The House You're Building

Who is a news watcher?  We haven’t had cable in my house since I got married so going on 19 years…When 9/11 happened and everyone was glued to the set I had no idea it was happening until my husband called me from work.  To this day I have still gladly not seen images of that tragic part of American history.    With all the current events we are exposed to daily via the media, we are often overwhelmed with sorrow. From current headlines about the pandemic and racial unrest, phases, new regulations, and rioting, our hearts can tend to feel on a rollercoaster. Even myself, who is often sheltered from the latest reports, feels the anxiety and tension.  John Eldridge says this about the cumulative effect on our hearts in his latest book  Get Your Life Back:    You’ve got to release the world, you’ve got to release people, crises, trauma, intrigue, all of it.  There has to be sometime in your day where you just let it all ...

                                   When you think of who you are, what first comes to mind?  We’ve all been at parties making small talk and often, the first thing people say is “what do you do?”  It’s easy to express your value, especially at an acquaintance level, which focusing on the outward.  It’s awkward to share who you are inside.  Now I’m not advocating we all go out and share our truth with everyone we met.  Be wise and know that privilege is earned by those who over time have earned your trust.  But honestly, I think most people don’t share who they are because they don’t know who they are.  The human race endlessly chases things on the outside to try to define who they are on the inside.     The Bible in 1 Peter 2:9-10 describes who we are in a world searching for identity.     But you a...

What does a priesthood do? When I first read this verse, I thought that meant I pictured myself dressed like one of the archeologists from Indiana Jones before they opened the ark's lid and the spirits came out.  Or maybe like a monk in with a rough homespun and wooden cross with beads.  The images I had when reading this about myself were more about pop culture than any real understanding of what a priest actually does.  Not growing up Jewish, when God tells me I am his holy priest I'm not exactly sure what a priest does.  Here are some things I found out when I studied this passage:   *The Old Testament priest:   They are elect- The priests come from a family called the Levites, whom God chose as one of the tribes of Israel to serve him.  They didn't inherit their own tracks of land, when Joshua divided the land among the Israelites, but instead inherited cities and pasturelands within every tribe so they could minister to the Lord.  Their...

Spiritual maturity is, for the follower of Christ, something always to be seeking.  I have found that my spiritual growth is directly related to my time in the word of God.  As 1 Peter says in chapter 2:    Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. v 2-3 What do you long for?  The world to go back to normal? Certainty about your future?  Your fears of disease to diminish? What news are you waiting for...for it seems as if everyone is waiting on something.   There have been times in my life that I’ve desired to hear a message.  As a child, I longed to hear that my parents loved me, approved of me.  When I was a teen, I longed to hear that my friends accepted me and that boys I had a crush on my like me.  When I became on adult, I longed to hear good news in regards to my endeavors, like I got a job I had applied for, good test result...

A few weeks ago I met with my ministry team (don’t get excited, over Zoom of course) and collectively we were at a crossroads.  How do we minister to people we can’t be with?  A lot of our talk was focused on methodology—in a virtual world, how to we make the greatest impact.  Worried about the spiritual strength of those we were shepherding, how to we intervene and encourage their faith?  If you are in ministry right now, you may be wrestling with the same questions and problems.  Though you may not consider yourself “in ministry,” meaning a church body has designated you in a pastoral role over others, you have connections with other believers.  There are some farther along the road of faith than you, and some further behind.  Paul compares the spiritual journey to a race in 1 Corinthians 1:24, a single-minded focus on where we are headed that must be approached with intention.  If you’ve been runn...

I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 2 Corinthians 7:4–7 How does one overflow with joy in affliction? The world seeks to answer this question in a variety of ways.  It might suggest that you seek comfort, make your life easy, convenient, low-stress, where all of your physical needs are met.  Eat what you want, lay around, sooth yourself with whatever takes away the pain in a sensual way.  It might lead you to control.  Do all that you can to ...

Last night I got to participate in a zoom meeting with a group of close friends.    Utilizing technology to connect with others is becoming more common as we seek to spend time with those we love by practicing social distancing.    This is my tribe, my life-group, friends who have been together +20 years in fellowship.    These are the people you call when you are moving, when you have something to celebrate or to grieve.    I hope all of you reading this have those kinds of friends and have had a chance to process the new reality we find ourselves living with them.    We needed to laugh, to cry, to share worries and how the shelter in place is affecting our lives.    We needed to pray.    To see facial expressions and hear voices was a comfort.    A few of us brought a word of scripture to share.    One friend followed up on last night’s digital hang out with a prayer via email.  ...