Spiritual Formation

As we approach Holy Week, Christ’s death and resurrection reminds me that he has given us access to his abiding peace, to the hope of eternal life, and to victory over sin and death. But how are we to live into this?

Have you ever thought about what the word “blessing” really means? It’s said all the time in Christian circles. And it kinda make sense. But at the same time, it feels like something’s missing . . .

Anxiety has plagued me ever since I immigrated to the US when I was nine. Like an imaginary friend accompanying me wherever I go, anxiety whispers questions of doubt and fear.

I woke up the other day with two papers due, 10 text messages that deserved thorough and urgent responses, three meetings to plan, and an achy neck that desperately needed physical therapy. I knew what I had to do. I walked to the park, put on some worship music, opened my Bible, and prayed.

God loves to talk with us! And the more we become familiar with conversing with him about the small things in life, the less scary it is to listen to him for the bigger things.

When the Lord calls something “holy,” he’s saying it’s set aside, unique, not to be taken for granted. So a Sabbath can be defined as an intentional choice to stop working and focus on what’s holy.

Ultimately, prayer is about more than just feeling good and having God solve our problems. As we rediscover the wonder and true nature of prayer, may it deepen our walk with Jesus!

What if we had more childlike wonder in our lives? How would our interactions with God be different? How would we interact with family and professors and classmates differently? What would we talk and dream about?

I am keenly aware that our bodies have absorbed a gauntlet of grief throughout this traumatic year. And some of us, for the first time since March 2020, are stepping onto campuses that have been closed for over a year. How then, when we are committed to seeing God’s kingdom come on campus, do we enter NSO well?

Last-minute final papers, weekly discussion posts, and 12-page reports that seem to extend forever—don’t worry, I know the feeling too. For those of us who are students (and some of us who aren’t as well), there are some days—maybe even many days—when writing feels like a chore, something on a checklist to cross off.