"The Way Forward"- Blessed are the merciful...

Last week was full! We had a special treat on Sisterhood Thursday and a fun time with all our campuses at Sisterhood United on Friday night (click here for Pastor Janis' audio of that night)- free mugs for everyone in attendance!

On Thursday Pastor Brynlee spoke on mercy. If you have ever had the opportunity to talk to her, spend time with her for more than a few minutes you know her love for Jesus and her passion for his people runs deep. She's a treasure. Just to hear her talk about God's mercy is encouraging. If you were unable to listen in on Thursday morning, click here to hear the entire message. I walked in doubting the goodness of God, but left a little more sure that his goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. Maybe you're like me and you doubt or maybe you're not and you don't. Regardless, Jesus passes us each other to encourage, to stand, to celebrate. I'm grateful he passed me Brynlee. My favorite thing she said that morning was, "God is the only one righteous to judge, but he sits on the mercy seat." Think on that.

A portrait of Jesus at the Last Supper from
The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally
Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jago. 

I've been doing a lot of reading this week- reading, meditating, sharing my thoughts with friends, praying, lather/rinse/repeat. One of the things I read (three days in a row) was Luke 24. This recounts Jesus' resurrection, appearance to Mary, walk on the road to Emmaus, appearance to the rest of the disciples, final instructions to believers, and ascension. So, a lot happens here, but I want to focus on the time Jesus spent with two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus.

I've always loved this story, in fact several years ago I painted verse 32, "'Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?,'"and look at it every day. But something new, something I never noticed before was Jesus' care and concern for his friends. The Living Bible says in verse 28 that "Jesus would have gone on." He would have done other things, appeared to more people, ate some dinner- who knows?!- but he wouldn't have stayed except that his friends insisted. I imagine it's because he loved them so much that he stayed. I imagine it's because of his merciful nature that even though he spent time rebuking them on their walk for not believing all the prophets had written about the Messiah in the Scriptures, he stayed. And then something amazing, something really beautiful happened. Jesus blessed the food. He took the bread and broke it. And as he passed it to his friends they immediately recognized him (they hadn't before, read the whole story starting in verse 13 for context). He did an ordinary thing, something he had always done. Is that why they remembered?  Did they remember the Last Supper and all the countless meals they had shared together? Did they remember that day with the loaves and the fish when Jesus broke the bread and offered them to take part in the miracle with him? Jesus took something as ordinary as breaking bread and made it sacred. That can't be overstated. Sacred, beautiful, inspired moments take place around tables, in homes. You are the church wherever you go. You have agency to make disciples wherever you go. Jesus expects it. I love the challenge Luke 6:36 offers, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."Ask Him to shape your character today, to make you more like him. Ask Him to show you what he's up to in you and the world at large today. Take part in the great treasure hunt. Call the treasure out of each other and pursue mercy so you will be shown mercy.

***For further reading on mercy read the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. I love the image of the father running to his son while the boy is still a long way off. He can't wait to scoop him up and embrace him and forgive him and care for him. He can't wait to show him mercy. Be like the Father.

***And, for your listening enjoyment this Amanda Cook song "Mercy" which is another one of my favorites right now.

Share your thoughts and reactions here or with some friends in real life. Engage your faith this week. Engage your Father this week. You'll be surprised with what he has for you.

I love you, girls!

P.S. A few things regarding the Sisterhood blog:
Last year I piloted the blog. I tried a format which was largely summary of messages and a short reflection following. I thought I might go back to that format after my last post, but I probably won't do much outlining this go around. If you'd like to listen to the messages again and fill in the missing pieces in your notes, please use the link provided for the podcast in each post. Going forward I would like the blog to be a place where you and I engage our faith, ask hard questions, pray for one another, seek our Father. I would like it to be an avenue of community. Honestly, I enjoy these things infinitely more than summarizing.

The Way Forward (weeks 1-3)

Hi friends!

It's 2016 and Sisterhood is back! Pastor Janis has been preaching from the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. If you've been able to attend at all, you know it's been beautiful and challenging and wonderful and difficult. The premise is the Beatitudes are "The Way Forward," they're the truths that shape our lives and show us how to embrace kingdom living. This way, though, is about being vulnerable. It's about surrender. It's about trust. This way is nothing less than taking up the cross.

At the end of her second message in this series, Pastor Janis said something profound, something that keeps resonating in my spirit: "There must be an emptying before there is a filling." I think these words matter so much to me because God is asking me to empty myself. It's been a confusing couple of weeks. I've experienced loss and purposelessness and loneliness. In the middle of all these things I've felt far from God and so I started doing the only thing I knew to do- cut back distractions, turn off the noise so I can try to hear my Father. Things like social media and games and comparison and approval of man and mindless pursuits pile up like thick underbrush in the jungle. But I'm on a journey and God is leading and He has a destination in mind. I have to have machete in hand to cut back everything that gets in the way. Often times this means fighting back myself, my flesh. Pastor Janis reminded us that navigating life is about overcoming ourselves. It's amazing how removing distractions, opening His Word, and asking God to speak is all the invitation He needs to move in and move things around.

Just yesterday I was reading Philippians 2, studying up for my connect group, and I encountered what felt like one million verses on Christ's selflessness and obedience. I quickly pulled up a few tabs on why obedience is important to God. You know, I thought I'd do some research. And then I realized I was pressed for time so I prayed and asked God to show me why he cares so much about obedience (namely because one of friends told me I could ask God how to accelerate this wilderness time through obedience). Not really expecting to hear anything right away, I resumed my house cleaning and isn't it just like God to bring things to your mind while you're doing something mundane like vacuuming? I kept thinking about those verses I had read, about what it would take for me to really be like Christ. God asked me why I expect my daughter to obey me. I thought about how it's important for Em to obey because I want to protect her, if she doesn't listen to me or do as I say she might get hurt. Obedience is a sign of trust; I want Em to trust that I love her enough to take the best care of her. I want obedience to be a thing she wants to do and not a chore. I want my daughter to obey me so things will go well for her in her life. How much more does God want those things for me?! How much more does he love me, care for me, protect me, help me so things go well for me? How much more? I'm grateful for the time He took to explain that to me. I'm grateful that God is personal. While research is good, nothing beats going straight to your Dad seeking answers and help and safety. Nothing beats that. This study of the Beatitudes will challenge us and take us to new depths in God if we empty ourselves and allow God to fill us with himself alone.

In traditional Leah-fashion I have a few links to share with you.

1. I've had a song rolling around in my head, challenging me nearly every day for the last few weeks- What a Saviour. It's honestly just one line in the whole song that keeps getting me. "If this life holds nothing but my Saviour, I will praise you always." Really? Will I really praise Him if all I ever get out of this life is Jesus? If none of the dreams I dream ever come to fruition, if I never get to try anything new, if the only roles I ever fill are wife/mom/friend, will I still praise Jesus? Will I love him and pursue him for his intrinsic value, or am I only after relationship with God for what I can get out of it? I'd like to think not. I'd like to think I'm better than that- better at love, better at relationships, better at doing what's right, better at letting go and giving things up, but I'm not. Will you continue to praise Jesus if he's the only thing your life has in store?

2. On a lighter note, here's the link to Week 3 of "The Way Forward." I'll try to update these as quickly as they are made available on the website.

3. FINALLY (I saved something really awesome for last!), our first Sisterhood United event of 2016 is this Friday night, February 19th at 7 pm! Check out our Facebook page for more event information and click this link if you'd like to preregister for the event (it's essentially a fast pass for the night of and you'll receive a confirmation e-mail and everything!).

I love you girls so much. I'm looking forward to hugging as many of you as possible on Thursday at Sisterhood and at least one hundred more of you on Friday night for our United event.

Love,
Leah