Devoted #1

A while back I heard Andy Crouch preach on purchases and practices at the Tyndale Faith Talks. All in all it was a fantastic argument for living a disciplined life over a quick fix life. I thought it was the most significant portrayal of why we do the spiritual disciplines.

And I did nothing in response.

I wanted to engage in a practiced life but I apparently forgot.

So I'm trying to do that now. Simply put I am devoting myself to personal study of the bible. I got this Bible Study guide that N. T. Wright put out on Ephesians and its a really easy and concrete 11 session study of Ephesians. I'm going to try to work through that. And to keep myself committed I am going to blog a reflection once a day in light of that time.

Today I was looking at Ephesians 1:1-14 and I struggled with the question: What ways is God calling me to bless others?

I was taken aback by the question because although I try to serve God, spend summers in a camp environment, and school years in seminary. But right now, this semester, I'm not sure I am actively engaged in blessing others. I do a few things here and there but I am rarely intentionally blessing others.

I can gloss over it and say that I am devoted to my studies which is preparations for blessing others but that's a bit of a cop out.

I need to think about it.

Patman the Thinker