The Alliance (our denomination) is in the midst of 40 days of prayer. This week, I’d like to point you to an article about the importance of prayer warriors. It is a reminder to pray not only about urgent needs but also for the consistent growth in the faith of our members. The ministry of prayer is an important one but also one so easily overlooked. Take a look at the article here.
God Helps Those Who Help Themselves - and Other Lies I've Come to Believe
One of the verses that came alive in my spiritual journey is found in John 8:32
“and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ESV
“For if you embrace the truth, it will release true freedom into your lives.” TPT
“Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” The Message
And that led me to ask, “If I am not free, then what are the lies that keep me bound?”
The funny thing about believing a lie is that the truth, when you first hear it, sounds like a lie. It’s comfortable to believe lies, especially the ones that run deep and support a bevy of other lies. We often construct systems around us to soften the effects of our internal lies until we live the children’s poem, “There was a crooked man, who built a crooked house…”.
So, enter, the hope of John 14:15-17. The Holy Spirit.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” ~ESV
“If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you! ~The Message
“Loving me empowers you to obey my commands. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Savior, the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like me—and he will never leave you. The world won’t receive him because they can’t see him or know him. But you know him intimately because he remains with you and will live inside you. ~TPT
So, grandma’s truth, culture’s truth, the church’s (little “c” means: what we call church instead of the real Church), and even the “truths” I bolted together to help me survive, must all come under the Lordship of Christ through the Holy Spirit.
He alone is the Spirit of Truth, and I receive Him as such. However, sometimes His forays into correcting the lies I have believed and baked into my life, sound, themselves, like lies. I guess it just feels easier to keep motoring along with the perspectives that I’ve welcomed, from all over the place, rather than invite truth brought by the Spirit of Truth.
Imagine that! An ability to live a life of freedom by learning what is truly true. All of it provided by our good and perfect Savior, the Father of all truth, and the one who comes alongside us to lead us firmly and gently away from the lies that have warped our perceptions and keep us bound.
In a sense, if I could extract any truth from the lie that, “God helps those who help themselves,” it might be this, helping myself is realizing that helping myself will never take me to the freedom where sweet abandon to His truth in the Holy Spirit will ultimately take me.
So, I will lay down the lies I’ve been told and have been reinforcing in myself whenever and wherever the Holy Spirit speaks by following His voice into all truth. He’ll always take a willing heart to the freedom afforded by the truth. That’s the ticket. I’ll help myself to it.
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
Suffering Sucks, But The Curse Will Be Broken!
So often we live under the illusion that things are fine. Then the presence of suffering reminds us that things are broken–that the whole creation is under a curse. So what or who do we turn to?
I like how John Piper speaks of two tyrants that exist in this world: suffering and pleasure. When the tyranny of suffering is present, we often subject ourselves to the tyranny of pleasures as a way to escape or numb our pains. But we end up in the same place, living under an illusion that is deceptive in nature.
Yes, suffering sucks. I think of a husband who awaits for the recovery of his wife who is under the tyranny of Covid-19. That husband and his wife are not just statistics–they have been my friends for more than 20 years. As I pray for them, I wrestle with my own longings for them. And as I do, I am faced with more places where suffering makes its constant appearances every day.
But pleasure does not hold the real promises I am looking for. Nor can pleasures deliver what they so colorfully promise. I know this because I have tried it before only to find myself living in the futility of such an illusion.
So today, I am turning to Romans 8:18-25 to seek clarity. I don’t want to live under illusions but under realistic, truthful hope.
Here is the perspective the Apostle Paul offers us: (I invite you to read the following paragraph and invite the Spirit of the Living God to deposit in your soul the truth and promises that can awake real hope).
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Here is what I glean as I read this passage:
It’s hard to believe, but the best is yet to come.
Suffering is part of the freedom package.
The curse the world is under is deeper and more tragic than my personal discomforts or
disappointments. We are in bondage!
Complete freedom from bondage is under way.
We the children of God are at the center of God’s redemptive work.
Feeling fine or numb about the current decay of our world is both inconsistent with reality and it misses the hope to which we have been called.
We are saved in hope.
Hope motivates and generates faith-filled patience.
May the God of Hope speak to you too!
—Diego Cuartas
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
Dusting in the Dark
I couldn’t believe my eyes. I don’t think I am overstating it to say I was astonished. A bit annoyed and embarrassed as well.
I had just dry mopped my mudroom floor, my usual housekeeping chore after breakfast. Setting my dust mop aside, I opened the back door on my way out to the mailbox. I blinked my eyes. Early morning sunshine streamed into my cabin through the bare, winter branches of the towering oaks along my driveway, illuminating the faux wood planks at my feet. I was temporarily blinded by its brilliance.
Then I gasped. Dirt, dust balls, hair, and crumbs suddenly appeared like magic in the revealing sunlight—right where I had just cleaned. Are you kidding me? How had I missed all this disgusting crud? Where did it come from?
As much as I hate to admit it, it must have been there in my gloomy hall all along. I just missed it.
It simply wasn’t apparent until there was light.
Now I live in the woods and, even with lots of windows, my home is pretty dark and shadowed. I wondered how many other floors in my house were this messy and repulsive.
I grabbed my Swiffer wet jet and got busy. What a terrible housekeeper! Maybe I needed to wear a head lamp when I did my chores.
It seemed my key to a clean home wasn’t just my effort. It was light.
Scrubbing away, it occurred to me that there was another quite obvious lesson to be learned. The key to a clean heart, each person’s inner control center, was the very same thing.
Light.
I can’t speak for you, but on so many lazy, self-focused and/or rebellious days, I want anything but light shining in me, probing my innermost me. I don’t want to see, nor do I want anyone else to see, the ugly pet sins I cherish or the dreadful seeds of doubt or bitterness or envy or guilt that have taken root inside me. I want to hide the appalling false saviors that sit on my heart’s throne and the elusive phantom of pride that defiles my very being. Dirty. Messy. It’s really true that men love darkness rather than light. Why? Because their deeds are evil and wicked. So are their thoughts. And mine too. I try to hide them. Do I really think my Father doesn’t see and know?
Other days, when the light is brilliant and I see, like when I am hearing God’s Word preached on Sunday morning or I turn on a favorite pastor’s radio message or when I pick up my dusty Bible, I wonder how all this repulsive junk got in me. I tell myself that I have been sweeping and mopping, working hard to keep myself looking clean, feeling clean. But just like the crud in the shadows of my mudroom, I have missed what was really there. I have been fumbling with no light. What a waste of time and energy.
I need light to see. I need it shining all the time.
Psalm 119:130 says, The unfolding of your words give light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
Ah, God’s Word is the answer. Of course. God’s Word gives light as I “unfold” or read its truths. It also gives me understanding.
Psalm 119:105 says, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
As I read God’s Word, it becomes a candle shedding light in the darkness of me, showing me where my next steps should go, revealing the traps, the signposts, the potholes, the bandits, the detours, and the road blocks along the way. It also illuminates ugliness and brokenness and sin I need to confess and take to my Father for help, healing, and restoration.
God’s Word is the inescapable light I need to be all God has designed me to be, to accomplish His very personal and special purposes for me. I don’t want it blocked, crowded out, ignored or covered up.
Paul Tripp says it this way in his devotional, Wednesday’s Word, Does the Bible Influence You Enough?
…I have to say it: many Christians, maybe even you, don’t always live as if [God’s Word] is the most foundational source of wisdom in their life. Yes, we profess that we believe in the doctrine of Scripture—the doctrinal foundation upon which every other doctrine stands—but it probably doesn’t change our everyday living to that extent that it should.
I know it doesn’t always for me.
Sadly, many of us do not spend daily time in our Bibles. Many of us are not avid students of God’s word. Many of us are only fed from it for one hour each week as we gather together for Sunday worship. Yet, we spend hours and hours allowing our hearts and minds to be influenced and shaped by the internet, social media, and political commentary on TV. Functionally, these voices of influence are often more authoritative than Scripture.
If we deeply believed in the doctrine of Scripture, wouldn’t we be looking for every opportunity to share its glorious message with others? Wouldn’t that quiet time, when you separate yourself from other people and other responsibilities, and it’s just you, your Lord, and his word, be your favorite part of your day?
If you, like me, are feeling convicted, the solution isn’t to read God’s word in a quasi-guilty, sense-of-duty, this-is-what-good-Christians-do sort of way. No, we always should approach our Bible reading and study with heartfelt joy.
“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.” (Psalm 111:2)“They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
Yes, we approach God’s word with commitment, but we do so because we are grateful, excited, and hungry. We find him there, we find his saving grace there, we find astounding wisdom there, we find guidance for our daily living there, and there we find hope to do it all again tomorrow.
Every time you open the book, pray that God would grant us open eyes and a joyful, grateful, eager, and tender heart.
Pray that the light of His Word shines in you, revealing what needs attention inside, guiding you in the way you should go.
Won’t you make 2022 the year you quit stumbling in the dark, ignoring the dirt, being uncertain of your path ahead? Won’t you make this the year you resolve to walk in the light of His Word every single day?
I want to.
It’s a better use of my time than dust mopping in the dark, don’t you think?
—Eileen Hill
Suffering: A Meeting Place
Big John’s Pizza Queen owner Rob Johnson spreads the important message that “Everyone has a story to tell.” With over 7 billion people on earth, this means that there are currently billions of unique stories to be told. Incredibly, in every unique story from every nation, tribe, and tongue, one can find a strikingly common thread that ties each of our individual stories together. Suffering. Whether a pauper or a king, suffering is familiar. Misery loves company because misery HAS lots of company.
Though we do our best to avoid it, we are all familiar with suffering. When we pulled away from the loving hold of our all-knowing, ever-present, all powerful Creator (Genesis 3:6), we started a crack that has spread through the layers of blessed support He had graciously provided us with. The spreading of this crack has caused a deep and wide valley of spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional decay. What once was beautifully integrated has become a pit of death. Marred by sin, the abundant examples of His goodness have become disfigured. Intimate, shame-free relationships with others have become ridden with backbiting discord. Enjoyable, satisfying work has become sweaty, pointless drudgery. Sweet harmony with the animals, plants, and the rest of creation has become a dreadful siren reminding us of looming disaster. The deeper we fall in this pit, the more our perspective on God’s beauty is limited. Before long, we stop mourning the distance between us and God and start mourning our very existence. The house of misery becomes the most popular meeting place since ALL who enter can relate. Thankfully, here, in this house of misery, we can find the One with the power to mend what has been broken.
In How Jesus meets us in Pain, Danielle Cummins writes:
In all the training on how to grow closer to Jesus, suffering was never a chapter heading. We were big on Easter, light on Good Friday, and, as it turns out, life is often the opposite. Especially for most of humankind.
We cannot know our God who sits on the highest throne without knowing his journey into the deepest pit of despair. We must know His suffering to know Him. The Apostle Paul knew this. He understood that knowing Christ meant knowing the power of His resurrection AND the fellowship of His suffering (Phil 3:10). If we think we are being conformed into His image without becoming more acquainted with sorrows, we have set our sights on an idol.
Danielle Cummins states:
While human nature, privilege, and the American Dream may justify profound distaste for suffering, Calvary beckons us differently. Reconciliation with God implies further intolerance of this world and its atrocities and injustices, not a shielding from their effects.
The culmination of Christ’s suffering like us “in every way” on the cross should pierce through the thin facades we erect to help ignore our own suffering and the suffering of others. As He has borne our infirmities, by His Spirit we will find the power to connect with others in their suffering.
C.S. Spurgeon’ writes:
The afflicted do not so much look for comfort to Christ as he will come a second time… as to Christ as he came the first time, a weary man and full of woes.
In our suffering, we cannot understand how to get to God from our misery. We are often unaware that He is in our midst. As His children, we can find him and share Him in the midst of suffering.
Suffering binds us with God, as Jürgen Moltmann writes,
…when we feel pain we participate in his pain, and when we grieve we share his grief… People who believe in the God who suffers with us, recognize their suffering in God, and God in their suffering.
Speaking of those suffering with depression, Spurgeon drives this point home further:
When a person “has been through a similar experience” of depression, “he uses another tone of voice altogether. He knows that, even if it is nonsense to the strong, it is not so to the weak, and he so adapts his remarks so that he cheers” the sufferer “where the other only inflicts additional pain. Broken hearted one, Jesus Christ knows all your troubles, for similar troubles were his portion” too.
To my fellow sojourners in this broken world, let us not forget that His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and that his form was marred beyond human likeness. Though the degrees of our human suffering differ, there is one who has experienced all of it to make all things new. When we suffer, may His Word remind us that we are not alone in our pain and suffering.
In his book Spurgeons Sorrows, Zack Eswine writes of one way the great preacher stayed mindful that Christ was with Him on dark days:
Charles cherished a certain picture. The engraver portrayed the moment in Pilgrim’s Progress in which Christian panics, swallowed up by the deeps of a river and going under. The portrait shows Christian’s companion, named Hopeful, pushing up with his arm around Christian and lifting up his hands shouting, “Fear not! Brother, I feel the bottom.
With this picture on his mind, the preacher so familiar with sorrows then rejoices with those listening to him. “This is just what Jesus does in our trials. “Charles proclaims. “He puts his arm around us, points up and says, “Fear not! The water may be deep, but the bottom is good.”
Jesus is the good shepherd, He remains present in all ways when things get difficult. We know He is above. May we also remember His love for us that has caused Him to go below. We can find Emmanuel in our suffering.
—Roger Garrison
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
The Next Shiny Thing
I‘ve spent a lot of time reading Proverbs over the years. The succinct wisdom shared in pity statements helps me drink in the nectar of others’ contemplative observations and take the time to downshift in hopes of going further not faster. In Proverbs, I am reminded to seek wisdom and buy truth and, when I gain them, to never trade them off for lesser, passing things.
Easier said than done.
Shiny things just call and look so…shiny.
Sometimes the next shiny thing comes along with beauty, so alluring, we fail to see the dark overtones which foretell destruction and loss. For a time, the pleasure of that thing eclipses good sense and draws us into the idea that diligence and fidelity is antithetical to one’s deep enjoyment of life. We can be fooled into living as though comfort and ease will bring the same results as planting, building, saving, and investing in God’s kingdom.
Sooner or later, left unchecked by good counsel or thoughtful introspection, “an arrow” comes along to pierce so deeply that there remains little hope for life to continue or flourish. Poverty comes to claim its reward. The result of pursuing a string of the next shiny things.
So, what is the hopeful cure? Pick up Proverbs, the book of wisdom and find out. Bring it into your prayer life. Ask for the gift of wisdom. Talk with God and others about how to gain wisdom, and once you get some, treat it like the precious thing it is, something that will make your life better.
Then, you will be a son or daughter who is wise and brings joyful honor to your Father in Heaven.
[Suggestion: Read a chapter a day – there are enough for each day of any month – and see how it changes you and your outlook about what are the true riches waiting for you.]
— George Davis
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
A New Year
As we bring each year to a close, it’s a regular practice for many to look back at the last 12 months to recall all the fun times we had (perhaps we had forgotten about), thank God for the ways He has helped us get through difficult times and reflect on the ways we can improve who we are and how we walk through life. I found this article very helpful in this process. I hope it leads you to invite God into the process of your life, develop spiritual disciplines and good habits and remove unnecessary and wasteful things from your life.
Happy (Almost) New Year!
—Charissa Ricketts
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
Have You Considered Paul’s Account of Jesus’ Birth?
I have to admit the question caught my attention, and I figured I would share the answer with you. The answer is not mine. Allow me to introduce you to Scotty Smith, from the Gospel Coalition. I hope his short blog will inspire you to think about Philippians 2:5-11 in a new way, at Christmas and thereafter. To read please click here.
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
New York Is Not Home
“New York’s not my home!”
Jim Croce never had a more adorable or enthusiastic trio sing along with him.
Bumping along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in our odd looking Pacer, my three kids (ages 3, 5, and 7) sang at the top of their lungs, drowning out the well-worn 8 track tape blaring from the dashboard.
“Though all the streets are crowded
There’s something strange about it
lived there ‘bout a year and I never once felt at home…
That’s the reason that I’ve gotta get outta here
I’m so alone
Don’t you know that I gotta get outta here
‘Cause New York’s not my home.”
My exact sentiments. We all knew the words. We were heading back to New Jersey.
We were going HOME.
Kenny had taken a job in the city, a production manager at a busy publishing house. Always ready for adventure, we had moved our little family to Long Island. We lasted a year and a half. We had found a good church, made some very good friends, enjoyed our diverse neighborhood, adapted to the busy lifestyle…but it just wasn’t home.
Especially at Christmas. I slipped another tape in the tape deck and cranked up the volume. The kids giggled with pleasure and followed along with Bing Crosby as we crossed the Verazano Bridge and sped toward the NJ Turnpike.
“I’ll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents by the tree.”
Like us, everybody’s favorite destination at Christmastime is home. No matter how far we have to travel nor how difficult the traffic or annoying the delays, we long to be with the ones with whom we experience the warmth of acceptance and the pleasure of belonging.
This profound longing for home resonates deeply in the human heart. It echoes our need to connect not only with family and friends, but with something…more.
“The human heart hungers for an ultimate home, to rest in loving communion with God. Then and only then are we finally home, our hearts at rest and peace, filled with the joy that comes when we are known, the immense love of God holding and filling us within.” (D. Miller)
And not just at Christmas.
Augustine of Hippo said it this way, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” Until it is home.
But we have a big problem, don’t we? We live most of our lives feeling far removed from this home that we long for. We are, in effect, exiles on a journey to our ultimate home. But we grow impatient and forgetful and foolish. We find ourselves trying to attain our acceptance, satisfaction and our sense of belonging in this world with its allure and charms. But this world is just not our home. We are strangers here. The creation simply cannot fill the hole in us that was designed to be filled by God the Creator alone.
We are like the young man in a parable Jesus told. He left his father’s home heading off to a distant country where he thought life would be grand. Wine, women, and pleasure looked more attractive than slaving in his father’s fields. But one day the prodigal son came to his senses. He returned home to discover the beautiful grace and welcome of his forgiving Father. Prodigal means lavish, and what that selfish boy and we discover is that the love of the Heavenly Father is more prodigal—more lavish—than our sin. God’s children come home to realize that life in the Father’s house is what they’ve craved all along. Life isn’t better out there. Not even in Elmer at Christmas…
Some of us have moved to a “Long Island.” We are skulking around in a “distant country” today, trying to satisfy our longings, aching to fit in, searching desperately for love. We’ve wandered far from our spiritual home. We need to come to our senses too. When we do, we’ll find that our Father has been watching and waiting for our return. Like my sweet mom shivering on her front porch until we pulled up, our Father has the light on and His arms are always open. He wants us to come home to His rest.
This Christmas, savor the longing you feel within. Attend to it. It will lead you home where you belong.
You’re right, Jim Croce. New York’s not our home either.
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”
John 14:23
—Eileen Hill
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
Raw Thoughts for the Holidays
I am realizing how much my family of origin lacked good, wholesome Christmas traditions, and one of the dysfunctions such dynamic has left me with is my struggle with “expectations” around the holidays. In the middle of my struggle I am welcoming the Spirit of God to speak to me so that I can honor Jesus through my thoughts, through my actions, and through my treasuring.
Why do expectations tend to “ruin” the holidays for me? Because in a way expectations create certain realities I must conform to—at least that is a message I have often lived under for many years. Expectations often rob me from the opportunity to exercise both the freedom of the soul and the freedom that comes by living under the influence of the Spirit of God.
There are many things I enjoy about the holidays. The special foods, the emphasis on giving, the unifying spirit of a particular season, the decorations, the spiritual emphasis each holiday may afford, the thoughtfulness shared among human beings…..and yet, the expectation that all of this needs to happen in a few days or a day does not free me up to find unconventional ways to care, to give, to love, to rejoice.
Perhaps it is just me. How about you? What do you like about the holidays? What don’t you like about them? Feel free to use the comment box and share your own thoughts. What circumstances are currently overshadowing your holidays?
I am thankful that in the midst of my struggle God has already provided me with a verse from the book of Ecclesiastes that serves me as an orienting truth. Here is what King Solomon said in chapter 7 verse 14:
Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life. (New Living Translation)
You may be wondering what do holidays have to do with King Solomon’s words? I think a lot. It seems to me that the message is that God allows both prosperity (fulfilled expectations) and adversity (unfulfilled expectations) as a way of keeping us anchored in the right place—Him! I find it interesting that both prosperity and adversity can be a fertile environment for temptation. When things go well I may be tempted to treasure something other than God. When things are hard I may be tempted to treasure something other than God to bring about the realities I may be longing for.
Prosperity and adversity are there to help us center our hearts on God rather than on a given circumstance.
Are your expectations being met these holidays? Are holiday expectations getting in the way of other expectations you may have—like in my case? Let’s make sure we don’t put our hope in our circumstances but in God.
What perspective is God offering you around your personal struggles with the holidays? Please share!
—Diego Cuartas
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
Blessing-filled Boundaries
My family includes a one year old Goldendoodle named Luna. As I write this morning, she lays sprawled out on the cot purchased for her by her grandparents. Yes, my parents bought her a cot like her human brother and sister.
Luna is loved by many, but possibly none more than her nine year old brother Asher. Though they sometimes get into disagreements about what should be chewed, the two are the best of friends. Weighing in at 50 pounds each, they are pretty evenly matched in tug-of-war matches. They both love the outdoors and playing tennis. One could also say that they have the same taste in shoes…well, sort of. They look out for each other and want to go everywhere together. This desire to be together recently taught our family a great lesson about boundaries and blessings.
Luna has spent most of her time inside our house on one side of the first floor. With three baby gates and a length of fence, I feel we have provided boundaries that bless her with a great living environment. Her buddy Asher does not agree. He thinks his pup is ready for more freedom. When it comes to Luna, Asher keeps no record of wrongs and feels passionately that her life would be improved if she had greater access to all areas of the house, especially downstairs.
Recently, I made the mistake of telling him, “If you and your sister can make sure to keep small toys out of the living room, Luna can come out here too.” Without a word, Asher began scurrying around the living room picking up the red hungry hippo marble, lego wheel, and other oddities that he couldn’t seem to muster the energy to pick up all morning. As I rinsed dishes in the kitchen, I could hear the clickety-clack of baby gates being rearranged. I made it to the living room just in time to find the two little angels, boundary-less, watching TV together on the living room floor. I knew this fun would not last. Asher’s heart would break the next morning when he came downstairs and noticed that I had reassembled the gate and put her back in the “confinement area.”
As Asher sometimes disagrees with the boundaries I set for him and Luna, I have sometimes disagreed with the boundaries set for me by God. Adam and Eve had the same problem in the garden. With His word, God limited their access to the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God’s limit was to keep man within His presence and within the boundaries of all that was good. Satan used this limit to slander the heart of God. He encouraged Adam and Eve to step out of God’s boundaries, promising greater blessing. He was successful at getting both to believe the lie that God’s limits are sometimes unloving and unwise. He hid the truth that God is good; therefore, so are His boundaries for us.
I am sure Luna questions her boundaries. It must be confusing to be encouraged to chew a smelly furry groundhog toy but not an equally smelly cleaning rag. She must sometimes feel unloved when she is not allowed to drink out of the bowl in our bathroom. Perspective on boundaries comes from knowing the heart of the one by whom they were established. Trusting the heart of God leads to rejoicing within His boundaries. In Psalm 16 David writes,
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Where do we get our boundaries? Are they from our parents? Government? Friends? What feels right? Satan?
Today, may we rejoice with David in the Lord’s boundaries. May we be thankful that He has communicated boundaries in His Word. His boundary lines are good for us, even when they seem to limit us.
When we step out of His boundaries and find ourselves lost and unsatisfied, may we remember He has provided us a way to get back into His presence and within the blessing-filled boundary. Bound to Christ alone, we will find the greatest blessing.
May we choose this day who we will serve. Jesus tells us,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6
“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” - John 12:26
—Roger Garrison
Sometimes It Just Happens
Sometimes it just happens. I am in the middle of an absolutely beautiful, enjoying the ride, loving the view, kind of day, and the storm clouds crash in with rains that beat against by spirit. My anxiety tries to crescendo and my soul presses against the reigns of my spirit in an attempt to gallop off in panicked flight.
In those times, my reactions determine many things in a moment. War or peace scramble to invade my inner atmosphere. Today, it’s not even six in the morning and I’ve already cycled through this familiar scenario- three times! Peace is so much better than war.
I didn’t even make coffee yet.
What I’ve also noticed is that something beautiful is simultaneously going on when the thought storms hit. In the rains assailing my soul, there is peace for the having. This peace comes in a song, a scripture, a memory of a person or a time when Father’s grace became clearer for a moment. It is gossamer grace, fragile as a butterfly but sturdy as iron. The smallest whisper sent to brace my soul with His presence and truth if I would give it an opportunity to land on my heart.
The psalmist wrote simply of this process. Grasping the grace of presence and promise, David wrote:
“Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth, I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
For you, God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.”
Psalm 61.1-5 NIV
This may be one of those days when my circuits scream that I am overloaded, and things come at me with major storm intensity. While my inner man longs and trusts for the sun to shine on my face once again, I will take the thought storms on, one by one, keep them from bunching together, and look for the path where grace flitters and gently leads me to the rock that is higher than I. There the light of His promised love shines brightly no matter what arises, and I find a strength strong enough for today and beyond.
[If you want to learn more of how to grasp the grace of God in the middle of your storms, there are people at LFA who would be happy to share what we’ve learned along the way - just drop an email to let me know you would like to learn more about holding on to the grace that leads us to the rock!]
—George Davis
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
Peace. Tribulation. Victory.
As kids we learned that heat, oxygen, and fuel generate fire—so it’s always a good idea not to mix the three. Peace, tribulation, and victory, together in the same sentence? Who our how can these three reconcile?
I am glad you asked.
Humanly speaking, tribulation is not a source of peace, and most often we don’t feel victorious in the midst of hard times. However, when we invite Jesus into our circumstances, He has something to say regarding the interaction of these three realities.
In the gospel of John, Jesus said: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (16:33).
Noticed that we can move from three nouns to three certainties:
Jesus will provide peace.
We will have tribulation.
Jesus has already overcome.
One of the ways Jesus provides peace is by orienting His disciples ahead of time. At the beginning of verse 33 Jesus states the reason for which He has said certain things to His followers...that you may have peace. The revelation Jesus offers us in His Word is not only intended to be a provision for the present time but also peace for the future times. We may do well in paying attention to Jesus’ declarations of Himself and what h\He says He will do because those declarations become peaceful orientation in moments of tribulation.
Another thing Jesus provides ahead of time is orientation about suffering. He does let us know ahead of time that suffering is coming our way so that we are not surprised or crashed under it. We will feel the weight of suffering, but it should not surprise us.
Lastly, Jesus guarantees that He has already overcome every aspect of human existence in this world. Furthermore, He has overcome the cosmos.
In light of tribulation, we can have peace by receiving Jesus’ orientation ahead of time, but He also provides real-time help because He is an overcomer and knows how to grant victories within the cosmos.
Are you in trouble or hardship?
Lean on the Savior, go back to the orientation He offered through the gospels. And mostly, lean on His help. He is an overcomer.
Jesus may not remove tribulation from our lives, but He knows how to give peace and victory!
—Diego Cuartas
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
Loving Katherine
I’m no hero.
I’m not exceptional.
But I’d like to think that I love others.
Most of the time anyway.
Well, that’s what I thought before Katherine.
In our interesting study of 1 John, Pastor Greg has suggested that the apostle John is writing to help his readers reflect honestly on their faith and answer the questions, Are we true believers? Is our faith genuine? John then suggests to them (and us!) that they can test themselves and KNOW their true identity, their eternal destiny, and their right relationship with the Father by simply looking at their actions. If they love one another, that is evidence of God’s Presence and work in their lives—and ours. Pastor John recognized and emphasized that love comes from God, and he encouraged true believers not to selfishly keep that love to themselves but to spread that genuine love around. I try to do that.
So Greg has asked some of us to tell stories of growing in the love of God by being obedient to His call and learning how to love others, particularly when loving someone is not easy or comfortable. That kind of love is evidence of His loving Presence at work in us, affirming our standing as His true children and His promised commitment to progressively transform us into the likeness of His precious Son. As He lives in us, works in us, His amazing, unconditional love (not my puny, limited, human, just-gut-it-out kind) spills over to others and they are drawn to Him, blessed by Him, and cared for by Him. Awesome plan!!
That’s the story I shared a few Sundays ago. That’s how God helped me truly love my Mama on her long, sad descent into Alzheimer’s disease. Knowing I was His and He would never leave me, assured He would give me everything I needed to love her well—including His love—certain that His mercies were new every morning, I could press on, loving and caring for a fading shadow who could give me nothing in return, someone who didn’t know me or even like me anymore.
But she was still my Mama.
I think a better test, a more telling assessment of my faith would be, can I sincerely love a difficult person outside my family circle, someone I may not even know? I thought the answer was yes. At least I hoped so.
Then Katherine showed up.
I was the new kid on the block at church in Clayton. At my first deaconess meeting, as the “veterans” divided the list of senior saints in the congregation for visitation and care, I was rather quickly nominated to “look after” Katherine. I picked up on a few smothered snickers and some knowing eye rolls around the room, but I pretended not to notice. I was pretty new to the church and didn’t want to make a bad impression. I figured I would get whatever they were hiding from me soon enough.
Boy, did I!
That Sunday, I met Katherine. She was the odd-looking old “man” I had noticed across the sanctuary each Sunday morning. Yep, you read that right. I thought Katherine was a man. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one.
With close-cropped, snow white hair, coke-bottle, black-rimmed glasses, a plaid flannel shirt over a masculine, white undershirt, tan corduroys, and boot-like, curative footwear, Katherine was the stereo-typical picture of an elderly gentleman.
But only until you were close enough to see her eyes—big, bright, blue, beautiful, sparkling with fun and laughter—even through the very thick lenses of her corrective eyewear. And they were very feminine.
At first, I was a bit hurt and even slightly angry that my very new “friends” at my very new church had “stuck” me with this weird person. I felt like they were playing a not-too-funny joke on me. Not very welcoming, I had muttered to myself. But then my iron-will stirred within me. My strong sense of duty and over-developed commitment to responsibility took over. I decided I could do anything for a while. I would conjure up the courage and strength to do my job and do it well. I would show them. I would befriend Katherine. What a fine deaconess with such pure motives I was!!
I was embarrassed to be seen with Katherine. She was, well, strange. People looked at us wherever we went. She was often loud and inappropriate. She couldn’t see or hear well. She had no idea how to handle her money, and I often had to pay for things she bought. She was rude to people and made fun of them, loud enough for them to hear. She had questionable table manners. She was hooked on spicy romance novels she borrowed each week from the library and hid from me when I tried to redirect her to better reading material. She got her feelings hurt very easily. She called me ten times a day with no regard to what time it was. She demanded I drive her everywhere several times a week. She threatened people with her trusty cane. She constantly made up medical emergencies to get my attention. She was extremely jealous of my other friends and even my family. In the ladies’ rooms, women would stare at her or yell at her, informing her that she was in the wrong lavatory. I was always glad she was nearly deaf on those uncomfortable occasions. She was one-of-a-kind. Difficult. Brassy. Ornery. Demanding. Quirky. Messy.
And I loved her.
I know it was from God. I did not have that kind of love in me. She sucked the life out of me and I let her. The more love she required, the more love my Father shed abroad in my heart for her. The more of my life she needed, my Father graciously provided me with strength, wisdom, time, energy, and kindness. You see, God loved Katherine too. He planned for us to connect so I could be His hands, His heart, and His feet in her life and care for her the way He had promised her He would. And as I did, He graciously was working to change my prejudices, to refine me, to teach me about sacrificial love, to remind me to trust Him completely to supply everything I need to carry out His plans and purposes for me. He was affirming that I, too, was His. So was Katherine.
I learned her very sad story. She was both physically handicapped and mentally impaired. Aside from a nephew living out west, she was basically all alone in this pretty unforgiving, judgmental world. Soon she was spending holidays with us. She became part of our family.
I even got to be part of her Baptism, a beautiful experience for me. And funny too. In her fear, she began to fight the pastor as he tried to dunk her. I had to reach in and push her head under the water! Quite the solemn event.
She was probably the most loyal, trusting, unconditionally-loving friend I have ever had.
I miss her.
Thankfully, I know she’s with Jesus. At her funeral, another of my dear elderly friends whispered, “Oh, Father, You have your hands full now!!” Oh, how very true.
There are a lot of Katherines out there. Lots. Won’t you find one to love? Could that be part of the Father’s purpose for you? I am so glad it was His plan for me. How much I would have missed!
If this unexceptional, non-hero who certainly has overrated her own abilities can do it, anybody can….anybody who is a true believer, whose faith is genuine, who has the very love of God spilling over in them. Loving others, maybe especially those who take us far out of our comfort zones, affirms God’s Presence and His work in us. I am so thankful.
The Apostle John and Pastor Greg will be too.
—Eileen Hill
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
Work Done in Secret
In Matthew 6, Jesus encourages us to give, pray, and fast in secret. Jesus’s words provoke our pride, expose our desires, and test our faith. Consideration of these directions reveal our pride to receive the praises of men. They expose our desire to receive rewards on earth. They test our faith in whether God truly exists and whether He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Jesus follows these directions with a warning that earthly and heavenly rewards are different and both cannot be received. There is much to learn from these simple but difficult words. Much is revealed about us, but much is also revealed about God. Please consider this and find great hope: the One encouraging us to do good in secret, is doing wonderful things in secret.
We can not overestimate the incredible work that God is doing across the world, across the street, or across the table. Do not be dismayed. He often shines His light in the darkest places. Though we may not see all of His works, do not be fooled to believe that everything is falling apart or that injustice is going unpunished. God is in control. David writes in Psalm 29:10:
The Lord sits enthroned over the Flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
The one seated on the throne tells us, “I am making all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” As we mature in our knowledge of Christ and His love, we will grow in our certainty of what He is doing in secret. May we be conformed into His image.
—Roger Garrison
Unescapable God
One of the things I enjoy most about God is his willingness to engage me where I am and to lead me to where I was made to be. From my perspective, he is always pulling me out of places where I get stuck and even places where I try to hide from life or his dealings with me. It seems I am never really lost from his sight, nor am I able to crawl in a hole deep enough to drop off his radar.
He is the unescapable God both in this life and the next.
A poet once used his pen to describe the beauty of being fully seen by God, even when we don’t want to be seen. These words comfort and challenge my soul. They help me know that I am seen, even when I can’t clearly see myself. They remind me to reject trying to hide who I really am from the God who sees all. They challenge me to embrace the one who embraces me.
See what they do for you.
O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
Get out of my life, you murderers!
They blaspheme you;
your enemies misuse your name.
O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?
Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
for your enemies are my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
~Psalm 139
May we pursue and get to know the God who sees us, knows us, protects us, searches for our true selves, and even hears our frustrated prayers regarding our enemies, until his blessing or correction comes our way to take us deeper into everlasting life!
—George Davis
How Well Are We Doing At Seeing Others?
As our Lead Pastor has been encouraging us to “see other people” and grow in the art of doing so, I am motivated to share with you some interesting facts and positive practices we can consider in order to grow in this art. When Covid-19 broke out in NJ last year and we ended up in lockdown, I was introduced to Zach Mercurio, a motivational speaker whose aim is to help people and leaders regain their purposeful living. Today, I want to share with you his article, which I hope will help you grow in the art of “seeing others”. Click here to read more.
—Diego Cuartas
Back to School!
Back to school!
The stores are crammed with school supplies and lunch box snacks in every aisle. Can the summer be over already? Mothers are dancing and kids (and teachers!) are moping. It must be true.
I have a terrible first-day-of-school memory.
It was my freshman year of high school, and I was literally shaking with fear and anxiety. I rushed to catch the huge bus that would carry me to Bridgeton High School for the next four unscripted years of my very sheltered life. Growing up in Elmer, I had been educated with the same 23 kids since kindergarten. I had walked to school twice a day (we came home for lunch) for nine school years. What drastic changes were coming my way…and even back then, I didn’t do change or “the unknown” well at all. I was scared out of my mind.
I had never ridden on a school bus, and it would take 40 minutes one way each day. I had never eaten in a cafeteria or packed my lunch. I had never changed classes, had a locker with a combination to remember, worn a gym suit, carried my books around, had multiple teachers, used hall passes, navigated one way stairwells, and had hundreds of classmates swarming around me. And I had never had to get up so early. That was the worst.
But I didn’t have a choice. I had to go. And I was late.
I had vainly fussed over my hair and makeup too long. My clothes had been carefully decided upon and spread out for weeks, but my hair, with a mind of its own, decided not to cooperate that morning. Shoveling down my mandatory breakfast, I practically had to run to Elmer School, probably about a mile away, where I would catch the dreaded bus. The uneven sidewalk along Front Street was shaded back then, and I remember hearing the birds singing in the trees, calming me down a bit.
Until one of them let loose on my head.
Really.
It dribbled down my carefully arranged curls onto my brand-new, light blue blouse. A huge, juicy plop. I had no tissues. I had nothing. I cried. Now my makeup was running down my cheeks. I ran faster. I couldn’t wait for the safety of the bus so I could hide.
I really don’t remember how I cleaned myself up, if a classmate had something I could use or whether I had to hit the lavatory the minute we arrived at school. Remember, this is long before wipes and sanitizers were invented. That part of the day is just a blur.
But I do know my hair was gunky and plastered to my head and my mascara was gone. What a first impression I made on all those sophisticated city slickers! It was true. Elmer kids were all dumb—and messy—hicks. I was mortified.
There is a lot that could be said about this now-comical memory of mine, but my main point in relating it today is to simply say this: All kinds of unexpected things happen when our kids go off to school.
Some of them are silly and unimportant, easily handled, laughed at, or overlooked altogether. But there are other events that are much more significant than my sparrow attack. There are painful, life-altering, and innocence-robbing circumstances that our children are woefully ill-equipped to know what to do with. And we are not there.
Thankfully, our Heavenly Father is.
We know we can’t anticipate or control all our children’s life experiences, especially when they are away from the protective environment of our homes. Who could have foreseen a bird dropping? No matter how loving and responsible we are, no matter how carefully we manage and train, we live every day in a broken, messed up world full of broken, messed up people—and birds. Into that, we send our most precious gifts from God, our children.
We spend hours and dollars preparing our kids to go to school—clothes that fit their ever growing bodies, back packs, tissues, notebooks, glue sticks, fruit snacks, Gogurts—so many things, so much time. All of this is necessary.
May I humbly suggest that it is even more necessary to spend an even greater amount of our energy and time praying for our children while they are in school or on their way? How we need our Ever-present Father to watch over them! How He loves for us to ask!
I have a laminated card in my car that gives me verses and specifics to pray for my children and grandchildren every day. I found a similar one on the FamilyLife Today website earlier this year to share with our parenting class members. A Parent’s Daily Prayer Guide, compiled by Don and Sue Myers, missionaries for many years with Cru all over the world, suggests seven specific requests we can pray for our children, one for each day of the week.
Here is their list with verses you can look up and cling to.
Monday: Ask God to place a protective, solid hedge around your children so that Satan cannot reach in and lead them into temptation and so they will be safe from harm (2 Thessalonians 3:3; Psalm 33:20).
Tuesday: Pray that your children would use godly wisdom in selecting friends and peers that will make a positive difference in their lives. Ask God to give each child a discernment of people as well as knowing the difference between right and wrong (Proverbs 1:10; 18:24; Deuteronomy 13:6,8).
Wednesday: Pray that your children would stay pure in their thoughts and deeds (Psalm 24:4-5; Job 17:9).
Thursday: Pray that they will be caught if they wander into cheating, lies, or mischief (Hebrews 13: 18-19).
Friday: Pray they will be alert and thinking clearly as they attend school and extracurricular activities and as they take exams. Ask God to help them be motivated to do the best they are capable of doing (Colossians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 10:31).
Saturday: Pray for the spouse each child will marry someday. Ask that they will come from godly homes and have an appetite to live the spiritual truth they’ve learned. Pray also that their goals and purpose will be the same as our own children and their future homes would be godly (Deuteronomy 5:29).
Sunday: Ask God to help them live their lives for Him and that He will use them as a testimony and witness for His glory. Pray that they will be grown to full spiritual maturity (Psalms 78:1-8; 103:17-18; Isaiah 54:13; Ephesians 3:20-21).
Do not leave your children unprotected—that is, vulnerable to Satan’s attack. The greatest shield of protection we as parents can provide for our children is prayer. It’s never too late to start (1 Samuel 12:23; James 5:16; Colossians 4:2).
This is a good place to begin, isn’t it? I know it is not an exhaustive list. I add things for my particular child or grandchild, requests that are personalized just for him or her at this moment in time. I often pray that they will hunger and thirst for righteousness, that they will love God’s Word, that they will love justice and mercy and walk humbly before their God, that at an early age they will acknowledge Jesus as Savior and King and follow Him all the days of their lives. I pray against fear and worry. I pray against self-love and deceit. So many things. So many beautiful children.
Such a Big, Wise, Loving, Powerful, Comforting, All-knowing, Ever-present God!
Will you take a bit of time each day to cover your children with prayer this school year? Will you ask the Father to do what you cannot? It’s never too late.
A bird poo attack is the least of our worries…
May God bless you and keep you and your dear children this year and every year.
—Eileen Hill
Be Holy as I am Holy: A Holy Invitation
To be separated from God is to be a sinner. To be separated unto God is to be holy. Jesus is Holy. He does nothing apart from the Father. He and His Father are one. As a man, He carried out, not His own will, but the will of His heavenly Father. He loved His Father with all His heart, mind, soul, and strength. He was not His own. When He was betrayed, He sought to honor His Father. He was not His own. When He made plans, He sought to honor his Father. He was not His own. When He was persecuted, He sought to honor His Father. He was not His own. When He was in the presence of those with differing beliefs, He sought to honor His Father. He was not His own. When He was being crucified, He sought to honor His father. He was not His own. At all times during His earthly life, including under the most difficult duress, He sought only to honor His Father. He offered His life to His Father in love. He was and is and will always be Holy.
We were created to be conformed into the image of the Son. God’s plan is to make us Holy. He wants this because He desires to dwell in our presence. He wants us to see Him. In Hebrews 12:14 it is written:
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
Are you pursuing holiness? If you are not, it will not pursue you. How much of you have you given to the Father? What is still your own? ALL is a really big little word. Do you love Him with ALL your heart, mind, soul, and strength? To be saved from sin is to be purchased for holiness. Do you entrust all to the one who paid it all for you to pursue holiness and dwell in God’s presence? Is Jesus now Lord?
There is no more faithful response to God’s love than for us in our weakness to pursue holiness in His strength. In response to His love, may we present our lives as living sacrifices to be conformed into His image. We cannot be whole separate from Him. At all times, including under the most difficult duress, may we seek first His kingdom, His honor. May we be crucified with Christ. May we not be our own. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.
“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” - John 14:23
In Christ alone,
—Roger Garrison
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.
Mess and Grace
You don’t have to hang around LFA for long before you hear someone talking about our desire to grow into a healthy spiritual family. It is a lovely goal and certainly one that is at the center of God’s heart and work in His people. Jesus Himself, just hours before the cross was to be his, asked the Father to bring Jesus’ followers into a unity that more closely reflected the way God Himself functions as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I love this and I aspire to live as a better brother to others. I know many at LFA who have embraced the same dream and I believe many more individuals who are ready to join this wonderful party.
However, like a long journey to a preferred destination, there are some switchbacks and potholes along the way to a robust spiritual family that we should acknowledge and common to the process and be prepared to meet. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his classic work, Life Together, simply shared that if a person wishes to become part of a true spiritual family, that person will need to set aside their own dreams of what that would like and embrace the mess and grace of doing life together.
So, I’ve been thinking a bit about the bumps and potholes that will be part of our journey together at LFA. Over the years I’ve become aware that becoming a spiritual family is messy, hard work for any who want to live into it. The pathway to spiritual family needs to be intentionally trod and requires heavy doses of trust, reflective listening, intercession, commitment to work through things, the grace of forgiveness, and just lots of time laughing and eating together.
May I encourage us to not over idealize what spiritual family looks like but rather trust the effective intercession of Jesus and then engage, with grace, the participation with Father that graces us to become, see, and live into the heart our Savior envisioned for His spiritual family.
Let’s talk about it. The adventure awaits.
—George Davis
*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.