Across Church Street
Practicing Our Scales
Imagine if our walk with Christ, representing his kingdom in the world, were as practiced and pure as Hania Rani’s fingers on the piano keys.
INNtöne Jazzfestival 2021 | Wikimedia Creative Commons
A few years ago, my wife and I, and another couple, co-led a small group for young adults ⏤ the Friends and Followers group. There, I harped on about the benefits of ‘practicing our scales.’ That meant returning to a short list of essential statements that would (hopefully) guide our formation. The idea was that if we worked to practice these ‘scales,’ they would become embodied. Lately, I have been savoring Hania Rani’s piano genius. Just imagine if our walk with Christ ⏤ representing his kingdom in the world ⏤ were as practiced and pure as Hania Rani’s fingers on the piano keys.
Happy Thanksgiving!
God's manifold grace. A day to be grateful and to accept responsibility.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. — Colossians 3:17
Two gauges of spiritual maturity to consider today. The first is gratitude. Do we recognize that everything we have is a gift from God— his grace? Can we show him our gratitude? Another gauge is responsibility— faithful stewards of the many forms of God's grace. We enjoy his gifts as we share them with others.
We Have Say
At a time when false heroes are being exposed.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. — Psalm 143:8
Trust is the bedrock of our mental health and general quality of life. In my lifetime, this has never been more apparent than it is right now. We don't trust institutions, news and information, society's elites, or even photos and videos. Still, we have to trust. So, whom will we trust? That's a choice that only we can make.
- love
- Holy Spirit
- humility
- church
- poverty & mercy
- politics & society
- mission & witness
- holiness
- parable & metaphor
- identity
- eternal life
- doubt & deconstruction
- leadership
- grace
- justice
- scripture
- spiritual life
- advent & christmas
- imagination & creativity
- technology & AI
- knowing God
- human dignity
- faith & trust
- incarnation & cross
- kingdom of God
- community
- reconciliation
- spiritual formation
- epistemology
- prayer
- gratitude
- culture
- creation & nature
- discipleship
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.