Re-Presenting The Icon

Why Freedom Requires Limitations

I know freedom by limitation seems like a total paradox, but here is a simple truth: we will never truly be free without constraint. We all desire freedom. The freedom to live a life full of purpose and meaning. The freedom to be exactly who we were created to be.

The vision for freedom invokes passion, but passion alone isn't enough to actualize that vision. The energy of passion must be harnessed by embracing certain limitations. These limitations help to keep our lives aimed in the direction of freedom. An athlete who desires to freely perform to the best of their ability must exercise constraint.  This athlete must spend long hard hours, not partying, but practicing and developing the necessary habits.

What does your vision of freedom look like? What constraints are you embracing?

 

 

The Day After Christmas

 

Okay... I really don't like listening to myself, but a friend challenged me to do this. So here is a video of a brief message I preached the day after Christmas, during family sunday. 

"Relationships Unfiltered" A New Book By Andrew Root

In his latest book, "Relationships Unfiltered", Andrew Root challenges Youth Workers to re-examine their motives for building relationships with youth. As a Youth Worker I've always known that relationships are the key. For many of us as Youth Workers our reasoning could go something like this, " In order to get students to behave better, we must build genuine relationships with them." However, according to Root this is precisely the problem, "While our motives may be good, it's possible that by focusing on these goals, we're not ministering to the whole person. When we choose not to engage in the full life of a teen, we run the risk of failing them and our ministry." I must admit, when meeting with teens the temptation to use them as stats for my success is a very present reality. When they make good decisions I come out looking really good and everyone knows that I know what I'm doing. However, this year I faced the challenge of meeting with students who continued to make poor decisions. I remember being frustrated and even saying to one, "if you continue to go this route, I'm not going to meet with you anymore." A couple of weeks later his dad called to inform me that his son had once again made a terrible decision, but he was afraid to tell me because I wouldn't meet with him anymore. Needless to say, I was very convicted by the Spirit. When I saw him the following Sunday, I pulled him to the side and apologized to him, and assured him that our relationship was not performance based. He burst into tears and grabbed me tightly, and it was in that moment that I was thankful to God that my relationship with Him, is not performance based. The Scriptures make it clear that“God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”(Romans 5:8 NRSV). I am only halfway through Root's book, but  I am definitely jiving with it and find it to be a challenging read! Only one warning, while seeking to read this in order to be more effective in Youth Ministry, you may find yourself being transformed in the process!

The Prayer of St. Ephrem

Great Lent provides us with the opportunity to practice a much needed self-examination. It gives us a chance to redirect our eyes from scrutinizing those around us, to looking inwardly to see what we have hidden under the covering of a favorable persona. The Prayer of St. Ephrem has proved to be a good x-ray for myself, enabling me to reflect on what's happening in the cracks and crevices of my heart. I am slowly finding courage to be honest with myself about who and where I really am.  

"O Lord and Master of my life, give me not the spirit of sloth, idle curiosity/meddling, lust for power and idle talk.

But grant unto me, Thy servant, a spirit of chastity/integrity, humility, patience and love.

Yes, O Lord and King, grant me to see mine own faults and not to judge my brother. For blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen." 

- St. Ephrem

Thanks for reading!