Across Church Street
In
Not better, but other.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. — Philippians 2:14-16
Inserted, implanted, embedded, injected, introduced. Something foreign has been placed into a warped and crooked generation—something blameless and pure—a brilliant navigational reference set against the darkness.
Straining Gnats
Major on the major things.
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. — Matthew 23:24
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees excelled at weighing people down with legalisms. Jesus calls them out for neglecting the more important matters of the law. And what are those? Our King says, sound judgment, lovingkindness, and faith. (Matt. 23:23)
Tire Marks
Religious zeal compromises forward momentum, instead making noise and skid marks.
I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. — John 16:12
The fruit of God's Spirit is his nature coming to the surface. God is patient, so we will be too when the Spirit is leading. It's far too easy to move in the flesh, get revved up, and lose traction. Jesus gave us the metaphors of salt, light, yeast, and fragrance to show us that we will have more influence if we move at the pace of love and relationship.
- 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.