"Spiritual transformation into Christlikeness is a process of forming the inner world of the human self in such a way that it takes on the character of the inner being of Jesus himself, The result is that the outer life of the individual increasingly becomes a natural expression of the inner reality of Jesus and his teachings. Doing what he said and did increasingly becomes a part of who we are."

Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart.

Being a Christ-follower means that we are on a life-long journey in the process of growing more and more like Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian church, "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you..." Galatians 4:19

To the Ephesians he stated the goal this way, "to become mature, attaining to the whole measure the fullness of Christ" and "we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." Ephesians 4:13 & 15 

To the Romans he wrote, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likenessof his Son..." Romans 8:29

To the Corinthians he said, "We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness, with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

Williard explains that "The human spirit is an inescapable, fundamental aspect of every human being; and it takes on whichever character it has from the experiences and the choices that we have lived through or made in the past. That is what it means to be 'formed'." He goes on to say, "That spiritual place within us [the heart] from which outlook, choices, and actions come from has been formed by a world away from God. Now it must be transformed...as our spiritual dimension has been formed, so it also must be transformed."

As we grow in the knowledge of who Christ is, how He lived, who He calls us to be, how He calls us to imitate His life, then we become increasingly formed into His likeness. But it is a lifelong process making those who are in Christ lifelong learners. It requires of us a dedication to reading and studying the Word of God. But, thankfully, it is not solely dependent on us alone. This is the great mystery of God; "Christ in you." (Colossian 1:27). God gave us His Spirit. "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2:13) The Spirit of God works in us and in conjunction with our will. It's a holy partnership!

 Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson

Pastor for Spiritual Formation

This month we move into looking at leadership across the hundred years of Pasadena Covenant Church. Our Growth Groups have just finished looking at Nehemiah, an exceptional Old Testament leader.  One reason he is accessible as a leader is because there are no overt miracles; no parting of the Red Sea, no visit by an angel Nehemiah never walks on water. Instead, Nehemiah was a man who had a passion, who worked hard, prayed faithfully and listened to God, encountered criticism and made difficult leadership decisions.

Nehemiah, a rather ordinary person in a servant position, became a transformational leader by praying to God for discernment of His holy will. He then followed God’s calling to rebuild the walls of the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was a regular guy who caught a divine glimpse of what could and should be done. He provided a vision to those he led, attended to their needs, encouraged them to honor God in their efforts. Then, he went after it with all his heart. He was able to witness the completion of his vision, and the walls were restored in a mere fifty-two days.  His story is not that much different than ours.

Read Nehemiah again this month as we consider the next hundred years of seeking to do what God asks of us at 539 N. Lake Avenue!

Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson

Pastor for Spiritual Formation

Coronavirus has been a challenging season for all of us. To preserve my sanity during this extended pandemic, I adopted a daily habit. I started keeping a list—an actual, physical, pen-and-paper list—of the things that were actively giving me life in this least lively season.

The idea comes from author Barbara Brown Taylor. In her memoir, Leaving Church , Taylor tells about a time she was invited to speak, and her host assigned her this topic: “Tell us what is saving your life right now.” Most of us know what’s killing us, and can articulate it, if asked. Some of us are overwhelmed with hurry and worry; some of us face crushing struggles; some feel utterly paralyzed.

But few of us stop to note what’s giving us life. Taylor says it’s too good a question to not revisit every once in a while: what are the things—big or small—that are saving us?
 
Saving my life right now: Making new connections and nurturing old ones to deeper intimacy–in person rather than or at least not *just* online.
 
I can’t wait to hear what’s on your list.
 
 
What is saving my life now is the conviction that there is no spiritual treasure to be found apart from the bodily experiences of human life on earth. My life depends on engaging the most ordinary physical activities with the most exquisite attention I can give them. My life depends on ignoring all touted distinctions between the secular and the sacred, the physical and the spiritual, the body and the soul. What is saving my life now is becoming more fully human, trusting that there is no way to God apart from real life in the real world.

Barbara Brown Taylor An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith


Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

How to pray?! A dear friend let me know his mother has been found unresponsive and would not survive the day. Another young friend who is only 40 confirmed that she has breast cancer and is headed for double mastectomy surgery soon. Covid has taken the life of two adults in an extended family doing missions work in south Asia. Gratefully, when we no longer know how to pray, the Spirit, in groans too deep for words, prays through us.

Saint Paul wrote those words in Romans and they contain both a stunning revelation and a wonderful consolation, namely, there is deep prayer happening inside us beyond our conscious awareness and independent of our deliberate efforts. The Spirit is our partner in prayer, groaning to God about all things that feel too challenging for our mere words.

When we don't know what prayer to offer or what to pray for, these inexpressible groanings are a tremendous and compassionate solace.

Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

“Go and find Jesus when your patience and strength give out and you feel alone and helpless. He is waiting for you. 
Say to him, ‘Jesus, you know exactly what is going on. You are all I have, and you know all. Come to my help.’ 
And then go and don’t worry about how you are going to manage. That you have told God about it is enough. He has a good memory.”
—Jeanne Jugan, “Sister Mary of the Cross,” (1792-1879)
 
Stories from the lives of saints and other ordinary people of faith always challenge me in my faith. Do you know Sister Mary of the Cross? She was known for her service to the elderly poorest of the poor in France. She grew up during the political and religious upheavals of the French Revolution. Four years after she was born, her father, a fisherman, was lost at sea. Her mother struggled to provide for the young Jeanne and her siblings, while also providing them secretly with religious instruction amid the anti-Catholic persecutions of the day. 
 
Jugan worked as a shepherdess while still very young and learned to knit and spin wool She could barely read and write. She took a job as a kitchen maid to a devout Viscountess, which led to her accompanying her to care for the sick and the poor. This began a life of service and ultimately her founding a religious order of women, the Little Sisters of the Poor. She continued this mission for four decades, particularly establishing homes for abandoned elderly women. 
 
Recently, Steve asked in his sermon, “Who are you yoked to?” and “What is your call?” Sister Mary of the Cross lived a life yoked to her God who continued to reveal how she could use her gifts to serve him and serve others. What a life! What a simple and exemplary prayer of deep faith and trust in a God who is listening. Be encouraged—this is the God we all love and serve.
 
Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

"Broken things are worthless in the world, but broken things God cannot resist." – George MacDonald 

Hold this concept up to the light and, like a kaleidoscope, turn it round and 
round. The colors and shapes of the fragments will fascinate you. 

Broken, the word, can be used from a place of grief, as in 'my heart is broken.' Or it can be used to express gospel humility, as in 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.' (Psalm 51:16-18) 

It can describe failure in our lives: 'my marriage is broken,' or freedom from prison or slavery:  'This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts.' ( Isaiah 58:6) 

Broken can also describe the physical damage of an object -- your son's favorite toy or the handle on your junk drawer. Turn the lens again and we see broken used in one of the Bible's most compelling narratives of surrender and worship, 'While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.' ( Mark 14:2-4) 

But amidst our great brokenness there is hope. Great hope. 

Turn the lens again, adjust the light, and you see, 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.'
( Psalm 51:17) 

And, in this light, all the fragments and all the colors of the kaleidoscope draw our eyes to our Savior — the God-man who was broken for us. 'The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, broken for you. Do this to remember me.' After supper, he did the same thing with the cup: 'This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you. Each time you drink this cup, remember me.'
( 1 Corinthians 11:23) 

Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

A section from the book Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, a classic of black literature, has been on my mind this week as I read it again. The book is set in Florida in the 1920s, and the quote here is when Janie, the main character, and her husband are taking shelter as a hurricane, the “screaming wind,” is coming through their town:

“The wind came back with triple fury and put out the light for the last time. They sat in company with the others in other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God.”

Their eyes were watching God. I’ve always loved that line. It begs the question—regardless of who you are or where you live or the color of your skin or what storm is approaching or overhead —what does it mean be “watching God”? I think this question is key to hope. I’d love to hear your thoughts. What might it mean “watching God” from behind a face mask? From our couches as we watch the news each night? Sitting in company with others but from whom we’re isolated or wrestling with profound differences of conviction? How do we “watch God” in ways that keep us open to whatever ways He chooses to meet us?

Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

How precious are your thoughts
about me, O God.
   They cannot be numbered!
I can't even count them;
   they outnumber the grains of sand!
 And when I wake up,
You are still with me!
                       Psalm 139: 17-18 (NLT)


Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

Monday is Juneteenth!

On June 19, 1865, about two months after the Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, Va., Gordon Granger, a Union general, arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved African Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended. General Granger’s announcement put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued more than two and a half years earlier, on Jan. 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln. So, Juneteenth represents more than just a formalized notice of victory over the Confederacy, but an actual declaration of freedom on the ground. 

Today the Juneteenth national holiday commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. Celebratory traditions often include public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, singing traditional songs and the reading of works by noted African-American writers. Some Juneteenth celebrations also include rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, park parties and historical reenactments.
 
Jelani Greenidge, contributor for Covenant Companion, writes “Now even though Juneteenth was recently established as a federal holiday, celebrations like Juneteenth are more than just political theater. As followers of Jesus, they’re part of our spiritual heritage. Both the longing for freedom and the celebration of its arrival are circular rhythms with echoes of the Jewish Passover feast, where the children of Israel remembered God’s deliverance from the hand of the Egyptian pharaoh. All throughout the Old Testament, we see story after story of God’s faithfulness to God’s covenant people, who often experienced victory and deliverance against formidable odds. In truth, many of the idioms and much of the language from the American Civil Rights Movement invoke those Old Testament texts, the struggles of God’s people as they sojourned through time, facing not only military pressure from neighboring armies but eventually exile and oppression from foreign occupation.
 
So, while Juneteenth does not have a place on the liturgical calendar, it does represent an opportunity for us as a church to raise an Ebenezer, a tangible sign of God’s miraculous providence as we’ve experienced it thus far. As the lyrics of “Amazing Grace” remind us, “through many dangers, toils and snares, we have already come.” As followers of Jesus, we welcome the opportunity to give thanks to God.

If you’d like a good resource to introduce yourself or your kids to Juneteenth, we have found both of these videos are a good start:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWBlikh8A2E
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8icqK_KUtQY

Grace and peace,
Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

I was lying on the hammock on a recent weekend afternoon, watching the leaves of the crape myrtle tree filter out the sun, soaking in the first real warm day of the year. The cedar at the front of the driveway was rubbing its needles together in the breeze, shush-shush-shush, and I could feel the invitation come again, rolling deep through me, like it was coming up from the earth itself. If there had been any real words, they would have been something like this: Stay. Stay in the quiet. Stay right here.

Lying there, listening, I thought about what it means to stay present to what the world is saying, the knowledge of the ground under our feet, the trees, the creatures. What it means to be present to people and relationships, to our own selves. What it means to be present to the Spirit and God’s Love, to really hear and understand and follow Jesus.

There’s a line in Fellowship of the Ring, where Bilbo describes his life (which is deeply tangled in the pull of the Ring) to Gandalf:
Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. That can't be right. I need a change, or something.

I know I can feel this away. Pulled in so many directions, I can only just stretch myself to cover the surface, so inundated with noise that I can’t hear the whispering of Spirit and earth even if I long for it. It’s not in my power to quiet the whole world - but I can quiet myself, and my part in it. I want to live deeply, attentive to the community and work I’ve been given. Help me, Lord. Kyrie Eleison.

Grace and peace,
Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation