April 2021: What God is Teaching Me Right Now (and who/what God is teaching me through)

I initially wrote this in my monthly newsletter...and then realized it was a bit much. One thing I am trying to be as my faith evolves and my relationship with Jesus deepens, is to be fully myself - what I mean by this is to integrate my faith and how God created/wired me. I am a learner and a teacher by nature. These are spiritual, God-given gifts. I am constantly searching for people to learn from and listen to, particularly Christian voices, and I want to begin to more faithfully share what I am learning (what God is teaching me!) with others. So, for the first round, here are 4 sources I am learning from plus what God is teaching me through the Bible right now:

1) Latasha Morrison and Be the Bridge (it's a book, and an organization, with an amazing Facebook community and other sorts of gatherings) - Latasha is passionate about educating the church about race / racism and pursuing RECONCILIATION and bridge building. Her work brings people together and gives them space to share their experiences. It is gospel-centered but she does not sugar-coat the realities of racism Black Americans and other People of Color face. If you want to learn more about racism and how to respond in constructive ways that aim for Gospel-driven reconciliation, her work is a great starting point. If you would like additional recommendations, please ask - this is something I am passionate about.

2) James Brownson, Bible, Gender Sexuality: Reframing the Church's Debate on Same-Sex Relationships - Brownson is a New Testament scholar and professor in Michigan who is passionate about serving the church. He is LGBTQ+ affirming, but he did not change his convictions without a serious season of prayer and study. This is one of the first books I've read where the author criticizes all sides of a debate (pointing out where "progressives" and where "traditionalists" fail in their arguments surrounding the Bible as they grapple with this issue). I think it's important to learn from all sides of any fraught issue (I mean Christian voices who may disagree), and he models this well in this book. This book is a fairly academic read - I can recommend some other resources if you want to explore this issue but would prefer easier-to-read resources or YouTube videos.

3) Priscilla Shirer, Elijah: Faith and Fire - her studies are incredible, and I am excited to be doing this with my mom and three of my aunts (we are spread out in Washington, Idaho, Kentucky, and Louisiana but meet on Zoom). We meet weekly and rotate between watching videos of Priscilla's teachings on Elijah and sharing what God is teaching us through daily homework that pairs with the videos. I am learning that God often separates us from what is comfortable and familiar when God is preparing to work in and through us. Separation can be painful, but whenGod tells us to "go away" from where we are comfortable, God prepares us and sustains us. We might feel frustrated or depressed or anxious when God takes us out of comfort zones and asks us to let go of familiar traditions and habits. But God knows what is coming next in our lives and exactly how to ready us for the work. This teaching is based on God taking Elijah to a brook, and then to the widow's home, before the miraculous work God does through Elijah at Mt. Carmel. 

4) Jen Hatmaker, Simple and Free - This is a book that was published around ten years ago as "Seven" - I read it then, and am re-reading the updated version, Simple and Free, now. Jen wrote the book while she did a social experiment in fasting, giving up various things over the course of seven months in an effort to draw closer to God and learn more about Kingdom living. Some examples include an internet/social media fast, giving 7 things away every day for a month, wearing only 7 items of clothing for a month, eating only 7 foods for a month, spending money at only 7 places for a month, etc. God is using this book to remind me as I begin life-building with Alejandro that God's priorities are frequently different from our priorities, and that God's Kingdom is not in accomplishments or stuff, but in relationships and disciple making. On a practical level, I've done more work to reduce clothing and possessions, and Alejandro and I are working on budgeting and what kinds of things we want to invest our money in (donations, tithing, etc.).

The Bible: Right now, Alejandro and I are reading the Book of Acts in home church. God is challenging me to see how obedient to the Holy Spirit early missionaries and believers were - they lived out their faith in very practical, everyday ways - it wasn't just weekly gatherings or teachings. It was everyday, being a part of a whole new way of life. I am also loving seeing the picture of the early church (that met in homes!) that is painted in Acts.