Church Street

Church neighboring daily life.

Living Living

Rescue

I practice the spiritual discipline of rescuing earthworms on paved surfaces. It's a reminder to me that I can pause what I'm doing, get a little dirty, and help. Also, that I've been given the responsibility to care.

I practice the spiritual discipline of rescuing earthworms on paved surfaces. It's a reminder to me that I can pause what I'm doing, get a little dirty, and help. Also, that I've been given the responsibility to care. This worm won't make it far across hot asphalt. But when I try to help, it fights and squirms! So hard to grasp. So hard to save. Maybe another reminder: I, too, can become anxious and struggle. For good reason, Wiggly Worm doesn't trust me. But I should be able to trust God. And rest in the rescue.

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Kingdom Kingdom

Reasons

People say they have reasons not to follow Jesus: bad churches, hypocrisy, science, etc. Reason implies logic, and logic is the wrong starting point for Big Questions. From inside God's kingdom, nothing seems more unreasonable than to claim that the way of manipulation and might is better than the way of love and freedom. Frameworks of reason and logic follow a decision to trust. Who is worthy of my trust?

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Living Living

Fulfillment

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. — Rom. 13:8-10

Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matt. 5:17). How? By commanding the royal law (James 2:8). Jesus is the fulfillment of the law (God is love). And the ways of Jesus fulfill the law.

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