Qualifications for Power - Church of the Resurrection – Washington, DC

Qualifications for Power - Church of the Resurrection – Washington, DC

Sept. 8

So, I'm back to blogging again. It's been a while since I've been on here and I attribute that to being overwhelmed (in an entirely good way) with the many things that have taken place since I last wrote.

As of tonight I have been dating a wonderful man for 8 months. We actually met two summers ago on a FOCUS camp where I was too emotionally-zoned out to notice him - and he was too focused on the kids to get to know me :) Fair enough. But when I was making prospective trips down to D.C., spring of '10, he had his eyes on me, and called dibs for me to be at the FOCUS meeting where he was volunteering. In the fall, let's just say we kept it professional - emails and calls about meetings and Bible studies. But a lunch date in November was really more than just a lunch date, and he would trek across the D.C. metro area to talk to me at parties when he could really only be there for a half-hour max. Then there was Brookwoods, which "sealed the deal." As he ministered to kids on the slopes, my middle-school girls were noticing that something was up between us. The last day of camp these girls asked me, and I might have told them a little bit too much information. Needless to say, the drive back on the bus from New Hampshire to New York City was filled with their jeering and poking fun at our "love." Aside from the middle schoolers, the time I got to spend with Luke on the bus proved that he was more than a good date, but a man that cared deeply about my salvation, and how I was growing closer to God through circumstances in my life.

Tonight we began a "Discipleship Academy" through our church - Church of the Resurrection in D.C. We meet with 10 other people at the church office for about 9 months on Thursday nights and go over various aspects of the Christian faith. Tonight we began a teaching from one of our pastors on The Apostles's Creed.

Also tonight, we were given a quote from Jonathan Edwards in the midst of some discussion about the concept of the Trinity: "There was an eternal society or family in the Godhead, in the Trinity of persons... it seems to have been God's design to admit the Church into the divine family as his son's wife."

Matthew, one of our pastors, also responded to a question concerning the mystery of why the Bible talks so little about the Trinity, though it is such an important concept. He said it would be like for him trying to describe his wife: He would never be able to describe or define her in a way that would do her justice. There is so much to her and it would be almost impossible to explain her fully to anyone. That is why perhaps, he said, the Bible leaves out a "definition" of the Trinity.

I'm going to look forward to these weekly teachings - this oasis of edification.

This Christmas

It's been awhile since I've updated this blog. Life in DC has been fast-paced and action-packed - and yet this schedule and routine that I have invigorates and excites me in a way that not many seasons of life have before. I participated in many fun activities this past Christmas season. It snowed right before Christmas, which transformed the already beautiful National Mall into a winter wonderland. It was just enough snow to abate mass hysteria in a city that really doesn't see snow that much. I went to a delightful Christmas concert in the National Cathedral featuring St. Albans School, National Cathedral School, and a St. Alban's college from Pretoria, South Africa. The highlight of that concert was watching the lower school choirs mimic the choreography of the South Africans from their perch in the nave balcony. I also participated in my own church's Lessons and Carols service. My mom and good friend from Philly drove down that day to see me! In addition, I entered in two very special times of prayer that a guy from my church organized for Advent. A couple of us from our church met at his house on the hill to pray to ready our hearts for advent. We used the Book of Common Prayer and then a devotional.

I left about a week before Christmas to drive north to Philly to spend the week there with my family. My brother and sister-in-law came in right before Christmas from Boston. The break was super-relaxing and quiet.

Brookwoods, the FOCUS middle school Winter House Party in New Hampshire started with a bang, but I will leave that update for another blog entry...