Across Church Street
A Poor Self-Image
For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. — Deuteronomy 7:6
We aren't independent actors, free to build whatever brand we want.
Nor do we wear the labels others administer to humble (humiliate?) us and make us feel small in God's eyes.
God believes we are his treasured possession. This says something beautiful about us. And it says something truly remarkable about our God.
Miracle
What is a miracle? For some, everything's a miracle. For others, a miracle is rare, something only a few of us may ever witness. The Greek word for miracle in Scripture is dynamis (dunamis). It shares a root with our English word dynamite. Miracles are evidence of God's limitless power. What do we encounter that lies beyond human agency or explanation? Is that a miracle? God's mighty power in view?
Catch and Release
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” — Matthew 4:19
In our encounters with God, we are formed by him, and we make disciples of him. Here, Jesus relates evangelism to fishing. In Jesus's time, fish were gathered in nets and held. Today, sport-fishing rewards catch and release. Jesus' commission to make disciples assumed his followers would gather people and hold them in Christian community. We moderns must strive for the same. We shouldn't be satisfied with catch-and-release methods.
- 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.