Something More | The Vision, Part 3
When it comes to God's truth, many of us assume we know what's in the Bible. But maybe we need to take a closer look. Engaging with the Bible isn't easy, even for people committed to following Jesus. When we love God, we genuinely desire to have a deeper relationship with him. But cracking open the Bible can feel like a chore. I think this happens for one of two reasons (or, more likely, a combination of the two).
Together | The Vision, Part 2
“I was just excited to get to ‘spend time’ with this amazing group of people that I definitely wouldn’t have been able to get to know otherwise...” I was so excited to hear about this virtual Connect group that formed after staying at home became the norm earlier this year. What could seem on the surface as an obstacle became for them what made it easy to “meet” together. And this being together, in prayer and in community, became so sweet in the hard months of this year.
True Sabbath Rest
We’ve adapted and settled into new routines this year, but I’ve continued to struggle with finding rest. And, as a parent of young kids, I’ve felt the absence of in-person church services keenly. As I’ve watched Lauren and her husband, Mark, move through this season, deep in the preschool years just like us, I’ve grown more and more curious about their weekly Sabbath. What Lauren shared resonated so deeply with the ache I’ve been feeling in this year full of unknowns and exhaustion. And I can’t wait to share it with you...
Lost and Found | The Vision, Part 1
If you are a follower of Jesus, you once were lost and have been found. And like many of us, you will remember how far away you were from hope. And most of us, even after being found by Jesus and experiencing the new life he offers, still go through seasons where we get turned around and feel lost. It’s a reality of life—an effect of the great lie of sin found at the beginning of the story of creation. It’s a separation and a break from the giver of life. But the greatest hope we have is knowing that God came to us on a rescue mission, sending his own Son to prepare the way for us to come back home, to have new life, real hope, and to be found and pointed in a new direction.
Reminders of His Promise
The Psalms reflect the whole range of human emotion. These words from God through the different psalmists breathe life into our day-to-day—our joys, struggles, longings, and questions. This summer, we spent time diving into the Book of Psalms as a church. I was excited to learn about different kinds of psalms and dive in deeper so some both familiar and unfamiliar passages. I was able to see how these psalms from the past can ring true even to our present lives and that the psalms are God giving us words to use to cry out to him.
New Meaning to History: “Lies My Teacher Told Me” by James Loewen Book Review
Lies My Teacher Told Me is a book for this moment. American history comes at a cost. Right now, we’re paying the price of our false narrative because we’ve refused to look hard in the mirror, see the truth and our flaws, and find the courage to address them. The cost of rebuilding American history on the true narrative will be an honest critical examination of our past and making the necessary changes to address the current injustices.
Made New
When we had our first daughter, I expected that my new role as a parent would be hard and exhausting. But I was surprised at how deeply I struggled in that first year. I felt like the very fibers of me were unraveling, exposing every single imperfection. As much as I wanted to chalk it up to being only a few months postpartum, I knew it was more than that.
Check the Other Nostril
So, here’s the thing—I’ve never had a drinking problem. That’s not to say I’m above it, but I’ve watched some folks (that I love deeply) self-destruct as a result of alcohol. So I treat it with a healthy fear. It would be easy for me, I think, to recuse myself from examination under the microscope of recovery because I don’t have a “traditional” addiction. After all, I’ve seen what real addiction looks like, and I’m nothing like that. Sure. But… As an adult child of an alcoholic, let’s be honest—I’m pretty flush with baggage of my own.
The Last "First Day"
Though we reached the end of a season, this last first day won’t truly be the last for Emma. As I wonder what lies ahead for her, I can’t help but reflect on the many first days I’ve already had alongside those yet to come: the first day of college, of grad school, of marriage, of motherhood… the first day of work, of caring for an elderly parent, and eventually the first day of learning to live without parents when they pass on. The constant in all of the first days is God. He redeems all the ugly of uncertainty for my good, though I can only see it clearly in hindsight.
Raising Kind and Curious Kids
I want to raise my kids to be people who help others move from feelings of anxiety to a sense of belonging, and I imagine you do, too. And since raising kind and curious kids takes intentionality, we have some important questions to answer: What do we do when we notice differences in others? And what do we say when our children notice?
Read and Discuss: “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson Book Review
Last fall, I participated in a cohort with some of my co-workers where we read and discussed Just Mercy together. It was our first round of these learning cohorts and really, for me, a first step into intentional community that involved education about racial injustice. It was shocking, eye-opening, and hard. We often sat in the room with no words to say. But it was important to take the space and time and truly it was transformative for me.
The Call to Persevere
This season of COVID-19, and social distancing, and working while being my kids’ cruise director has made me weary. The scary news headlines and heartbreaking stories of injustice have made me feel anxious and worried and sad. I’m trying to be brave and strong, but the weight of it all feels like too much. And then the guilt of feeling weary, when I know others have far more to complain about, sits heavy too. Can anyone relate?
Thanks, Daniel Tiger
I love gleaning little tips and tricks from other parents along the way. So, I reached out to some fellow Summit parents to find out what phrases they use in their households. What they shared with me is absolute parenting GOLD. A friend of mine told me that whenever she shares a life lesson or fun fact with her kids, she follows it up with “write that down!” Trust me, you’re going to want to write these down...
Decision Fatigue Got You Down?
As parents, we have been faced with a barrage of new and difficult decisions over the past few months. Do I feel safe sending my daughters back to daycare? Is it ok to play at the neighborhood playground? Can you actually use too much hand sanitizer? I’m a peacemaker by nature, so I put a lot of pressure on myself to try and make everyone happy. Add in a dash of perfectionism and it's a perfect storm of anxiety and decision paralysis.
Build Something Better: “The Minority Experience” by Adrian Pei Book Review
As Summit learns more about truths obscured from their sight, there is an opportunity to expand the depth of how we live out and are steeped in the gospel. How we love our neighbors changes as we see them more fully. We’ll love more completely. When they are in pain, we won’t be able to choose to look away and abandon them. As we learn about others, we’ll learn about ourselves. We have to honestly reflect on how we got here and if we are part of making things better.
Mourning and Restoration
Thousands dressed in black to walk down Church Street together in a time of mourning for Black lives lost due to police brutality and social injustice. The walk culminated near the Amway Center where the group took time to pray, repent, and have conversations about each person’s role in implementing change in our country.
Racial Justice Children's Book Recommendations
As parents, there are ways we can model and teach anti-racism to our kids, and children’s literature can be a powerful tool. The following books are ones we’ve read and recommend specifically as you talk with your children about individual and institutional racism. As children of God, we want to take a stand against injustice in all its forms and raise kids who will do the same.
Summer in Psalms Reading Plan
Along with preaching on various psalms this summer, we’ve come up with a 10-week reading plan in Psalms. Psalms is broken up into five books, and we will spend two weeks reading selected psalms from each book. Many biblical scholars find each book has a guiding theme. We’ll be reading one psalm a day for five days per week, and you can find the list here!
Rhythms of Community
The isolation that has come with COVID-19 has been hard for all of us, and especially challenging for our preschoolers who don’t have a clue what “six feet apart” means. But necessity is the mother of invention, right? Or, at least, doing-whatever-you-can-to-maintain-your-sanity is the mother of invention...
Rhythms of Celebration
It may be tempting to check the box and rush to put this school year behind us, but I believe a milestone like this calls for CELEBRATION! Now, more than ever, we need to take the time to reflect and rejoice with our kids. We need to affirm their effort, even if it was frustrating, even if we didn’t always get it right, and especially if it was hard.