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Happy New Year, dear ones. After roughly 10 years on the socials, this small breathing space seems like a good time to push my own reset button. Here are some of the things you’ll see on this TL going forward…
Focus will shift away from curated news/cultural analysis, and refocus on spiritual formation surrounding Christian Endurance - especially in times where being a Christian is hard and things get real. Some highlights:
1 The Other-Cultural/Other-Political Community: Who are God’s People? What’s our purpose? Complex questions. I’ve wept, prayed, and spoken with many of you who, like me, want to better understand what it means to be an “other” kind of people in this world.
So if you, too, are weary of culturally, politically, and ideologically shaped forms of Christianity, this TL aims to be an oasis … a breathing space to press the reset button on the basic practices of the global Christian faith. Welcome.
2 Christian Endurance: Expect thoughts from historical and contemporary voices who think deeply about endurance under trials for the sake of Christ. Not just their personal testimonies and accounts, but the habits and practices that have helped them endure.
3 Spiritual Formation: I’ll talk more about spiritual formation around the Story that defines us: a community that spans time, ethnicity, and geography. Who has historically lived closer to this Story in history? What kind of person does that Story call you and me to be today?
((For more on this, check the spiritual formation part of the @EdmistonCenter website … scroll down from this link. I’m forever grateful to @brianfikkert for this refining/clarifying language)). https://edmistoncenter.org/certificate/
4 Prayer and Discipleship: You’ll see more posts on prayer and discipleship formed around the Ancient Story, and occasional posts about the idols that fight for our attention.
4 The Gospel: You’ll see more about the transformative Gospel of Jesus Christ as seen around the globe. When Jesus spent time with people, they came away significantly transformed in every area of their lives - either toward Him, or away from him.
((Sidenote: I suppose that if the powerful, transformative Gospel was what people meant when they said “just preach the Gospel,” it would actually connote something humbling, positive and Kingdom-powerful rather than something dismissive and culture-bound.))
Let’s be real… people aren’t risking all in closed countries for a politically and culturally bound American Gospel of prosperity, politics, victory, and social change; they’re risking everything for something altogether different. That’s the Gospel I want to see in my life.
And while we’re here: How many US Christians who fight vigorously for religious freedom, cultural change or cultural preservation have shared the genuine Gospel recently? Are we too taken up with discipling people into political, cultural, or ideological movements? Oop I digress.
5 Devotions: Finally, you’ll see more devotional material to focus heart and mind - especially for those experiencing the cultural “un-belonging” for the sake of following Christ.
So welcome, and thanks for coming along. I appreciate you and all God’s done to carry us to this point, and I’m glad we can walk forward together and not alone.
