Across Church Street
Define or Describe
Humans seem to like to define, label, and categorize things. Good definition requires perfect perspective. We can have confidence in definitions like “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) and “Eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.” (John 17:3) These definitions come from God. Rarely is my perspective so exhaustive. But even when I can’t define, I can describe. And I can be confident in my descriptions provided I’m humble enough to consider a new insight or another person’s different description. Defining closes the knowing venture, while describing opens it up. That can be endlessly rewarding!
The work of faith
Imagining Paul and James making a joint statement.
Suppose the Apostle Paul and Jesus’ brother, James, co-wrote a statement on Kingdom living in the world? It might read like this:
“Faith without works [of love] is dead faith.”
Love is a work of faith. Love is the work of faith.
Having this same mind
Jesus operates from authority and humility to serve others and Creation.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
In my English Standard Version Bible, the heading above these first few verses in Philippians 2 is "Christ's Example of Humility". It could just as well read "Christ's Example of Authority".
Those of us who are followers of Christ and have been given any measure of authority (as we all have) should ask:
How do we serve our own well-being, having this same mind?
How do we serve others, having this same mind?
How do we serve the rest of Creation, having this same mind?
- love
- friendship
- beauty
- thankful
- attunement
- communion
- discipline
- video
- hope
- hania rani
- holiness
- serving
- seth godin
- dean sherman
- across
- covenant
- music
- eternal life
- justice
- embodiment
- wonder
- gracious
- hesed
- welcome
- poetry
- rest
- image
- brokenness
- disruption
- invitation
- companion mode
- resonance
- steadfast
- observer mode
- framework
- pastoral
- oneness
- caritas
- difference
- shalom
- john stott
- worship
- status
- care
I practice the spiritual discipline of rescuing earthworms on paved surfaces. It's a reminder to me that I can pause what I'm doing, get a little dirty, and help. Also, that I've been given the responsibility to care.