I have been spending the past few days in my Proverbs journal for my devotions then I read a chapter from Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. I am challenged all around right now. While Provers gives daily wisdom Wild Goose Chase is challenging my to step out of my cage and go after the God-given desires of my heart – because no one else can chase them for me….only I can chase them for myself. It has really been a great book. I am going to recommend it to a few people (probably loan it out) when I get done with it. It’s so good. The ‘wild goose’ is the Holy Spirit which is the English translation of what the Celtic-Christians call the holy Spirit ‘An Geadh-Glas’ which translates ‘the wild goose.’ I love Marks candor in the book. Mark is the Pastor of the National Community Church in Washington, DC. Once I am done with the book I will give a full review on it – but for now I don’t want to spoil the book other than to say it is good – really good.
The one thought I have really been challenged with was when Mark was talking about the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan.’ Here is what he said;
Hurry kills everything from compassion to creativity. And when you’re in a hurry, you don’t have time to get out of your routine, do you? No room for Spirit-led spontaneity. No time for Wild Goose chases. Here is the great irony: the priest and the Levite were probably on their way to the temple. They were so busy loving God that they didn’t have time to love their neighbor. And that is when our routines become counterproductive. Let’s be honest. We can get so busy doing “ministry” that we don’t have time for ministry.
This is so true. I’ve seen it in my own life over the past 6 months. I have been asked to do things and have become so busy doing “ministry” that I have forgotten to do ministry. God has really been convicting me of that big time. So I made a phone call and apologized for not being as proactive as I should have been in some things that I said I would do. There is freedom in forgiveness and freedom in seeking forgiveness. How have you gotten so busy doing “ministry” that you haven’t been able to do ministry or have become so STUCK in your routine and so GUARDED with your time that you have blocked things that God wants for you? I know I have but I am trying hard to undo those things.
I am looking forward to journaling through Proverbs and finishing the Wild Goose Chase over the coming weeks. There is something more satisfying than pursuing spiritual fitness than physical. Without both we will die though – that’s something to think about.
I joined our gyms ‘Winter Meltdown’ this past week. It’s a 12 week contest to lose weight and get in shape for summer. The winner gets the entry fees from four different Anytime Fitness clubs in the area. Honestly even if I don’t win I’m already a winner. It will definitely help keep me motivated to drop the rest of the weight I want to lose by summer. I’m down another 4lbs this week. That’s pretty exciting for me.
What’s even more exciting is pursuing God the way He wants me to.
It’s official. My parents church is splitting. This one really just rips me apart to be honest. This is the church where I grew up. The church where I accepted Christ. The church where I first felt God calling me into ministry. The church who supported me through high school and into college. This one though really bothers me. I have shed some tears over this split. The thing that I don’t really understand is that the leadership (elders and pastors) are behind this supporting it. They will be “planting” a churh in the same town for hopes of evangelism and growth but here is my thing. They aren’t trying for evangelism and growth now as it is. They never have. The families going with the split have done everything in their power to keep the youth group, AWANA and even Sunday School to just kids from their church. Which are mainly home schooled kids. It’s really the same thing that happens in every split. A small group of people want power and to run things their way. So they either stay and force everyone to leave or they leave. This time they are leaving.