Monday. A good day.

So we've decided that on Mondays, here in our quaint, stuffy, cluttery office, we are going to take time to listen to some online sermons and let ourselves be refreshed and encouraged. I guess I never imagined that happening- working at a church and having to do all the "spiritual feeding" and not receiving much myself. In short, this new Monday tradition is much needed and appreciated.
Craig Groeschel, an amazing pastor from Tulsa, said this blessing in one of his sermons and it definitely caught my attention:

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
And the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forever more. Amen.

I want that so much. I want to begin to hate the superficial masks I use when I don't feel like giving my heart out. I want to be angry at how people are treated in our world today. I want to weep and mourn and fast for those who see no hope for their future. And I want that foolishness that only those who are so in love and sold out for Jesus Christ have... the belief that I can change my world, my family, myself for the better and that I can totally destroy this box that people have put God into.

I could go on and on for days, maybe even years, about how the Gospel most of us claim to live by is not about dressing nice for Sunday mornings, or just paying 10 percent of our income to the church. This Gospel is alive and active and it is working on the behalf of those who do not have, who do not know, the man named Jesus whom we've grown accustomed to all these years. I want faith AND deeds. I want miracles, signs, wonders. I want to see pride broken, hearts mended, minds restored.

I want to see God move on behalf of His people. And I know it will happen. Not only that, but I know it is happening. And for that I am honored to be called to this Gospel-living, Bible-thumping, so-called "religious" way of life. No matter what misconceptions people have of God or His Son, they will know Him when they see us. Doesn't that propel you to live a life worthy of your calling? I pray that it does.