community and Christ

"Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ....We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

My husband is taking a course called "Classics of Christian Literature". Naturally, the first thing I did was nose through the books he picked up for the class. I've started reading through Bonhoeffer's Life Together; really, I could probably quote the entire book. I loved The Cost of Discipleship, and it seems this one is just as challenging.

Though he's writing about the Christian brotherhood/community in particular, the idea of approaching others in and through Christ can really be applied to any other Christian we relate to. Which makes me think about how I interact with my husband. Do I approach him through the grace and mercy of Christ? Or do I handle our relationship through my own limited human means? I know more often than not, it's the latter.

So how do I approach everyone, not just the church or even fellow believers, in and through Christ? How will it change how I act and react to others?

waiting for autumn

This may sound odd, but I'm completely psyched about the approach of autumn. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the explosion of colors as the leaves start to turn. The brisk air, the thick sweaters, the chunky yarn that is extra-popular during the fall months. Curling up with a blanket and thick socks, reading a good classic (right now I'm reading Stoker's Dracula because for some reason in my mind, I associate it with autumn). I even rushed to complete one of my crochet projects today so it would be ready for the cooler air (it's a super chunky wrap).

So I'm ignoring the fact that it's still reaching 90 degrees almost every day. I'm itching for the cooler weather. It's just something about that time of year that makes me feel closer to God. Maybe it's because I love the season so much that I feel closer to nature/creation, and therefore, God. Or I love big, bulky sweaters, and being more comfortable with myself helps me to be more comfortable in general.

Regardless of the reason, I'm looking forward to this next "season" in my life.

simple ministry

Ministry. The word sounds so “official”, evoking images of all of the customary ministries the average church-goer encounters: the pastor's duties, the children's ministry, youth group, etc. Or we think of men or women with websites or blogs that reach hundreds or thousands of readers each day, teaching and encouraging others in Christ.

But ministry isn't just for someone with a seminary degree. How do we expect the body of Christ to work when we expect the minority to do the work of the majority?

All of us are called to minister according to our spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor. 12). It doesn't have to be on a grand scale or impact hundreds at a time.

Some ideas for simple ministry:

* baking something tasty for a friend or family member that's sick or feeling a little down

* sending a quick "thinking of you" card to older relatives that you don't see often (I read a suggestion somewhere of carrying cards with you in your purse so that if you're stuck waiting in an office, you can whip them out and write a quick note)

* providing breakfast (muffins, bagels, orange juice) to your co-workers on a Monday morning

Christ calls us to do what we can, where we are. Ministry is a day by day, moment by moment thing. So what can God do through you today?

difference

Sometimes God will use the oddest things to get my attention. Recently, He used hip hop lyrics. My husband bought Lecrea's (a Christian rap/hip hop artist) CD, Rebel. Listening to it on the way home from the local Christian bookstore, one verse from the song "Go Hard" stabbed me deeply:

If you didn't know Christ would ya life look the same
Can they tell you value Jesus by the way you rep his name?

I couldn't help but wondering if my life would really look any different if I weren't a Christian. I've always been the "good girl", so I'm not sure how different my morals really would have been. What am I doing for the Lord that is beyond myself? Am I moving beyond myself towards Christ? Or am I content just living life as is, missing out on the "full" life that He intended for me (John 10:10).

So my prayer for this week is not to be content in where I am in relation to God. I want to move closer to Him, and I'm going to trust Him to pull me towards Himself.