Like a Child | God as Father

It’s no accident that all four of the gospels begin with the revelation of God as a loving father to all of humanity. The exploration of the incarnate God, the journey of discovering Jesus, begins with the revelation of God as a father doting on his son.

The father child relationship is so important in my own personal life journey. The relationship I had with my father had a tremendous impact on my life. His emotional absence and the lack in our relationship has been a source of grief and great pain staining my belief about myself, and creating trauma that impacts the way I approach relationships with others. It interferes with the way I father, and opposes the way I even care for myself.

I know I’m not alone in this, so many people have been impacted by their relationships with their fathers, and yet that is the way God chose to reveal himself to humanity, and each gospel accounts this revealing of Jesus, his son. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, all describe the event of Jesus’ baptism. The first words we hear God speak in the New Testament are those of a doting father, who delights in his son. Imagine with me this moment: it’s been 400 years since God has spoken through the prophets, or revealed himself to his people. Suddenly, a prophet is revealed: some crazy man named John who wears camel skin and wanders the desert. He’s warning everyone to repent of their sins and turn to God.(Matt 3:2; Mark 3:4; Luke 3:7). 

God, in all his power, and all that holiness, and all that expectation, reveals himself during Jesus’ baptism as a loving father; one who is well pleased with his son. This is so vastly different than the voice booming on the mountain side, accompanied with thunder and lightning and fire and smoke.(Exodus 19:16-18).

I love the juxtaposition of these realities as expressed in John 1:17: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” Jesus, he explains in John 1:12, gives us the right to become children of God. This really sets apart the work of Jesus as he brings another revelation of the heart of the father. God, as is even portrayed in the Old Testament, is full of mercy, generous, kind, and loving. He can be trusted, depended on. He is one who heals, who speaks kindly, who loves to show mercy, who is patient, and long suffering. He is one who waits expectantly with a ring and a robe to welcome us home. He is one who leaves the ninety-nine to pursue the one astray. He is a father, who is avidly pursuing our hearts. He deeply longs to be in a relationship with us, his children. He is a good father who loves us. Take a moment to listen to this YouTube playlist of songs while considering these truths. I pray these songs bless you and minister to your heart as you consider how much the Lord loves you today. You are his dearly loved child. Rest in that today.

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About the Author

Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and four kids. He loves Jesus, art, music, and poetry. He currently works as the Manager of Learning Technology Solutions for Los Angeles Pacific University and is passionate about adventuring outdoors.

Like a Child | Bright Eyed Wonder

“May we never lose our wonder
Wide eyed and mystified
May we be just like a child
Staring at the beauty of our King.”
-Wonder, by Bethel

Children look at the world in a different way than adults do. They are filled with curiosity. They have an innocence to them. They are not jaded nor judgemental. They take people at their word and trust them. This is how we should approach our relationship with Christ. We are to expect miracles from him, not question his capabilities. It is easy to ask little things of God. But, what about the big things? Think about a child before Christmas they have big expectations. They don’t ask for socks. They ask for bicycles. In the same way we should ask big things of God and believe Him for the impossible. As a child trusts their loving parents to give good gifts, so should we entrust our hopes to Him who delights in fulfilling the desires of our hearts.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not writing about a prosperity gospel where God is a vending machine or a genie. It is not an ask and you shall receive relationship. Instead, it is a hopeful, trusting dynamic, where we place our faith in the one who knows the desires of our hearts and knows what is best for us and delights in giving good gifts to His children. Thinking back on my own journey of my expansion of faith, I remember asking God to nurture and grow friendships in Eugene when I first moved to town. Little did I know that he would build a strong support system around me and establish for me a new and rewarding life here. He blessed me with a community at CitySalt that is now like that of a family. I was given the joy of sharing a duplex with one of my now best friends, Jessy. Even when I did not know what to expect or seek out, God was faithful in answering my prayers beyond my wildest dreams.

As I think about my own outlook on God, I question if He wants to care for me, and if He has my best in mind. I do this at times, because I know what I have in mind for my well being and I wonder why God does not answer me the way I want him to. Why does he not fulfill my greatest imaginations for me and bring all I want to pass? I may never have the answer to these questions, but I have learned that God is always faithful. Our finite minds cannot comprehend all that God has in store for us. He may reveal it just one step at a time, like walking through a fog. Or he might welcome us into the vast expanse of an open field and open our eyes to his fresh beginnings. Other times there may be a veil that covers us as a hedge of protection and the truth may not be uncovered until we reach Heaven.

As a wise father or mother, Christ knows what is best for me even when I do not. And He will always look out for me and have the best intentions. He is in control and cares for each one of His children uniquely and equally. We are adopted into His family and made new in his image. He has great plans for us. All we are to do is listen to him, trust him and know him. As we walk in His ways and are obedient to him, He will care for us and guide us in ways everlasting.

In Mark 10:13-16 Jesus proclaims, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Children have a vast imagination. If they were asked to believe Christ about heaven they likely would. They are able to imagine and share Christ’s vision for eternity. They have a bright eyed wonder about the future. They are optimistic. And so should we be. 

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About the Author

Mollie is recently married to her wonderful husband Dustin. She is a Wound Care RN at McKenzie Willamette Hospital. She enjoys being creative, getting outdoors and spending time with friends and family.

Like a Child | Through a Child's Eyes

I was gazing at our one-year-old first grandson the other day, and I just couldn't avert my eyes. Why should I? His deep baby-blues are just like his lovely mother Michaela's. Later I took an international poll and he was voted the world's cutest baby. Okay, I exaggerate. Just a little. 

He's a brand-new human, fresh and lively, and there is something so captivating about a child's innocent face and his constant discoveries. I have to say that noticing a subtle resemblance to my son and me is a transcendent feeling.

As any new baby, he's outfitted with an open heart and mind. In between circling back to the security and warmth of his mother's embrace, he charges ahead - eyes, mouth and hands-first, exploring anything and everything. He looks at me with the same curiosity, and I am able to coax a toothy smile as he remembers my face and remembers that he trusts me. 

I am so humbled by this.

With our own kids, fatherhood was of course all new and frankly, terrifying. How could Colby and I not feel the weight of this great responsibility? Our babies came without an instruction manual or even a warranty. Over time we adapted and learned, but in the process, we certainly made our share of mistakes. 

People always say that grandparenting is all fun with none of the work. Yes, this is mostly true and I've never been a big dirty diaper fan, but there is more. As with any new season in our life, it's teaching time. As Beckham explores, I am doing the same. His first year in my life has been splendid and euphoric, but also deeply spiritual. 

Maybe even a bit of do-over?

Don't get me wrong, I loved being a Dad, and I still do. But over the years the pressures of life took a toll, and I paid it. Thankfully grace abounds in our family, and if we humbly circle around and hang in there, Abba Father will continue His good work. With our grandson, in this heart of mine, it suddenly seems fresh and new. 

Now I've found another little boy again, and it's me.

I watch my son Taylor as he works so patiently with Beckham, with a simple joy while staying deep in their moment. They both are trusting, tender, kind and funny - just like our own Heavenly Father. I am amazed and so pleased. And I'm taking notes.

How strange, it seems like role-reversal. They both are modeling fruits of the spirit in their new relationship, and it's affecting me in such a good way. Jesus was so right about letting the little children come to Him.

Mathew 19:14, 15
“Let the children alone", he said. "Don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.”

Who knew a one-year old boy could teach this old guy so much?

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About the Author

Terry is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.

He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.

Like a Child | Childlike Wonder

Jesus obviously valued the attitude, humility, and perspective of children, shown when He said “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” But why? 

Aside from the Sunday-School-answer of us needing to humbly acknowledge our childlike dependency on His saving grace in order to be forgiven and made pure, I think there is more. In order to appreciate Heaven (and not just the after-death aspect of it, but also being part of the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth), I think we need to see the world with child-like wonder. 

Think about the first time you saw something that blew your mind when you were a kid. For me, that was probably Smith Rock State Park. I went to it with my family as a tween, and my jaw dropped at the grandeur. Over the course of my life, I’ve been lucky and privileged enough to see some amazing sights, including one of the actual Wonders of the World, Chichén Itzá. At times I’ve gotten to a point of being desensitized to them. Oh, look, another pretty mountain. Ho, hum. I’ve seen it happen in others, too. Several years ago, I drove my friend’s kids to their home in Montana after visiting their grandparents here in Oregon, and we took the scenic route. We hiked through the Painted Hills and stopped to see the Wallowa Mountains. But the kids weren’t impressed. They knew they had bigger, more epic scenes at home in Montana. They’d lost some of their childlike wonder. Note: I can’t blame them too much. After getting them home, my friend took us all to Glacier National Park there in Montana. It has been my favorite national park ever since then, and no scenery has topped it for me.

Currently, I’m blessed with the opportunity to show my family wonders they’ve never seen. Chris had seen many amazing sights around the USA when he was young, but for some reason missed most of them in and around Oregon. The kids had only seen a few neat places on day trips with aunts and uncles that have since moved out of the state. So I get to play tour guide, experiencing the wonder of places I’ve been before with fresh eyes while I see them light up as they take in the beauty and scale of a scene or landmark. And I remember what it means to enjoy a place as they run around and play. Why stand there and look at a redwood when you can climb around on its giant trunk and roots? 

When I was younger, I lived for giant mountains, cascading waterfalls, or rocky landscapes smelling of sagebrush. I was disappointed if a vista or landmark didn’t meet my expectations. As I’ve traveled more and more, I have become more intentional about finding the beauty in everything. On my last big road trip, I drove through several states visiting friends and relatives. This included Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and the Southwestern states. After leaving Denver, I expected to be bored and sad that the mountains were behind me. Instead, I gazed at the wide horizon as I drove through endless green cornfields in Kansas, interrupted by the “Cathedral of the Plains” (a beautiful church in the middle of nowhere). I then reveled in century-old art deco architecture in Tulsa, Oklahoma before my friend there took me kayaking on a reservoir surrounded by every color of green tree. Texas had fascinating finds, too, but I’m running out of room to write. I haven’t even begun to discuss how interesting people are all over the world. But I think you get my point. 

The beautiful world of scenery and humanity is only the beginning. Someday, we will soak in the grandeur of Heaven and God Himself. Until then, let’s practice seeing the world we’re in now with childlike wonder.

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About the Author

Jessie is a novice writer, with several books in various stages and a blog about travel and the journeys of women. She is very excited to be a part of the CitySalt blog team. She has been blessed by a few communities of Christian writers that have encouraged her dream. She lives with her sweet husband, Chris, their 5 funny kids, and 1 fluffy cat in Springfield. She loves hiking and other outdoor and indoor adventures with her family.

Like a Child | In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…

When asked to write a guest blog on the topic of being like a child, I have to say I got excited. Like really excited…like a child excited, which, if you know me, is kind of the norm. I love children and have long since identified with them in many ways. Height, humor, childlike voice, spontaneity, adoration of Narnia and hobbits, and even the size of my hands have been identified as “child” sized. Also having spent so many years with children in the classroom, I can safely say being with the kids is my favorite place to be, but bear with me for a second. A moment if you will… children have the advantage over us adults in so many ways, and it makes me so excited (as I said before) that Jesus loves the children. I mean REALLY loves the children. Which means the Father loves the children, and the Father has told us, his children, that in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven, we must change and be like children (Matthew 18:3). I’m super excited about entering (coming into) that space and place of heaven and his kingdom, so a command to change and be like a child? Check. What comes next?

Let’s lean in and “listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will be changed- in a moment (a flash-NIV), in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet.” In the 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 passage, the apostle Paul is talking about the resurrection body, and uses the term “twinkling of an eye” or at least it was translated to mean that. What I want to focus on is the moment in which something happens. The definition of moment is “a comparatively brief period of time”. I love definitions and could spend all day unpacking all of the meanings of the word “moment” but I will stay on the one that means-instant. A fraction of a second. An amount of time that is considered minute. That's “Mine-oot” phonetically speaking. Soooo small. It means that Jesus says we will be changed that quickly, instantly. 

Do you think you could see that quickly? Do you believe that you could see when that moment or instant happened and everything changed? A large part of my faith journey has been to try to isolate that moment in the bible. I love trying to figure out the instant things changed for the disciples when they were with Jesus. Let’s look at a couple stories and give it a try.

John 6:5-13
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. (what a funny guy, giving tests to his disciples!) 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (yes, the children have what we need! haha) 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Well, did you see it? Could you tell the moment things changed?? The actual instant the 2 fish became 5 thousand fish? The moment or flash of time that made 5 barley loaves, hundreds of baskets full of barley loaves?? Wow, ok me neither. Ok kids, let’s try another one…

John 2:5-9
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.

Well?? How about now?? Water/Wine/Water/Wine? Slight of the hand? I don't think so. I’m not trying to insinuate that Jesus is using some type of cheap magic trick. What I would like to propose is that he is the truth and the truth is that we will be changed in an instant, and that the twinkling of an eye could be his eye when he looks at us with love. That love changes everything, even us whether or not we can spot it, watch it, feel it, or even understand it. I used to tell my foster son that he is the twinkle in God’s eye and mine too. Can we allow that twinkle or flash of light invade our worlds, knowing he loves us? Can we be like a child and in an instant allow Jesus to change things in our worlds today, tomorrow, soon? Will we allow the Kingdom of Heaven to be with us now? Could we be excited for the things we cannot comprehend, but be excited for the one who DID change everything in an instant?

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About the Author

Ruth is a teacher who loves her family, friends, bending any ear about Jesus and spending time flying by the seat of her pants to far off places, and hopefully more soon!

Like a Child | In Awe of God Playing Hide and Seek

“And Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of God.’” Matthew 18:3

When I think of what makes a child a child, a lot of different and sometimes very contradictory things come to mind. For example, a child can be incredibly sweet and endearing, but they can also be very selfish and mean. They can show great love and give you undivided attention, but then they can turn around, totally ignore you and act as if you don’t matter at all. They can be playful and light-hearted and then, in the flash of a second, can turn and be moody and depressive. 

So what was Jesus talking about when he said that to enter the kingdom of God, we must be like a child? Does he want us to be impetuous, unpredictable and lacking in self-control as children so often are? Or could it be simpler than that? Could it have less to do with our childlike personalities and more to do with his desire simply to be in a close, loving relationship with us, like a Father or a Mother? Maybe he wants to be for us like a good, good father who we recognize as our creator, our sustainer, our strength, our wisdom-giver… the one who loves us unconditionally? Does he simply want us to be dependent on him, like a little child is toward their good father or mother? I’m thinking this might be closer to the mark of what God is looking for.

Children generally love to play games, and an all-time favorite is Hide and Seek. It seems like sometimes God plays this game with us, his children. At times he seems to hide from us and other times he seeks us out. It seems we also try to hide from him at times and then at other times we seek him out. 

Even as adults we are invited in the same way to look for God and to find him in sometimes the most unusual circumstances of our lives. Here are three examples, two that happened to two friends of mine and one that just recently happened to me.

Our friend, Betsy, lost her teenage son to a motorcycle accident. Wracked with grief, she held fast to the Lord but struggled with depression and a sense of hopelessness. After her son’s funeral she took home the flowers that had been displayed at the Memorial Service. One was a kind of lily that usually only blooms in the Spring. But exactly on her son’ birthday in the Fall, the lily bloomed with one large, beautiful flower. And then, after that flower had faded away, the plant did not blossom again until exactly Easter morning and this time it had three beautiful flowers. Both of these bloomings held great symbolic meaning for Betsy, who received them as a message from God that she was loved, her grief was seen and that her son was safe now and with his Heavenly Father.

I have another friend who lost his wife about three years ago. In deep grief, he went about his days doing what he needed to do with work and with others in his family, but he missed his wife terribly. One day while walking downtown with his head lowered, he noticed a dime on the sidewalk. Without thinking much about it, he leaned down and picked it up. The next day he was walking again in another part of town and, looking down, saw another dime on the sidewalk! This was interesting. It was not a penny, a nickel or a quarter, but a dime. The next day the same thing happened…and this continued to happen daily for weeks. When he was telling me about this, he was absolutely convinced that these daily dimes were secret little messages from God, saying, “I see you. I love you. You’re going to be ok. Your wife is here with me and doing well” and expressing other sentiments like this. This was a grown, middle-aged, intelligent man with a successful business who was convinced that God was spreading dimes out for him to find across the city! To me this sounds like a childlike faith in a game of “God’s Hide and Seek”.

My story is a little bit similar. This last Thanksgiving, I realized I was heading down into a funk that happens often during the winter holidays. I know it was in large part due to missing my wife, but it had also been a seasonal occurrence for many years, even before I was married. I had a wonderful holiday with my kids and grandkids, but this funk was simmering in the depths of my soul. One day when I was feeling especially discouraged, I glanced at the clock and it read 1:11. I thought nothing of it. Later that day I glanced at the clock and it read 5:55.

The next day I looked up to find 3:33. Sometime the next day I saw 4:44. I went to bed early and woke up to see 11:11. The next day I thought I’d check my email and the phone opened to show me it was 2:22. This went on till after the New Year and it actually is still happening from time to time now.

I absolutely know how crazy this might seem to people, especially non-believers, but I was convinced after the third or fourth occurrence that God was shooting me a quick little reminder that he was with me, that things would get better and be ok, that my wife was with him and doing well. So every time I see the clock show a time like that, I just smile and say “Thank you, Lord!”

Just like a little child.

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About the Author

John lives in Pleasant Hill with his dog, Gunnar, and a multitude of guests who enjoy the peace and beauty of the Cascade foothills. With three children and three grandchildren all living in Oregon, he is continually blessed with their company and the good food that always accompanies their get-togethers!

Like a Child | God Wants Kids Who Shout

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Children are a picture of hope, joy, optimism and faith. Jesus invites us to reconnect with the child inside of us as we prepare to approach him, in a posture of trust and complete dependence. Join the CitySalt blog team as we consider how to take on the attributes of a child and rediscover these inner parts of ourselves. 

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As a parent of four, I often crave quiet. I sometimes get tired of all the noise that inevitably accompanies a house full of children. But God isn’t always on my side when it comes to noise. Sure, God is sometimes the God of silence and a still small voice, but at other times it seems God wants some shouting and yelling, even when the adults want quiet.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that when Jesus finally arrived in Jerusalem and entered the temple, the kids started shouting, and the teachers who were there got very angry about what they were yelling.

Matthew 21:12-17 (NIV)
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants
you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Jesus’ presence in the temple that day was a serious disruption of the normal worship rituals as he turned over tables full of money, knocked over benches full of birds, and cured the blind and lame. Can you imagine the sounds: crashing furniture, coins hitting the stone floor, birds flapping and squawking, and the joyous yells of people being healed from lifelong ailments? Added to this cacophony were the shouts of children saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” It must have been quite the commotion!

The religious leaders in the temple didn’t like the children shouting in this way, and they expected Jesus to do something about it. Whether in the temple of Jesus’ day or in the church of our day, children are often told to be quiet in religious spaces. But not Jesus. Instead of telling the children to be quiet, Jesus silenced the religious leaders. He told them that it is the children who have it right. Far from inappropriate, their shouts of praises are what this moment demanded.

The religious leaders and the children are both witnessing the same thing. Jesus is doing “wonderful things (v.15).” Yet it is only the children who know how to respond appropriately. They are the ones in the story who know better. How can that be? I have a few ideas…

1. Children are ready to celebrate good things.
   You don’t have to teach a child to celebrate or shout. You don’t have to teach a child to sing or dance. You have to teach them not to. Adults help children learn cultural rules about when and how it is appropriate to celebrate, but when cultural rules are getting in the way of real authentic celebrations, it is often the kids who are the first to challenge the rules. This is what was happening in the temple. Jesus was healing people who needed healing. He was also exposing systems that were taking advantage of people. The children could recognize that this was a moment to celebrate, and regardless of what the adults were doing they were ready to shout “Hosanna” in the temple at the top of their lungs.

2. Children are sensitive to unfair power structures.
   Children often seem distracted or unaware of what is going on around them. As a dad, I’ve done my share of telling my kids to listen up and pay attention. The truth, however, is that children are quite aware and attentive to many things, just not the things that I want. One thing that children seem to be hyper aware of are systems or situations that are unjust or unfair. Children are aware of their dependence on adults for the things that they need, and because of that they are also very aware of how systems of power are working or not working for themselves and others. Children are especially good at exposing rules that aren’t really working the way they were intended. When power structures hurt or neglect other people or treat some people unfairly, it is often children who will be quick to notice and to want to do something about it. I wonder if that is one of the reasons the children shouted in the temple. Perhaps they were sensitive to those who were not being taken care of in the current system, and they were hopeful that Jesus was going to do something about it. They were right!

3. Children ask lots of questions.
   Children, by nature, are extremely open and flexible in how they process the world around them. That is how they learn so much so fast. They are full of questions and curiosity about the things that they don’t understand, and they are constantly assimilating new information. I can distinctly remember all four of my kids going through a phase where they asked “Why?” all the time about everything. As annoying as that might have been at times, it is one of the great gifts that children give adults: a moment to stop and ask why about our unquestioned habits. Through their questions, children often reveal underlying goals and hidden motives, inconsistencies, and hypocrisy. I wonder if this natural proclivity to ask questions and to seek out better answers helped the children in the temple to be excited about the new things that Jesus was bringing in a way that the religious authorities were not.

If God’s kingdom is about letting God’s light shine in the dark places of our lives to help us see things that need to change; if God’s kingdom is about being open to the new things that God wants to do in us and through us to make the world better; if God’s kingdom is about stopping to celebrate goodness wherever it is found; if God’s kingdom is about all these things, then is it any wonder that Jesus placed a child in their midst and said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3, NIV)

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About the Author

Aaron is a passionate seeker of God and truth, and he enjoys encouraging others in their own pursuits of the same. He especially likes to think about how God is at work in the most ordinary and mundane aspects of our existence. He loves going on adventures to new places with his wife, Heather, and four kids and his perfect day would involve an excellent cup of coffee (or two!), a hike to somewhere beautiful and serene, and some good conversation over a pint at a warm pub. He currently serves as an adjunct instructor at Portland Seminary and co-leads the CitySalt Kids’ Ministry along with his wife, Heather.

Who Does God Say I Am | Identity: Peter’s perspective of who we are

When I consider who God says we are, one book of the Bible especially stands out to me: 1 Peter. All throughout the book are scattered truths about our standing before the father and a champion call to live and be who God has declared us to be, in the midst of trials and tribulations. While we are not suffering like the persecution of the early Christians who were put to the test by Nero, we must acknowledge the truth of 1 Peter 5:8. We have a great enemy whose intent is to devour us. The champion call of Peter isn’t to compare our circumstances with each other, but rather to stand in confidence with who he says we are and live a life that pleases our creator, despite the challenges we endure along with all of humanity.

Take a moment to consider who God says we are in the book of Peter. He says we are known, we are chosen, we are holy, and we are cleansed (1 Peter 1:2). Peter reminds us that we are born again (1:3) and we are possessors of a priceless inheritance (1:4). Peter has a no-holds-barred expression of our standing before God in the very beginning of his book. In preparation for 5:8 and the introduction of our great enemy, he declares that we are protected by God‘s power (1:5), and we are temporary residents of this world. He foreshadows the day when Christ will make all things new. Peter declares that we are ransomed (1:18), cleansed from many sins (1:22), and born again to a new life (1:23). The whole chapter is full of amazing truths about those who have said yes to Christ.

Peter doesn’t stop there though. I personally feel encouraged by the great gift God has bestowed upon us. In chapter 2, Peter continues establishing our identities as God’s people. Peter declares that our lives are purposeful and meaningful when he explains that we are living stones being built into God’s spiritual temple and designated as Christ’s holy priests (2:5). We are intended to show the world God’s greatness - similar to Israel’s champion call in the Old Testament. Peter declares us to be God’s chosen people, his royal priesthood, a holy nation, thus echoing the call of God to Israel, to be a people that are examples of his goodness (2:9). This truth is built upon and fortified by the declaration that we are God’s very own possession (2:9). We are able to show others the goodness of God (2:9). We are called out of the darkness with the intent of being visible, expressed examples of his wonderful light (2:9). We are God’s people, receivers of his mercy (2:10). As such, Peter declares our freedom but identifies us as voluntary slaves of God, love-servants, who have chosen to live our lives for God and his glory. Because of this, we are cared for by the shepherd; the guardian of our souls.

At this point, Peter encourages us to consider how we should live in the midst of persecution, suffering, and the rejection that many of us might face at being lovers of God (1 Peter 3). It’s a challenging and insightful read, I encourage us all to meditate on the response to such wonderful truths. But I want to focus explicitly on who God says we are. To further express this point, Peter picks up again in chapter 4 with follow-up truths about who we are. We have been given a spiritual gift from God (4:10), redeemed partners in Christ’s suffering (4:13), and are adorned with Christ’s glorious Spirit who rests upon us (4:14). We have the promise of being called by God’s name (4:15), are his handiwork, created by him (4:19). We are ultimately called to share in his eternal glory (5:10).

What an honor, such humbling and precious truths about our identity. Peter calls us out and calls us up as he sets a foundation from which we can rise and receive our calling as God’s. He then takes these truths and gives us a means by which we can live, and a framework by which we can walk out these truths as God‘s chosen people (1 Peter 3). We have a God who has actively, purposefully, and practically saved us, redeemed us, set us free, and gave us new life so that we can live before him and others, as a witness of his goodness. Let us encourage each other to do so every day henceforth. Peter’s thoughts about who we are echo the thoughts of Jesus and our church’s namesake scripture Matthew 5:13-16. We are salt called to flavor the world and make known his goodness. We are a city on a hill, a lamp to those who abide in darkness. We are called to express the light he has given us so the darkness of this world will experience it and might also experience God’s invitation to be redeemed and refined. What God has freely given us he longs to bestow on others and our lives have the ability to be a sweet testimony to others of his extreme kindness and generosity. 

Matthew 5:13-16 (NLT)
13“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

14“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

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About the Author

Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and four kids. He loves Jesus, art, music, and poetry. He currently works as the Manager of Learning Technology Solutions for Los Angeles Pacific University and is passionate about adventuring outdoors.

Who Does God Say I Am | His Temple

When was the last time you felt the presence of God flourishing in you? Ephesians 2 explains how God made us alive in Him. Through his grace He bestowed His favor on us. We are His workmanship. We are His work of art, created in Christ Jesus, spiritually transformed, and renewed for good works. He has fashioned us as His temple. The Holy Spirit dwells within us as 1 Corinthians 6 describes.

1 Peter 2 reveals to us that He chose us and made us into living stones that are being built up into a spiritual house. We are His cathedrals. He has fashioned us into exquisite, ornate creations that he desires to live in.

 Have you ever just looked out over the land from a mountaintop? Or gazed across the unending ocean and stood in awe of the grandeur of it all? Does it give you a sense of peace? Just think of how when God looks at us He sees us as more beautiful than any of these scenes. It brings Him rest and He chooses to rest in us. In Acts 17, it is explained that God does not live in temples made by man. He dwells in us so that “we may know Him and seek Him and feel our way towards Him and find Him.” For in Him we live and move and have our being. When David attempted to build the temple, God said no because he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:25).

In Hebrew the term for temple is “Helkal” which means a large public building or palace. The scriptures describe both tents and intricately detailed structures built for God as “the house of God.” In 1 Chronicles 22 God chose a man of peace, David’s son, to build a temple to honor God’s name. God granted him wisdom, understanding, and courage. God bestows on us the same qualities and privilege to build him a temple, ourselves.

So take pride in yourself. Honor yourself. For God lives in you and delights in you. He resides in you and takes up space in you. He has made you his magnificent cathedral, a beautiful work of art. He takes pleasure in you and finds peace and rest in you. We are made holy through Him. We are a part of his body, the church, and he is preparing for us a place for us to exist with him forever. 

I am most aware of God’s presence in me when I am experiencing a holy moment and I feel chills descend from my head to my toes. At times I hear him whisper wisdom to me. It may be in my own inner voice, but I know it is from Him. I know He is well pleased with me and finds favor in me as I feel his gaze upon me like the sun shining its warmth upon my head. When I have difficulty sensing his presence, I reflect on my week or day and find qualities He has instilled in me that could only come from Him. He grants us the fruit of the Spirit as He prompts us to walk in His ways.

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About the Author

Mollie is recently married to her wonderful husband Dustin. She is a Wound Care RN at McKenzie Willamette Hospital. She enjoys being creative, getting outdoors and spending time with friends and family.

Who Does God Say I Am? | I am Loved and Wanted

Most of us remember our first crush, right? So innocent and fresh, the exciting possibility that someone likes us - you know, in that way! In the busy hallways of our middle school, our bestie and top informant reports to us that indeed, the object of our infatuation just mentioned us. Yippie!

There is something so fulfilling with even just the idea of it, that someone we admire returns that value to us. It produces a big rush of confidence and self-worth. But alas, young love, however thrilling, was usually not sustainable - with the inevitable crash and burn.

Why such a classic epic failure amidst our young life drama? Well of course, we were too young and lacked the emotional know-how to navigate something so new, so complex, and so grown up! Love needs to be mature and measured over time to be successful, and mastering life and love comes with a long learning curve. Those infatuations were just the beginning - play-acting for what was to come.

Mature love is centered in our identity.

We all crave to be "discovered" and admired, esteemed and loved in an authentic way. That continues throughout our lives and certainly extends way past any romantic infatuation. And because of love's essential link to our identity - who we are, the proposition of trading affection and value is frightening. With any close relationship that deepens over time, there remains the threat of looking for an exit when it gets too intense, or just plain hard.

A spiritual comparison - connecting with our Heavenly Father.

Likely our lives after middle school just continue to be a love practice session. It's more of a full time job now, but we certainly aren't experts yet (okay, at least I am not). From those simple beginnings into adulthood, we're hoping to reach our full love-potential. It's the biblical commandment from Jesus to love God, ourselves, and others, and achieve the fruits of the spirit in the process. Love certainly permeates our DNA - physically and more importantly, spiritually. 

So let's circle back around to that middle school crush. Our God really does like us. A lot! So cool! Yes I'm having fun with the comparison here - please join me in this! He is our ultimate admirer. He desperately wants to be in relationship with us. He doesn't want to just date us, he deeply desires a long and healthy relationship.

So not what, but WHO does God say we are (remember identity)? Here's a list from the scriptures. I invite you to read each one - slowly. Let them sink in and consider how each one applies to you. And certainly refer back to them when loving anyone, including yourself, seems so hard. Love is so rewarding!

We Are:

Wonderfully made, Psalm 139:14
Blessed, Ephesians 1:3
Complete, Colossians 2:10
Accepted, Ephesians 1:6
Loved, Jeremiah 31:3
Delightful, Zephaniah 3:17
Forgiven, Ephesians 1:7
Victorious, Philippians 4:13
Beautiful, Psalm 45:11
More than a conqueror, Romans 8:37
Chosen, Colossians 3:12
Holy, Colossians 3:12
Dearly loved, Colossians 3:12
God's handiwork, Ephesians 2:10
Worth fighting for, Exodus 14:14
Set free, Galatians 5:1 and Romans 8:12
Healed, Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24
Worth it, Romans 5:6-8
A new creation, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9

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About the Author

Terry is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.

He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.

Who Does God Say I Am | Victorious

If anyone feels like they need more humility in their life, they can try parenting. It’s sure worked for me so far! I thought I had a leg up on this parenting thing, having worked in schools for 19 years and taken college and graduate level classes in the psychology of child development. A huge part of my identity has always been “I’m good at working with kids.”

But now? I mess up all the time. I lose my patience. I raise my voice (usually only in response to a kid yelling, but still, I try to teach them that two wrongs don’t make a right, so I’d like to keep my own voice calm). I judge/assume what a kid is going to tell me instead of listening fully. I’m the opposite of God: quick to anger and abounding in sarcasm. One silver lining, so far, of being stuck at home during an ice storm instead of moving into our new house is having time for things like writing this blog post and video chatting with my Welsh friend in New Zealand. She says what I just described is completely normal. I feel a little better that it’s universal, but still! I’m afraid that I’m an evil stepmom more often than I’m a gentle, empathetic mother.

Everyone at church is very kind and encouraging. I know it’s quite an adjustment gaining 5 kids all at once, and I appreciate deeply that everyone asks how it’s going and assures me that I’m doing fine.* And I know I will get there. I’m reading parenting books (finally just finished “Boundaries with Kids” and am a few chapters into another) and learning the hard way. I’ll have it figured out by the time the last kid graduates! Just kidding. But hopefully I really will grow in the things I need, which are pretty much the Fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control).

How can I grow in these areas? Only by the grace of God who helps me and gives me strength. I need to ask Him for strength and the Fruits of the Spirit regularly. My problem is that I’m so busy and distracted with 5 sweet but noisy kids that I forget to spend time with God in prayer and in the Word. I try to read the prayers in Stormie Omartian’s “The Power of a Praying Parent” book on my Kindle, but I forget to open it. Lately, I’ve had a little more time for praying on my way to work, after I drop kids off at middle school. It’s about the only quiet time I have.

And this led me to an idea: check out helpful books on CD from the library. Somewhere I own a pretty hardcover copy of Brené Brown’s book “Atlas of the Heart” (although I can’t find it, even when packing up my books to move last week). But recently I found the CD of it at the library and started listening to it in my car. I only got through one disc before I turned it in last week so it wouldn’t get lost in the move, but already it has been helpful for me to understand my emotions, which I believe will help me with parenting. At least once or twice a day on my commute, I can take some time to focus on these things, which helps remind me to pray and lean into God for my needs.

Another thing that has helped is friends who have stepped in as “mentor parents.” When I was in grad school, my student teaching experience came with a mentor teacher, whose class I took over. The mentor teacher gave me guidance, then let me do things on my own, then gave me more guidance. It’s a bit different with parenting, but some of you at church have let Chris and me call you and describe our situations, circumstances, and struggles, and then you gave us guidance. Whatever you call it (God designed us for community, it takes a village, etc.), I am grateful that I live in a local community and culture that doesn’t think we parents have to go it alone. I believe that one of the ways that God helps us is by giving us other people to speak into each other’s lives and encourage us. This is seen clearly in the Bible by friendships, mentorships, and other relationships in both the Old and New Testaments.

On my own, I can do nothing. But with God’s help, through resources and the people He places in our lives, we can do anything he’s called us to do. Even parenting 5 kids. I think. I hope. Keep praying for me.😊

*Note: I’ve been reflecting lately on how what I say at church affects the kids. Often someone will ask me how parenting is going, and one of the kids (usually the oldest) is sitting nearby as I describe my struggles. I’ve been a part of CitySalt for several years now and have grown accustomed to being very transparent about whatever I’m going through. But I don’t want to give my kids a complex and make them feel like a burden. Recently we had a family movie night and watched the Guillermo del Toro version of Pinocchio. It was fantastic! And opened a door for me to talk about this with a couple of the kids. I won’t spoil the movie for you by telling you how this plays out in it, but it solidified my thoughts on this matter. For this reason, I’m planning to be a little less transparent on Sunday nights at church. I will try to say “Things are going fine.” But I’d love to meet up for coffee or have a phone call from my bedroom where I can tell more and ask for prayer. I am grateful to you all for caring so much about me and my family.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.

Isaiah 41:13
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

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About the Author

Jessie is a novice writer, with several books in various stages and a blog about travel and the journeys of women. She is very excited to be a part of the CitySalt blog team. She has been blessed by a few communities of Christian writers that have encouraged her dream. She lives with her sweet husband, Chris, their 5 funny kids, and 1 fluffy cat in Springfield. She loves hiking and other outdoor and indoor adventures with her family.

Who Does God Say I Am? | A Thermometer or a Thermostat?

I’m willing to bet this could be among the strangest analogies you’ve ever heard with regard to what God has made us to be! It was so to me when I first saw it in a short reading from Brian McLaren of the Center for Action and Contemplation. But the more I thought about it, the more I appreciated the thought that Mr. McLaren was trying to convey. I’d like to do my best to break it down here in this blog entry.

There are so many scriptures where God speaks the most amazing, positive, loving things about us. If you are ever stuck in a compulsive thought cycle dwelling on your broken sinfulness, please do yourself a favor and do a scripture study of what God actually says about us. You might be surprised at how many ways God reveals his loving attitude toward us. You’ll find a lot of these scriptures in our current (and past) CitySalt blog entries. But to get to the topic of thermometers and thermostats, I’d start with Ephesians 2:10…

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

To say we are God’s handiwork indicates that we are a creation in process, being formed, shaped and developed into someone he can use to carry out his purposes and plans on this earth. Nothing is static about God’s creation. Just look at the seasons, the movement of the solar system, the life cycle of plants, animals and humans. What are we to do with all this dynamic motion in our lives? How are we to respond to all the moving parts? Just looking at the current events in our world today, there is so much motion - but motion of the wrong kind. So much turmoil, so much destruction, so much hatred, so much fear, so much sorrow. It can be so overwhelming! 

Well, here is where the thermometer analogy comes in. A thermometer simply reads the temperature in the room. It mirrors it. It absorbs it. It reflects it. In other words, it’s a pretty passive instrument. But what does a thermostat do? A thermostat can change the temperature in a room. It can adjust what’s happening around it. If you think of it in human terms, we have the power, supplied by God’s Holy Spirit, to de-escalate the tensions around us, to affect change in the negative environments, either in us or in those around us. We can be peacemakers. We can show love instead of fear and hatred. We can speak the truth in love, seasoned with grace… in a world whose natural tendency is to blame, take sides and fight. 

There are certainly some ways we could get involved in problem-solving some of the large, global problems happening today. But we most definitely do have some influence in our daily lives at home, in our relationships, at work, in our neighborhood. It’s a powerful, godly thing to have compassion, to care. But if we leave it there, it’s a bit like a thermometer. If, however, we speak into it, if we show love rather than fear or hatred to someone, if we console someone or give to someone in need, as God directs us, then we are more like a thermostat…doing the good works God has prepared beforehand for us to do.

One of my favorite songs speaking to this subject is “Surely We Can Change” by the David Crowder Band. It goes like this:

And the problem is this
We were bought with a kiss
But the cheek still turned
Even when it wasn't hit
And I don't know
What to do with a love like that
And I don't know
How to be a love like that
When all the love in the world
Is right here among us
And hatred too
And so we must choose
What our hands will do

Where there is pain
Let there be grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Help them be brave
Where there is misery
Bring expectancy
And surely we can change 
Surely we can change
Something
And the problem it seems
Is with you and me
Not the Love who came
To repair everything

And I don't know
What to do with a love like that
And I don't know
How to be a love like that
When all the love in the world
Is right here among us
And hatred too
And so we must choose
What our hands will do

Where there is pain
Let us bring grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Let us be brave
Where there is misery
Let us bring them relief
And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Oh surely we can change
Something
Oh, the world's about to change
The whole world's about to change

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About the Author

John lives in Pleasant Hill with his dog, Gunnar, and a multitude of guests who enjoy the peace and beauty of the Cascade foothills. With three children and three grandchildren all living in Oregon, he is continually blessed with their company and the good food that always accompanies their get-togethers!

Who Does God Say I Am? | Chosen: Handpicked from the Reject Pile

This past Advent season, I spent a lot of time thinking about how God chooses to use people and places and things that humans rejected for one reason or another. This is a major theme in the Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus. Bethlehem was considered the least of the towns in Judea. A stable would have been considered one of the least desirable places for travelers to stay the night in Bethlehem. A manger in a stable was a place for animals to feed, not people to sleep. Rural shepherds were not well educated and likely very poor - surely people unfit to welcome the Messiah into the world. Magi were foreigners who studied the sky and not the Hebrew Scriptures. Mary and Joseph were from the town of Nazareth that we are told had a reputation for producing nothing good.

In 2019, I got to go on a week-long walk with my wife, Heather, on an ancient path in Ireland. On our walk we passed by many very old walls, churches and sacred sites that had been carefully crafted out of stone. Imagine the work that went into building such a thing that is still standing over a thousand years later. Skilled masons get a pile of rocks from the ground nearby or a quarry and they begin sorting. Most of the stones can be used somewhere in the project, but some are just too oddly shaped, broken, or fragile to be used anywhere, and so they get sorted into a reject pile. Now imagine that somebody else comes to the build site and starts looking through the pile of rejected rocks for his own project. One of the masons says, “You’re not gonna find anything good in there,” but he keeps looking and inspecting anyway. He ends up picking up one of the discarded stones and pronounces, “This is it! This one will be the cornerstone.”

This almost absurd scenario is how Peter describes the ministry of Jesus. Quoting from Psalm 118, Peter says that Jesus is the stone that the builders rejected, and that this rejected stone has become the most important stone of all: the cornerstone (1 Peter 2:7). How can this be? Apparently, God knows something we don’t when it comes to choosing people. God chooses people based on a different and better system of evaluation, and this is what the prophet Isaiah foretold the Messiah would do (Isaiah 11:3-4). Because God’s way of evaluating is so different, God often ends up choosing people that others have sidelined or pushed out to the margins or ignored. Peter (the one that Jesus renamed “a rock”) goes on to say that we also are chosen in the same way that Jesus was chosen. God chooses to build a house of worship from people that others have rejected (1 Peter 2:4-5). Not only that, but God knows fully what it is like to be somebody who society or religion rejects or pushes to the side or ignores.

With all that in mind, what does it mean to be chosen by God? 

First, to be chosen by God does not mean that I have checked the boxes that worldly or religious systems of performance have labeled as successful. It’s so easy for me to impose false systems of performance and success (social status, wealth, beauty, education, even religious performance) back onto God. So, before I get too excited about the amazing truth that I am chosen by God in Christ, I think I need to sit with the fact that God’s choice for me and others is based on a different kind of system of evaluation, a system that may look quite foolish or offensive to others. This is what Paul writes about in his letter to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

Second, to be chosen by God means that my purpose and identity as a human being are wrapped up in my relationship with God. I cannot expect to find true happiness or fulfillment through systems of success or performance that God, the one who chooses me, says are inappropriate or invalid. This seems to be an important part of the journey of all disciples - stepping out of wrong systems of evaluation and stepping fully into God’s way of evaluating people and places and situations. This is how Jesus was happily and wholeheartedly able to serve others even in the face of rejection. His identity was grounded in God’s priorities and the things that God said really mattered. We can’t do this move on our own, but we can with the help of the Holy Spirit in community.

Third, to be chosen by God means that I am bound to others through the love and grace of our common creator. The one who created me gets to have the final say about my value and worth and the value and worth of others. No other voice or system or person gets to do that. Humans often reject people and places because they don’t measure up in our shallow and frivolous categories of social status or religious performance. But, thankfully, God chooses differently. Sometimes, God chooses what I would reject in myself and others. Sometimes God looks at people that I would turn away from in disgust? or pass by without a second thought and says, “Prepare to be offended! That’s just what I need and want.” As I sit with and learn to accept my being chosen by God, I must also sit with and learn to accept God’s choice of others. I must allow the vast river of God’s grace and love for the world to erode away all the other ways that I might judge myself and others.

Questions for reflection: 

• How does God choose differently than me? 

• When I think about the truth that I am chosen by God, do I also think about that choice being based on God’s very different kind of system of evaluation?

• Who are those people that I tend to overlook or mentally place in the reject pile and label as people whom God cannot use?

• How can people on the margins of society teach me about God’s priorities and God’s values?

• How have I made poor assumptions about God’s choice or rejection of myself or others?

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About the Author

Aaron is a passionate seeker of God and truth, and he enjoys encouraging others in their own pursuits of the same. He especially likes to think about how God is at work in the most ordinary and mundane aspects of our existence. He loves going on adventures to new places with his wife, Heather, and four kids and his perfect day would involve an excellent cup of coffee (or two!), a hike to somewhere beautiful and serene, and some good conversation over a pint at a warm pub. He currently serves as an adjunct instructor at Portland Seminary and co-leads the CitySalt Kids’ Ministry along with his wife, Heather.

Who Does God Say I Am? | Walking With The Creator

Who Does God Say I Am?

Our lives are full of experiences that cause us to question our identity. When we fail, when we don’t meet expectations or when we face a challenge to our values and core beliefs, we may feel shaken and lost. Thankfully, God supplies us with many reminders about the truth of who we are, woven throughout scripture. Join the blog team writers in discovering more of who God says you are.

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Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

It was at the end of a week-long camping trip last summer that I discovered something quite wonderful. We had been staying in Central Oregon for almost a week, and it was on the way home that we decided to stop at Sparks Lake. The crisp pine forest was a pleasant place to be, so I decided to go out on my own for a little while and spend some time birding on a nearby trail. Large rock crevices were strewn on both sides of the path, revealing tiny cave-like structures and small crevices reaching into the earth beneath my feet. Being late spring, some patches of snow were still present from the winter before. 

At first, the avian life was a little less than I had been hoping for, but it was still nice to get to wander as far as I wished, just endlessly following a trail into new territory. In the middle of this time, a pair of hikers came around a bend where the path thinned. I pulled off to the side to give them space to pass me. After they passed, I decided to take a minute to look and listen for some birds. I was standing on this path when I heard a light tapping sound. 

Thud, thud, thud, thud -pause- thud, thud, thud, thud 

It was faint, so faint it could have been the wind making the trees creak, or a cricket of sorts making a low chirping sound. But after scanning around the area, I found a medium-sized black bird that was hammering its bill into a long gray tree. This bird was a Black-backed Woodpecker, a species I had never before seen. During this trip, I had been freshly discovering what it meant to be still and observe as I explore the natural world, and I clearly saw this occurrence as the fruit from this practice. It was a gift from The Lord.

A couple months after this encounter in the woods, I took a class in Forest Ecology. In this class, I had been shown a whole new world in the forests that have surrounded me my whole life. But along with this fresh wave of new knowledge, I had a period of wrestling to discover what it means to be drawn into my desire to explore the woods and learn to grasp the depths of wonder in the simplicity and complexity of every rock, tree, and creature, while also, at the same time, interact with the God who created it all. I found myself occasionally wondering if I really should pursue such a career, asking myself if God wanted me to pursue forestry related work, and also wondering how he was interacting with me through that. At that time, I could not quite understand the role he had been playing, and the way he was already working with me.

 As I considered these new thoughts, and considered the story I just told about the woodpecker, it was evident to me that The Lord’s love and care is present in the midst of my excitement towards nature. During this season, I have been learning that he himself put a passionate interest for nature into me when he knitted me together in my mother's womb, a truly wonderful thing to try to understand.  

During this period of my heart's confusion, I remember one specific night when I heard God clearly speak into my ecological pursuit and desire. It was on this night when I decided to seek The Lord by reading a book about His character and nature (The Abba Journey book). I was deeply trying to seek some words from him and felt like I just had to know what he might be saying. Overall, I felt very confused, and sought to clearly hear his words over me. On one page of this book in particular, these specific words were laid before me, “God created us with the express desire that we would share with Him in caring for His creation.” (Abba Foundation, Chiqui Wood, 2018, page 47).

That moment changed my confused state of mind over the matter of God’s place in my studies. I began to see that he placed this desire for the woods in me, and deeply wants to join my journey as I move through the fields, watch the sparrows, and experience the Aspen groves. He is present when I collect the data for sixty-something different trees in the forest plots, and he is giving me creativity when I have to rewrite the entire Future Research section of my student project poster. 

Ephesians 2:10 reads, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” It greatly pleases me that we have such a caring Father, that we have such a loving being, who implants dreams into our hearts and minds, and dearly wants to walk with us through it. I have constantly felt His hand grabbing my senses as I walk with him into these dreams. I feel so much more love knowing he is in support of who I am, the creation he made. I have found in my journey that when I feel down, or when I feel confused, when I feel lost in the mystery of who I am, I can always turn to a Father who has sewn the pieces of my being into this body. He planted these seeds in my heart and is never going to let me go. Isn’t it wondrous? So captivating? Something we can endlessly ponder? The wonder of creation, and the God who created it. The wonder that we were made in the image of our God of love. Our wondrous God of love.

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About the Author

Zeke is a young high school/early college student fascinated by the dreams The Lord has placed in his heart. Some of these dreams have taken form in a love for the outdoors, numerous visual art forms, writing, music, and science. Loving to discover more about the creator of the universe, Zeke is always excited to keep exploring, talking, and walking with his Heavenly Father and those he interacts with. 

In the Midst of Chaos | Waters of Hope

In Genesis 1, the earth is described as “formless and void or a waste of emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” Has your life ever felt like this depiction? Have you ever experienced hopelessness or helplessness? Thinking back over my own journey, I can recall multiple times my life felt chaotic and left me feeling desperate. Generally speaking, those times included a lack of health or mental soundness. Beyond the stigma and various diagnoses of psychosis lies a variety of symptoms that individuals struggle with from time to time. For me, these encompass racing thoughts, a lack of ability to focus, grandiose beliefs, over-spiritualizing everything, and decreased sleep. Once I come down from this cliff, I often find myself in a deep pit of despair. I can’t think straight. All I want to do is scream and cry. I have no energy to do anything. I feel worthless and alone.

My deepest point of desolation occurred during a period of hospitalization in a Behavioral Health Unit; while I should have been enjoying one of the most joyous parts of my marriage, my honeymoon. I endured two weeks of what felt like the deepest pit of isolation and confusion. Little did I know that just like in Genesis, “the Spirit of God was moving and hovering” over my life just waiting to speak light into my darkness. I felt a longing for familiarity and closeness with God during that time.

I don’t know about yours, but my life seems to be a cycle of me falling apart and the Lord graciously putting me back together again. When I am weary, dry and parched, then the LORD speaks to me saying, “I the God of Israel, will never abandon them. I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground. I will plant trees in barren deserts. I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means, that it is the Lord who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it.” (Isaiah 41: 12-20).

When I was finally released from that prison of broken dreams and the whirlwind of emotions, I found myself seeking Him and Him alone. I knew He was the only thing that could mend my fragmented heart. As soon as I was home from the hospital, I spent hours listening to sermons and worship music. I would set aside contemplative time for meditative quietness. Then, I experienced what is described in Jeremiah 31:3-4a “The Lord appeared to me saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you. Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt’.” And just as he always does, he lived up to his promise. He rebuilt my life from the ashes. He blessed me with a loving, understanding, compassionate husband, a challenging and rewarding job, a sound mind, and fervent passion for His wisdom and love in my life.

I have learned as in Romans 12:12 to “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer.” Sometimes hope seems so distant and too far off. That is when I have found it helpful to be faithful in just one step. I am unsure of where you find yourself, but I challenge you to ponder what the one step towards hope could be in your life. Be encouraged by Romans 5:5 “Such hope (in God’s promises) never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

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About the Author

Mollie is recently married to her wonderful husband Dustin. She is a Wound Care RN at McKenzie Willamette Hospital. She enjoys being creative, getting outdoors and spending time with friends and family.

In the Midst of Chaos | Chaos Dragon

As we continue with our theme of pursuing peace in the midst of chaos, enjoy this BibleProject video depicting how chaos and darkness is woven through scripture, in contrast to the light and life found in our Savior God.

Tune in next week when we resume with blog posts from from our Salt Blog team!

Warmly,
Britni

"Chaos Dragon are copyright 2023 by BibleProject and are available for viewing at www.bibleproject.com"

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BibleProject

BibleProject is a non-profit animation studio that produces short-form, fully animated videos to make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere. We create videos, podcasts, and study guides that explore the Bible's unified story by focusing on its overarching themes and each book's literary design. We are committed to understanding the Bible in its historical context and communicating its wisdom for the modern world. Ultimately, we want to change how people read and use the Bible.

BibleProject makes animated videos and publishes them online for free.

Sacred Vulnerability of Christmas

This week's newsletter we're deviating from our current series to share a timely and valuable word from our Northwest District Supervisor, Steve Mickle. This was a part of the newsletter sent to District Foursquare Pastors. Steve's heart and vulnerability were a help and a blessing to me. I hope this will be the same for you, as well as share a bit of the heart from our broader denominational leadership.

Sincerely, Pastor Mike

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I have always loved the holidays:

The celebration.

The family and friends.

The lights.

The Christmas tree.

The giving and receiving of gifts.

But the past few years have been more weighty than wonderful —something to get through rather than something to enjoy.

 I heard A.J. Swoboda once say, "we Thomas Kincade the nativity scene". If we're honest, we sometimes do that with our lives. We hide our authentic selves from everyone (thank you, social media) and from our congregations. But as we see in the Christmas story, there is a vulnerability.

God came to us. He took on flesh. He was a baby, held in the arms of his mother. He was a refugee in Egypt. It’s strange to think of God in this way, but the whole orb of His humanity is part of the vulnerability of the Christmas story. God embodied and accepted the splendor and brokenness of our human condition. Oh, the wonder and beauty of this reality - God came as one of us.

This is advent – the anticipation of a coming reunion, but a celebration of him coming now to each of us. He meets us in our vulnerabilities. He is in all our unknowns and uncertainties. He is in our brokenness and pain. He is in our joys and victories. We are perpetually in an Advent season – waiting for the ultimate coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and a present reality of the Spirit living in us.

Would you sit with me this Christmas season at the feet of the manger and wonder again about what it means to you and your family and your community that God came and took on our flesh, our vulnerabilities? He was carried in a mother’s womb. He ate at a mother’s breast and He lived in our broken world.

I love you, my friends, and I wish you a very merry Christmas,

Steve

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Author

Steve Mickel, 
Foursquare Northwest District Supervisor

In the Midst of Chaos | Light in the Darkness

I’ll bet if you stop and think about your life, you’d be able to identify at least a few times which could be labeled “chaotic”. I know for some people, the idea of a “few times'' would be grossly understated! I, myself, am a person who highly values stability and predictability and can get overwhelmed pretty quickly when things are out of whack. All my stress hormones activate when something happens as simple as my tractor not starting (which actually happened this week). “What am I going to do! I don’t have time for this! There’s so much I need this tractor for. I have mountains of leaves to take care of before they kill all the grass and the whole yard is a muddy mess! It’ll probably take forever to fix and be expensive too. How can I even get this thing to a repair shop? Why didn’t I learn more about engine repair? Aaargghh!!” On and on it goes...and this is all about a simple blip on the radar of life. Imagine what happens with a major one!

It seems people have been dealing with chaos since the beginning of time. And I seriously mean since the beginning of time. Looking back at the first chapter of Genesis in the Bible, we can already see a situation described as chaotic in Genesis 1:2

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

According to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon, the words “without form” and “void” are translations of the Hebrew words tohu and bohu. Tohu and bohu are often paired together in the Old Testament and portray a “place of chaos, formlessness, emptiness, a wasteland.” 

The universe itself was described as chaotic before the Lord took action and brought some order to it. It’s interesting to think of the Holy Spirit hovering over it all, going to and fro, as if taking time to develop the best plan for establishing and developing the planet Earth and the whole universe beyond. What strikes me most is what the Lord does as the very first step: He turns the light on!! How wonderful is that? Think about it…when things are chaotic around you, one of the first things you need is some clarity to see what’s going on. Clarity may not be the total solution to bring order out of chaos, but it certainly is a major necessity if we want to best understand the situation we’re in, so that we can take a step to bring whatever order is in our power to do so.

After God turns the light on, the most amazing universe begins to take shape. The Creation is so awesome as it unfolds, that we can easily forget it all began with light to see with. This theme of light shining in the darkness continues throughout the Bible as a symbol of clarity, wisdom and understanding, safety and goodness. There are far too many scriptures about light to mention here, but here are a few of them:

Exodus 13 God gave a pillar of fire to give light at night for the escaping Israelite slaves.

Psalm 4:6 Let the light of your face shine upon us! 

Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path.

Isaiah 2:5 Let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Isaiah 60:19 The Lord will be your everlasting light.

The highlight of all the passages about light is that Jesus Christ himself is called the Light of the World! 

John 1:4 In Him was life and that life was the light of the world.

What do we need to move from chaos to peace? We need clarity, understanding and wisdom… we need Jesus!! Even in the smallest things (like my tractor that wouldn’t work), it helps to start with turning on the light with a prayer to the one who knows all things. Quite literally I asked the Lord in my frustration what I could do to resolve my tractor situation. Sitting with that a while and running through a bunch of options that kept hitting dead ends, the thought came to me that maybe there was a mobile repairman who could come help me out. I googled “mobile small engine repair” and found a couple. I contacted one who immediately came out from Veneta on his Harley and who got my tractor running in less than 30 minutes! And not only was that a huge burden off my shoulders, but now I knew someone who could help in the future if I need him (and I surely will). In faith, I believe Jesus gave me the idea of a mobile repairman.

I know it may seem a little silly to apply the concept of light in the darkness, clarity out of chaos, to fixing a tractor that had gone kaput, but to me it confirms the notion that there is nothing too small or insignificant for Jesus to help us with. And at the same time, imagine how he can help with the major disruptions of our lives! We’ll certainly have both big and small moments of chaos throughout our lives. How reassuring to have a connection to the Light Himself as we make our way through to the other side.

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About the Author

John lives in Pleasant Hill with his dog, Gunnar, and a multitude of guests who enjoy the peace and beauty of the Cascade foothills. With three children and three grandchildren all living in Oregon, he is continually blessed with their company and the good food that always accompanies their get-togethers!

In the Midst of Chaos | Peace in Chaos

“Everything's in chaos”. It’s a phrase I seem to be hearing more lately. In my lifetime I’ve witnessed a lot of social change, disasters large and small, and frightening events in our country and across the world. But these events seem to come and go. Is that social change now coming harder and faster, and are we witnessing more extreme loss and misery these days? Or maybe we’re just hyper-sensitive.

Perhaps the question is beside the point.

Our scriptures tell us that we will experience trouble, but Jesus has come to help us overcome (the negative effects of it). For me right now, that overcoming has to do with understanding the collateral damage of horrible events in other places. I say that with the risk of sounding shallow, because it’s not ME it’s happening to. But our God asks us to care for others. And I feel, at the same time, deeply saddened by what is happening and incapable of really helping.

And that is frustrating!

Maybe there is something to be said for not letting ourselves be sucked into a worldview of last days pessimism and despair - something that would rob us of a promised personal peace. Chaos is a very powerful word, and let’s not hide our eyes from misery around us and feel something - then at least pray! Can we set aside the news hyperbole and achieve an authentic empathy?

Peace seems to be the opposite of chaos, and I was once told of a great definition for it. Our natural minds envision peace as an absence of turbulence, like a slow moving and meandering stream. But instead, swap that image for a tiny and beautiful bush firmly attached to a rock - in the middle of raging whitewater. 

Strength in the midst of danger.

So today, how do our tender hearts not only survive, but thrive? I’m wondering if compartmentalizing our worries and fears can be a good thing. I absolutely don’t believe we are to be detached and isolated in our fantasies. But maybe part of taking care of our emotional health involves really focusing on our own challenging moments. 

What am I feeling right now in my own conflict? What might the Lord be trying to communicate to me? How am I to respond best to others in this situation right now? It may be hard to do, but there are delicious fruits of the spirit to follow!

We cannot be positive agents of change if we let ourselves go down with the ship. Pessimism is certainly a part of that, but so is fear, insecurity and anger. Our Lord is the perfect physician of our troubled hearts. 

Let’s try to:

• Focus on what we can control and do

• Stay in our essential moments

• Take special care of ourselves

• Practice kindness with others

Peace to you all!

John 16:33 MSG
(Jesus answered them,) “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it - saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

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About the Author

Terry is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.

He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.

In the Midst of Chaos | Just Stop!

One of the big truths about the world described in the opening pages of our Bibles is that creation is ordered. The Spirit of God brooded over the waters and created life. The life that the Spirit created is vibrant, dynamic, and diverse, but it is not random or chaotic. It is ordered. We see this order communicated in various ways throughout Genesis 1-2. Clear boundaries for land and waters and animals and people are given. Cycles and seasons of light and climate are set in motion through the orbits of the planets. The various parts of creation are all governed by specific patterns, rules, logic, and rhythms that God designed.

Interestingly, the Hebrew understanding of creation as ordered by a single God was quite unique in the Ancient Near East. For the most part, ancient creation narratives understood the earth as a place of chaos that mirrored the chaos in the realm of the divine where deities often fought each other for power and control.(1) In that kind of creation, peace is fleeting, and it comes to a human only by chance or by appeasing the right deity at the right time.

In contrast, the Hebrews understood that one God, Yahweh, was over all creation, and that following this God would naturally lead to peace and wellbeing because it was a matter of aligning oneself with the great organizer of all creation. That is the logic behind the starting point for Hebrew wisdom: the fear of the Lord (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7, 9:10; Job 28:28). If wisdom is understanding and living in light of the order – patterns, rules, logic, and rhythms – in creation, then the starting point for wisdom must be respecting the One who established all that order.

Although I can see how the creation stories in Genesis reveal a depth of order and organization in all things, I have to be honest that my life usually doesn’t feel that way. This leads me to ask a question: If creation is really ordered by God, then why does my life often feel so chaotic? 

One possible answer that I’ve been meditating on lately is the tendency I have to forget a very important part of the creation story. The end. The part where God rested. This is the one part of the creation story that God repeatedly told Israel to remember, and I think that is because it’s so easy for us to forget it. Walter Brueggemann says that this final part of the creation story communicates something very important about God and human beings: “God is not a workaholic. God is not a Pharaoh. God does not keep jacking up production schedules. To the contrary, God rests, confident, serene, at peace. God’s rest, moreover, bestows on creatureliness a restfulness that contradicts the ‘drivenness’ of the system of Pharaoh.”(2)

When God told Israel to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” God wasn’t giving them some arbitrary worship ritual. God was helping them know how to live in the world – restfully, the way God does. God was helping Israel to get the most out of life by reminding them to deliberately stop and not produce anything. How counter-cultural is that?! When I overcommit, work too hard, fixate on production, and neglect to take times for rest and rejuvenation and relaxation, I am not imitating God. To put it another way, a god who doesn’t rest and who is always working is not the God of the Bible. That’s a god I make in my own image. Thus, the call to remember the Sabbath stands as a warning to everyone that has become accustomed to a culture of Egypt – a culture of endless work, production, and commodification – not to impose their chaos-making ways back on to God.

So, how do I find rest and peace in a world that seems so chaotic? I start with remembering to stop working. That’s much easier said than done, but here are a few simple ways that I’m trying to actively resist our culture of anxiety and remember the Sabbath.

1. Stop and look up.
   I recently listened to a podcast on “the science of awe,” and it talked about studies that show the benefits of taking a few minutes every day to look up at the sky. Looking up at the sky, especially when so much of our time is spent looking down on screens, is an act that reminds us of our place in the world. I get my bearings – I am not what I produce. I am on a little ball floating in a massive cosmos. I am small, but I am alive. The world around me is beautiful and full of life. I am connected to it all.

2. Walk the dog.
   A friend recently told me that they were trying to be more disciplined about taking daily walks because it was so helpful for them, and I realized I had fallen out of the habit of taking our dog, Whimsy, on long walks. I wonder if that has contributed to my feeling lately that life is so chaotic? Walking was not really considered an appropriate Sabbath activity for ancient Israel, but that makes sense in a culture where walking was the main form of transportation for most people. But, for me, walking is an excellent way for me to get back in sync with creation. Walking helps me to break away from production-oriented activities and just be present to my surroundings. It also helps me to pay attention to my body and my physical health.

3. Hold a leaf.
   It’s Fall in Eugene right now, and that means raking lots of leaves. Leaves can seem like a nuisance as they cover our walkways and clog our gutters, but they can also be a colorful and beautiful reminder of the rhythms that God has built into creation. Leaves turn colors because the trees are preparing for winter. The creation recognizes full well that there are times for growth and production and times for rest and rejuvenation. The leaves don’t really have a choice in recognizing this. It is just a part of their genetics. But, we humans do have a choice, and taking time to stop and hold a leaf helps me remember the importance of that choice.

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1.  Craig G. Bartholomew and Ryan P. O’Dowd, Old Testament Wisdom Literature: A Theological Introduction (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2011), 41-43.

2.  Walter Brueggemann, Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to a Culture of Now (Louisville: WJK Press, 2014), 29-30.

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About the Author

Aaron is a passionate seeker of God and truth, and he enjoys encouraging others in their own pursuits of the same. He especially likes to think about how God is at work in the most ordinary and mundane aspects of our existence. He loves going on adventures to new places with his wife, Heather, and four kids and his perfect day would involve an excellent cup of coffee (or two!), a hike to somewhere beautiful and serene, and some good conversation over a pint at a warm pub. He currently serves as an adjunct instructor at Portland Seminary and co-leads the CitySalt Kids’ Ministry along with his wife, Heather.