City Buzz

I needed to finish some sermon prep yesterday morning, so Lyndsey and I headed down to the Stumptown that resides in the lobby of the Ace Hotel on Stark and 10th. Amidst the sermon writing and the latte sipping I found myself swimming in the buzz of the city as it spilled off the sidewalks into the cozy (read: cramped) café.

I find myself oscillating between outright excitement and timid apprehension as I think about how to make a compelling case for the gospel to my fellow northwestern urbanites. Of course, on the heels of these thoughts comes the reminder that God's Spirit is the One doing the work, and often has been at work long before I ever show up. June is just around the corner, and I guess I hoped that I would be a slightly different person by now--a person more like Jesus. As I was finishing up my sermon for tomorrow I realized that I am much like the young lawyer who asked Jesus, "and who exactly is my neighbor?", I'm mostly just wanting to justify myself. Here's to letting Jesus remind me that I'm needy beyond reason and loved beyond belief.