God's Promises

"[Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised."
Romans 4:20-21

Paul spends much of Romans 4 talking about Abraham, but these two verses stick out to me.  

Recently I've been thinking about "calling" so as I read about Abraham today, I'm wondering if there is a promise I should hold "unwavering" to.  

Is it simply the promise of the New Covenant?  The promise that there is life in Jesus Christ alone by the grace of God?  Or is there a unique promise that God has for me in my life?

My prayer is that I will continually be renewed by the truth of the grace of God, and that I would always hold unwavering to the promises in scripture, but also that I would always have ears to hear God's voice in my own life.

Rhythms

My wife and I joined a gym.

We went to it a few times...

Then for a while we avoided driving past it, or went to the Frozen Yogurt Shop next to it and pretended we didn't see the gym... Kind of like an ex-girlfriend...

Time passed.  

Summer hit, and life in ministry got busy, chaotic, and less predictable.  Meanwhile my wife worked at a breakneck pace on her master's degree.  There were very few constants. 

Then it became fall.  

School started back, programs started up, Parenthood season 6 returned to NBC.  And we began to rekindle our relationship with the gym.

For the several weeks we have gone to the gym every week day at 6 am.  It's horrible.  But it's also wonderful.  I'm discovering that rhythms are important.  

I also like opening my work day with Shane Claiborne's Common Prayer for Ordinary Radicals.  I've been doing this for a while, and half the time I'm not sure I "get anything" out of it.  But the discipline seems centering for me and I appreciate the rhythm.

I've always preferred spontaneity, but I'm learning that establishing rhythms in my life is a good thing.  Perhaps there's a reason God spends more time explaining "Keep the Sabbath Holy" than "Don't Murder." Rhythms are important... Now.  If only I had realized this 5 years ago like everyone else my age...

God's Family

I've been working on our youth ministry curriculum for the coming year and structuring a lot off of a talk I came across a while ago (check out Ben Kerns of Average Youth Ministry speaking on Post-Christian Discipleship).  He talks about the the value of using the language of family and adoption as we communicate the Gospel to today's students.  

As I've been thinking through this, I think it just really occurred to me what it means to be taken in as part God's family.  We are children and he is our heavenly father. 

I know... This shouldn't be particularly profound for someone who has be hearing this for over 25 years.  But this reality just struck a new chord with me, and the implications are occurring to me in a new way.  I feel silly admitting this, but I suppose it's natural to have a familiar concept strike you in a different way from time to time.

How amazing though!  When someone is adopted into a family they become a full-member of that family, privy to all of the privileges and care of the family.  In addition, when a child is adopted they are exposed to the traditions, values, celebrations, and grieving.  I'm reminded of one of the greatest scenes in the show Parenthood. (Spoiler Alert!) 

I wish Max would let me play with his lizard...

May I be someone who lives into the values of God's family.  May I consistently recognize the love that I am surrounded by and always remember the grace I have been shown.  And may that spill out into every action and interaction...

Moving Towards Compassion

I'll be honest... I'm lacking in quite a few areas. I especially struggle with empathy (though my wife is training me...).  Perhaps that's why when I came across this writing of Henri Nouwen it really struck me.

"Let us not underestimate how hard it is to be compassionate. Compassion is hard because it requires the inner disposition to go with others to the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken... [Unfortunately we often] ignore our greatest gift, which is the ability to enter into solidarity with those who suffer."

Henri Nouwen, The Way of the Heart

When I think of compassion I typically think of the agency through which I sponsor children overseas. I think I have a lot to learn about what this looks like day-to-day on the home front...

My prayer is that I would continue to become more and more a person who can enter into suffering alongside those who are hurting, and that my heart would continue to break for what the Lord's heart breaks for.