A Year With Jesus (AYWJ)

Not surprisingly my devotions I read this morning focused on closing out a year and beginning a new one.  There were two quotes that really grabbed me in the different reflections I read.  The first, from the Biola emails that I have been receiving said, “though rebirth is instantaneous, redemption is a process.”  It spoke to me of the life of a disciple - I am not “earning” my relationship with God - that relationship was a gift of God, but I am growing in it (or trying to grow in it) each day.  The other quote came in Richard Rohr’s email today where he quoted St Augustine who wrote...

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.

I spent some time this morning praying about these two messages that I heard and what grew in me was about spending time with the one who is central to my faith - spending time with Jesus.  Through the day, I have continued to pray about what that meant to me this morning (after all I do already spend time with Jesus pretty regularly, or at least I feel like I do).  As I walked over to a coffee house to work on my sermon for Sunday, this started to come into focus for me - a year with Jesus.  Just spend time in Gospels throughout the year.  So, I’ve set up a reading plan that is really simple - basically a chapter each day which will get me through the Gospels four times between now and next December 31.

There will, of course, be some pretty regular reflections (written and photo) on this here - would love to say that it would be every day but I’m going to be realistic...

So, what I hope to experience through this is growing more and more in love with Jesus through this process - growing in ways like Augustine writes of here - to have that deep and abiding longing for our savior and that it will not only be something happening in me but something that will be shared with others through my actions and words in the year ahead.