5.18.20
“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting..." Jesus - John 18:36, ESV
I'm anticipating a very contentious election season this Fall. I know, I know, you're thinking, "Mike, why would you predict such a thing?" Well, let's call it a hunch.
What I was hoping for, that a worldwide health crisis might bring our society together, does seem to be a bit naive.
So, I'm going to give us a sneak peek at a message I've been preparing for months to share in late October just before the election. And one of the bottom lines goes like this...if you think that what you think politically is how Jesus thinks, how He would handle this crisis or any other, you may want to slow way down.
That is not to say you shouldn't have personal perspectives or feelings or political affiliations, it is only to say just that - they are yours. There is no need to bring Jesus in to it. When people tried to bring Jesus in to the upheaval of his time, even in the face of an ongoing crisis that makes the coronavirus look like picnic (the violent overthrow and murderous occupation of his country), He chose to stay out of it. Why?
I get to hear all kinds of very strong feelings from people I know well, respect a ton and love much and often from one phone call to the next email to the next zoom call these dear, beloved, smart, thoughtful and respected friends - dear, dear brothers and sisters of mine - it becomes clear, they see things very, very differently from one another. And I learn a lot by listening and then by watching them maturely separate how they feel and see things from "the way God sees things." And I really appreciate that. That is a hard line not to cross, because I know their faith has played a very strong role, as it should, in how they see a particular issue, but they don't cross that line nonetheless. And I'm so thankful we are that kind of community. It makes me believe God is really up to something unexpected and inexplicable in our little mission-dream we call Storyline.
Jesus showed up in unexpected places, with and for unexpected people, and then loved in inexplicable ways. Every "side" in every cultural, religious, and political battle of the day wanted Him on their team and by resisting, He became a man, a Savior, the God...for all.
That resistance is a sacrifice, one that we can only make when our eyes are fixed on another source and goal. I'm praying it continues to be a sacrifice we are each willing to make and we are all willing to make together, in service to that greater Source, the grace of God, and Goal - to see God's grace embraced by everyone everywhere everyday!
Have a great week friends!
Be His,
Mike
5.13.20
Somewhere I read, long ago, that we see what we savor and then we become what we behold. In other words, we see only that which we are looking for, then we change into that which we are looking for, longing for.
This chain reaction of becoming begins with savoring. And while it is very important to acknowledge as Pascal said, "the heart has its reasons that Reason does not know" - we are not slaves to what we currently savor/enjoy/desire. We have some agency, a way to get involved in this chain reaction of becoming and that begins by wanting to want something else or different.
Our son, Jimmy, came home for Mother's Day. He and our daughter, Jenna, made dinner for us. It was simple; steak, green beans and broccoli. I like steak, the other two I could do without, but the way they prepared everything, cut it, sauteed it, cooked it and presented it...well, it was SO delicious. I definitely savored it. And I've been finding myself daydreaming about learning to how cook like that.
The point is, savoring, desiring, yearning...what we LOVE is what drives us. What is that for you? What is it really? Not, what you are supposed to savor, desire, yearn for and love - but what is it really? When we do the hard work of figuring that out, we may find we don't want to want what we do...like I don't want to want ice cream like I do, I want to want broccoli like that. Well, there are things I can do, learn, become that make that possibility a little bit more of a reality.
And so it is with what we end up, ultimately, loving first and foremost. The heart may have reasons that Reason doesn't know, but we can give Reason reasons to want a new heart - and then things, we, begin to change.
Be His,
Mike
5.11.20
Good Monday afternoon Storyline.
One of my favorite passages in the bible comes from Psalm 16...
5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night, my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Do my portion and my cup really lead me down the path of life? That's the question I'm asking myself this week.
Mike Gathright
5.06.20
Hey Storyline Friends!
Many of you have reached out and asked about ways that you can give or get involved in the needs of our community at this time. We have been privileged to partner with a couple of different organizations to help them continue to provide services.
Here are a couple of highlights and opportunities.
Kidport got their creative juices flowing and made a slew of posters and cards to share with the hospital. With the help of Lakeland staff, these posters (pictured above) were hung all over the hospital. So cool!
Because of your generosity, we have been able to give away over $13,000 to individuals, families, and organizations who have been directly affected by the COVID Pandemic, and because of our relationships in the community, we were able to provide extra dollars for some to give away to people in their circles as well. It has been such a joy for us to see this “ripple effect” in action.
I have been working closely with Benton Harbor schools as they try and provide students and their families with daily food packs and weekend hygiene packs. They are currently seeking donations to help supply those weekend packs and their greatest needs are diapers, baby wipes, baby formula, and feminine hygiene products. If you are in a position to help provide some of the items, you can purchase items from our amazon registry. Items will be shipped directly to Benton Harbor High School as to limit as much person-to-person contact. These needs will remain even if the “stay at home order is lifted” so I encourage you to give now and revisit as you are able.
Two of our IMPACT partners, the Emergency Shelter, and the Soup Kitchen are looking for financial donations to help with their efforts to continue to provide safe and healthy services to their clients. If you are looking for an opportunity to engage with the Berrien County community, these are two great options. You can donate directly to their organizations using the websites linked above.
I’m so grateful to be a part of this incredibly generous community. Let’s be people who do everything can to make sure that EVERYONE has what they need.
Grace and Peace,
-Paul Knap
5.04.20
Hello Storyline, good Monday afternoon!
I hope you had a good weekend and are prepared for another week of...well, whatever this is - I hope you can call it Life.
Besides this note today, we'll have another email on Wed. and of course Friday's "Gathering preview" this week; we are going to step back a little and not send something out on Saturdays going forward.
Thank you to all who have contributed a reflection for these emails - if you have something you'd like to share, please send it to me!
One quick thought for this week...who is an unlikely hero in your life? Do they know it? Let's find a way this week to let them in on how they've helped you along your way. God has hidden his heart in every human being - often we don't see it in ourselves until someone else sees it in us. When we thank our heroes it just might bring them alive in ways that empowers them to live more heroically for even more of God's children.
Have a great week!
Be His,
Mike
4.29.20
Today's audio message is from Meagan Francis. Meagan has been a Storyliner since January 2019. Professionally, she's a writer and podcaster, and during the quarantine, she's also become an expert pancake-maker and birdwatcher. Meagan lives in St. Joseph where she's currently hunkered down with her 5 kids ages 11-22.
4.27.20
Good Monday afternoon Storyline,
I hope you had a good weekend and are staying safe and healthy. It has been so nice to see many of you on Zoom calls after our online Gatherings and so good to hear from many more by email and text.
Like everyone, the Storyline staff is trying to figure out how to do what we do in this new context, so I know I am speaking for Mike, Jen, Emily, Traci and Paul when I say thank you so much for your ongoing support and encouragement - it really means a lot to us.
I read this weekend that emotions are "contagious" and that seems true, doesn't it? Of course this makes one of the hardest things about being isolated our seeming inability to "infect" one another with hope. But let me encourage you about encouragement.
Much of the New Testament of the Bible is a collection of letters...sent from someone who is separated from a community they love with messages of encouragement and hope.
So, while it is always good to be together, let us not lose hope in our ability to infect others with hope even if it has to be done through some kind of long distance communication, be it an email, text, phone call, zoom or even...a letter.
When was the last time you received a letter? When was the last time you wrote one?
Have a great week Storyline!
Mike
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)
4.25.20
Good Saturday morning Storyline,
All of us have been positively impacted by healthcare workers in our life, never more than now. Storyline has been coordinating with the hospital to try and find a way to celebrate and thank some of our local healthcare workers for all they are doing for our friends, loved ones, and community in this difficult time. Below you'll find a link to a poster making activity along with details of how we are going to do this, this week. Also, a poem from a Storyliner deeply impacted by caregivers.
"Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Jesus, Mt. 25:40
Thank you - Mike G.
This morning's reflection is a poem written by Todd Keene. Todd wrote multiple poems to his father, Walter, as he underwent lengthy cancer treatment. When it became clear that ongoing treatment was not an option, his father asked that Todd write a poem in gratitude for his caregivers. This was delivered a month before Walter’s passing in February 2016. This is for all caregivers everywhere.
Dedicated to the loving caregivers of my father, Walter Keene
For the angels, we have here on Earth
Ever seeking our rebirth
Nurturing our every need
Where we hurt and where we bleed
I owe you a debt I never can repay
I’m at a loss, except I’ll say
My days you brighten in every way
Kindness follows each word you say
The simple touch of your hand
Reaches the depth of me
And not so fleeting as the sands
Oceans of love, wide as the sea
I pray for you, I pray for me
I pray for us all on bended knee
For the many, many lives you save
For those you’ve lost through struggle brave
Angels surely walk among us
For God has made it thus
This I know, I’ve seen it true
I’ve seen His love that pours through you
Please know I’m indebted beyond measure
And mere words can never express
How much I sincerely treasure
Your abundant love and kindness
With profound gratitude and thanks,
Todd Keene and Family
4.22.20
4.20.20
The Vessel Trap
Reflecting on yesterday's Gathering and this idea - sometimes the greatest step of faith we can take is to give up our "version" of how we live out our faith, for the sake of those God has called us to love - my friend Bryan Glanzer sent me this email:
-Dallas Willard calls it the "Vessel Trap"....
"Of course we do not think we are distracted. The things we are investing our efforts in seem absolutely primary. These are usually things that make up being a good and proper...whatever -- Protestant, Catholic, Anglican, Baptist....or just a 'good Christian' as understood in the particular place. But {we} have actually mistaken the vessel for the treasure.
Certainly we can't avoid having vessels {the "way" we experience God's grace}. And we must be tender to them, for that is a part of what is to be human and finite. Even Jesus had his vessel. It was a Jewish one, and that became the first "vessel trap" the earliest congregations of disciples faced. The book of Acts and the New Testament letters are a record of how it was transcended.
And so we can avoid making the vessel the treasure. We can identify the treasure without reference to any vessel, though the treasure will always have a vessel." from Renovation of the Heart.
YES! I LOVE this so much. Trying to escape this trap is what God has called Storyline to, because way too often our "faith"; what it looks like, how we express it, how it works for us, how we resonate, what Willard calls, our vessel, is what trips up other people. But when we try to get down to God's grace, the treasure, things really start to happen!
Thank you Bryan for this powerful reminder.
Jesus, help us avoid the vessel trap!
Mike
4.18.20
Opportunity Knocks
I have found that when we go through these “black swan” or emotional tsunami type events that they can leave you tired, feeling beat up and exhausted. Under this pressure is when trust is forged. Notice I said forged. Can you see a big sweaty guy (bad hygiene) in extreme heat just pounding on a piece of iron with all his might? I’m a husband, father, son and friend. I’m a financial advisor and branch manager. I feel the weight of caring for those in my world and some days that feels like I am being forged. By the end of the week, I’m not bored, but rather I’m exhausted.
It is said every crisis creates an opportunity. When opportunity knocks I can answer or stay on the couch. I don’t believe Life was ever meant to be passive. I can put on the Corona 15 or take this time to work off some stress and improve my physical health. I can take social distancing to an extreme and cut off from relationships that I have been too busy to nurture. Most importantly I can take this time to strengthen myself spiritually rather than drown in the 24-hour news cycle. The Bible tells me, “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.”
Matthew 13:20-21 - NKJV
I want to be deeply rooted in my faith. However, sometimes when life gets tough, I find I’m out of shape spiritually. I haven’t been exercising my faith or eating a decent spiritual diet. So I’m weak, stressed out and I need to get back on track.
It has been in my darkest hours that Jesus has taken the opportunity to reveal himself to me in a new way. In many of these hours, I am proud to say, I have grown more in the season of struggle than years of calm...I also have missed my window of opportunity and spent years recovering and rebuilding from my taking matters into my hands.
In our present situation, I would ask how are you doing spiritually. Breathe. Reflect and find Him.
4.15.20
Our recorded reflection today is from Gloria Brushwyler. Gloria enjoys wearing many hats...except when she doesn't :)....Kevin's partner for 30+ years, proud mother of 3 grown sons Taylor (27), Keith (25) and Colin (21), daughter, sister, teacher, explorer, cook, reader, gardener, dreamer, planner, cleaner, mess maker, swimmer, hiker, yogi. She enjoys the stillness of the morning, the great outdoors and big belly laughs. She is thankful for all the people at Storyline who are in her boat on the river in both the calm waters and the rapids!
Thank you, Gloria!
4.13.20
Our Reflection today is from Jolene DeJong. Jolene is married, a mom of two energetic boys, ages 8 and 10 years old, and now a proud owner of a bernedoodle! She is an Interior designer with a focus in the healthcare market and works for Herman Miller. In her "spare" time she likes exploring outside, reading and journaling. She's been attending StoryLine with her family for about a year now after searching for a church since moving here 6 years ago. Being a life-long follower of Jesus, she is so grateful for this community!
Thank you, Jolene!
FREE US FROM OURSELVES
My thoughts on the “OUTRAGEOUS” things we’ve been asked to do or let go...
Cancel spring break? Are you crazy?
Its been too long that we’ve carved out time to be together!
Really? Homeschooling? I can’t.
Now I have to flip flop from wearing mom hat to work hat to maid hat to chef hat
10 times a day
And this means how many meals ??
You can’t distance us from socializing!
We will just have to enforce more dog walking upon each of us.
I don’t have time to wash my hands THAT LONG!
What about the things we must leave the house for, for our sanity?(ie Church, the gym, book clubs)
At least we can still shop online.
Our house will get so dirty with all of us here all the time!
When will I get me-time? I.N.D.E.P.E.N.D.E.N.C.E. is what we live for!
What about continuous improvement? How can we still be effective “sheltering in place?”
We’ve been working so hard, investing for our future, for our kid's future.
This is all so disruptive.
Harriet Tubman said, “I freed thousands of slaves. I could have freed thousands more if they had known they were slaves.”
Have I been a slave and didn’t even know it? A slave to my own agenda? A slave to conveniences? A slave to our culture’s view of "busier is better?” As I reflect on Jesus’ death and resurrection this past weekend, I couldn’t help but think, perhaps,
Jesus came to save me from myself?
Do I dare take a look at it all through this lens? The “RADICAL” things we’ve been able to do or let happen....through This lens.....
Giving up spring break.....to be together :)
School from a distance is happening in our home. We are all learning.
One hat doesn’t need to come off for the other; just BE PRESENT
A shared meal is the highlight of the day.
Physical distancing is happening, social distancing is not, we’ve been groomed to Zoom.
More dog walking just means more fresh air
The washing hands duration gives MARGIN, to sing a song, lift up a prayer.
The very things we revolved around to get out the door for are now coming to us, into our very own living rooms!
Overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude towards our Mailpersons, FedEx drivers and Prime guys and
gals as we continue our online shopping.
Our dirty house is our home, our safe haven,
the stains that remain will be relics from this time.
I.N.T.E.R.D.E.P.E.N.D.E.N.C.E. is what we need in order to live!
Continuous improvement looks like this; Play first, work some, play again.
Investing in the time I have right now with my family will only give hope to their future.
If it was anything less than disruptive, how would I’ve known I’ve been in bondage?....
....When would have we ever taken the time to recognize this? Why does it take extreme measures to reveal that the things most important to us were here all along but we couldn’t see it? And now that we do...... what do we do about it?
How will we let it impact us ....now? moving forward?
4.8.20
4.6.20
Let's Do This Together
There is a great scene in Gladiator where the hero Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, is thrown into the arena with about a dozen other enslaved "gladiators."
Just before the enemy is unleashed, Maximus turns to those around him and says, "Whatever comes out of these gates, we've got a better chance at survival if we work together. If we stay together we survive."
That is as true for us now as it has ever been for anyone, anywhere at any time. The challenge, of course, is, how? We can't be together in proximity. So, how can we be "apartogether"...on purpose...with purpose?
I don't know how to answer that question for you...
I'm struggling to answer it even for myself.
How are you finding apartogetherness?
Let us know so we can share it with Storyline.
The bible says, "I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Jesus, God’s great mystery." Col. 2:2, msg
Let's do this together!
4.4.20
4.1.20
Good Wednesday morning Storyline,
I hope and pray you and yours are safe and healthy. I'd like to take a second to share with you news on several fronts...
-I've known for a long time that God is up to something truly incredible in and through Storyline, but these last couple of weeks you have blown me away! Groups are meeting together via Zoom. Individuals and families are finding creative ways to reach out and connect with and care for those who are isolated and vulnerable. And SO many Storyliners have contacted me looking for ways to help others and give even more of their time, talent and treasure. Wow! I have tears in my eyes as I write this...you all are truly, truly incredible.
-This Sunday morning at 10:30 we are going to attempt our first ever "Online Storyline Gathering"...I'm a little apprehensive about it (pray for me), not sure how our Gatherings will translate in this setting. I'm very curious to know what you think, so I hope to hear from you next week, with your thoughts and suggestions.
-SO many people have contacted me wanting to know how they can help and give even more. At this point we are directing everyone to our "Give" tab on our website. The time will come when we can offer ourselves, our time, our talent to help others...but at this point if you are feeling led to engage please continue to give. Storyline gave away almost $13,000 last week to individuals, families and local programs and ministries in difficult circumstances as well as the House of Blessing orphanage in Haiti. I'm sure we'll give more in the future as your generosity allows.
Finally, let us remember... the Church, our nation and each and every one of us have come through difficult times in the past - and we will again. Certainly this will change us, but there is a way for it to change us for the better as we seek to live in and live out the Grace of God, "apartogether". More on this Sunday.
I MISS you all.
Be His,
Mike
3.30.20
3.28.20
The Horizon of our Hearts
There are many reasons to frame our life as the bible does in Acts 1:8, "...from Jerusalem, to Judea to the ends of the earth." From what we see, feel and experience every day in our time and place (Jerusalem), to what we see and hear about in our time but in places beyond our experience (Judea), to what we don't see and hear about or experience in any way because they are too far away in distance or time (the ends of the earth).
God, in His grace, is always trying to expand the horizon of our hearts to move beyond our own personal experience...for our own good and the good of the world.
What we are going through now as a community, nation and world in our battle against the Covid-19 virus is an opportunity to do just that. Maybe we can begin by remembering that as serious as this pandemic is, for the poorest 2-3 billion inhabitants of the world, Covid-19 does not even register on their top 10 most challenging and life-threatening day to day realities. Maybe we can continue down this path by remembering that for the vast majority who have ever lived on this planet, as difficult as life has become for us now,
our version of self-quarantining and isolation and massive economic
contraction would be like paradise to them.
We are made in God's image, that means the horizon our heart is designed to encompass the very ends of the earth, not just our own Jerusalem. When it does, so many things begin to happen in us, and God willing, through us...
1. We grow in gratitude for what we have.
2. We flourish with a faith that loves to give what God has given us.
3. We perceive a new perspective on the height of the mountain in front of us
and peace about our ability to climb it.
I'm not suggesting what we are experiencing isn't hard, that it isn't bad. It is. I'm hoping to remind us that our very bad would be most peoples' very, very good and that this can create in us if we'll let it, an enormous amount of
gratitude, faith, perspective, peace and finally...purpose.
The first half of Acts 1:8 says, "you will be given power when the Holy Spirit descends on you..." Power for what? The verse continues, "...to be my witnesses..." that is, to share God's love and grace. Where? "...Jerusalem, Judea and the very ends of the earth."
Gratitude, faith, perspective, peace, and purpose can grow out of the
heart of God we all have - if we'll let it.
I pray this might remind us of what God has done, is doing and will do for all the people of the earth, when our hearts have His horizon -
as concerned for the ends of the earth as we are for our Jerusalem.
Be His,
Mike
3.25.20
UPDATE FROM MIKE:
Hi Storyline,
I hope this finds you well, safe, happy and healthy.
Is it Wednesday already!? Is time flying by or crawling? I wonder how we are experiencing just that aspect of this - time - says about us and our "real" life?
Two comments from my online Community Group on Sunday night have stuck with me this week. One person said, "I'm kinda enjoying this." Now, they were not being callous about the dire realities some people are facing and many of us may yet face, they were talking about the slowing, the pace of life moving from the fast lane to a stroll. I can relate to that. Another person, talking about their teenager, "when she can be with her friends she doesn't want to be, now that she can't be that is all she wants." And my goodness I get that too!
If we aren't careful our real every day life can devolve from an opportunity to an obligation, maybe even an obstacle. And certainly we all have very, very difficult seasons where life just is that way - a constant struggle on every front. Yet, I want to encourage us as this slowed pace is forced onto us, to take advantage of it; to ask ourselves "how am I experiencing this?" Is time flying or crawling? Is my "real" life an opportunity, obligation or obstacle. Maybe as we face the reality of that answer, we can begin to think about how we'll "re-enter" real life in a new way, with a new perspective. Maybe God's perspective? Which sounds a lot more like life is an opportunity...
"Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out. Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Jesus to live.
May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus. The One who called you is completely dependable." 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18, 23-24, msg
My friend Bonnie keeps a gratitude journal, sometimes she shares it with our group. I've learned a LOT from her, I'd sum it up what she's teaching me like this: "Mike, don't take things FOR granted, take them AS granted." It sounds like an opportunity...
I love you all! So grateful to be in this, life, together.
Be His,
Mike
p.s. I get a lot of requests about what I read, watch and listen to...assuming we all have more time on our hands than normal - below, you'll find my list. All I ask is - IF you choose to look, you have to send me at least one recommendation to read, watch or listen to. michael.gathright.storyline@gmail.com
3.23.20
UPDATE FROM MIKE:
One of the reasons we run so fast, work so hard and never stop moving is to avoid meeting the one person that scares us the most - ourselves.
Yes, often our overworked bodies, over-thinking minds and ever anxious souls are just an elaborate distraction to keep us so preoccupied with "life" that we don't take the time to look in the mirror, to reflect deeply on where we are in life and who we are in our life. I suspect we know it won't be pleasant.
The Apostle Paul hinted at this in one of his letters, he said, "It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge." Rms. 7:23, msg.
Each of us is one being with many "parts" and they all don't always agree, they are not all always running on the same Source and toward the same goal.
I've been practicing contemplative prayer for a while now. It is coming to God in prayer with no agenda other than to allow ourselves to be loved by Him. I was telling my friend Judi how hard this has been for me; my mind drifts, I start "talking" to God, thinking about the bills, worrying about my kids, wondering about the future - parts of me flying off in every direction. But Judi encouraged so much with this one line, she said, "...don't worry about all of that just stick with it, things are being re-arranged that you are not aware of, nor should you be."
OH wow! Isn't that an incredibly empowering thought!? It's wonderful. I like that so much...the thought of surrendering into God's love and grace, just soaking it in, "re-arranging" me! AND...I don't have to be aware of it for it to be happening, AND I shouldn't be! I LOVE it...this isn't yet another thing I have to accomplish or achieve - only allow. I'm in!!
Maybe we can take some of the time that has been given to us to be rearranged?
It is something, well, NOT to think about. ;)
Be His,
Mike
3.20.20
One more thought...
I'm finding it difficult to know how concerned to be about this. There is, of course, a great cost if we under-react, but also if we overreact.
So, I'm focusing on controlling what I can and letting go of what I can't. Now, I'll admit, "Social Distancing" is one of my favorite sports, as an introverted hobbit this comes easy to me. Lisa, my explosion-vert wife, feels very differently. In all of this, I'm asking - how can I use this season of over/under reaction to live more proactively?
When we look back at this season of time, what would we love to be able to say, "it was then that I began to live this way." Is it establishing the habit of reading? Praying? Eating meals as a family? Game night? Calling one different friend every day? Keeping a gratitude journal? Exercising? What could it be?
It is important to remember for many of us our lives are busier and much harder right now; for those with underlying health conditions, those over 70, single parents...let's be on the lookout for ways to support and love those whose lives have been complicated on a day to day level - maybe that is how we engage in a new way. Some times we need a reason to change, some times we need an excuse. Instead of over or under-reacting let this be whatever it needs to be to proactively respond - that is called faith.
Be His,
Mike
*We will be sending out a list of what I'm reading, watching and listening to...and would love to get some suggestions from you! Email Mike at:
3.17.20
3.16.20
Dear Storyline,
There are a lot of themes in God's story of Grace that resonate with our particular (and peculiar) community of faith. One of those is certainly our shared aversion for self-quarantining.
There isn't much to like about the situation we find ourselves in, but I am fascinated by this one aspect of Covid-19...it is possible (and in fact, this is the power of this virus) to be asymptomatic and yet contagious. Another way to think about it is - one way to know you "have" it, is if others catch it from you. As deadly as this for viruses it is that much more life-giving for Grace.
For far too long the religious establishment has passed its own test to prove it has God, then, self quarantined - as if they were in danger of being infected. But what if that is exactly backwards? What if Grace is supposed to be the contagion? What if Grace, unleashed through droplets of love spread person to person is the vaccine that inoculates a world dying from spiritual distancing?
I hope we are all being safe and staying healthy, practicing everything our public health officials are encouraging us to do - yet remembering what brings us together is this conviction that we are carriers of a beautiful, mysterious and life-changing contagion, and the way we know we have it isn't by some spiritual test, it is simply, are we giving it to others?
Be His,
Mike