I’m really sorry if you’re still waiting for that “one last post” about singleness and the church. I really do plan to write it… There’s just been things like really good novels, amazing weekends off, and a touch of what I think might have been food poisoning. I’ll get to it. I will. Maybe even this weekend…? Maybe.
One of my absolute favorite services at our church happens on Good Friday. We get really creative and provide a number of different worship “stations” – different places you can go to engage with God in different ways. There’s a lot of artistry and creativity that goes into it, and planning it is the highlight of my year, every year. I love seeing people discover new ways to encounter God. We started the planning process this week, and we came across a great resource. If you’re a worship leader or service coordinator (or an artist looking for cool ways to meet with God), I’d highly encourage you to check out Re:think Worship. They’ve got some fabulous ideas.
Sarah Bessey’s link list this week had some awesome articles. I really enjoyed this one: When God Calls A Complementarian Woman Into Ministry, mostly because I identified so much with April Fiet‘s story. My worldview has shifted so much over the past 20 years, and I’ve come to understand some of the ways in which a strict complementarian philosophy hindered my ability to even hear God’s call to ministry for the longest time. I am grateful for the professors who saw my potential before God finally called me out on it. Looking back and recognizing the way they planted seeds of hope and confidence in my ability to walk into my calling before I knew I even had one is pretty sweet.
I mentioned that I’m spending more time in God’s Word this year as part of my Lenten praxis. A sentence from one of readings on the very first day leapt off the screen at me, and I’ve been thinking about it off and on for a couple of days. It’s towards the end of that passage in Hebrews that talks about trials being a form of discipline from the Lord, and the way they shape us.
It says, “Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.” – Hebrews 12:11-13 (NRSV)
photo courtesy of ©Depositphotos.com / ponomarencko
So that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed…
I find it interesting that the directive isn’t to “trust God” to bring you thru your “trials” in a passive sort of “letting life happen to you” sort of way, but rather to get up and do something about the situation you’re in, knowing you’ll be a better person (peacefully, righteously, fruity) on the other side of it. Hey, you: Go do something. Get stronger. Make a way thru this – a straight way, a way aligned with what you know to be God’s will, ways, principles – so that what’s hurting you right now, what’s hard right now, doesn’t get worse. Do the best you can with what you’ve got; do your best to follow Him (that’s the straight path) – and you’ll heal, no matter how tough it is right now. Lay down and wallow in it – you’re not going to get the same results.
Food for thought. And subsequent action.
I’ve had some really great conversations with a couple of friends over the past couple weeks, following a reference I’d made on Facebook about giving up coffee for Lent. I’ve been around the concept of “giving up something for Lent” for so much of my Christian walk that I forget it’s not widespread a practice in Christianity as a whole. If this whole Lent thing is new to you, and you’re feeling a pull to engage with it somehow (but wondering what to do), there are some beautiful ideas in this post from Kathy Escobar: 40 days for wanderers, wonderers, and somehow-allergic-to-churchers. Don’t let the fact that we’re already a couple of days into Lent stop you from choosing a practice if you think it will help your spiritual walk. And if you do choose a practice for the first time, let me know how it goes for you! I’d love to hear about it.
I love reading, and there is some really great fiction out there these days, but once upon a time there was simply a young adult fiction section in the bookstore, and you had to hunt for the book you wanted. Now? Well, the world’s nicest evil scientist explains:
Personalized M&Ms. Did you know this was a thing?! I almost want to throw a party just for the excuse to order them…
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
