Pathways Press.com

Written by Jared Jeter, a contemporary pastor, editor, and professor.

The language of fellowship is popular in Christian circles because it is biblical language. The Greek word behind it, koinōnia, involves more than small talk or friendship. It refers to a close association with others that involves active participation in something larger than the individuals who share in it…Many people seek to be part of something larger than themselves by joining a club or association, whether that be for advancing a cause, enjoying a hobby, or participating in an activity. But the association Christ has built for His people transcends all these things. The members of this association participate in Christ Himself, the One who has redeemed us and set us apart for Himself. It is the fellowship of Christ. As Christians, we in one Spirit were “baptized into one body. That body is the body of Christ, the church, and each individual Christian is a member of it. One of the practices the Lord gave us, the Lord’s Supper (or Communion), sets visibly before us not only our union with Christ but also our union with one another. It is “a participation (koinōnia) in the blood of Christ” and “in the body of Christ.”  In partaking of it, “we who are many are one body.”  In 1938, after the Gestapo shut down the underground seminary where Dietrich Bonhoeffer taught, he wrote Life Together, a brief but profound meditation on the joy and strength of Christian fellowship at a time when such fellowship was costly and precious. He wrote that we enter into this fellowship “not as demanders but as thankful recipients.”  We did not work to be in this fellowship. Rather, God established it and firmly planted in it all who are united to Christ. Therefore, we can give thanks to God for providing us with a fellowship that transcends not only any earthly cause, hobby, or activity, but every barrier and border that would normally be impassible by human efforts.

So, then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are  fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. [Ephesians 2:19-20]

Written by Meredith Lee Myers, a contemporary writer and editor.

It’s not just you; parenting is crazy. For some it comes naturally, like a realized dream—a grace to taste and see the good. For others it feels like uncharted territory, requiring a faith that hopes for things not yet seen. No matter how we feel, we can remember that parenthood is a calling. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, and this calling is not dependent on our feelings of readiness, competencies, or even on our preparedness. When we recognize our inadequacy as an example, provider, or loving caregiver, let us turn to the Lord who is not simply a metaphor of the perfect Father; it is who He is. The calling of parenthood is not a human institution that we project onto God; it is a divine reality that God has graciously extended to us. Every tender instinct we have as parents—to teach, to heal, to lead with conviction, to run toward our child in compassion—reflects the One from whom all fatherhood is named…Contrary to the popular motivational statement, we do not all have the same twenty-four hours in a day. People and situations are complicated. We don’t all have the same resources, time, needs, or commitments. These things are sovereignly administered and not necessarily indicative of our inner life, outward behavior, or favor with God. Our times, and the times of our children, are in His hands. With that in mind, we should remember that faithfulness is not measured by comparison to others or by the absence of problems, but by obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word. Building on the Rock requires honesty and consistency, but it is because of the hope that is within us that we remain steady in the face of the hard things of parenting. 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. [Lamentations 3:22-23]

Written by Bill Gaultiere, a contemporary psychologist and spiritual mentor and founder of the Soul Shepherding ministry.

Anxiety is not something to be ashamed of. We all need God’s grace and safe people to talk with when we have anxious feelings.  When we’re anxious, we tend to think it’s because of external stressors. We have too much to do. We’re overloaded with information. We’re dealing with relational conflict. It’s true these factors affect us, but anxiety is more about internal attitudes. When we get anxious, we’re probably trying to control things under the surface: how we feel, what people think of us, or the outcomes of situations in our lives. Some years ago, when I was serving as a spiritual formation pastor in a megachurch, I experienced a big disappointment. I had set my heart on a ministry project and was told it wasn’t needed. I felt hurt and frustrated. All the work I had put into it went to waste. I became anxious as angry conversations played in my head. Rather than ruminate over the situation or become resentful, I talked to God (and my wife) about how I felt. Then I stopped trying to control my situation and abandoned the outcomes to God. A simple prayer came to me: “Lord, your will, your way, your time.” I prayed this again and again over the situation and my emotions. Simultaneously, I breathed slowly and deeply and brought my body to a state of calm. Training with Jesus through this short Breath Prayer taught me how to offer my emotions to God and rest in him. It helped me remember that Jesus was the Leader of the ministry and the Shepherd of my soul.  This is the path to peace — becoming the kind of person who can rely on care from God and others and submit to him in all things.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. [Isaiah 26:3]

Written by Brian Morykon, a contemporary writer.

When we think about culture shaping us, we’re often thinking at the scale of society. And, to be sure, there is a societal culture we all swim in. Some Christians attempt to shift this culture through aggressive and large-scale means. But Jesus modeled another way—a more patient and personal way. Wendell Berry said there are “no national, state, or county problems, and no national, state, or county solutions…. The large-scale solution to the large-scale problem, which is so dear to governments, universities, and corporations, serves mostly to distract people from the small, private problems that they may, in fact, have the power to solve.”  Some cultures we don’t choose, but they still shape us deeply, like the country and family and body we grow up in.  Some we can’t change but can choose the degree of our contact: celebrity and internet culture, for example.  Some life-giving cultures are not permanently sustainable, but we can immerse ourselves in them for a season. Think of a retreat center. Or even a dilapidated car, which I’ve found to be quite an effective culture of humility at breaking down my need for others to think well of me. But there are a handful of cultures where we have a meaningful say: our home and neighborhood, our small business or micro-church. There are things we can do to make these places conducive to growing the life of God in the hearts of people.  Spiritual formation happens through culture and community—the culture of a community.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  [Hebrews 10:24-25]

Written by Thomas Brewer, a contemporary pastor, adjunct professor, and editor.

We’ve all had the experience of hearing something incorrectly or miscommunicating. Many of us have experienced the corrosive effects of gossip, malicious speech, and offensive language…The truth is, words have tremendous power: They bind us together, but they also tear us apart. Why? Because God’s words have power, and we’re created in His image. In the beginning, God spoke, and His word made things. We don’t create ex nihilo, but our words still have power to change, manipulate, and accomplish things in His creation. Since we failed to fulfill the task of imaging Him well, God sent His own Son to accomplish what we couldn’t…Christ’s tongue brought goodness rather than evil; it said all the right things and none of the wrong. His was a holy tongue that spoke only the will of His Father. That is now our calling: to make His Word our word and His will our will, and to use our tongues to praise Him for all He has done, both now and forever.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. [John 1:14]

Today’s prayer, written by the Pray.com team, is based on Psalm 119.

Dear Lord, Your word is a lamp onto my feet and a light onto my path. When things seem dark, and I am stumbling without help, Your word brings clarity amidst the chaos. I want Your word to be my meditation day and night. May it satisfy my soul as I descend into the embrace of sleep, and may it be my nourishment the moment I rise with the dawn. Keep Your commandments before me, and may Your mercy follow me. When I feel dry and thirsty, replenish me with Your precepts and give me peace. Thank You for Your word. May I never lose love for it and how it brings me closer to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. [Psalm 119:105]

Written by Grace Pouch, a contemporary writer and content manager.

As a young girl, Corrie ten Boom found it curious that her father, a clock and watch repairman, treated his workbench like holy ground. His vocation seemed rather utilitarian, certainly not overtly Christian. Yet he approached it as sacred work. One day Corrie observed her father struggling with a project. He laid the watch aside, and prayed, “Lord, you turn the wheels of the galaxies. You know what makes the planets spin and You know what makes this watch run….” The next morning Corrie found the clock perfectly restored—her father having received divine insight during the night to solve the problem. By inviting God to be his helper in the work, both his craft and his spirit were sustained.  Experiences like this are not meant to be a rarity we only read about. Kingdom apprentices are people who are learning to live every aspect of our lives in unbroken communion and partnership with our Maker…The fact that God became one of us, lived a normal blue-collar life, and endured faithfully in struggles proves that there are no unsacred parts of human life; only sacred parts and desecrated parts.  Those parts we seem so eager to be free of—the tiresome routines and “grunt work”? They’re actually what poet and pastor Joshua Luke Smith calls “the main event.” To wish them away would be a desecration. Whenever they feel the walls closing in on them during painful or mundane moments, Joshua and his wife have a habit of saying This is the main event. It’s a phrase that re-sanctifies. And it carries God’s invitations: Don’t run away! Stay in your life. Take off your shoes; this is holy ground! … We need to take off our shoes and sink into the holy humus of answering emails or waiting in the carpool line. We need to lean into our limitations and embrace interdependence with coworkers, churchmates, and family members. The difficulties are the main event!  Grace waits for us in the humble workbenches and pews and kitchen tables of our lives, if we can see them as sacred.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. [1 Corinthians 10:31]

Written by the Lead Like Jesus team, an organization founded by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges that promotes a transformational leadership model based on following Jesus.

Jesus revealed God’s love in countless ways. He not only talked about God’s love, He allowed it to flow through Him. As God transforms us, we grow in our capacity to care about others. He enlarges our hearts, and stirs a spirit of generosity and compassion that isn’t content to stand by while others struggle. How does God want to use you in the lives of other people?

If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.  [1 John 3:17-18]

Written by Henri Nouwen (1932-1996), a Dutch priest, professor, writer, and theologian.  This is an excerpt from his book “Making All Things New.”

Without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life. Solitude begins with a time and a place for God, and him alone. If we really believe not only that God exists but also that he is actively present in our lives — healing, teaching, and guiding — we need to set aside a time and a space to give him our undivided attention. 

Go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to the Father who is in that secret place.  [Matthew 6:6]

Written by Mark Roberts, a contemporary writer.

Gracious God, thank you for creating and redeeming me according to your purpose. Thank you for calling me to participate in your purposeful work in the world. Help me, I pray, to learn to pay attention to what matters most when it comes to purpose in life. Give me eyes to see. Give me wisdom to discern. May I know my purpose so that I might flourish in this life for your purpose and glory. Amen.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. [Proverbs 19:21