Vehicular Sanctification

Anybody who knows me knows that driving is not good for my sanctification. There are times out on the road that people do stupid things - including myself - and I just about lose my religion. This morning I had a God moment in of all places my car.

I was on my way to Seneca Hills from home somewhat anxious about last minutes details that needed to get done before the start of Man Camp. About 10 minutes into my 45 minutes commute, I managed to get stuck behind an 18-wheeler. The road I travel back and forth to work is a heavily traveled road so I knew the chances of getting around this truck were slim to none. Not only was the truck an inconvenience, it also happened to be raining, which meant my car was transformed from a hunter green to a dingy, milky mess - you know what your car looks like after several wintery days! Even at a 100 yards behind the truck, I drove along amidst a steady cloud of road spray and left over gravel dust spread by salt trucks.

My anxiety meter began to climb and along with it my blood pressure. Almost immediately this picture came into my mind with the words "Slow down, I'm driving this truck! You're always so eager to run ahead of Me thinking that your worry and effort is going to make things happen. It's My presence that causes My blessing to flow - I am your reward, not your efforts. Just as this overspray is covering your car as you follow this truck, my blessing is directly related to how you follow my lead. Slow down and follow my lead!"

I stopped worrying about Man Camp. I actually enjoyed the ride behind that 18-wheeler, despite the filth that covered my car and the extra minutes it added to my commute.

Impactful Statements

I've not had much time since arriving home from the Allegheny Sectional to process the three day event. Sectionals, especially Allegheny Sectional, has become a spring of living a spring of living water for me over the past 3 and half years. This sectional, perhaps more than others has provided some food for thought to integrate into my life and ministry. I look forwad to debriefing the conference with the whole Seneca Hills staff in the weeks to come. Here are a few of the statements that caused me to pause these past three days:


The market for something to believe in is infinite. As I make contact with people everywhere I go, I see an unquenchable hunger in their hearts coupled with an undefinable despair. The hunger comes from the fact that God has placed eternity in the hearts of mankind. Augustine said, we are restless until we find our rest in Him. That restlessness works itself out in so many ways - all dead ends - which leads to despair.

It is not my intention to reduce faith to something you can "market" - even though well-meaning Christ-followers have done just that by turning the Church into some circus sideshow. I understand the phrase to point out the reality that people are searching and weighing the options and their consequences like they would products at a store. What kind of display am I showing as they "window shop"?

God is a God who wants to linger with His people. The idea that I originated from an impersonal force or glob of goo cannot account for my desire for intimate, meaningful relationships. Jesus demonstrated over and over in the Bible his desire to linger with his people. Somewhat of a counter cultural idea, even in the Christian community. We don't know how to be still and know...

Holiness is not a special moment in our lives - as if it is a place to arrive and then we're done pursuing - it ought to be found in the every day moments of our lives. I love the fact that Jesus took the everyday moments of our lives to teach us the most profound things - a loaf of bread and a cup of wine, a hidden treasure in a field, a costly pearl, a breakfast on the seashore. Maybe so many people struggle with pursuing holiness because they're looking for Christ in the WOW factor rather than the ordinary.

Michael