When life as we know it is upended, what do you do to stay grounded and centered? It is easy to get stuck in the news cycle of fear and uncertainty. This is not God’s will for us! First Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." So how do we go from feeling like the world and our lives are spiraling downward to having the peace of God reign in our hearts and minds? I propose an old and forgotten tradition in many churches… The Nicene Creed. This creed is a succinct statement about our beliefs as followers of Christ that was written in the early church to be a foundational tool. It helped all believers be united together as one body of believers and teach those newer to the faith what it means to be a Christian. It is a powerful statement to ingest, digest and embody in these uncertain times for us as modern believers. Mark Nauroth, in Power of the Creed discusses this idea. He personally grew up in the modern evangelical church as I am sure many of us did, with worship song productions, lights, a full band and a service aimed to create an emotional response. Many of the modern churches have given up reciting the Nicene Creed as a corporate body. When compared to the emotional worship times, it feels dry, impersonal and a bit confusing. Something about the creed sparked curiosity in Mark, he wanted to understand it more, to go deeper. He started with reading it, studying its phrases to understand it. What ended up happening is that it change his perspective and his life. It became a grounding mantra amid the craziness of life. A way to connect with his beliefs and God anytime, anywhere. This is what I believe it can do for us in this unsettled pandemic. It is a way for us to easily communicate our beliefs to others and it is a way to center ourselves back in faith, when we feel ourselves slipping into fear, anger or anxiety. The Nicene Creed provides, “So many profound truths... condensed into such a compact package. The Trinity, the nature of divinity, and even the mind-bending concept of eternity- it’s all here.” (p. 78) During this pandemic time, we as followers of Christ have the opportunity to shine our His light in our world. We can live with peace and power in a time of uncertainty and fear. “No matter who you are, you can share in the life of Christ and show it to your world.” (p. 102) Taking in the truths of the Nicene Creed and allowing it to transform us is part of our call as believers. We are called to grow up in Christ, to be sanctified and transformed into His likeness day by day. Mark asks readers of the book, “Is the goal to get into heaven by the skin of our teeth or to become sons and daughters of the resurrection by developing the kingdom within?” (p. 161) I confindently answer, to become sons and daughters of the resurrection! If we don't allow our faith to change us, how will it ever change the world? I created a beautiful PDF of the Nicene Creed for you to print out, hang on your wall and recite daily. Let it be a mantra that grounds you in this crazy time. You can pick up a copy of Power of the Creed for yourself on Amazon. #PowerOfTheCreed
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Speakeasy. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. If you are interested in reviewing books check out the Speakeasy website.
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Everything has been stripped bare.Life as we know it came to a standstill almost a month ago. Schools, churches and businesses deemed "unessential" have shut their doors and reinvented how to continue providing services. Many states and countries around the world issued stay at home orders and want residents to stay home unless they are conducting necessary activities like grocery shopping or seeking medical attention. Life for many has slowed down to turtle speed from the once hectic pace of "normal" life. There is much more down time to fill. Opportunity for rest. The Coronavirus situation gives us opportunities. We can choose to long for the way things were; complain about not being able to go out for dinner; panic about any losses of income...or... We can take this opportunity to examine our priorities in life. What did we fill our time with before? Were all those activities critical to a happy, full life? Am I in the right career? Am I using my gifts and talents for God's purposes or to make me wealthy? Most likely much of which we deemed critical before COVID-19 changed our lives has been exposed as unessential. Coronavirus gives us more time for quiet reflection, to connect on a deeper level with God. This is an opportunity to give yourself much needed time and space to hear what God's will is for your life. God, who speaks in a still, small voice, cannot be heard amid the hustle and noise of "normal" life. We have to slow down to "quarintine" pace to hear and connect with Him. The Coronavirus moved the whole world toward simplicity. Everything unnecessary has been stripped away and we are back to the basics. In the physical- Food. Water. Shelter. In the spiritual- Faith. Hope. Love. God desires a full relationship with each individual He created. With our simplified lives, we have space for a fuller relationship with God. The things that crowded Him out before are no longer there. God is seeking us, I feel Him stirring my heart to seek after Him, to find a more meaningful life in the simplicity forced upon us. I was drawn to and started reading a book in my library- 'Tis a Gift to be Simple: Embracing the Freedom of Living with Less, by Barbara and David Sorensen. I don't want to waste this opportunity. I know many of us long to get back to church to our normal corporate worship services. I admit, I miss them too. But let us not miss the opportunity to seek God's will for us individually at this time. As we connect deeper with God and hear His will for each of us, we are strenthening the whole Body of Christ. Discovering the work He created us for and developing a fuller relationship with Him allows us to encourage others to do the same. Imagine the revival that could follow. Embracing and carrying this simplified life into "normal" life could bring the changes we have been praying for in our country and the world. Celebrating Easter Simplified.I have heard many lament the inability to gather together to celebrate Easter Sunday with the usual church productions. Yes, it will be different from we are all used to, but it doesn't have to be any less of a celebration.
Jesus didn't rise from the dead with any sort of procession. He simply left the tomb empty and allowed a couple of angels to announce the good news to his friends. Jesus then appeared to his disciples and friends personally. Maybe we can take this simplified and more personal approach to our Easter celebrations as well. We can share the good news that Jesus triumphed over death and sin and what a difference having him as a friend has made in our lives. We can take time to read the Easter story from the bible and pray together as a family. We can do simple things to show God's love to one another. Isn't that the most important thing in life anyway? When asked, Jesus told the Jewish leader the greatest commandment is: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these," (Matthew 12:30-31). This Easter is an opportunity for us as believers to go back to the basics. We can love on each other, share our faith, and bring hope to desperate times with the good news of Jesus! Let's not miss all the opportunities that this Coronavirus situation brings! I am excited to announce...The 8 Days to 8 Habits for Health, Happiness & Longevity Challenge. This is a new format of group coaching that I am launching this month. This challenge is designed to give some quick wins to those struggling to move the needle towards health and away from disease, especially those struggling with chronic illnesses like I did. this Challenge is...For anyone feeling let down by the mainstream medical system, I can relate. For everyone wondering if God hears their prayers for healing, I have been there! If you are wishing Jesus would return already, so you can escape the torture of daily life with a chronic illness, I have some hope for you. If you want to serve God with your life but are not feeling well enough to do much, do not despair! I know you want to be able to fully enjoy your life with family and friends. I know you want more from life- purpose, pleasure, joy, fulfillment! I was there...I was once in your shoes. I was living with IBS and desperately looking for natural solutions to my chronic condition. I avoided social situations because the embarrassment of needing to run to the bathroom for long periods of time or having gas so bad it smelled like something died. I felt like I was just getting by each day, hoping the next would be better and I could finally get to fully living like I dreamed of. I struggled for 10 years looking for answers that came too slowly. I tried a vegetarian diet, then a vegan diet; fiber drinks, probiotics, excersise routines, supplements, and other things. Some things helped, and I kept using them. Some things didn't. After my decade-long journey, I felt back to my healthy self and felt like I had finally found all the pieces of the health puzzle. I was so excited about what I had discovered, I wanted to share it with others who were struggling with chronic illness like I had. I took time to formally educate myself by becoming a certified health coach with Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and I wrote a book sharing the foundational tools for a healthy, happy, long life. My goal is to help others... Now I am on a mission to help 500 women in 2020 adopt healthy habits that will help heal chronic conditions naturally.
What I found on my journey to health is that there is not one magic solution. Health is about adopting healthy habits and a lifestyle that supports health and wellness. In this 8 day challenge, I will train each day on one of the tools for health and then assign homework- a healthy habit to put into practice. At the end of the 8 days, participants will have 8 new healthy habits to take control of their health and happiness. If this sounds exciting to you, please join me in the challenge. To find out more and get signed up, click on the button below. |
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AuthorJessica Mutunga is passionate about good simple living that focuses on relationships, food and creating a supportive healthy environment. She is The Light Way Coach. Archives
May 2022
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