Small Steps
March 6, 2014
“The way of Jesus cannot be imposed or mapped — it requires an active participation in following Jesus as he leads us through sometimes strange and unfamiliar territory, in circumstances that become clear only in the hesitations and questionings, in the pauses and reflections where we engage in prayerful conversation with one another and with him.” ―Eugene H. Peterson, The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways That Jesus Is the Way
I love this quote. I love it because it comes from one of my favorite reading companions. And I love it because it reminds me of my ordination mentor who, like Eugene Peterson, has a holiness about him that is neither pretentious or manufactured, but comes only from having been present with Jesus long and hard and often. And I love this quote because I think it’s true. Really, really true.
One of the pieces of my journey with Jesus last year was learning there is a difference between trust and clarity. You can read about that here. This has not been an easy thing to learn, to continue to learn. It has required me to respond to life in a way that I haven’t before. It stretches me to believe not simply in the acts of God, but in the character of God. To know that whenever I am stretched to walk in a direction that doesn’t make sense in my head I need to remove all the rationales I make up and just do it. Read the rest of this entry »
Today is Ash Wednesday
March 5, 2014
It’s days like today that make me miss being part of a church that tries to combine vintage liturgical practices with modern expressions.
I didn’t grow up knowing of the significance of Ash Wednesday or Lent, but discovered it in my young adulthood. There’s something so incredibly powerful about Ash Wednesday… something that speaks to the nature of our lives, to the fragility of our existence. And something that speaks to the Hands that hold us even as we return to dust. We are so loved. So unspeakably loved.
Tuesday Grace Letters:1
March 4, 2014
Kara, the writer behind the Mundane Faithfulness blog, has invited other bloggers to participate in a practice of grace- writing letters every week, each letter with its own focus. I do not know Kara. We live in the same city and some of my friends and family know her, but I have only followed her story in bits and pieces as others have posted her blog posts to their Facebook pages. Kara’s story is heart-rending and powerful and in the midst of her own suffering, she gives people a glimpse of Christ in her, the hope of glory. Today’s assignment is to write a letter to myself, 10 years in the future.
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When I was around 7, I told God I wanted to serve him. No one was nearby and I was on the elementary school playground up the street from our house. It was nearing dinnertime and the sky was streaked with the reds and oranges of Colorado sunset in the Fall. I was on top of the large wood structure that looked like a tower (because at that time, I thought being up high meant I could be closer to God). I had no idea what it meant to serve God with my life, but that did not matter. All that mattered was wanting to give God the only thing I really could. And so I did that.
ordinary sacred 