Spiritual Formation

Perseverance can feel like a dental visit; you don’t want it but know it’s good for you. And now, with the pandemic officially more than a year in, it feels like we’re being asked to endure still a little more.

With so many people hurting right now, I want to be available to everyone. But I’ll never be able to hold all that responsibility in my tiny little pockets. Jesus never asked me to.

I heard a sermon about how the true beauty of healing prayer lies in its portrayal of the kingdom of heaven. It invites us to know Jesus more intimately. I didn’t really understand this until I saw healing prayer work differently than I expected.

As this year draws to a close, I realize I’ve too often been white-knuckling my way through it, just trying to hold on, keeping my grip for just a little longer. And that’s just not healthy.

Sometimes it feels like we live in the Matrix. These days, what’s real or simulated blurs into confusion. We’re Zoom Zombies submerged in social media, navigating the news as we confront new constrictions.

School just started and it’s not what you’ve ever imagined college to be like. Instead of moving into the dorms, you’re stuck at home. Instead of all the welcome events with free food at the beginning of the year, you’re attending one Zoom call after another. It’s easy to focus on all the things we’re missing out on this season.

If you’re like me, you may be struggling with FOMO, worry, and complaints.

While it's important to acknowledge what's hard and mourn what we've lost, it's equally if not more important to recognize the gift of the pandemic as the new school year begins. Perhaps there are unprecedented opportunities God has for us during this unique season.

For me, what’s often most unexpected—and rewarding—is that moment when I’m just passively watching a movie when BOOM! God enters the picture.

“When was the last time you prayed for your community? For your church? For your city? Are the only prayers you offer up to the Lord ones where you ask him to work in your own life?”

You may feel like you’ve been given two choices: become a person who only creates “Christian art” or someone who yields to the world’s pressures to create “secular” art as a Christian. What’s a Christian to do?

In March 2020, I found myself living out the book of Lamentations. I watched firsthand as the City That Never Sleeps became the city with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country.