Best of the Week for May 29
In Best of the Week we link to a handful of the best articles, videos, books, etc. that we have come across in the last week. We hope this will point you to some of the right places and give you gospel-rich tools and thoughts for life and mission.
How Do We Respond to the Manchester Arena Attack?
“He may have escaped the British legal system. He may have escaped a period of time in prison. But he has not escaped the justice of God.”
There is almost no answer that can satisfy a question like this, but still, we do have to move forward. There are things we can and should do, and by grace, we will. As we live in times like these, let them turn our eyes to another Kingdom and another King.
Running to the Pantry of Good Works
“I have my only little, neat self-salvation project. I see my weakness when I look in and out at what I am and do. Where do I turn? I turn in for consolation from who I am and what I do.”
This is a very good reminder for, I dare say, all of us. Even for the least legalistic of us, our tendency when we feel the weight of our own futility and incompetency can still be to do things that make us feel better about ourselves. In this way, we are somehow trying to earn our own salvation, or at least our own participation in it. Stop it. Jesus already paid it all.
Don’t Waste Your Life Following Your Passion
“The truth is, finding your passion is most often the product a lot of faithful work that is pursued to the glory of God because it is your duty.”
Finding our passion and our purpose in God’s story rarely comes from sitting around and thinking about what that might be. We discover it as we are on the journey with God, serving him, sacrificing for him and for others, and learning what faithful obedience is. On that journey, God is faithful to reveal passions and desires that he has given us for his glory.
Community: Real Messy
“It takes sacrifice and hard work, but in the end, if you will not grow weary in doing good, you will reap what you sow. Not only will you begin to discover your true self, but authentic gospel community will be formed. We call this “Family Mountain.” It takes time to get there. It will cost you something. But the view is beautiful!”
I love this because I have lived it, over and over again. A few happy, simple relationships aren’t messy. They also aren’t community. Community is where your stuff falls out into the open, people accept you gladly even as they help you confront that stuff, and we are formed into the image of Jesus together. And that kind of family takes work.
Friendship and the Pastor’s Wife
“In conversations with women, we can voice these truths in gentle and loving ways. I often have to help people see that hurt in relationships is inevitable, that no church is perfect, and that each person can make choices and take responsibility for pursuing deep community.”
This is from Christine Hoover, the speaker at our Ladies Retreat in September. Our pastors’ wives (one of whom is also my own wife) are great in their roles, and it is a hard role on many days. But I share this article because more than just pastors’ wives can share the load in connecting others and shaping community, which makes for a much more healthy community in the long run.
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