Church Street

Church neighboring daily life.

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It would be just like him

The God of the Bible looks like Jesus, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being. It would be just like him to go to the cross.

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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.

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Rescue

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.

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Your Roots Are Showing

The life that I bring to the world can only be found in my attachment to Christ. His presence with me is essential.

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Connection

I live in a U.S. county with traffic problems. It's a peninsula, and what's not swamp land has been developed. Building new roads is difficult and expensive. Making things worse, roads that could connect don't.

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What's in the Bowl?

During a spring trip, my wife and I purchased a glass bowl. It's colorful and handmade. When I turn the bowl upside down, nothing falls out. Does that make it empty?

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Knowing Knowing

Teach Me Your Ways

Learning from the prophet that God spoke with face to face.

If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. — Exodus 33:13

Moses, teach me your ways. You know the way of eternal life.

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Kingdom Kingdom

Upside Down Kingdom

The grittiness of a 'Jesus is Lord' gospel.

Better said, God's kingdom is the right-side-up one. In the Beatitudes (Matt. 5), Jesus says God's favor is on the humble, the mourning, the gentle and kind, those who seek the repair of unjust systems, the merciful, the innocent, the peacemakers, and the oppressed. His kingdom consists of self-giving to God and neighbor. It's something Paul echoes in 1 Cor. 13, and details in Gal. 5. The challenge is to turn this from a religious abstraction to daily discipleship, to deny myself, take up my cross every day, and follow Jesus' lead, along with others in my church family.

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Forming Forming

Stroad

Our spiritual life will include fast and slow. But stay away from stroads.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. ⏤ Revelation 21:21

Streets are for local traffic. Roads are thoroughfares. Travel streets slowly enough to stop for a kid's ball, wave to a neighbor, or admire someone's landscape. Travel roads to get somewhere faster. Streets are relational, prioritizing the here and now. Roads aim for a destination. And now there's the stroad —a corruption of street and road —serving neither purpose well.

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