"We fail to remember that God is as the Psalmist describes: an abundant fountain, a river of delights, a full house, a radiant light. The Psalmist knows God never operates out of scarcity. Where we must begin with Deeper is recognizing the ever flowing depths of the fountain of God. He is living water, because it is always abundant and always flowing. Scarcity mindset keeps us from going deeper, because we are afraid the safety net either isn’t there or doesn’t go deep enough. We won’t risk, because we can’t. We can’t possibly risk such things. There might not be anything left. There might not be any left for me. We are all like Goldilocks lamenting lost porridge, broken chairs, and occupied beds. But God always has room and always makes room. He is an overflowing fountain."
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Abiding through the fall at City Pres meant holding on for dear life to your life preserver ring hoping the other side of the rope is attached to the rescue boat, continually clinging, continually waiting. But abiding in the new year at City Pres is what I think we’re being called into: “Deeper.”
Keep ReadingMay 30
2019
"Baptism is truly many-faceted; every time we look at it we perceive deeper meaning in this deceptively simple practice. Baptism is a front door, a death and resurrection, a cleansing, a wedding ring showing who we belong to, a legal document establishing our freedom from sin. As something which unites us to God’s Church, baptism has been practiced in an amazing diversity of ways."
May 23
2019
"God is faithful to His word, whether or not the people who deliver it are faithful, and He will cause it to go forth in power."
May 16
2019
"He gives us the opportunity each week to praise him with thankful hearts, and one of those ways is giving money. It’s hard for me to do this with rejoicing, probably because I’m so thankless. I forget that everything I have is God’s, I forget all that God has done for me, and I forget that giving is an opportunity God gives us to worship him rather than a drudgery or obligation."
May 9
2019
"The practice of reading the Apostle’s Creed, or stating what we believe in the church, is a good practice. It is a practice that turns our hearts to remember and relive the Gospel. But stating our beliefs is greater than just a mnemonic trick for our brains. It is a shaping tool to help us live into the fully revealed mystery, not something that is evolving and slowly given to us in tidbits of understanding, like the history of Art. When we state our beliefs, we step into the freedom found in the constraints of love."
May 2
2019
"Prayer shapes our hearts after God’s heart and God desires all people to be saved. When we practice corporate prayer, the church is praying in union with the heart of God. But, it is important to remember that the Lord calls us to pray because of what it does to us, not to just get things from God".