Resetting the Journey

So, it has been just over a month since I stepped down as pastor of Lighthouse Alliance Church. As I continue to seek the Lord's direction for my next step, I am hoping to reset my activity on this blog with posts and videos. So, I figured the best way to reset would be to start from the beginning. Obviously, this ministry is about encouraging an intentional life of seeking Jesus, especially in prayer. So, let us begin to ask ourselves some questions about how we seek Jesus, why we seek Jesus, and/or why we should be seeking after the Lord.

My family just got back from spending a week in Williamsburg, Virginia. We did the "colonial triangle" touring Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. While at the Yorktown Beach, I
saw a beautiful sailboat. It reminded me of something a professor and one of my spiritual role models Terry Wardle once described. He said that spiritual disciplines (like prayer, Bible reading, worship, etc.) are a means to an end, not an end themselves. Specifically, he compared them to sails on a boat. The boat, on its own, cannot do much. The sails, by themselves, also cannot do much. All the sails do is create a place to catch the wind, thus enabling the boat to move. Prayer, Bible reading, worship, etc. are then simply places to "catch the wind." They create space in our lives where we can meet with God.

So, in the coming days and weeks (and moving forward), join me here as we work through building a Biblical "sailboat." How do we draw near to God? Why has God chosen these means of meeting with us? Can we "sense" God's presence? All these and more will be issues we work through. I think it will be a fun journey and I hope you can join me!