devotional

Love

February 12, 2021 — 1 Comment

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4:14-16

It is love that helps us be grounded. It is love that roots us and helps us stay connected to ourselves and to each other. It is love that prevents us from being tossed back and forth. It is love that will overcome the constant messaging we receive from the world. It is love that will protect us from other people’s manipulation. It is love that holds us up with integrity. It is love that helps us to be brave in our words. The goal of our brave words is to help us grow.

What is love? Love is patient. Love is kind. Love rejoices with those rejoicing. Love finds gratitude in the midst of blessing. Love honors others. Love cares for the whole and the relationships. Love listens to anger to grow and become more attuned to what’s not right. Love forgives. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

I pray that we pursue and live out a kind of love that heals relationships, builds our integrity, and pulls us through these difficult times. In moments when one aspect of love feels too daunting, how can you fall back on another? Maybe you don’t have the strength to speak; can you find the faith to be patient? Maybe you feel overwhelmed by anger. Can you also find kindness for yourself and for those also hurting? There is always a way into love and it might require courage to make new pathways into it. As you keep up this work, your spectrum and vessel of love can only grow more multi-faceted and secure.

Yes, And — Faith & Works

February 11, 2021 — Leave a comment

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13

The age old debate of works & faith, and that’s exactly it, it’s works & faith. Faith manifests into works of service and works of service in turn build unity in the faith. If what you produce isn’t this yes, and phenomenon, maybe the message and God you’re serving isn’t complete and full.

When are your works of service detached from this unity in the faith & fullness of God’s presence? How do you feel when you act in this way? How do you feel about the people you are serving? What are your expectations when you give in such a way, and faith and Good News aren’t part of the picture? What would it take to drop that pressure?

When is your faith detached from works of service? How do you feel when you are in this experience? How do you feel about the world and the people around you? What are truths you need to hear to get you into action?

Uniquely Individual, Together

February 9, 2021 — Leave a comment

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says” ‘When he ascended on high, he took many captive and gave gifts to his people.’ (What does ‘he ascended’ mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)

Ephesians 4:4-10

Diametrically opposing forces do not work against each other; opposing forces demonstrate the diverse expanse and wholeness. There is one body and each of us have unique mediums of grace. There is one faith, one Lord, one God and each of us are individual children who choose and reflect specifically. Christ ascended because he was with us. We are here and we will also ascend. These two views, global & individual, are important depending on where we are right now.

Are you feeling lost in the crowd? Feeling unseen? Feeling like the world is too big and you cannot grasp all of it? Come back to your unique and specific calling and purpose. Come back to your relationship with God and how your journey, passions and curiosities reflect the parts of God that we need in this world. The whole would not be the same without you. The whole needs you.

Are you feeling concave, drowning in your present circumstances and feeling overwhelmed by your emotional attunement? Do you feel like all you are experiencing within feels too much and you don’t know how deep the well is and if you were to release it, would it stop and would others be able to hold you? Feel your feet and feel the sky. You are held by the world and there is safety beyond your body. There is a love and understanding that permeates around you and it will catch you if you allow them to hold you. You are not alone. It’s okay to stop gripping so tightly to yourself.

We have access to both these perspectives at all times. It’s the balance of the two that allows us to exist in the present yet have hope for a better future. Like Christ who went to the pits of despair and rose to newness, we, too, have access to that spectrum.

The Effort of Living

February 8, 2021 — Leave a comment

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:1-3

A life worthy of God’s calling requires humility, gentleness, patience and effort to keep the unity by living though the bond of peace. This takes effort. This takes work and heavy lifting. Sometimes who you have to bear in love feels heavier than you have the strength to take on. To live a calling is to choose it in every moment, in every relationship and every circumstance. Within that choice are moments when you choose otherwise; that does not remove your blessing or calling. Each moment and choice is a reminder that there is always a way worthy of your calling, and God encourages you to step in the direction of that bigness.

A word on peace. Peace is not hushing injustice. Rather it is taking action against injustice that seeks to disturb our bond of unity and alignment with God. Peace is not passive. It is a constant recalibration to God’s heart that all of humanity is honored and have access to God. Peace is not smiles and empty sayings. Peace is not the absence of conflict; conflict is a reflection of where we need to come back into alignment with God. Peace is here and not yet. We are constantly living in that tension because this world is not always living up to the calling its been called to exist within.

I pray that we are peace creators and upholders, and when that means we need to step into areas of conflict, dissonance and disturbance, we do that with humility, gentleness and patience. Our hearts desire peace, and if we want a genuine lasting kind that permeates our space and our body, we need to address what is not right and not simply ignore and pretend everything is fine.

The God I cannot fathom

February 5, 2021 — Leave a comment

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

I need this today because I feel like I can’t fully imagine a hopeful and bright possibility. I need this today because I feel like I’ve asked for the same things over and over again and the answer has not been the resounding yes that makes me feel like things will be okay. I need this today because I need a reality and a truth and a God who can imagine and do more than my mind, heart and soul can fathom.

On the days when I want to give up, may I come back to this God who has endurance and perseverance that I can’t fathom.

On the days when I feel so inadequate and want to sneak into a cave to hide, may I come back to this God who has the patience and kindness that I can’t fathom.

On the days when I feel like hope is too scary, may I come back to this God who hopes hundredfold on my behalf.

On the days when I feel too exhausted to seek out this God, may God come to me with a strength and presence I cannot deny.

Prayer to Expand Love

February 4, 2021 — Leave a comment

I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:13-19

This, too, is my prayer for that. First, that you will know that God is with you, for you, in you, and that you know this by faith, a faith that surpasses understanding, circumstances and feeling. Second, once you trust this truth that God is with you, for you and in you, you can feel the presence of love and the Spirit establishing and making home. Here, you never feel alone. Even when you feel stuck or stagnant, you can trust that each moment the Spirit is spreading more of their presence and roots in you, with bloom on the horizon. And finally, as you become firm in this truth that God is with you, for you, and in you, shining through you, marking you, renewing you, those around you can see your expansion of love. I pray your expansion of love spills out and shines through so that those around you can sense with more certainty and wonder God’s presence. May you become so full of God’s love and presence that the boundaries between you and not you blur, so that love permeates throughout. This is my prayer for you. This love expansion is not a muscling or doing; it stems from a belief that God is with you, for you and in you. Your love will expand if you allow for your surrender to God’s love. Surrendering to God’s love is scary and requires courage. I pray courage for you.

Living like it’s a Gift of Grace

February 3, 2021 — Leave a comment

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Ephesians 3:7-12

No matter how high and powerful you are, wherever you are, you serve something or someone. What philosophy, priority or perspective do you live by? Who do you seek to please? Where or from whom do you derive your power and purpose? What do you get to do which feels like a gift of grace?

I take many aspects of my life for granted, from being able to live in my city to pursue my dream career to being able to laugh fully. The former takes a grasp of hopes and dreams and the latter derives from exercising my diaphragm muscle. These things are not givens for everyone — the mindset of pursuing something that is brave and fulfilling, and the space and ability to enjoy, play and be silly. These are gifts I have received by grace because of my ancestors’ hard work and because of God’s divine provisions. I also don’t think there is a final arrival for these gifts; I will get to expand and grow until the end of my days.

I encourage you to press into the thing that you get to do that expands you, that reminds you of God’s freedom and confidence in you. I encourage you to serve the good news of freedom, unity and wholeness and see where it takes you, who it leads you to and how it manifests. I encourage you to lead by serving a purpose greater than yourself. I pray that you can live into the thing that makes you think in each moment, wow! woah! this is all a gift!

The Revolution of Unity

February 2, 2021 — Leave a comment

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus

Ephesians 3:2-6

What is it about unity and togetherness that it is so revolutionary and radical? A whole new faith (the gospel of Jesus) was needed to complete the story of Yahweh, to bring Gentiles and Jews together. Today people still protest and march for unity and call for a reality of oneness.

The concept of separation and unity go all the way back to the beginning, to the Garden of Eden — humanity was kicked out of paradise and separated from God and disconnected from their created purposes. There is a natural proclivity for us to group and separate — find our tribe, stick with our own, us vs. them. On the healthier side of the spectrum reasons might be safety and solidarity. On the darker side of the spectrum the reasons we group and separate might include hierarchy, white supremacy, justification for oppressive means.

It is radical and new to see another as part of the same body. It is revolutionary to see unity as the goal and that we all share the same promise of God. This reality of unity is immediately accessible and also a work in progress to live into. By the Spirit of God we can trust that there already is a desire in us for connection and togetherness, and by that same Spirit we must keep growing our ability to see every person as our own. We all share in the same promise; the sooner we recognize, embrace and work towards that, the more revolutionary your life will be.

Please Welcome…

February 1, 2021 — Leave a comment

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of your Gentiles —

Ephesians 3:1

And next we have joining us from [origin place], a [identity] who has [what obstacles they’ve overcome], [things they’ve accomplished] and [the rest of the reasons why this person is special.] Please welcome to the stage…

Ephesians 1 and 2 were Paul’s introduction.

How do people intro you? How do you intro yourself? In this world, we list off our credentials, our achievements, our education background and our LinkedIn network. The introduction gives people all the evidence that we are worth being heard and we are worth your time. The introduction gets people amped on how we can potentially change their lives with this encounter with us. The introduction is key to making the person introduced extraordinary and separate, while the rest of us lay folks hold onto that glimmer of hope that we, too, can traverse into that next tier of space.

There are other areas in the Bible were Paul does do exactly these things. He lists off how he’s extraordinary, smart, admired, qualified, and so forth. He takes a different approach here. Instead he uses Ephesians 1 and 2 to talk about us and share all the ways that he and we are really the same, and that this next part is only going to make sense and work if we believe in that unity and community. Ephesians 1 and 2 were treasure troves full of our past, our future, our identity and our relationship to self, each other and God.

How can we take this and revamp how we enter new spaces and new relationships? Instead of looking for all the proof that we deserve to be in this new space and new relationship, simply take that as reality. You deserve to be there. You deserve to be here. Instead can we look for evidence of how we, the people right in front of us and this space we are currently occupying, share the same heartbeat, heartache and hope. How can this relationship, this space and this time teach you more about our shared humanity — needs & desires? We are not so different; we just have different times to speak.

Growing Together, Separately

January 29, 2021 — Leave a comment

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19-22

Together we are a building and individually we are a dwelling. We are growing together to create one unified holy temple, and we are growing together, separately in our own specific circumstances, environments and callings. When we feel alone, how can we find comfort knowing that everyone around us is also on a journey? When we feel lost in the collective, how can we find power in knowing our growth and calling is unique?

There is a beauty and a frustration with God’s design — it feels inclusive and encompassing while being too big for our minds to grasp. Here and not yet. Together and separate. Fellow citizens and family. We don’t need to fully understand every aspect and have control over every detail. Can we trust that the sides we don’t see, are also being looked after by God and are being built? Can we trust that we are being looked after and provided for as well? In every moment, a focus leaning more inwards or one leaning more outwards can pull us back to center. In this moment, what will help you stand taller? Coming back to your growth or remembering we are growing together, or both? You have access to all of it.