Spiritual Rhythms

  • Purposeful Living, Spiritual Rhythms

    Walking with the Light of the World

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    As a Latina living in the Pacific Northwest, I often joke with my husband around this time of year that my DNA is not equipped for these cold and rainy, dark winters. While I love a good rain storm where I can curl up by the fire with a giant mug of coffee and work on my latest crochet project, the romanticism quickly wears off when I have to make a run to the grocery store and actually brave the elements. 

    Especially after the hustle and bustle of the holidays fades, it can be easy to feel like we’re staring down a long, dreary winter ahead. I think that’s true for a lot of people this time of year. Whether the long, dark winter is literal or metaphorical, we can find ourselves longing for both daylight and God’s light. 

    I had a realization, on the winter solstice which ironically is the shortest day of the year. We only had about eight hours of daylight, and as I inwardly lamented the lack of rays, I also realized that from that moment on, each day would be progressively brighter. I was flooded with hope and relief at this temporal “landmark” that signaled a shift not just in our daylight hours, but in my heart posture as well.

    I had just read John 8:12 that day, and was reminded that whatever the source of the darkness, we have unlimited access to the ultimate source of Light.

    As we abide in Christ and walk with Him in our daily lives, He renews our minds, restores our joy and refreshes our hope. And because God himself is the light, there is no darkness that can overcome it. (John 1:5) His light never flickers, fades, or fails. Its brilliance is not dependent on our power, resourcefulness, or strength and there are no circumstances that can diminish its glow. To live in this light, we need only to follow Jesus. 

    Over and over, God has proven to me that time spent in the light of His presence and truth will sustain me in any season. When I spend time reading the Bible and see how God interacts with His people with love and tender mercy, I’m reminded that He shows me that same love and tenderness. When I bring my heart to Him in prayer, I am transformed to be more like Him. I begin to see my circumstances from His eternal perspective instead of my own limited view. When I get together with other Christians at church, or for coffee throughout the week, I’m encouraged and bolstered in my faith as we share how God is working in our lives. As I invite Jesus into what I am doing each day, I am reminded of God’s goodness and grace, and I experience His love more fully, regardless of the season or circumstance.

    With the New Year comes new opportunities to reframe our winter ahead. Maybe you are facing the darkness of the post-holiday “meh’s”,  or battling the literal rain and gloom outside your window. It could be that you are going through a season of hard transition, grief or disappointment. 

    Whatever the source of the darkness, it can never overcome or outlast the light of our God who is walking with you now. Jesus, the Light of the World, our Prince of Peace, sees you, knows you and loves you with a love like no other. 

    So as you stand on the edge of 2025, I want to encourage you to pick one or two things that you can do each day to spend time with God and realign your heart with His truth. It could be spending a few minutes reading your Bible and jotting down what stands out to you. Or talking to God and inviting Him to walk with you as you go through your day. It may be texting a friend to ask for prayer, and seeing how you can pray for them, or starting a new Bible study to help you know and experience God’s character on a deeper level. 

    Whatever the season, wherever you are in your faith journey, I pray that you would lift your eyes up to Him, wrap up in His love, and lean into the light and life He offers. May He bless you, sustain and encourage you, and help you flourish in your faith this year, and in the years to come.

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  • In The Word, Prayer, Spiritual Rhythms

    How To (Re)Connect With God

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    John 15:4

    This week, we are excited to have Jason Campbell, our Director of Theology (and Melissa’s husband), sharing with us. Jason started Regnare Project, a ministry teaching people how to develop spiritual disciplines that help them grow in their relationship with God. We hope this short guide to establishing or re-establishing a connection to God will be a blessing!

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    In these days of constant busyness and distraction, it has become more difficult than ever to maintain a life-giving relationship with the Father. This is a short guide to (re-)establishing that life-giving connection with the one that loves us and calls us into the good life of his kingdom.

    Start small.

    As always, we start small, beginning with ten minutes with God. That may not sound like much (or it may sound like a lot!), but rest assured that this is plenty of time to connect with the one that gives life freely to all who come to him.

    Pick a time (and keep picking until you find a time that works).

    It doesn’t matter when we do this: morning, lunchtime, evening, right before bed—just pick a time that appeals to you and try it. If it doesn’t work well at that time, don’t worry too much about it; just pick a different time the next day and try that.

    Repeat this until you find a rhythm that works for you. Remember, you aren’t angering or disappointing God if you have trouble with this; he knows every crazy detail of your life and is working with you to carve out this time. Jesus is called “Rabbi” (teacher) for a reason: pay attention to what he is teaching you about how and when to connect with him.

    Begin by laying down your burdens.

    Begin your time with God by laying down your burdens—whatever is on your heart, give it up to God. Could be good things, could be worries about upcoming events, could be something difficult you’re struggling through, could just be the condition of your heart (bored, frazzled, tired, thankful—anything). There is nothing too trivial, too embarrassing, too shocking, or too insignificant to share with God. He is your Father and he cares for you; if you care about it, so does he. That’s how love works.

    Listen for God speaking to you as you read Scripture.

    After you’ve spent some time laying down your immediate concerns, prepare your heart to listen. Now it’s God’s turn to speak.

    Open the Bible either in its printed form or on a reading device that is convenient. Then ask God to speak a personal word to you as you read or listen to a passage of Scripture.

    Listen closely as you read, paying attention to what God is saying to you through that Scripture. This is a particular approach to reading: we aren’t scanning a newspaper or a Facebook timeline looking for something interesting; we aren’t studying a textbook to pass a test; we aren’t even analyzing a passage of Scripture so that we can master it. We are coming to the living Word of God, listening for a personal word from him that speaks to us in our circumstances right now. Think of a soldier poring over a love letter from his bride-to-be while out on the front lines: he reads the words slowly, savoring them, picturing the one who wrote them, hearing in the words his beloved’s voice as the text brings her near.

    Stick to a chapter or so at a time, or even a smaller, contiguous chunk. After you’re finished reading it through, go back over it. Linger over sentences, phrases, or even single words that stand out to you. Ask yourself why that phrase stands out.

    Let the word lead you to the deep places of your heart. Let the word bring to mind thoughts you’ve had recently or nudges from God that you brushed off. Let the word unearth moments of thanksgiving that you’d forgotten about. Let the word bring to mind relationships in your life. If someone comes to mind, offer a brief but heartfelt prayer for them.

    Treasure whatever you hear from God—and act on it!

    Above all, if God has brought to mind something during your time in the word, write it down somewhere: put it on your calendar, write it on a sticky note, jot it down in a journal, share it with someone in a text message. If your time with Scripture or in prayer leads you toward an action (even just an inkling!), take it seriously! Don’t let the moment slip by. Give it weight by carrying it with you into the day and act on it.

    Nothing will ignite a thriving relationship with God like going where he goes and doing what he calls you to do!

    Try this out for a while and see how it goes. It might take a week or two to get into a good rhythm with it, but that’s okay. Talk with a friend about how it’s going and what you’re hearing in Scripture or during your times in prayer. Invite them to try the practice with you and see where it takes you.

    The good life of God’s kingdom is open to all, and it always starts small like a mustard seed (Luke 13:18-19). But given that small beginning, you can count on even small efforts to grow abundantly under God’s blessing. God can do wonders with even a few short minutes a day!

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