Field notes on life and mission with God after Christendom
When it comes to prayer, one of the traps I seem to easily fall into is seeking the secondary effects of prayer instead of simply praying, conjuring a certain state of “prayerfulness” instead of simply getting down to the business of praying.
[Read more…] about Actually Praying Vs. Conjuring “Prayerfulness”
This morning I was reading the Scriptures from the Daily Office Lectionary and felt like God encouraged me with one of the passages from Haggai. I also felt like it might be an encouraging word for others out there who are planting new expressions of church. So if you’re doing the slow work of rooting a community of faith in discipleship and mission, this one’s for you!
The context is the rebuilding of the temple after the exile, and the Lord has “stirred up the spirit of the whole remnant of the people” to work on the building the house of the Lord, a place for him to dwell on earth. They begin in earnest, excited about the vision and expecting great things.
As Lent begins, I’ve been focusing on Jesus’ temptations in the desert, and looking at how we can engage with those “arch-temptations” in order to reduce the resistance to the “rivers of living water” that are supposed to be flowing out of us. We’ve explored appetite and affirmation. Now we move to ambition.
The three areas Jesus was tempted in correspond roughly with the three aspects of the fruit that Eve found appealing in Genesis 3, and also with what old Apostle John calls “all that is in the world” (1 John 2:16)
These arch-temptations are (as alliterated by Mike Breen):
Let’s dive into ambition today.
As Lent begins, I’ve been focusing on Jesus’ temptations in the desert, and looking at how we can engage with those “arch-temptations” in order to reduce the resistance to the “rivers of living water” that are supposed to be flowing out of us. Last time we looked at appetite. Today we move to affirmation.
The three areas Jesus was tempted in correspond roughly with the three aspects of the fruit that Eve found appealing in Genesis 3, and also with what old Apostle John calls “all that is in the world” (1 John 2:16) [Read more…] about Engaging Temptation: Affirmation
As part of our community’s current series (Covenant and Kingdom), I recently preached on Jesus’ temptations. Over the past few weeks we’ve been grappling as a community with what it looks like to intentionally engage in the three main areas Jesus seems to have been tempted in. Last night at our leadership Huddle we talked specifically about what God seems to be leading us to do to engage with these areas. As we enter into Lent today, I thought it fitting to meditate briefly on these temptations.
The three areas Jesus was tempted in correspond roughly with the three aspects of the fruit that Eve found appealing, and also with what old Apostle John calls “all that is in the world” (1 John 2:16). As such, I believe they are “arch-temptations,” i.e. deeply rooted idols that we will be warring with until the kingdom comes in its fullness. We’ll look at one temptation today, another on Friday, and the third next Monday.
