We have a tricky relationship with control. It is true God gives us agency, and we are responsible to steward that well. However, our agency is limited. We cannot control nearly as much as we would like. So we strive and cling to control, and when the illusion of our control is broken we either cling grasp all the more for power or we resort to deflated inactivity. This year in the season of Lent, we will experiment with surrendering control. If you were not with us last week, we invite you to make some time this week to listen to the teaching of Mandy Smith and craft an experiment.
This week, we looked at our tendency to grasp for control with our resources. We considered knowledge and information, our reputation, finances and possessions, and achievements at work and school. We considered how we might respond differently when life feels out of control. Instead of grasping and clinging, what if we release and surrender so we can hold the truth that “all shall be well.”
Additional Resources
Unfettered by Mandy Smith
The Cost of Control by Sharon Hodde Miller
The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb by Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel
Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich
Full interview with Mandy Smith
Guided Daily Office
Pause (App Store) (Google Play)
Lectio365 (App Store) (Google Play)
Pray as You Go (App Store) (Google Play)
All Shall be Well a song by Andrew Peterson
If you have a story to share about how you have been encountering God in this season, we would love to hear it!
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