God + Career + Clarity = Perspective

There’s a new retreat in town…and it’s getting rave reviews!! The Perspective Retreat shined a light on what it means to let God guide your future job-making decisions. 22 CSFers trekked to Canton, Ohio to the Kunze residence for a weekend full of inspiring speakers and encouraging fellowship. (For some, this was their first ever CSF retreat!)

So…what did CSFers take away from this retreat? Sravanthi Reddy said, “Carry God’s love to all places all the time...so that people around us will see God’s love from us.” She said she really enjoyed the message of doing what you love and pursue it for a career which our first speaker, Scott really touched on. Scott, an operations manager in the meat-packing industry shared memories of his grandmother ending every prayer with, “to keep us ever mindful of the needs of others.”

Matt & Jen, married physical therapists, shared about integrating their Christian lives and their work lives. Matt challenged the group with final questions like, “How do your goals professionally and spiritually coincide?” and “How will your place of employment place obstacles in your spiritual life?” Stacy Kunze talks about her impression of the retreat and listening to her Dad discuss his career as a pharmacist. She said, "We heard a lot of positive insight on working in a career and representing Jesus in every area of your life. Hearing John Kunze's story and how God has blessed him in so many ways through faith and giving was really awesome. It gave me a new perspective on my very own Father!"

We know the old saying ‘actions speak louder than words.’ One evening, Debbie, a nurse, made us a wonderful meal with all the fixins and then headed to work. This selfless act of kindness reinforced the encouraging messages we heard throughout the weekend.

Our last speakers, Tom & Denise, a married engineer and teacher, discussed their transition from being non-Christians to beginning their walk with God. Denise shared how her different prior careers prepared her to become a teacher. Tom talked about letting go of control and giving it to God. One image that really stuck with me was when he said, “We lay our lives on an altar before God and the biggest problem with a living sacrifice is we tend to crawl off the altar.” Read that again. What a vivid picture? Are we crawling off the altar? Half-on, half-off the altar? Hmmmmm….powerful words. Take home message from this retreat: Whatever career path you choose…love it and give glory to God through it!

- Renee Pugh

Painting Jesus

Have you seen a Jesus painting? How was it? Matt Law, who will also share during this series, recounted a couple months ago a Jesus painting that is common but likely isn't accurate. And the notion that his physical appearance has been extensively debated.  In this series we engage accounts of Jesus that inform our view of Him.

Watch last week's intro on Youtube here.

This does change everything...

There is a story...legend maybe...of a guy being demanding at an airport ticket counter and saying "Do you know who I am?" The airline agent gets on the microphone/speaker, "Attention, does anyone know this gentlemen in front of me? He seems to have forgotten his name?"

I don't think Jesus was being demanding or forgot his name when he asked, "Who do you say I am?"  Matt 16:15.  

Note the "you" is plural. King James version is helpful in this regard as it uses "y" pronouns for plurals like "ye, you, your" and "t" pronouns for singular like "the" and "thou".  In modern english "you" is singular and plural so one can't tell whether it's referencing a person or a group. So here Jesus is addressing all the disciples, not just Peter, though he is recorded as replying.

This (the question, not ye and thou!) changes everything - who is Jesus?  Have you checked Him out?  Who is He?  When we see Him for who He is it really does change everything...creator, giver, Savior, lover of humanity and all that is good, perfect, hopeful, and healing in the world.  That is worth following, I can sign up for that.

"The knowledge of God is very far from the love of Him." Blaise Pascal

What are you creating?!

What are you creating?

Psalm 97:1 "The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad." God is sovereign over all. That is who we serve, the One who is above everyone else. May that comfort us this week as we encounter professors, people, work, demands, and expectations! And check this out, God in all His sovereignty ordained that Genesis be written. Imagine God addressing humanity for the first time, like the first time meeting someone you have wanted to meet for a long time - with that kind of anticipation building - what are they going to say?

Genesis 1:27-28: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’"

God calls us to be co-creators! We are called to create order in the world. Name the animals, plants, and birds. Feed them, organize them, learn them, manage this world to thrive, live, and grow. We are part of God’s team, working along side Him in His creation. That’s what you do isn’t it? You manage something - finances, numbers, computer code, engineering products, designs, medical, tools to make life simpler, accessories to streamline and spice up our lives, building, organizing people and resources…we are all co-creators, every single one of us. And women, have the unrivaled sensation of co-creating, growing, nurturing, life from within.

Have you ever borrowed or lent something?  We have notions to “return things better than it was borrowed”, or get upset when that doesn’t happen! Well, to that end – everything is on loan to us. Our friends, family, our very lives are all on loan. We get it for a time, a period, a breath. There is no second chance, no insert quarter to try again, no reset button, no additional lives saved up - we get one chance and it’s all on loan. May we be reminded that God is Sovereign and is Lord over everything. When we get that - then we can’t help but to serve Him and worship Him - indeed the word “worship” and “serve” in the Old Testament (NIV) is the *same* Hebrew word! He has given us every single step, breath, dollar, friend, minute, job, circumstance, situation.  Go create!

What are you creating for Him?