Letters to a Congregation
Every Thursday I write a pastoral letter to the west congregation of The Austin Stone Community Church. These letters are simple, pastoral musings on what it looks like to live a life that is attentive to God in the midst of a shared context.
The One About Full Size Pickups, Traffic Lights, Copperheads and the Goodness of God
The bible is full of instructions around thanksgiving. We are commanded to be thankful, and I think it is in part because thankfulness is very good for us. It right sizes current obstacles, and it reminds us of the faithfulness of God through our past, which provokes us to trust Him with our unknown futures.
The One About the Slap Heard Around the World and What It Teaches Us About Being Human
Go to counseling. Say “sorry.” Say “I forgive you.” Try to mean it.
Go to counseling again. Repeat.
As recipients of the gospel, we are able to take our hurts to a God who understands pain and so we don’t have to carry it around forever, with the constant risk that one day it will flare up and hurt us or those around us, or both.
The One About Living With Your Parents, the Complexity of King David, and the Inescapable Messy Wonder of Being a Human Person
Every single day is an opportunity from God to revel in the love of the son of David. Don’t miss out through pretense.
Every single day is an opportunity from God to marvel at the extraordinarily ordinary means of grace that God gives us in the presence of fellow image bearers. Don’t miss out through judgment.