Poema

Dear Grace,

I’m back from attending the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Global Leader Gathering in NYC. It was like a family reunion, catching up with friends from around the country and the globe. Each of the talks was so impactful, all connected by a central theme: a life and ministry that flows out of deep union with Jesus by embracing the slow work of formation and resisting the pressures to be productive for the sake of people’s approval

Pete Scazzero and I were catching up and we chatted about what lies beneath the integration of emotional health and spiritual maturity for leaders. His summary:

Depth before breadth. Formation before platform. Integrity before influence. 

I’ve been dwelling on these three phrases, and how they push against the celebrity-driven (church) culture that surrounds us. It resonates deeply within me. Jesus calls us to a way of being and living in which the Gospel gets into all parts of our life, shaping us and bringing us into conformity with His image. That includes family messages, grief and loss, and emotions… all the various parts of me. I was reminded of His calling on my life to shepherd our church this way – not settling for a shallow Christianity, but laboring towards a deep discipleship that transforms how we show up and stay put.  

The time was also sweet for our leadership team to connect and reflect on all that we were experiencing. I’m grateful for our camaraderie and like-mindedness as we pursue more of God for our own lives as well as our church. It’s a real gift to serve and lead with people you enjoy and love! 

Last week, I was able to visit with a community group that’s been meeting together for about 3 years. We made introductions and had an informal time of sharing and asking each other questions. I came away from the time so glad that God is adding people to our number and that they are making their way into genuine relationships. You’ve heard me say before that we are more than a public gathering that happens to assemble on Sunday. We desire to be a church where God takes our lives, intertwines them, and then forms us in the sacred space where we walk together. I can’t recommend it enough – the church gets smaller when you have a few relationships where you know and are known. I pray that if you’re not in vital relationship, that you reach out to our Community Life ministry to take a step. 

This weekend, about 400 students and adults head to Northbay Retreat Center in Northeast, MD for our annual Fall Retreat. It’s the largest group we’ve ever led, and there will be many logistical complexities. Will you pray for safety, peace, and hearts that are hungry to know more of Jesus? Pray that students will develop godly friendships. 

I’ll be speaking Saturday morning on the unsurpassed and matchless worth of Jesus. It’s hard to know what to say because there’s so much to say! Pray for clarity and conviction. Pray for the other speakers, workshop leaders, and music team. I know our students will be so loved and cared for – I am praying that they would experience the Father’s great love for them. 

I’ll be back in the pulpit on Sunday as we get into Daniel 3. It’s one of my favorite passages in the Scripture. (I even read a good book about it once called, “Even If”.) It’ll be a challenge to take what has been a life message for me into one Sunday sermon, but I believe the Lord has given me a specific word for our church, even as the message has continued to be nuanced in how I’ve been experiencing Him in the seasons since I put the message into (audio)book form.   

I’ll close with a verse that the group of men I’m discipling are memorizing together in the NLT: “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Heb 4:15-16).

Mercy and grace are offered to us in the presence of God. I hope that you’ll take up His invitation to come boldly before Him this week, not based on your credentials, but on the credentials given to you by our High Priest, Jesus. We have so much more resources available to us than we call on. We can’t exhaust His mercy or His grace! Seek Him and you’ll find that grace when you need it most. 

See you Sunday (or Saturday!)

Mitchel