Never Been Easy
Never Been Easy
Losing your self has never been easy.
The age hasn’t yet come, nor will it ever, when self-denial will be convenient, or taking up a cross comfortable.
In our culture of expressive individualism and the modern sacred self, Jesus’s call in this week’s Gospel stabs at the very heart at best…or at worst just sounds culturally incoherent and stupid. Who will we be, after all, if we hand our selves over to a Lord who demands all of us? Nice. Neat. Bland. A soul dressed in beige every day, for ever.*
But the triune God who made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in it—and created us in their own image—is absolutely not a God of beige, as any field of wildflowers will attest. He is the God of the orchestra and the dance who made a world shimmering with diversity yet held together in him. A God who can make anyone part of a grand whole, but never swallowed up; a member of a worldwide body, but with a distinct role; one among billions, but with your own beautiful part to sing in a colossal chorus.
Die to your self and you will find the true you, Jesus says.
See you Sunday.
Steve+
*“In heaven, all the interesting people are missing.”—Friedrich Nietzsche
Joy Together
One way of describing “joy” is the way we feel when someone is glad to be with us. It’s a simple idea with powerful effects. In fact, Jesus is known fundamentally as Immanuel–God with us. And if God is with us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). On the contrary, when we experience God being with us, our capacity for loving even our enemies expands and we become more like Him.
Building joy with God and with each other is at the center of Christian community and discipleship. During the months of July and August, we are encouraging the Redeemer family to build joy together by sharing a meal with someone new and sharing stories of gratitude. Through the rest of June, we're asking you to sign up online or on Sunday mornings to register your interest. You will be randomly assigned to two other couples or individuals so that there are approximately three “groups” around the table, sharing together.
Seeking Flourishing
Sometimes seeking the flourishing of our neighbors can mean getting our hands dirty! This summer we hope to help restore our Historic London Town & Gardens. The volunteer positions include:
Trail building (laying gravel paths, edging the paths, stabilizing)
Invasive removal (removing ivy, bamboo, or other seasonal weeds)
Site restoration (restoring an area back to the way it was through invasive removal and bed amendments
If interested in helping with any of these options please Contact Patrick Finn at patrick.finn@redeemerannapolis.org. Days and times are customizable to fit your schedule.
Picture credit: Annie Spratt on Unsplash