
“What decisions have you been making lately and how are they a reflection of the way you sense the future?” Henri Nouwen asks this question in the introduction to In the Name of Jesus, a book our team is reading together. As soon as I read those words, I knew I needed to spend some time working through them. I’d love to share with you my own takeaways from this thought experiment and invite you to consider taking 30 minutes to reflect on this question for yourself.
Without getting too personal, I have to admit that it appears I’m in a season of pessimism, perhaps even borderline fatalism. More specifically, it seems that I have a low view of my impact in others’ lives. I’ve been busy doing good things, but there’s hasn’t been much heart in it—no sense that I’m joining in Christ’s triumphal procession (2 Cor. 2:14).
Needless to say, that’s not how I want to show up at home, in my church, in my world. “Lord God, restore in me that first love fire, the conviction that you are up to something good and I’m invited to join you in that great work.” As the Spirit brings me to your mind, I wouldn’t mind one bit if you joined me in that prayer.
What about you? What decisions have you been making lately and how are they a reflection of the way you sense the future? If that sparks some insights for you, I’d love to celebrate it with you! Shoot me a quick note at ryanc@perimeter.org. Praying for you and your families. So grateful to get to minister to you and with you.
For the kingdom,
Ryan Carson
Pastor of Middle School