic, embodied individual than I was before.

For a long time my mind, body, and spirit were in dissonance with one another. Within the last year I have seen and felt them grow to be in unison with one another. It's like an orchestra playing and somewhere the percussionists are off-beat, while the piano isn't quite in tune, and the rest of the orchestra is fighting to stay together and to be in tune with one another. After much time of practice, of training, and of being guided by their director, the sweet sound of a symphony orchestra comes together; together in unison--upbeat and downbeat, crescendo and decrescendo, harmony and melody. I'm not sure that's the best way to describe it, but it was the first example that came to mind.

I just can't get over how much God has used this time for the work of the kingdom of God!!! It's been a blessing to share this journey with many of you, to call you friends, and to share life with you! So, THANK YOU for supporting me, for all of your encouraging words, for loving me, and for sharing Christ's love with me.

I am continually surprised by God (as if I ever think I've got God figured out at all). To God be all the glory! Amen.


(And now, for some photos!!!) Edited September 23, 2014

Sinking Sand: Losing Self in Divinity School

I have never considered myself to be the most self-confident person in the world; however, prior to beginning Divinity School, I think I had a better sense of myself than I currently do, or at least than I have over the past year and a half.

Divinity School has been no joke. Duke has been no joke. Not that I was expecting it to be, but let's just say that Duke Divinity has changed me in more ways than one. Most of them I would consider to be good changes. I have learned so much about Christian history, tradition, doctrine, etc. The level of knowledge I have gained is, and will be, very important in my life as a pastor in the United Methodist Church. I have found a new appreciate for scripture, for church tradition, and for Christian history. As any other seminary student, I love to talk theology and truly do get all nerdy about it. It's pretty cute. :D. It's definitely fair to say that I LOVE DUKE DIVINITY SCHOOL! I LOVE SEMINARY! I am falling more and more in love with God every day and I am learning to appreciate the history & tradition of the church more and more on a daily basis.

However, for me it hasn't all consisted of heart-warming experiences. The last year and a half of my life have no doubt been the hardest. They've been challenging personally, academically, spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc. In every way possible, this has been a hard journey. I wasn't expecting it to be easy, and I will say that despite the difficulties, it has been a very rewarding journey thus far. But in the midst of all the reading, in all the worship, and in all the experiences I have become lost. Completely lost.

The self-confidence I had spent the previous few years leading up to Div School suddenly disappeared; I stopped doing the things I enjoyed doing because other things took priority in my life; in an effort to find my pastoral identity, I became so consumed in the insecurities that come along with being a female pastor that I forgot the most important thing--that God has called me to this life, I have responded, and that God is always with me; I found that, in general, the insecurities and lack of self-confidence in what I was doing slowly crept in and I have allowed it to consume my thoughts and my actions; I found it difficult to express my beliefs, even my questions, because of the pressure to have a "right" answer--and the truth is, friends, that I'm not so sure there is a single "right" answer about any of the petty things we argue over; I have just genuinely felt lost. The struggle has been ever so real.

I have been so blessed to have so many people who truly care about me. I am surrounded by a community of people within the Divinity School, at home, and in other places, who care about me and who have realized that I haven't quite been myself lately. I think that in the midst of all the pressure to be the perfect student, the perfect pastor, and the perfect friend I just lost any sense of myself. I laugh at this because there is no such thing as perfect, and while I've NEVER considered myself to be a perfectionist, I definitely put a lot of pressure on myself, especially as it concerns my relationships with people I care about. I am truly grateful for the people in my life who have prayed with and for me, who have encouraged me, and who have called me out in my ridiculousness.

Since my return to the United States from spending the summer in Uganda, I have really been feeling this sense of loss. Am I really on the right track? Is God really calling me into ordained ministry? What the heck am I doing at Duke Divinity? Who is Corey Tyson? What are the things I enjoy doing? What are my areas of strength? My areas of weaknesses? Who do I truly worship on a daily basis? God, what the heck are you thinking? Those of you who know me know that I will go on and on with the questions...it's what I do. (And as I stated in my previous blog, I like questions and the journey they lead us on).

For some reason, I tend to think there is some ideal/perfect mold of what a pastor should and should not be. Silly, right?! I keep thinking to myself, "how can I become that kind of pastor..." But the truth is, I don't think God is calling me to be "that kind of pastor." We've all asked God the question, "why me?" (If you haven't...well, I think you might be crazy). Seriously, why have you called me God?! I  enjoy hiking, music, writing, Duke basketball, Razorback football, etc. I see the world through more than one set of lenses (or at least I try). I don't see things as black and white and I am able to envision the big picture. I have a love for preaching (thank you Mark McDonald, I still hate the fact that you were right! :D). I have a love and passion for youth/young adults and for missions. I find comfort and peace among friends. But let's just be honest...I am a huge quirky goofball who has a funny sense of humor and I go against a lot of the odds. I think for a while I felt I had to change all of that about me to fit this mold of pastor I had dreamed up. (I'm sure God is laughing at me for this..."silly Corey Tyson...). Don't you know that I have called you, just as you are? Don't you know that you possess gifts and graces that I intend to use?...Don't you know that you are mine and I love you just as you are? Seems simple doesn't it? ...Simple to forget. And boy do I, on a daily basis. I forget my identity as a child of God, and I forget that God has called me out of the miry pit just as I am, quirkiness and all.  I've learned that I have to be true to myself and my identity; my pastoral identity will grow out of that, not the other way around. We are each individually unique and I think God rejoices in the diversity of the world and of those God calls into ministry (God calls ALL of us, btw...differently and uniquely to use the gifts we have been graced with for the glorification of God).

I have recently really begun to reflect on who I am, as a 24 year old and as a future pastor. And I've realized that the two don't have to be different from one another. As a pastor, I can enjoy the things that a 24 year old Corey would enjoy without the future vocation of a pastor. I'm excited (and hopeful) in saying that I am on the path toward finding myself again. As I spend time remembering who I am, whose I am, and the things that bring me joy, my hope is that you remember those things. That you remember and recognize your identity is through Christ and not through the world; that you search and find the things that bring you joy, and that you never let them go. That you embrace who you are because that is exactly who God is calling--as quirky and awesomely weird as that may be. Embrace it. Own it. Have confidence in it. May God's peace surround you in all that you do.

Blessings & all my love,
Corey

Found in Being Lost.

I remember being a teenager (which was SOOOO long ago, or so it seems) and asking a lot of questions about everything, especially about Christian theology and other world religions. Yep, I was that kid. I was also the kid who went on to further study it in college and am currently in the middle (actually just over the tip of the mountain) of working toward my Master of Divinity degree. Woot. Anyway, I was always someone who was asking more and more questions and never seemed to be satisfied with the "simple" answers I was given. I always wanted to dig deeper and wanted to know as much as possible as I can.

I am now 24 years old and studying at Duke Divinity School. At some point in the last year and a half, I stopped asking questions and began seeking answers. Influenced by the academic environment that surrounded me, the nerdy theology talk that happens, and my own personal desire to be as informed as I possible could, I sought out answers. And I didn't just want answers, I wanted the right answers; or at least I wanted the answers that I thought were right.
      Now, I've always considered myself to be a pretty open-minded person (whatever that means). I try to see as many viewpoints as I can and consider myself to be open to other people's viewpoints. However, at some point I stopped doing that. I got caught up in the "I'm right, you're wrong" or more commonly known as the "I have better theology than you do because I go to Duke and you don't." I HATE admitting this. I hate admitting that I became, for a short time, the stereotypical Dukie. I have recently realized how lost I had become in all of the unsatisfying answers.

I like asking questions. I believe that the process that follows the moment we ask the first questions is where it's at. I believe the best questions only lead to more questions. Here's why. In my experience the journey toward "answers" (or more questions) is where the fruit is ripened; it is the path we take while searching that leads us in our most precious growth. Sometimes the journey is painful, I do not doubt that at all, in fact I know just how painful it can be for some. Sometimes the journey is joyful. However the experience of the journey, I have found that those have been the best times of my life. While I recognize the frustrating nature of these times of "struggle," I also recognize that it is okay to struggle and it is okay to be uncertain. The times of uncertainty and the times of searching have been the most formational. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely things that we can know and can be certain about, however...we cannot and simply will not ever know it all. And truthfully, I am okay not having answers. I'm okay not knowing everything. For me, it is just a constant reminder that I am not God. It reminds me that God is so much bigger than any simple black and white answer.

I hope that I am the kind of pastor that says things that offers both answers and questions; answers that lead to more questions, more exploration, and more ownership of one's own faith. When people have answers, they stop searching. But those who have questions are forever searching, finding that more questions will arise and that some answers will simply leave us unfulfilled. For the questions in which they will find answers for, the journey that took place between the initial asking of the question and the discovery of the answer is often the part of the process found to be most formative.

Here's to asking questions, and especially the journey that takes place the moment we ask them.

Blessings & Christ's Peace,
Corey