Community Prayer Guide | September 2019

Each month we receive an updated Community Prayer Guide from One Hope ministry network that helps the church draw near to God and pray for various areas of our city life together. We invite you to take time to join hundreds of people who are praying each month for 10 strategic areas that shape our community's culture.

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Community Prayer Guide September 2019

“Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me.”
Psalm 34:3-4a

Church
Pray for the Lord’s power on all new fall ministry opportunities & for families to be connected to His people.
Pray for church & ministry leadership teams to be empowered with His Spirit, unified & guided by the Lord.
Pray for your pastors: their closeness to God, health, marriage, children and grace to lead like Jesus.
Pray for all people in our community to be drawn to follow Christ through His people, the local church.

Education
Pray for safety, peace and protection over all of our local schools & for every student to develop friendships.
Pray for local districts’ leadership to make fast and wise decisions about how to utilize newly approved funds.
Pray for Jesus-following LCC staff and students to be bold and loving in their witness for the Lord.
Pray for the health & well-being of teachers and staff: rhythms of self-care and God’s shalom.

Government
Pray for the process and selection of the new Springfield City Manager.
Pray for God’s love, wisdom and guidance to be upon all of our government leaders and their families.
Pray for God to direct the preparations of local governments, businesses, churches and non-profits for the 2021 World Track & Field Championships.
Pray for the Lord’s shalom in the preparation, the events and the long term impact.
Pray for God to guide the implementation & leadership selection of the TAC Report (Technical Assistance Collaborative), a comprehensive city/county strategic plan to house the unhoused.

Business
Pray for an increased harmony & synergy between local businesses and the U of O.
Pray for more skilled trade-workers to be sent to our community & for more local trade-training programs.
Pray for local governments to create helpful and supportive policies for the growth of businesses.
Pray for ethical & flourishing wealth development that advances the Lord’s purposes in our community.

Arts
Pray for the Pacific Rim Art Guild, a group of Christ-honoring artists, for new creativity and God’s guidance.
Pray for God-breathed inspiration & skill development to create Jesus-glorifying art in our community.
Pray for the Arts to flourish at Northwest Christian University and New Hope Christian College.
Pray the Arts in public schools: for God’s hand to be upon art teachers’ preparation and student participation.

Family
Pray for those struggling with drug addiction: for God to intervene, that they would be delivered of their dependency and find peace in Jesus, along with stability in jobs and housing.
Pray for foster families to be supported and thrive: for community to come around them and for organizations who serve vulnerable families to be strengthened.
Pray for all people to see the inherent value of unborn babies and for God’s power to rest on families & organizations that serve pregnant mothers.

Health Care
Pray for Health Care Providers (HCPs) to have wisdom and grace to treat children with special needs.
Pray for HCPs to be empowered by God to guide families through “end of life” issues.
Pray for HCPs to have strength, wisdom & compassion to bring God’s healing to people with addiction.
Pray for more physicians to have compassion for the unborn & for strength to practice their convictions.

Police and Fire Departments
Pray for the leadership teams of our First Responder Agencies: God’s guidance, wisdom and blessing. Pray also for stronger & renewed collaboration among agencies.
Pray for the wisdom, peace and safety of those serving in our police and fire departments.
Pray for the families of our First Responders: healthy marriages, peace, God’s blessing upon their children.
Pray for a Mental Health Crisis Center to be established (a necessity according to first responders & civic leaders).
Pray for our local police, sheriff and fire departments to be fully staffed by men & women of noble character.

Media
Pray for Jesus-glorifying stories to be reported through local media outlets.
Pray for God to use local social media posts to inspire and bring hope to those struggling with suicide.
Pray for local news reporters: clear vision, grace to report full stories, blessing and protection.
Pray for truthful, fair and accurate reporting in all areas of local media.

Sports
Pray for God’s blessing on all local fall sports activities for students.
Pray for safety, protection and peace over every public sporting event.
Pray for all young people to be involved in healthy physical activities, sports, and recreation.
Pray for more Christ-honoring sports organizations to be established in our community.

Find answers to prayer on our website: onehopenetwork.org/testimonies.

Salt and Light | Unity, Love, and Compassion

John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

This is one of the toughest CitySalt blog post themes for me to write about. How on earth does an imperfect human spread God’s light and salt-flavoring to the world around us? For me at least, this is an intimidating idea. Certainly we’ve all seen people try to shine the light, and then fail miserably (think public figures proclaiming Christ and then getting caught in a scandal, or ourselves, as we wrestle with shame from our own mistakes and hurt those around us). So what is the answer? I think this song that I grew up singing in church, written and recorded by an American Catholic priest in the 1960s, says it all: unity, love, and compassion. And we can’t have or give those out of our own strength and abilities, at least not sustainably. I believe that if we live filled with God’s light and love, humble ourselves so we can walk in unity with people different from us, and confess and repent when we do make mistakes; we can fulfill this beautiful vision and see His healing power and light in our land. Amen (so be it)!

They’ll Know We Are Christians by Fr. Peter Sholtes
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love

We will walk with each other; we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other; we will walk hand in hand
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love

All praise to the Father from whom all things come
And all praise to Christ Jesus His only Son
And all praise to the Spirit who makes us one

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love

Listen to the original version sung by the songwriter’s parish on Youtube:

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About the Author

Jessie is an educator, currently in the role of academic advisor at a charter school after teaching there and overseas. She is also a novice writer, with several books in various stages and a (long-neglected) blog about the journeys of women. She is very excited to join the CitySalt blog team. She has been blessed by a few communities of Christian writers that have encouraged her dream. She lives with her trusty sidekick cat, Arwen in the foothills of South Eugene, where she can go hiking within minutes of the sun coming out from behind the clouds.

Salt and Light | Essential Elements

They are two of the most common elements in our universe. One is practical and even a bit mundane, the other grandiose and fantastic. Salt is a basic compound of our physical earth. It improves our appreciation of the food we eat, while aiding its preservation. In the beginning, light split our days in half and gave light and sight to our dark skies and eyes. So dynamic, it’s the very measure of extraordinary distances in our vast universe.

Both are, as we also know, key biblical symbols and metaphors for living and relating to each other in our world.

First, we are the salt of the earth, which is rich in human meaning because salt is either mined from beneath the ground we walk on, or distilled from our sea water. We are so connected to both earth and water. We live dust to dust and our great oceans are collecting basins for our storms - the rain cycle’s great runoff. Salt is both a value-added flavor to our food and a nutritional necessity. It touches our daily lives, like we touch others, with substance and a quality of life.

And we are a light on a hillside, one that should not be hidden. Darkness is the world's default state - a black void, with light being the welcome visitor. In darkness there is misery, loneliness, confusion, and a preoccupation with oneself. To live too much inward is not healthy, but light encourages hope, warmth and empathy as it reminds us that we are all in this together.

In this age of supermarket salt and light bulbs, it’s so very easy to take both for granted. Let’s all remember that both these relational elements are verbs as well as nouns. We are salt, but we need to spread it. We are light, but we need to shine! We are to invest in others and be involved, and are to do so intentionally.

Salting food is not a quick and casual act. It’s trial and error and a labor of love. And flooding a room with sudden light can be jarring and cause strife. Gently leading someone who’s granted us their trust INTO the light shows great care.

I can’t know how you will salt and how you will light. I’m not completely sure how it will look for me either. But I do know it’s always a work in progress, always a labor of love.

Matthew 5:13- 14 (MSG)
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt–seasoning that brings out the God–flavors of this earth... You’re here to be light, bringing out the God–colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.”

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About the Author

Terry is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.

He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.

Adventuring with God | Adventuring with God is Surrendering to God

In my third year of college, I began to get anxious. I couldn’t envision what my time at University was preparing me for and even though I was 100% confident in my choice of major, I had no idea what my future would look like nor did I have much guidance or goals. I knew I wanted to travel and as my grades started to dip, I decided to take a break from school and “get out.” I started by going to live with my sister and we ended up with a plan; we would fly to Costa Rica and travel around, with our only goal being to find a deserted beach and camp there. It was going to be an adventure:

1. an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks

2. an exciting or remarkable experience

Well, it was an exciting and remarkable experience. Our deserted beach campout never happened, but God had so much more in store for us. While we were there trying to make choices on where to go and what to do, I wrote a lot in my journal and felt an overwhelming feeling of “readiness”. I had no idea what for, but I was okay with that now. I was experiencing the “real world” and discovering that not knowing was okay. Then God showed up in the most amazing ways.

Thank you God that you are in control.

In my last post, I challenged myself to push my limits of gratitude.

Quoting myself from the last post, “I am so grateful for the journey itself and that it is an adventure.”

Adventure brings us opportunities to choose, the choice to choose Him.

My husband and I recently celebrated our 13 year wedding anniversary. It was only about 6 years in when we thought that God had given us such an adventure that we could write a book. I now realize we all have great stories, but I did go as far as to map out the timeline of our adventure and it clearly falls into “chapters”.

Each chapter marks a phase of our lives where things happened around us and impacted where we lived, who became our community and the experience our kids have had growing up. When I step back and look at it, what really stands out to me is how we surrendered the outcome to God and followed our hearts.

2 Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

It has been 14 years of trusting God and following His light as best we can (while sometimes failing) at every intersection we come across, and I now understand that “adventuring with God” really means “surrendering to God”.

I continue to be grateful and always aware that I am in charge of my faith and my perspective, but not my life.

Whether it’s troubled times or joyful times, thank you God that you are in control.

Josh Garrels Train Song:
Shame on you, shame on me
Lord he took all our shame and pain, and set men free
And I've got that fire on the mountain
Fire in my soul
It's been a long time coming, long time
And ready to go
I'm stepping out the door
Doing what feels right
Following my Lord, through the darkest night
And when the path gets narrow
I'll follow him
And when the world comes down, around
I'll follow him
He said, sing it on the mountain
Or in the valley low
He’s my God, and he never lets me go
He said, sing it on the mountain
Or fight in valley low
Every mans going to see, and everyone will know
That peace runs deep in him
I said peace runs deep in him
Peace runs deep in him.

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Adventuring with God | Choose Your Own Adventure!

Let’s start with story time! Read the following story* and see if you can find yourself in this adventure:

Once upon a time there were 4 friends who were going camping: Derek, Izzy, Sofia, and Carl.

Derek was determined to be the first one there. He wanted to get started, and hoped they would put up the tents or build a fire right away. He didn’t want to have to wait around.

All the way to the campground, Izzy couldn’t stop talking--nonstop! She was so excited. She had camped last summer, and had so many thoughts about all the fun she was going to have again this
year!

Sofia had spent the week before the trip making treats to bring, to share with everyone. She packed an extra toothbrush because someone always forgot one. She was a little nervous, but instead of thinking about that she decided to think about things she could do to help everyone else feel welcome.

Carl had taken forever to pack. He made a list, and ended up having 4 bags worth of gear. Right before it was time to go, he undid and repacked them all again to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. He brought matches in case they ran out, an extra pillow in case his got dirty, and a telescope because he wanted to look at the stars at night.

The first day went quickly, as they got camp set up and everything settled. After dinner, they all decided to sit around the campfire. As it got darker, and the stars came out, the group got pretty quiet. Honestly, it was a little spooky! Derek started thinking he heard noises in the woods. He was on alert, prepared to jump up and tackle anything that came out at them. Izzy kept looking at her friends, making sure they were still there. The worst thing would be to be left alone in the woods! Sophia was worried there would be a snake in her sleeping bag, and wondered if anyone would help her if there was. She knew she’d help anyone else if they found a snake in their bag! Carl thought about all the ways they could escape if the fire got out of control or the tents zippers all got stuck or the car got a flat tire.

Finally Derek noticed it was very late, and ordered everyone to go to bed. Tomorrow would be a day of adventure and he couldn’t wait!

The next afternoon they took a boat out to go fishing. Derek was the captain. He liked controlling the boat and being in charge of their destination. Izzy secretly stashed a squirt gun in her pack, thinking it would be fun to take a break from fishing and have a water fight later. Sofia brought the snack pack and extra worms. Carl was the last one in the boat. That morning he had gotten up early to make a check-list of what they would need, and he was repacking his bag one more time to make sure they had everything.

As they floated down the river, Derek steered the boat. Izzy kept accidentally breaking into song, even though everyone shushed her as she’d scare away the fish. Sofia made sure nothing fell out of the boat and everyone had sunscreen, while Carl studied the map.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere it seemed, they hit some pretty big rapids. Izzy had been hanging over the side reaching for a passing twig, so she flipped right out of the boat! Carl’s bag fell in, and Sofia tried to grab it but missed. Derek immediately started yelling, frustrated at himself as he felt he should have seen the rapids coming.

They quickly got Izzy back in the boat and headed back to camp. That night, after they dried off and ate, they again sat around the campfire. As the night got darker and the stars came out each person again fell into silence, this time thinking about the highlight of the day’s adventure. Derek thought about how proud he felt, steering the boat, and how next time he would keep everyone safer. Izzy remembered what a blast it had been, to float freely through the fast water. She decided she would definitely figure out how to fall out again next year! Sofia remembered helping Izzy back into the boat, and how thankful she felt when she was able to help her friend make it back on the boat, safe and sound. Carl was already thinking about the next day, and the lists he could make to ensure they packed everything up and didn’t forget anything on their way out.

*Story adopted from Four Friends Find Fun by V.L. Doyle and Dr. Robert a Rohm and the DISC system.

So what did you think about that story? And now think about yourself, and how you’d write yourself into it. Was there a character or two who you related to, or would you be a totally new person joining the adventure?

I relate to Izzy! Every moment I think I would like to be on an adventure or planning the next adventure. But boy do I need the Derek and the Carl and the Sofia to make the adventures a success.

The reason I love this story is that though they all were at the same place doing the same thing, each one experienced a completely different adventure. Wow! God made each of us so creatively. None of us are the same, nor do any of us experience things in the same way.

It makes me think about how amazing Jesus is. He knows how we are wired, how we see the world, what we need, and what our hearts’ desires are. We can trust Him! And He invites us to choose the best adventure: He walks up, holds out His hand, looks in your eyes, and says, “Come follow Me.” We just get to choose to say, “yes,” and start the best adventure there is, custom made for each of us. And He comes along on the adventure with you! He never leaves you. And He promises that though you may end up leaving some things behind and changing some things, and though it is a risk and may not make sense to the world, that it’s so worth it. The adventure with Him has more in store for you than you can ask or imagine! (You may be wondering what this adventure looks like? Just read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to see some of the customized adventures He led people into!)

So I pray today that we say, “YES,” and choose the adventure to follow Jesus. And that each day, each moment, our hearts are open to choose YES as we adventure with Jesus and each other!

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About the Author

Pam is a fun and encouraging team-builder that brings the best to those around her. She loves people and is committed to serving and mentoring kids, women and families with opportunities to grow closer to God and each other.

Pam is currently serving as Children and Family Pastor at Valley Christian Center in Albany. Pam and her husband, Jared, have been married since 2005 and have three boys. Their family will always be a much loved part of our CitySalt family.

Community Prayer Guide | August 2019

Each month we receive an updated Community Prayer Guide from One Hope ministry network that helps the church draw near to God and pray for various areas of our city life together. We invite you to take time to join hundreds of people who are praying each month for 10 strategic areas that shape our community's culture.

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Community Prayer Guide August 2019

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

Church
Pray for Jesus-followers in our community:
“that (we) may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and
high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that (we) may be
filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:18-19
Pray that God empowers all local Christ followers to love each other & our neighbors the way that Jesus does.
Pray for local pastors and ministry leaders to love one another the way Jesus loves us.

Education
Pray for leadership transitions: for God to place people of strong character with God-given wisdom in
significant roles for the next school year.
Pray for students in unstable homes to have security, care, and purpose during the summer days away from
their school community.
Pray for Project Hope: for the Lord’s love to be experienced by those who serve, the families served and for
joyful, lasting relationships among all involved.
Pray that Project Hope leads to more church & school partnerships.

Government
Pray for the process and selection of the new Springfield City Manager.
Pray for God’s love, wisdom and guidance to be upon all of our government leaders and their families.
Pray for God to direct the preparations of local governments, businesses, churches and non-profits for the
2021 World Track & Field Championships. Pray for the Lord’s shalom in the preparation, the events and the long term impact.
Pray for God to guide the implementation & leadership selection of the TAC Report (Technical Assistance
Collaborative), a comprehensive city/county strategic plan to house the unhoused.

Business
Pray for an increased harmony & synergy between local businesses and the U of O.
Pray for more skilled trade-workers to be sent to our community & for more local trade-training programs.
Pray for local governments to create helpful and supportive policies for the growth of businesses.
Pray for ethical & flourishing wealth development that advances the Lord’s purposes in our community.

Arts
Pray for God-breathed inspiration & skill development to create Jesus-glorifying art in our community.
Pray for the Oregon Christian Writers’ Conference: the Lord’s anointing and continued grace to apply learning.
Pray for the Arts to flourish at Northwest Christian University and New Hope Christian College.
Pray the Arts in public schools: for God’s hand upon art teachers’ preparation and student participation.

Family
Pray for those struggling with drug addiction: for God to intervene, that they would be delivered of their
dependency, and that they would find healing and peace in Jesus.
Pray for foster families to be supported and thrive: for community to come around them and for organizations
who serve vulnerable families to be strengthened.
Pray for all people to see the inherent value of unborn babies and for God’s power to rest on families &
organizations that serve pregnant mothers.

Health Care
Pray for Health Care Providers (HCPs) to have wisdom and grace to treat children with special needs.
Pray for HCPs to be empowered by God to guide families through “end of life” issues.
Pray for HCPs to have strength, wisdom & compassion to bring God’s healing to people with addiction.
Pray for more physicians to have compassion for the unborn & for strength to practice their convictions.

Police and Fire Departments
Pray for the leadership teams of our First Responder Agencies:
God’s guidance, wisdom and blessing. Pray also for stronger & renewed collaboration among agencies.
Pray for the wisdom, peace and safety of those serving in our police and fire departments.
Pray for the families of our First Responders: healthy marriages, peace, God’s blessing upon their children.
Pray for a Mental Health Crisis Center to be established (a necessity according to first responders & civic leaders). Pray for our local police, sheriff and fire departments to be fully staffed by men & women of noble character.

Media
Pray for truthful, fair and accurate reporting in all areas of local media.
Pray for Jesus-glorifying stories to be reported through local media outlets.
Pray for God to use local social media posts to inspire and bring hope to those struggling with suicide.
Pray for local news reporters: clear vision, grace to report full stories, blessing and protection.

Sports
Pray for safety, protection and peace over every public sporting event.
Pray for all young people to be involved in healthy physical activities, sports, and recreation.
Pray for mentors to engage athletes in all levels and types of sports.
Pray for more Christ-honoring sports organizations to be established in our community.

Find answers to prayer on our website: onehopenetwork.org/testimonies.

Adventuring with God | The Pilgrim Journey

I think one of the hardest things I ever did in my life was move from Chico, California, a small university town that I loved, to live with a relative in Eugene, Oregon. Some people might consider a move out of state after college to be a welcome adventure, but I desperately did not want to go. In hindsight, I clearly see the Lord was calling me out of a virtual prison with my spiritual life at stake. This dramatic leap of faith was the true start of my committed spiritual journey with Christ.

The hard part for me was moving away from my serious boyfriend. I naively thought I would temporarily move to a bigger city to get more job experience and maintain the long-distance relationship until I could move back to Chico. It wasn’t until I was living in Eugene for a while that I learned much of Oregon was in a deep recession with high levels of job loss, in part due to a housing crash and restrictions applied to the timber industry. In the early 1980’s, jobs were very hard to come by, and Eugene’s relatively small advertising market supported a limited amount of graphic design jobs.

As part of an agreement with my relative to live rent-free until I could get a job, we attended church together at Eugene Faith Center. This was not easy, because although I accepted Christ years before as a High School freshman, the pull to return to my non-Christian boyfriend warred against my growing desire for more of Christ’s healing peace and love in my life.

In less than a year, the predictable thing happened; my long-distance relationship ended abruptly. My boyfriend and I broke up over the phone when I realized he was dating someone else and failed to tell me. I hit rock bottom emotionally. I had a job by then, but I hated everything about Eugene. And most of all, I missed my lifetime collection of friends and extended family in northern California. Moving back with my parents in Sacramento was not an option, so I stayed in Eugene.

Around this time, I started reading a book titled “Hinds Feet on High Places”. It is an allegorical story of a disabled orphan named Much-Afraid who has difficulty walking and talking. Still, she is determined to make a long and possibly dangerous journey away from her foster home with the Fearing Family in the Valley of Humiliation. She works for the Chief Shepherd, and at his invitation, she longs to live with him in his mountain “High Places” of unconditional love, joy, and peace. After her escape from her loveless home environment, the Shepherd starts Much-Afraid off along a path He gives her. The path takes the main character through places with symbolic names such as the Forest of Tribulation, the Valley of Loss, the Furnace of Egypt, and the Precipice of Injury.

I read the “Furnace” chapter repeatedly which described Much-Afraid’s emotional struggles while traveling through the barren desert, with its burning wind and stinging sand. I felt an unexpected comfort when reading these pages and closely identified with this experience. Much-Afraid met the Shepherd in the desert and learned important lessons there. The story gave me an example of how to not hate the desert journey, but instead let it teach me to focus on following the path before me to Christ.

My first years in Eugene led me through a figurative desert in which I felt like a foreigner and fought feelings of isolation. I am most comfortable in the company of people-friends or strangers. In my youth, time alone was a trial to be endured. But for a time, God placed me in His desert crucible and it was completely empty and very quiet. Initially, the deafening silence shouted at me, calling my constant attention to the emotional pain I felt. As I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, by living daily life, I was motivated to walk out of that barren desert. I realized that my feelings of isolation were a lie because the truth is that my good Shepherd is as close to me as my breath and I only need to call out and He is there to comfort and guide me. I gained momentum in my walk on the path, and I finally “heard” the quiet and felt its calming power. I realized Christ had plucked me out of a harsh and danger-filled existence. I was now safe in the desert because He was with me. And Jesus gave me His spirit of peace and completeness, Shalom, which destroys chaos.

Ironically, the desert experience that I hated became my place of protection. I could hear Christ’s voice there without the distracting and confusing opinions of friends and family. Each day, Christ translated the lies of my emotional injuries from work and family arguments into His healing truths. And most importantly I began to learn to filter my thoughts and feelings through scripture instead of swallowing the raw lies. It spared me a lot of emotional indigestion.

Years later, at a Ladies’ Retreat sponsored by my church, the keynote speaker, Jody, was a highly experienced teacher and Biblical counselor. As an exercise, we split into groups and were assigned to write our life story in 5 chapters. Each chapter described a different set of life events and the corresponding lessons we learned.

I reviewed my life and shared with the group that I had experienced the majority of the important life-shaping events and lessons by myself. And these lessons usually involved a physical or figurative journey away from what I was comfortable or familiar with. I explained that at first, I went through the experiences alone, out of desperation, and as a last resort. But I learned that God met me during those times and blessed my efforts abundantly. He was always with me, guiding me, regardless of what I saw and felt.

With knowing eyes reflecting a deep, personal knowledge of God’s faithfulness, Jody thoughtfully said: “Ah, the life of a pilgrim.” My immediate thought to myself was ‘But I don’t want to be a pilgrim!’ My silent response made me chuckle, but it was true. I left my home and was willing to wander through an uncomfortable and lonely desert because I ached for a better life on the other side. The home I grew up in was not an emotionally safe place, and the lies I heard there preyed on my thoughts. I now see that Christ called me to come out of the hostile environment I lived in for so long. And I followed Him because I craved His unconditional love. My pilgrimage towards Jesus became my healing journey. I am now, so very thankful Christ led me through His desert because I got to know more of His true character there.

At the end of the book, the character Much-Afraid reached the High Places to live with Christ. Through her journey, she was transformed in body and spirit and received the new name Grace and Glory. She traveled back to the valley with the Shepherd to share Christ’s good news with those she left behind and free them also.

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About the Author

Sara has attended CitySalt Church since 2004, the year it was founded. She studied Journalism, wrote for her college newspaper, and is a member of Oregon Christian Writers. Sara also enjoys singing hymns with friends: “there is a sermon in every hymn waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.”

Adventuring with God | Journeys

One of my favorite childhood adventures was visiting my grandparents each summer in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. I would fly with my parents from Eugene to Denver, then to Tulsa, Oklahoma. From Tulsa we rented a car and drove several hours to my grandparents’ home in Eureka Springs. In Eureka Springs, we spent our days visiting country music shows, touring the Onyx Cave, and having talent shows and Go-Kart racing contests with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Our trips always included eating at southern buffet restaurants, with favorites like mashed potatoes and gravy, fried chicken, fried cornbread, and biscuits. My grandfather took me fishing at Lake Leatherwood, and in the evenings we sat on the screened-in porch watching fireflies and keeping our eyes out for armadillos.

My parents are great explorers, and tales of their pre-parenting exploits were woven throughout my childhood, including stories from the two summers my dad spent volunteering in Ghana and Lesotho, the time a bear followed my parents on a backpacking trip in the Great Smoky Mountains, and the summer that my mom rode to Oregon on the back of a motorcycle.

In addition to visiting Arkansas, summer road trips were a regular part of my childhood. We drove to Yellowstone and saw Old Faithful spout on time. In San Francisco, I saw the Golden Gate Bridge and asked, “what’s the big deal with that?” We hiked in Sequoia National Park and passed a group of black bears in a meadow. We unsuccessfully attempted summiting Mt. Whitney, the lower 48’s tallest peak, in one day. We visited Disney and rode all the roller coasters.

These experiences left me with a passion for travel that has been mostly unfulfilled in recent years while our energy and finances have been invested in raising young kids. But my heart longs for travel and adventure, and so journeys are a constant theme in my dreams. I’m enough of an adventurer at heart that I carefully considered accepting an international teaching job in Kuwait when my daughter was only a few months old. In the end, my husband and I agreed it seemed too big of a leap for a family with a new baby.

I’ve come to accept that travel is expensive and often too exhausting to be worthwhile with a young family. I also wrestle with the ethics of travel when so many in our world live in poverty and struggle just to meet their basic needs. Still I’m hoping to find a way to incorporate adventure more into my life.

This doesn’t have to take the shape of an expensive plane ticket. This summer I’ve been trying to fulfill my thirst for adventure in small ways, such as a weekend camping trip to Belknap Hot Springs, a visit with my husband to the colorful hippie-land of the Oregon Country Fair, and this morning’s family bike ride along the wetlands in west Eugene.

Life can seem so ordinary and routine when you’re stuck in the day to day. I am always rushing through my tremendous to-do list, achieving highly at work in part-time hours, and constantly doing chores and caring for my children when at home. I need to find better ways to achieve balance in my life. My to-do list still needs to be tackled but I need to incorporate time for fun and rest.

The other day I was in the middle of teaching a parenting class, which has been a routine part of my work for the past six months. Suddenly I was struck with an odd sense of anticipation, the feeling I usually only get when waiting for a plane at an airport. I felt like God was telling me that new adventures are coming for me through work, and perhaps in other areas of my life as well. God is inviting all of us on a journey with Him, so perhaps the first step of the journey is listening and the next step is to say yes to the invitation.

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About the Author

Ursula and her husband Spencer have two young children, and their family enjoys playing hide-and-seek and dancing in the living room. She works as a communications and events coordinator with the University of Oregon.

You can read more from Ursula at motherbearblog.com.

Adventuring with God | It’s Who You Meet

Ephesians 1:15-16
“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

“It’s not where you go. It’s who you meet along the way.” This quote is on a piece of Wizard of Oz-inspired art I acquired (we teachers have ways of acquiring such random things), and as far as I can tell from the internet, it seems to have been said by the Tin Woodman. For a character whose goal is to acquire a heart, this shows how much of a heart he already has...and wisdom, too.

My whole life has been about adventuring with God. From my childhood, I wanted to travel the world, doing His work wherever He took me. I hoped my life would be an epic journey, like the stories featuring heroes of the faith and other literature I grew up on. On this journey, I would have adventures near and far, see amazing sights, and soak up cultures around me.

I have been incredibly blessed in this way, it’s true. But I’ve learned something: it’s the people I meet along the way, or who journey with me, who make the difference. They not only give me a piece of themselves, they help me know myself better. And best yet; they help me know God more.

Just as Frodo had Sam in the Lord of the Rings books, and Paul had Barnabas (and others) in the Book of Acts, we need each other in this great adventure of life. Barnabas’ name literally means “encourager.” He certainly did this, walking alongside Paul as they traveled to share the Good News. I’ve been blessed with close friends in this way, from peers to coworkers overseas and others who have walked with me during difficult times and adventures. Other times, God has been my only companion. Those have been precious times, too, as I’ve gotten to know Him (and myself) better. And there have been the people I’ve met in this adventure of life, who have encouraged me and made me a better person. There are too many to recount them, but I’ll share one with you that is on my heart right now.

I was home in the States for the summer between my two school years teaching in a country in South/Central Asia. I had sent a message to the director of the summer camp I had worked at as a young adult. There, my camp nickname was Jungle, because I wanted to serve God in Latin America (much of which has tropical rainforest). In my message, I said I had time to help out at camp in any way I could. The director wrote me back, inviting me to join them on Lake Day during high school camp, where the staff and kids would hang out at a lake and he could spend some time catching up with me. But he didn’t stop there. He invited a young camp staff member to join us. Her camp name was Adventure. It fit her well! The silly fun camp person in him was excited— “Let me take a photo of this moment in history when Jungle meets Adventure!” But that wasn’t the main reason he introduced us.

Adventure (I won’t use her real name here for reasons that will become clear) had it on her heart to go someday to Central Asia and help people there. The director brought us together so I could share with her my experiences there and encourage her. I greatly enjoyed this. We became Facebook friends, and I kept up with her a little here and there. A few years later, tragedy hit. Her brother was in a car accident, and eventually died. It was heartbreaking. But Adventure didn’t let her heart grow cold because of it. She kept herself open, sharing her heartbreak with others so they could support her, and sharing it with God so he could heal her and keep her heart tender toward others. I learned a lot from watching her go through this tragedy. I’d like to say as an older person that I mentored her or encouraged her somehow, but really it was me who was blessed by this. Since then, I’ve gotten to meet up with her for coffee, and hear her heart to encourage others and share hope with them.

As I write this, she is on her way to the country that has been on her heart in Central Asia. She is taking with her a small team of a couple close friends, and they have plans to share hope and encouragement with people there. They may have landed by now, after a layover in Europe. I am on her prayer team. By the time you read this, she will probably be back in the States. But I hope you will join me in praying for her presence to impact the people there long after she is gone. It certainly has impacted mine.

Ephesians 1:15-16 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

May we remember to thank God for all the people He’s put in our path, and pray for them, wherever they are at in their faith journey. Many thanks to the faithful friends and relatives who have been praying for me and my journey, and to God, who has led me on an amazing adventure.

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About the Author

Jessie is an educator, currently in the role of academic advisor at a charter school after teaching there and overseas. She is also a novice writer, with several books in various stages and a (long-neglected) blog about the journeys of women. She is very excited to join the CitySalt blog team. She has been blessed by a few communities of Christian writers that have encouraged her dream. She lives with her trusty sidekick cat, Arwen in the foothills of South Eugene, where she can go hiking within minutes of the sun coming out from behind the clouds.

Adventuring with God | I’m Not Usually the Adventurous Type

Quote: “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Samuel, a freaked out little kid trying to do the right thing.

I had been working for PETA for nine tumultuous, but rewarding years. I had a toddler. I had just quit working full-time because trying to save the world from itself and make sure my kid didn’t eat a dog toy was too much to handle in one ten-hour day. It was becoming difficult to pay for the house we had bought from friends in a fit of impulsive optimism now that we were limited to one and a half incomes and the additional expense of even part-time daycare. And I felt increasingly divided, the only Christian at work and one of only a handful of vegans at the big Presbyterian church that was our home. I was tired of wearing all the hats one at a time and I was in the midst of a pretty nasty bout of late-onset postpartum depression.

So of course that’s when God told me to go to seminary. Of course.

I remember the exact moment I heard the words. I was sitting in a worship service at First Presbyterian Church in Norfolk, Virginia. The fellowship hall where the contemporary service was held had recently been built, a multi-million dollar project I’d viewed as ethically questionable, given the gentrification and poverty in the neighborhoods surrounding the building. So, one Sunday morning, I was sitting cross-legged on a wide padded chair, in the front row on the far left of the hall, my usual spot (even at City Salt, I just realized). I was watching the three jumbo screens, listening to dramatic music as stylized prophetic scripture scrolled in and out of view. It was about blood and sacrifice, that’s all I remember.

I remember thinking, “Wow, this video would be so cool if there was factory farming and slaughterhouse footage behind it.” And then immediately after: “Sarah, you’re the only person in this room of six hundred people who is having that thought.”

And my head opened up and warmth gushed in. I heard the voice of God, clear as anything happening in the room. I heard God say, “You love animals and you love me. I made you this way for a reason. Stop fighting it. Go to seminary.”

I was glued to my seat as the sensation ceased. I looked around to see if I was the only person who had heard what I did. This kind of thing didn’t happen at First Pres Norfolk. We’re the frozen chosen. Only a few of us ever got up the nerve to raise a timid hand at particularly moving parts of a worship song or two. I had no precedence for this experience and didn’t know how I was supposed to respond.

Seminary? I had no desire to be a pastor. I didn’t think my negative view of people would really be a good fit for that job. And it had been ten years since I had been to any school. Google had barely been a thing when I graduated college. How would I function as a student in a whole new world? Also, I really dislike being led places. I’d much rather do the leading. I didn’t want an adventure, I just wanted a good night’s sleep. It was a ridiculous notion.

But I started poking around at the possibilities, late at night and on the weekends. I started to allow myself to think of a different future for myself than the one that my boss at PETA and I had planned on. Giehl and I prayed about the possibility. We met with our lead pastor, to get his blessing on the whole endeavor. He pointed me to Palmer Theological Seminary and the work of Ron Sider, founder of Evangelicals for Social Action (ESA) and a Palmer professor.

And when I walked in the doors of Palmer Seminary in Philadelphia, a six-hour drive from our home in Norfolk, I knew it was the next stop on my journey. A scholarship and a chance to work with ESA sealed the deal.

So Giehl started looking for a job. I could work remotely part-time, but we relied on his income to pay the bills and provide our insurance. If I wanted to go to Palmer, we needed to move from Norfolk to Philadelphia. And if we were going to move, Giehl needed a job that would support the three of us.

Months went by. We arranged for dog-sitters and drove up for interviews. We looked at neighborhoods and houses with a Philadelphia realtor. Offers were promised, but none delivered. A hiring freeze here, a budget shift there. Summer came and I lost hope that I’d be able to matriculate that fall. There was just no way. The timing was too tight now.

Dejected, I thought God might be directing me to Regent, instead. Though it was just a few minutes away in Virginia Beach, the school didn’t seem like a particularly good fit. The degree programs weren’t what I was looking for. None of the classes looked at issues of systemic justice, the intersection of politics and faith, or creation care. The vast majority of professors were old, white, and male. (Ron is also old, white, and male, but many of the other Palmer profs were not, and I had been looking forward to learning from people who looked at the world through lenses different than my own).

Then Jim Gates, one of our family’s closest friends, and the associate pastor at our church, stood in our kitchen and said to me, “Don’t give up on Palmer.”

Sometimes God speaks to us through supernatural revelation. Sometimes God speaks to us through our goofy friends while we’re staring at the cracked green tile in our kitchens, wrapped up in a world of our own worry. And sometimes God speaks to us through the open doors that follow.

Palmer classes met one day a week, I discovered, and all the classes I wanted to sign up for were on Monday and Tuesday. Palmer kept commuter rooms on campus for students, with beds and desks and showers, and the nightly rate was extremely reasonable. While the drive up and down the Eastern Shore was dotted with factory farms and chicken slaughterhouses, I could make the trek from Norfolk in five hours or less if I left at strategic times. We put our house on the market and despite the burst real estate bubble that caused its value to drop the year after we bought it, we sold it in under a month, and walked away with enough cash to put down first and last month’s rent on a more modest home. Friends stepped up to offer to take Isaiah to pre-school the mornings I was away.

We moved to the rental house in Norfolk the week before classes started. During new student orientation, a group of 80 students, including many grandmothers who were even more afraid than I was about starting school again, sang “Here I Am, Lord” and I wept with gratitude that God had made the path so clear, when I was determined not to see it. During the first training for new students working with ESA, a professor mentioned that he was working on a book and one of the chapters would be on the environmental impacts of eating meat. I gave my notice at PETA that day.

Three years later, I graduated with a Masters in Theological Studies. We sang, “Here I Am, Lord,” during graduation, as we had during orientation. The next year, I published my graduate thesis. Shortly after that, I published Vegangelical. The next year, I met David Clough and we founded CreatureKind with the mission of helping Christians think theologically about farmed animal welfare, and to take practical action in response.

Now, the writer of “Here I Am, Lord” is a little more confident about the efficacy of their efforts than I am. I’m not sure my hand has saved anyone. But I’ve walked with some certainty that by doing my best to listen and respond to God, I’m pleasing the One who created me. So listen to John Michael for a minute (there’s some powerful stuff in there), but then read Thomas Merton in case that’s a better reflection of how you live into your own adventure.

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

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About the Author

Sarah is the author of Vegangelical: How Caring for Animals Can Shape Your Faith (Zondervan, 2016) and Animals Are Not Ours (No, Really, They’re Not): An Evangelical Animal Liberation Theology (Cascade Books, 2016). She spends her days working for CreatureKind, helping Christians put their faith into action. She lives in Eugene with her husband, son, and animal companions and enjoys action movies, black coffee, the daily crossword, and dreaming of her next international journey.

Adventuring with God | Adventure is Life is Adventure

“You good? Doing ok?” I managed four words between heavy puffs of breath. I consciously decided not to look down as sweat dripped down my glasses.

“Yeah, doing great,” she answered. “This is amazing!”

I was frankly a bit surprised at Colby. Weeks earlier, while considering this hike and climb up Zion National Park's Angels’ Landing, she expressed real concern about whether or not she could do it. Me, the life-long adventure junkie kept assuring her she could. But now in an ironic role-reversal, she was charging ahead of me on the narrow ledges while I was a bit tentative. Coaxing my 60-year old body and my tweaked ego up this rock was harder than I had envisioned.

Angels’ Landing is a crazy hike. The trail was blasted, blocked and chiseled fourteen hundred feet up an impossibly steep route on this enormous sandstone fin in the middle of Zion’s multicolored pastel canyon, back in the days of pioneer spirit and the beginnings of the National Park movement. The reward for gaining the summit is an astounding 360-degree view of multiple domes, cliffs and spires, over Zion’s incomparable valley as it wraps around this impressive rock and disappears into the closed-in narrows of the Virgin River's slot canyon. But we had to earn this prize with a full-body workout, step by step and grip by grip. And I was gripped with a bit of fear.

The lower section of the hike is a pleasant uphill jaunt on a paved trail, zigzagging back and forth and topping out on a ridge with great views. This is where reasonable hikers stop. The last 400 feet of gain is quite different. We traversed dangerous side slopes, tip-toed along small ledges, and stepped up and up on natural and human-cut sandstone steps on the narrow, knife-edge ridge, with 1,000-foot drops down both sides. Yep, I know!

Our literal lifeline was a hefty and welcome handrail chain, strung between metal poles bolted to the rock. Great for peace of mind, but also handy for hauling ourselves up and lowering ourselves down over rock slabs and through chutes. But this narrow and crowded trail is also the only way up and the only way down, with the chain being quite popular with everyone. We were constantly worming our way around people coming the other way, up close and personal. Their faces reflected determination and sometimes fear going up, with relief, accomplishment and joy coming down.

Soon enough we pushed past all the selfie-stickers on the flatter ridge top to the summit. The view and the physical/emotional accomplishment made it all worth it, but it got me thinking about adventure in our lives. Days like this are adopted by some of us, but what about unplanned events and outcomes that choose us instead?

Lately there’s been a notion circling around about God being wild and mysterious, with “reckless” love - bordering on the irresponsible. Seriously, God’s always been way more mysterious than we can understand, and it’s not hard to imagine him passing on his adventurous spirit to us as well, don’t you think? Yes, in some more than others, but there is intrigue in experiencing something, testing ourselves, while not yet knowing the outcome - be it a rollercoaster, a dangerous hike or reading a mystery novel. It makes us feel alive, or at least feel SOMETHING as we flirt with the edge of control.

Back to unplanned events and outcomes. It occurs to me that regardless of the source of the "adventure," the essence is the same. We are presented with something frightening to deal with, and it's sink or swim. How we handle it depends on our preparation and our resolve, but also our perspective going in. Because bottom line, we have to confront the fear.

The anxiety I felt on that rock wasn’t the result of anything tangible, rather just the POSSIBILITY of a bad ending, like a movie trailer falsely predicting my future. Fear isn't real, but the effects are. It ate into my enjoyment on that amazing day. In the extreme, it could have been paralyzing, even dangerous.

God, grant me proper perspective and allow me to conquer fear and view even my struggles as adventure. Build me up, drive me deeper, and enrich me.

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About the Author

Terry is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.

He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.

Community Prayer Guide | July 2019

Each month we receive an updated Community Prayer Guide from One Hope ministry network that helps the church draw near to God and pray for various areas of our city life together. We invite you to take time to join hundreds of people who are praying each month for 10 strategic areas that shape our community's culture.

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Community Prayer Guide July 2019

“All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.”
Psalm 86:9-10

Church
Pray for God’s power and fruitfulness to be on every summer missions outreach sent from our community.
Pray for Christ-honoring youth camps & children’s camps: for the Lord’s power to transform hearts.
Pray for local pastors and ministry leaders to love one another the way Jesus loves us.
Pray for God’s highest purposes for churches that may close soon: revitalization or a new beginning.

Education
Pray for educators to be refreshed spiritually, emotionally, and physically over summer break.
Pray for leadership transitions: for God to place people of strong character with God-given wisdom in significant roles for the next school year.
Pray for students in unstable homes to have security, care, and purpose during the summer days away from their school community.
Pray for churches to utilize summer to prepare and plan for significant school partnerships in the fall.

Family
Pray for children during the summer months: provision for positive activities, food & other needed resources.
Pray for foster families to be supported and thrive: for community to come around them and for organizations
who serve vulnerable families to be strengthened.
Pray for the cycle of divorce to end:
Pray for couples to choose to fight for their marriages and their children's stability and security.
Pray for God to heal and restore broken relationships.
Pray for children affected by divorce to be healed and have healthy relationships.

Government
Pray for God’s wisdom, love and direction to be upon all of our government leaders and their families.
Pray for local city and county governments’ preparation for the 2021 World Track and Field Championships.
Pray for Community Safety: the harmony and increased capacity of our police & fire departments and courts.
Pray for God to lead the implementation of the TAC Report (Technical Assistance Collaborative),
a comprehensive city/county strategic plan to house the unhoused.
Pray for the right person to be selected to lead the TAC Report implementation process.

Business
Thank the Lord for the healthy economic development and low unemployment rate in our community.
Pray for local governments to create helpful and supportive policies for the growth of businesses.
Pray for ethical & flourishing wealth development that advances the Lord’s purposes in our community.
Pray for the Eugene Riverfront Development: for God’s highest plans, and for harmonious collaboration
between government and businesses during the process.

Arts
Pray for God to minister through the Oregon Festival of American Music at the Shedd Institute.
Pray for God’s blessing on all local art classes and art camps for children.
Pray for God’s hand to be on the Roving Park Players and Shakespeare in the Park in August.
Pray for a joining together of all types of Christian artists in order to glorify God and strengthen each other.

Health Care
Pray for God’s wisdom for the leadership of local “health systems:” Hospitals, physician groups, insurance providers and non-profits.
Pray for the Lane County Medical Society to increase collegiality among themselves, to grow in their compassion for the poor & disabled, and to gain a sense of calling in their vocation.
Pray that God empowers health workers, teachers, parents & friends to bring hope, healing & rescue to those dealing with suicidal thoughts.

Police and Fire Departments
Pray for the wisdom, peace and safety of those serving in our police and fire departments.
Pray for the families of our First Responders: healthy marriages, peace, God’s blessing upon their children.
Pray for a Mental Health Crisis Center to be established (a necessity according to first responders & civic leaders). Pray for our local police, sheriff and fire departments to be fully staffed by men & women of noble character.
Pray for more people to be hired for dispatch in all local agencies.

Media
Pray for local news reporters: clear vision, grace to report full stories, blessing and protection.
Pray for Jesus-glorifying stories to be reported through local media outlets.
Pray for God to use local social media posts to inspire and bring hope to those struggling with suicide.
Pray for truthful, fair and accurate reporting in all areas of local media.

Sports
Pray for the Lord’s blessing and protection on all summer sporting camps.
Pray for safety, protection and peace over every public sporting event.
Pray for all young people to be involved in healthy physical activities, sports, and recreation.
Pray for mentors to engage athletes in all levels and types of sports.
Pray for more-Christ honoring sports organizations to be established in our community.

Find answers to prayer on our website: onehopenetwork.org/testimonies.

Perpetual Creativity | Art Appreciation

Lately my husband and I have had some good conversations. The other day we found ourselves in awe of how amazing God is to put such sweet, abundantly healthy and oh so delicious water inside a coconut that grows on a tree. That’s just one of the many examples of “art appreciation” we can experience when we know that we are living on a planet and in a space that truly is a work of art. Reading through Genesis 1, I can almost picture God as an artist with His clay or His paintbrush adding piece by piece, then pausing to examine His work;

“And God saw that it was good”.

Still, God’s work is always in motion.

So much greater than the tangible world around us, God’s artwork is moving and changing. It’s something we can always feel wonder and amazement for if we open our eyes a little more.

I’ve been inspired to do the gratitude challenge again, where I actually list out as many things that I can think of that I am grateful for. Gratitude is something I practice daily, but to actually list it out helps us live in that space more and draw closer to God continually as we go through our day (or get drawn back).

It’s pretty easy when you realize that you are living in a moving museum of God’s living creations. When you can look at a coconut, a thunderstorm, waves crashing, a grain of sand or an ant running off with your bread crumbs that are three times his size; you see the awesomeness of God’s creativity. This gratitude practice that opens our eyes to God’s artwork is powerful and can truly bring us Joy.

In Jeremiah 10 verses 1-16, we are reminded of how silly we are to worship creations of man - our cars, our toys, our technology, our clothes - rather than be inspired daily by the amazing creations around us. These creations that are not only beautiful works of art, but also truly sustain us and invite us to move in motion with one another, with the Artist always in the midst.

3 For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. 4 They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. 5 Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.” 6 No one is like you, LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. 7 Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. 8 They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. 9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple— all made by skilled workers. 10 But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. 11 “Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.’ ”

While humans can create some really wonderful things and many are inspired by God or guided by the Holy Spirit that lives in us, it’s good to remember the ultimate Artist and live in gratitude to Him daily; for through power, wisdom and understanding, He created all that surrounds us and it moves on His command.

12 But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. 13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. 14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them.

I am grateful that God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7) so that I too, can be His beautiful creation.

Still, God’s work is always in motion.

I am grateful that God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” so that I can be a growing and evolving work of art.

I am grateful that God sent Jesus and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide me through the museum of His creations while I’m here on earth.

I am grateful for community that God has led me to, over and over again.

I am grateful for the smell of the ocean and the air when it’s about to rain.

I am grateful for the amazing creations that sustain us as food.

I am grateful for the body that is so well equipped to move me through this journey of life.

I am so grateful for the journey itself and that it is an adventure.

I am grateful for all that I learn through experience, both joyful and difficult.

I am grateful that the Lord guides me and keeps me safe.

I am grateful for the challenges and valleys of darkness that have exercised my faith.

I am grateful for the laughter that has blessed me with so many moments of joy.

I am grateful for the people that are so dear to me and fill my heart with an insane amount of Love.

I am grateful that God is waiting nearby, ready to be accepted into their hearts either for the first time or again and again as they journey through this life.

And we can be grateful for things that seem to be small, but truly were created in God’s wisdom and have way more power and purpose than we give them credit for. When we realize this and can live in this truth, joy flows through our hearts.

I am grateful for the colors that cover the flowers.

I am grateful for bees.

I am grateful for hugs.

I am grateful that people help each other.

And in all these moments of life, we are constantly moving - living creations of God: growing, learning, building faith in our hearts and sharing love and light as we flow through this painting in motion and blend with the colors of the souls around us.

Only God could be such a talented and never ending artist.

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About the Author

Leona is a wife, mother and traveler who is intrigued by how different people live. Her latest project is exploring ways that different walks of life can simplify, in order to live a fulfilling journey.

Perpetual Creativity | Creative Considerations

Today I had a creative encounter! Doesn’t that sound fun and exciting? It wasn’t at first. Rather dull and mundane, actually. But then, Jesus asked me to consider doing things differently.

I was leaving the pharmacy, where there was a problem with my refill yet again. I left frustrated! Now for me, as a 7 on the Enneagram*, I usually don’t deal with my negative emotions. My normal operation would be to brush off my feelings, change the channel in my head, and try to just go about my day. This doesn’t actually work, though. So to learn how to do this differently, I have been practicing the PAUSE. I have been practicing pausing and paying attention to how I’m actually reacting and feeling. For me, I find this easiest to do within a conversation with Jesus.

As I walked from the back of the store, where the pharmacy is located, I talked through the layers of my frustration with Him. First, I admitted the easy pickings. I told Him how frustrated I felt that they didn’t have the refill ready that I had made time to stop for. Also, they couldn’t fix the problem, and I would need to stop again later. Grr! And I shared that I was frustrated that this was actually the second month in a row this had happened at this pharmacy.

Ok, those were pretty obvious issues, and I had all these surface frustrations verbalized in my head after a few steps. However, as I kept walking, I felt Jesus’ invitation to share more. Would I consider looking a little deeper?

Not surprisingly, I realized that under those surface feelings there were some deeper things. Dare I say, even some anger? Yes! I realized I was mad! Mad that I have a medical issue, which makes me have to get medicine in the first place. I was mad at my body, for being weak and not responding to the medicine I had been taking forever. And honestly, I was mad at Jesus. I have prayed and have been prayed for over the years, believing for my healing – and haven’t seen it yet. I told Him about all that mad! Phew!

By the time I hit the front of the store, and stepped out into the sun, I was really at the core and the truth of how I was feeling. It was uncomfortable, as I usually try to stay away from negative feelings, but also oddly freeing.

Right then, I felt another question drop into my mind. Would I consider doing things a new way? I realized that my normal routine would be to shove down and ignore my negative feelings and try to will-power my way back to a positive mindset. This never ended in peace. It usually ended in me managing to keep the negative feelings tamped down until an unsuspecting husband or kid tapped into them!

But this time I observed something different. Something new. As I was honest and processed my real feelings with Jesus, even though they were negative and not fun, I realized I received peace. Not peace because anything had changed. I still didn’t have my prescription, I would still have to come back, and the pharmacy still might mess up the next time. I still have to take the medication, my body still wasn’t reacting great, and I may still pray and not see the healing that I believe God has for me. But right then, I experienced peace. A peace that surpasses understanding took over. It was a huge shift.

I realized that in pausing and taking just a few minutes to acknowledge all these feelings and talk to Jesus about them, I was doing a new thing. Instead of stuffing negative feelings down, ignoring them and hoping they’d just go away, I was able to process them. I was able to exchange them for peace. Wow!

So, what is creative about this? It didn’t end with a beautiful painting or a poem. It wasn’t exciting or loud or colorful. It didn’t even solve the initial things I was frustrated about. But the cool part, the creative part, is that I have a new way of thinking! That as I talk things over with Jesus, and consider what He brings up, my mind is renewed. I start to think differently. I develop new patterns. And I live in a new level of freedom. These simple shifts are incredible. They are life-changing!

God is the Creator. He created us, and He loves to create with us. As we are living life by rote, the way we always have, following the patterns we’ve always done, we get the same old results. But as we live life processing with Jesus, taking time to consider His perspective and thoughts, we get invited to create new ways of doing things.

Ephesians 3:20 says to never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you, that He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! Now that’s what we are talking about. He will do this in big, ah-ha moments but He will also do this in the day-to-day trips to the pharmacy. He’s that GOOD!

Jesus, thank You that You were here on earth and that You did mundane things. And thank You that You are still here, doing the day-to-day with us. We ask you to highlight areas where You want to create more freedom for us. Show us the patterns and habits we walk in. Remind us to pause and consider what You say. Thank You that we will discover new creative ways to be with you, that bring infinitely more than we could request, dream, or imagine!

Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

*Enneagram: Interested in learning more about the Enneagram? Check out www.enneagraminstitute.com or listen to the Typology Podcast to learn more!

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About the Author

Pam is a fun and encouraging team-builder that brings the best to those around her. She loves people and is committed to serving and mentoring kids, women and families with opportunities to grow closer to God and each other.

Pam is currently serving as Children and Family Pastor at Valley Christian Center in Albany. Pam and her husband, Jared, have been married since 2005 and have three boys. Their family will always be a much loved part of our CitySalt family.

Perpetual Creativity | Fear of the Wild

“Aslan is a lion – the great Lion.”
“Ooh,” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King I tell you.”
-C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

In my mind, there is quite a bit of overlap between the creative heart of God and the wildness of God. Could one exist without the other? The creative process, at its best, requires the writer or artist to tap into their unconscious mind, the part of their psyche that remains untamed; just like Aslan, the Christ figure in the Chronicles of Narnia.

How do you feel about the wilderness? Many people are drawn to its beauty and removal from the noise and busyness of civilization. Others are frightened of wild places, for valid reasons. Today a New York Times headline reads “Hiker Lost in Hawaii Forest is Found Alive After 17 Days.” We’ve learned from our childhood canon of fairy tales that the forest is a magical and often dangerous place where wolves and witches may be waiting to lead us astray. And although I no longer believe in fairy tales, I do agree that the wild can be scary. Even well-traveled natural areas can be dangerous.

As a child, I climbed Central Oregon’s South Sister with my parents and was at the summit when a lightning storm came in. We scrambled down an exposed ridge and were able to find shelter by crouching against large boulders. We escaped without incident, but it was a stark reminder of the risks of climbing even a popular mountain that doesn’t require technical skills. Years later, my parents were camping at the base of South Sister when a young hiker fell to his death.

Another summer, my husband Spencer and I planned to climb Mt. St. Helens with friends. This climb requires a wilderness permit of which a very limited number are available daily. I injured my knee that summer so I gave my permit away to a member of our group. I hiked with Spencer and our buddies to the treeline, then turned back to spend the day with my friend Holly while the others summited the mountain. Holly and I were playing cards in the tent when Bob popped his head in.

“I couldn’t keep doing that hike,” he said. “You didn’t tell me how serious of a climb that was going to be!”

I had to laugh a bit, because we all lived in Portland, and could easily see Mt. St. Helens on a clear day. You can tell from looking at its high, snow-capped summit that it is likely an arduous climb. But my friend Bob apparently had not taken this trip seriously.

The wild needs to be taken seriously. Don’t go out without plenty of water, snacks, a raincoat, and a whistle. Encounters with God also should be taken seriously. The Bible makes it clear that God is not safe, and encounters with the Lord were feared in Old Testament times. My Google search brought up 34 Bible verses on death related to proximity to God’s presence. In Exodus 20:19, the Israelites tell Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.”

Thankfully, Jesus brought us a new covenant with God, a covenant of grace where we can now seek God’s presence without fear of death. Still, an encounter with God is something that should be revered and taken seriously, as an encounter that may not be all that safe. God may ask you questions that you are not ready to answer, or to do something you do not want to do. A journey into your creative process also may not feel safe — you may encounter memories or emotions that are painful and still need to be processed. You may learn new things about yourself or God that are difficult and challenge your pre-existing ideas.

The unknown is always scarier than the known. It is the idea of encountering the unknown that always leaves me feeling a bit unsettled in a truly wild place. I suspect that I’m also a bit afraid of encountering the unknown in myself, as well as the wild side of God. The version of God that exists in my mind is a loving, kind, wise friend who would meet me for long chats over tea. This wild side of God, who harnesses the power of the wind and sea, who carved our mountains and rivers, who would look me in the eye and ask ‘why did you leave me to die?’ — this side of God is too much for me.

“When the wild god arrives at the door,
You will probably fear him.
He reminds you of something dark
That you might have dreamt,
Or the secret you do not wish to be shared…

You do not want to let him in.
You are very busy.
It is late, or early, and besides…
You cannot look at him straight
Because he makes you want to cry…

‘Why did you leave me to die?’
Asks the wild god and you say:
‘I was busy surviving.
The shops were all closed;
I didn’t know how. I’m sorry…

Sometimes a wild god comes to the table.
He is awkward and does not know the ways
of porcelain, of fork and mustard and silver.
His voice makes vinegar from wine
and brings the dead to life.”

-selected from Sometimes a Wild God, by Tom Hirons (listen to the poet read the entire poem here
(https://tomhirons.com/poetry/sometimes-a-wild-god)

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About the Author

Ursula and her husband Spencer have two young children, and their family enjoys playing hide-and-seek and dancing in the living room. She works as a communications and events coordinator with the University of Oregon. Ursula is also CitySalt’s Children’s Ministry Director. 

You can read more from Ursula at motherbearblog.com.

Community Prayer Guide | June 2019

Each month we receive an updated Community Prayer Guide from One Hope ministry network that helps the church draw near to God and pray for various areas of our city life together. We invite you to take time to join hundreds of people who are praying each month for 10 strategic areas that shape our community's culture.

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Community Prayer Guide June 2019

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
John 15:7-8

Church
Pray for pastors and Christ-following leaders to guard their hearts and cultivate purity, wholeness & renewal.
Pray for the Lord’s power to accompany all Gospel presentations and Bible teaching in our community.
Pray for local Christ-followers to be deeply rooted in God’s truth/love and demonstrate God’s truth/love.
Pray for churches to be equipped to function as healing communities for those struggling with mental illness.

Education
Pray for wisdom at district and individual school levels to use recent approved-funding to fully benefit
students’ education needs, especially by decreasing class sizes.
Pray that churches provide mentors, Safe Families, and reading support through their school partnerships.
Pray for transitions within college ministries over the summer: for God bring in the right leaders for this
season, and for LCC to have a visible Christian ministry by fall 2020.
Pray for ECCO, 4J’s Alternative High, to have a strong, effective start under new leadership and in their new location in the fall of 2019.

Government
Pray for Community Safety: the harmony and increased capacity of our police, fire department & courts.
Pray for God to lead the implementation of the TAC Report (Technical Assistance Collaborative), a comprehensive city/county strategic plan to house the unhoused.
Pray for the right person to be selected to lead the TAC Report implementation process.
Pray for community harmony, support and funding for the new county courthouse development.
Pray for God’s wisdom, love and direction to be upon all of our government leaders and their families.

Business
Pray for local government to create helpful and supportive policies for the growth of businesses.
Pray for ethical & flourishing wealth development that advances the Lord’s purposes in our community.
Pray for wise, truthful and noble businesses practices to flourish in our community.
Pray for God’s highest and best plans for the Eugene riverfront development;
Pray also for harmonious collaboration between government and businesses during the process.

Family
Pray for the cycle of divorce to end:
Pray for couples to choose to fight for their marriages and their children's stability and security.
Pray for God to heal and restore broken relationships.
Pray for children affected by divorce to be healed and have healthy relationships.
Pray for foster families to be supported and thrive: for community to come around them and for organizations who serve vulnerable families to be strengthened.
Pray for fathers to take their valuable, God-given servant-leadership role at home and in the Church.

Arts
Pray for God to direct the Cottage Theater in their production choices and for God’s hand upon them.
Pray for God’s presence to minister to DHS staff as the PAC Rim Art Guild displays 35 paintings in DHS offices.
Pray for Christian writers to be inspired, follow through & create clear positive messages that are published.
Ask for God’s blessing on this year’s Oregon Bach Festival and Art in the Vineyard events in Eugene.

Health Care
Pray for the new Oregon Health Plan administrators: God’s direction and wisdom.
Pray for partnerships between the church & medical community to cultivate truth in teaching moral issues.
Pray for Health Care Providers to have wisdom & strength to oversee effective treatments for addictions.
Pray for HCPs to speak truth & develop systems to lead those struggling with gender dysphoria into wholeness.
Pray that God empowers health workers, teachers, parents & friends to bring hope, healing & rescue to those dealing with suicidal thoughts.

Police and Fire Departments
Pray for the wisdom, peace and safety of those serving in our police and fire departments.
Pray for God to empower local law enforcement to rescue those trapped in sex trafficking.
Pray for a Mental Health Crisis Center to be established (a necessity according to first responders & civic leaders). Pray for our local police, sheriff and fire departments to be fully staffed by men & women of noble character.
Pray for peace and safety over local Summer events: Oregon Country Fair, Garth Brooks at Autzen & others.

Media
Pray for God to use local social media posts to be inspiring & hope-filled to those struggling with suicide.
Pray for God’s hand and direction upon all local radio stations.
Pray for truthful, fair and accurate reporting in all areas of local media.
Pray for local media leaders to have God’s vision and wisdom to lead our local media organizations.

Sports
Pray for the Lord’s blessing on all summer sporting camps.
Pray for God to guide local churches in preparation for the 2021 World Track and Field Championships.
Pray for safety, protection and peace over every public sporting event.
Pray for better training for youth coaches, and for more quality coaches to serve long-term.

Find answers to prayer on our website: onehopenetwork.org/testimonies.

Perpetual Creativity | Freedom to Create

I’ve always preferred creative pursuits. When I was deciding on a career, for me that meant music, writing, art, or dancing. I was still living with my parents when I attended a community college, and my home environment was one in which love and approval were determined by academic performance. Looking back at that time, I can see how our family culture drove me into a practice of perfectionism. I had high standards for myself and I was my own worst critic. After two years of Journalism classes, I decided that I was not cut out to meet the constant deadlines involved in the typical news cycle, and I chose another creative field--Graphic Design. I moved away from home and transferred to a University that had an excellent Design department. Unfortunately, the harsh slave master that is perfectionism went with me.

I can appreciate God’s sense of humor now, because what I thought would be a fun two years of artsy design school would be closer to the arduous and dangerous experience of climbing a huge, looming mountain without the appropriate gear. And I was not properly equipped to face my kryptonite, which for me was a highly critical and competitive environment. Not only were the deadlines and assignments very fast-paced and difficult, but at the start of class, each student mounted their design projects on the linoleum-covered wall with push pins. Our professor examined and verbally evaluated our work first, then the entire class was allowed to also critique the work of their fellow students. I silently thought some of the more ambitious students purposely worked hard to find something to criticize about each piece other than their own, in order to weaken the competition and to get a better grade.

This demanding and unforgiving curriculum only served to wind-up my perfectionism to a toxic level. I found my thoughts were paralyzed with the false assumption that my efforts were not good enough, and I questioned and changed my decisions endlessly. This way of thinking is enough to make a person twitchy and uncertain about the simplest things. It’s like driving a car with the emergency brake on, which is not good for the car, and definitely not good for the human spirit and mental health. Thanks be to God, I persevered and graduated! The most valuable life-lessons from my college experience left me resolved and resolute to seek only Christ’s love, grace, and mercy in my life. I was no longer interested in the pursuit of achievement at any price.

Galatians 5:1 (MSG)
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

During the many years since college, I continued to make progress towards being a better steward of my thoughts and attitudes as a self-acknowledged, recovering perfectionist. I do this by selectively keeping my thoughts focused on God’s truths and refusing to let my mind chew on thoughts that lie to me.

Philippians 4:7 (MSG)
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

A recent Holy Spirit revelation helped me jump to a stronger level of freedom that I’ve waited my entire life to experience. This thought dropped into my mind while daydreaming:

The decisions I make and the actions I take, do not determine the outcome of the work I complete. Only Christ controls the ultimate results of my efforts!

For other people, this may have been a simple truth they learned long ago, but it was life-changing news for me! This means I no longer have to dread and put-off completing important tasks for fear of doing them incorrectly or defectively. And I do not have to fear that the results would be not quite good enough. Piles of papers, representing deferred decisions on what to do with them, are slowly disappearing from every room in my home. Decades of feeling like a disappointment can still make me feel disqualified at times. But I’m still learning coping skills, and it’s making all the difference for me!

John 8:36 (NLT)
So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

The key to my overcoming is that I simply keep showing up to take the next baby step towards my goal. I accept my imperfections and once again invite Christ to fill in the gaps of my incompleteness. I can show up and keep moving forward when I remind myself that only God has control over how well my creative efforts turn out and how the work is ultimately used. I can live with that, and what a relief! Thank you, Lord!

Ephesians 2:10 (NAS)
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

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About the Author

Sara has attended CitySalt Church since 2004, the year it was founded. She studied Journalism, wrote for her college newspaper, and is a member of Oregon Christian Writers. Sara also enjoys singing hymns with friends: “there is a sermon in every hymn waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.”

Perpetual Creativity | To Infinity and Beyond

The creativity of God amazes me whenever I stop to think about it. He has fashioned beautiful vistas of every kind, a never-ending supply of fascinating animals and plants, and of course humans of all shapes and sizes. But when I think about how uniquely He made me, sometimes I get frustrated. Why am I such a complicated creature? Why can’t I fit neatly into all those personality profiles? Meyers-Briggs, DISC, the Enneagram: I’m always split down the middle between a couple of their profiles, which makes me feel like a complicated person. (Whoever invented the term “ambivert” is one of my favorite people!)

But what if it’s not because I’m “complicated” but because God made me just a little extra different in this way? And even for those who do fit perfectly into a specific profile, there are infinite ways that it gets fleshed out in each person. One ENFJ, or whatever, is totally different than another ENFJ in many ways, even if they have similarities in their personality. Each person on this planet is unique and special. And that’s pretty amazing.

As a “wanna-be” fiction writer, I have taken on the daunting task of creating characters. It is one of the most difficult tasks of writing fiction, in my opinion. There is so much to consider, for each and every person in a story. Personality profiles, physical features, past experiences, learning styles, Multiple Intelligences, cultural impacts, birth order, inner conflict… I get exhausted just thinking about it, and I have to fight defaulting to 2-dimensional stock characters. How is it that God doesn’t get exhausted in His creation? No two snowflakes the same, knowing the number of the stars in the sky and the hairs on our heads, we were knit together in our mother’s womb, and all of the other many examples we find in the Psalms (okay, the Psalms might not mention snowflakes, but I’ll forgive the authors- they didn’t know what they were missing!); how is this possible?

I think it’s a combination of His infinite-ness, His love to create and attention to detail, and His love of each of us as individuals in addition to all of humanity. His infinity is shown in both nature (the aforementioned snowflakes, etc.) and even in math. You don’t believe me about math? Many years ago, my brother introduced me to the concept of fractals. According to The Fractal Foundation (yes, evidently fractals are cool enough to get their own foundation), “A fractal is a never-ending pattern. Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales.” They exist in nature in things like snowflakes, seashells, and others. Check out this link or research it yourself if you’re not familiar with fractals. I’m not very philosophical, but the fact that this concept exists brings out the sense of wonder in me and my awe of God.

My mentor lent me a book about getting over artist’s block, called The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, by Julia Cameron. It wasn’t written for Christians specifically, but it does base itself on the premise that God is the ultimate Creator--in every way. In it, I discovered that God loves it when we exercise the creativity He instilled in us, because it honors His own nature of creativity. I’d never thought of it that way. I get easily hung up on thoughts like “Why should I create things? I’m not really very original or creative, so I should just just let the real artists do what their natural talent does.” But from what I got out of that book, enjoying and using the little bit of creativity in me is actually an act of worship to Him. Wow! That humbled me out of the self-deprecation of my artist-ness. And when you think about it, His act of creating us to have our own creativity is a fractal. God is the main original shape, but in His creation, he multiplies His creativity by instilling a bit of it in each of us. We then create things, which inspires others to create, and the pattern multiplies exponentially, even if not quite symmetrically like in a true fractal.

Mind blown yet? It’s okay if not. I invite you to contemplate His creativity and infinity for yourself. Take music, for example. How many songs are made from the same combinations of notes or chords, just rearranged a little? We never seem to run out of possibilities for beautiful or interesting songs. Or the fact that no matter how many beautiful mountain vistas I see, a new one still takes my breath away. Why? It’s just a different combination of angles of rock, right? But it’s still new and beautiful, every time.

What are the things in life/nature/any other creation of God’s that cause you to wonder in awe at His creativity? How do these things remind you that you are a special creation of the Master Artist, and loved just as you are?

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About the Author

Jessie is an educator, currently in the role of academic advisor at a charter school after teaching there and overseas. She is also a novice writer, with several books in various stages and a (long-neglected) blog about the journeys of women. She is very excited to join the CitySalt blog team. She has been blessed by a few communities of Christian writers that have encouraged her dream. She lives with her trusty sidekick cat, Arwen in the foothills of South Eugene, where she can go hiking within minutes of the sun coming out from behind the clouds.

Perpetual Creativity | Images of God

When I looked up the lectionary texts for this Sunday, I thought I had won the blog lottery. Acts 11:1-18 (Peter’s “kill and eat” vision), Psalm 148 (all creation praises God), Revelation 21:1-6 (the new city, where death and pain will be no more), and John 13:31-35 (love as the mark of Christian discipleship). As a person who has spent her entire adulthood navigating the intersection of animal welfare and Christianity, I couldn’t have put together a better grouping of scriptures to use to talk about how our faith ought to impact how we think about and treat God’s other creatures. I’ve written about that a lot. Like, a lot. And there’s still more to say.

But then my favorite gym coach, who isn’t, as far as I know, particularly religious, asked me if I’d read The Shack. I did read it, about ten years ago. I remember quite vividly because it was the first book I read after giving birth. In hindsight, maybe not such a good choice of postpartum reading material. Anyway, my coach liked the depictions of God in the book, the way the persons of the Trinity were portrayed. The idea of God as multifaceted was new to him. And I realized when I read the book, that was a new idea for me, too.

Because I grew up mostly with this Jesus.

[Image from: http://www.ladbible.com/news/news-son-pranks-his-mum-with-a-picture-of-ewan-mcgregor-she-thinks-is-jesus-20181227]

Yes, there’s the “classic” Jesus on the right, and Ewan McGregor on the left. McGregor, a Scott, played Jesus in a 2015 film. Not surprising, since of the 42 actors Wikipedia lists as having portrayed Jesus on film, only six are from non-European origins. It’s this two-dimensional Jesus that’s the first to come to mind when I think of an “image of God.” This image is so deeply embedded in my consciousness, in fact, that when I was doing a visualization exercise with my spiritual director, recently, Jesus appeared to me as a curly-haired, blond, California surfer-type.

But of course, Jesus isn’t two-dimensional. He also wasn’t European. And the God who created the whole universe can’t be contained by a single gender or ethnic origin.

And yet, I remember feeling really surprised when I first saw “Forensic Jesus,” an image created by a team of forensic anthropologists.

Image: Forensic Jesus, Popular Mechanics [Image from: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a234/1282186/]

I wonder how our ideas of what it means to be made in the image of God might affect how we receive and process artistic depictions of God. The following is a collection of some of the images I’ve come across in recent years that have made me pause and wonder, and sometimes to notice and interrogate discomfort.

Can I see the image of God in others, when the others don’t look or act like me?

Can I “image” God to others, when the others don’t look or act like me?

If God is something beyond (and better than) my default “old white man on a mountain,” I wonder how my misperceptions of God might have impacted my ability to see God in refugees, in imprisoned people, in people who smell bad and act weird or do drugs or breed dogs or spank their children or live according to my idea of what the world should be.

What does it mean to see Jesus walk beside a man in a Nazi uniform?

Can I see the risen God in a nightclub, laughing with her friends?

How do these representations of God expand my heart? How can they contribute to furthering my ability to look with compassion on the whole world?

What does it mean for me to take two-dimensional white Jesus off the wall, and replace that with three-dimensional complex Jesus?

Image: Jesus Christ, Liberator by Br. Robert Lentz, OFM [Image from: https://www.trinitystores.com/artwork/jesus-christ-liberator]

Image: Refugees: La Sagrada Familia by Kelly Latimore [Image from: https://kellylatimoreicons.com/gallery/img_2361/]

Image: from Kalacha, Kenya [Image from: https://www.cnn.com/2013/12/13/living/gallery/faces-of-jesus/index.html

Image: Michael Belk, The Second Mile [Image from: https://journeyswiththemessiah.org/photo-Jesus/the-second-milethe-joyful-gift-of-forgiving/?portfolioCats=36%2C35]

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About the Author

Sarah is the author of Vegangelical: How Caring for Animals Can Shape Your Faith (Zondervan, 2016) and Animals Are Not Ours (No, Really, They’re Not): An Evangelical Animal Liberation Theology (Cascade Books, 2016). She spends her days working for CreatureKind, helping Christians put their faith into action. She lives in Eugene with her husband, son, and animal companions and enjoys action movies, black coffee, the daily crossword, and dreaming of her next international journey.

Community Prayer Guide | May 2019

Each month we receive an updated Community Prayer Guide from One Hope ministry network that helps the church draw near to God and pray for various areas of our city life together. We invite you to take time to join hundreds of people who are praying each month for 10 strategic areas that shape our community's culture.

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One Church - One Day Community Prayer May 2019

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in
him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
Colossians 2:6-7

Church
Pray for pastors and Christ-following leaders to guard their hearts and cultivate purity, wholeness & renewal.
Pray for the Lord’s power to accompany all Gospel presentations and Bible teaching in our community.
Pray for local Christ-followers to be deeply rooted in God’s truth/love and demonstrate God’s truth/love.
Pray for churches to be equipped to function as healing communities for those struggling with mental illness.

Education
Pray for more wise and judicious allocation of funds at state and local levels to expedite the best education environment for all schools.
Pray for an increase of Jesus-followers and quality community members to step into the great need for
mentors in every school.
Pray for our college campuses to increasingly support Christianity as one of the many faiths to be explored.
Pray that truth would shine with clarity and appeal.
Pray for ECCO, 4J’s Alternative High, to have clear direction, strong leadership, and to thrive in their mission to
support some of Eugene’s most vulnerable students.

Government
Pray for Community Safety: the harmony and increased capacity of our police, fire department & courts.
Pray for God to lead the implementation of the TAC Report (Technical Assistance Collaborative), a
comprehensive city/county strategic plan to house the unhoused.
Pray for the right person to be selected to lead the TAC Report implementation process.
Pray for community harmony, support and funding for the new county courthouse development.
Pray for God’s wisdom, love and direction to be upon all of our government leaders and their families.

Business
Thank the Lord for continued low unemployment, economic development, and prosperity in our community.
Pray for ethical & flourishing wealth development that advances the Lord’s purposes in our community.
Pray for positive, encouraging & supportive relationships among our business, government & faith sectors.
Pray for God’s highest and best plans for the Eugene riverfront development.
Pray also for harmonious collaboration between government and businesses during the process.

Family
Pray for fathers to take their valuable, God-given servant-leadership role at home and in the Church.
Pray for the cycle of divorce to end:
Pray for couples to choose to fight for their marriages and their children's stability and security.
Pray for God to heal and restore broken relationships.
Pray for children affected by divorce to be healed and have healthy relationships.
Pray for foster families to be supported and thrive: for community to come around them and for organizations
who serve vulnerable families to be strengthened.

Arts
Pray for the Mozart Players: the Lord’s presence, salvation and blessing to be upon them.
Pray for God to guide and provide for the Pacific Rim Art Guild as they glorify Jesus with their art.
Pray for Christian writers to be inspired, follow through & create clear positive messages that are published.
Pray for Christ-honoring artwork to be displayed in local business & that it would inspire people to know God.
Pray for the Lord to guide those who select the artists to perform at Matthew Knight Arena.

Health Care
Pray for God to give wisdom and guidance to the leadership of our local health care facilities.
Pray for Health Care Providers to have wisdom & strength to oversee effective treatments for addictions.
Pray for Health Care Providers (HCPs) to bring healing and safety to those who have been sexually abused.
Pray for HCPs to speak truth & develop systems to lead those struggling with gender dysphoria into
wholeness.
Pray that God uses health workers, teachers, parents & friends to bring hope, healing & rescue to those
dealing with suicidal thoughts.

Police and Fire Departments
Pray for the wisdom, peace and safety of those serving in our police and fire departments.
Pray for God to empower local law enforcement to rescue those trapped in sex trafficking.
Pray for a Mental Health Crisis Center to be established (a necessity according to first responders & civic leaders). Pray for our local police, sheriff and fire departments to be fully staffed by men & women of noble character.
Pray for “dispatch coordination” among agencies to operate with greater wisdom and collaboration.

Media
Pray for truthful, fair and accurate reporting in all areas of local media.
Pray for God’s hand to guide all the employees of the Register Guard.
Pray for KEZI, KMTR and KVAL leadership teams to be guided by the Lord’s plans.
Pray for local media leaders to have God’s vision and wisdom to lead our local media organizations.

Sports
Pray for God to guide local churches in preparation for the 2021 World Track and Field Championships.
Pray for safety, protection and peace over every public sporting event.
Pray for the Lord’s blessing to be the YMCA and Kid Sports organizations.
Pray for better training for youth coaches, and for more quality coaches to serve long-term.

Find answers to prayer on our website: onehopenetwork.org/testimonies.