Simplicity

Walking at the Pace of Jesus

2021-09-02T15:48:18+00:00By Joel|Breathe, Kingdom of God, Simplicity, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation|

We aren't made to keep up the pace that many of us find ourselves in. Hustle, busy, and how much we can do and how well we do it is often embraced by our culture. Well, eventually, we max out. We have to stop. Recently, as a part of the sermon series "Following the Way: The Simple Patterns of Jesus," I shared the message "Walking at the pace of Jesus." These thoughts are something that is always rolling around in the back of my mind as I navigate life in suburbia (very different than life in the mountains as well as life on the Rez). Recent influences have been the book "Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" by [...]

Minimalism: A Gift To The Word “Simplicity”

2020-02-18T14:29:38+00:00By Joel|Minimalism, Simplicity, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation|

Trends & fads. Society sure does have a way of sifting and sucking the meaning out of words, until all that is left is a mere carcass of letters and sounds, just a shadow of its original meaning. Love, justice, evangelical - the list doesn't stop there, but those are some significant ones that come up a lot in my work that make me have to stop and ask the question, "Wait, when they say that word, what exactly do they mean?" It seems like one of those words has been "simplicity." All things being relative, "simplicity" means different things for different people - I get it. But sometimes it doesn't feel simple at all, and [...]

The Practice of Secrecy: Experiencing Joyful Hiddenness

2019-05-17T04:14:41+00:00By Joel|Simplicity, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation|

Author Corrie Ten Boom, who experienced fame for her testimony of faith after World War II (which can be read about in her book The Hiding Place), was once asked how she remained humble through all the attention and fame. Her answer was, “When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments onto the road, and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it ever entered the head of that donkey that any of that was for him?” She continued, “If I can be the donkey on which Jesus Christ rides in his glory, I give him all the praise [...]

Living Deeply

2019-05-17T00:30:19+00:00By Joel|Missional Living, Prayers and Blessings, Simplicity, Spiritual Formation|

"My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn or deserve it." Brennan Manning It is once again the end of a year, and as we get ready for the next, there always seems to be the inherent introspection. There may be anticipation, maybe regret, anxiety, or hopefully, gratitude, as many are looking back, as well as forward. At best, there is a sense of hope. One thing I do every November/December is listen for what the Lord might be saying to me as I enter into the New Year. While it is often just a whisper, and often unclear, it's a starting point [...]