February Update
What I’m learning
Life is crazy.
In our house, over the last few months, we have been adjusting to new rhythms of seminary. We’ve been battling almost constant illness. And we’ve been attempting to navigate the grief and mystery surrounding the transition of our Lead Pastor out of pastoral ministry this summer.
To be clear, we have walked with him in discernment, we see God at work, and we are in full, loving support of him and his family. I am deeply grateful, and extremely proud of the slow, prayerful, and long-suffering way they processed this transition. But it’s not easy.
As you can imagine, in this season I’m learning more outside the (digital) classroom than inside. I am learning about grief. I’m learning about finitude. I’m learning about coping. A quick word on each.
Grief. I think grief is a gift from God in an “already, but not yet” world. To grieve, we must acknowledge the reality of pain and loss, and that things are not as we would like them to be. But we must also acknowledge that “fault” and “blame” do not have a seat at the table (“our struggle is not against flesh and blood”).
Then, if we can step through the barrier of discomfort and embarrassment, and let tears flow as we give voice to our pain and to our gratitude, then at the end of the tunnel of grief we are likely to find the light of intimacy—with God and with the other.
Finitude. We are limited, we know this. Though we may wish for more time in the day, we only get 24 hours. But that’s only one limitation of many. We are also limited by our need to sleep, eat, and drink water. On top of that, physical strength, mental engagement, and willpower are all depleting resources. We can only work so many jobs, maintain so many relationships, solve so many problems.
Culture offers the promise that we can “hack” our way to limitlessness, as if what’s wrong with the world (sin) is our inability to “do all the things.” But that is the lie of the serpent (“You can be like God”). God took the dust of the ground, formed it, and breathed on it. We are Spirit-suspended-dirt by design. Finite, limited, dependent—and very good.
Coping. When times are uniquely difficult we tend to embrace coping. After receiving hard news, we go for a beer with friends or colleagues. After a long day, we’ll stay up later than usual, decompressing with Netflix and an “I-shouldn’t-but-I-deserve-it” late-night snack. These are gifts from God to help us cope, and should be received with gratitude.
However, I’ve noticed if I’m not intentional, a special moment of coping can quickly turn into a routine, a new “rule of life.” The first things to go are prayer rhythms, healthy screen time relationships, and well-defined boundaries for work and rest. And in that, I start to believe that I’m all alone and that “this is all there is.”
But God invites us to remember that though coping is a gift, we are not designed for a toil-cope-repeat kind of life. We are designed for an abundant life in the kingdom, grounded in trust. And the very things that seem non-essential in times of stress, are the things that cultivate trust, peace, hope, and “the life that really is life.”
Prayer Request
I am slated to take my first sabbatical this year. A sabbatical is a two-month break from the weekly rhythm of ministry for rest and renewal. As we are praying and discovering what’s possible we have “musts and wants.”
Our musts are (1) we would be able to settle somewhere outside of Albuquerque for the majority of the time (rather than bouncing from place to place), and (2) that I would be able to complete three more credits for seminary.
Our wants are (1) that the place we settle would be in Europe somewhere, living at a slowed pace, and (2) that I would be able to find a study option over there that could transfer to my degree at GCTS.
Obviously there are financial factors that play into this as well. Please pray that God would provide the right sabbatical experience (what, where, when, etc.) to bring refreshment for the next season of ministry.
Financial Update
I am currently fully funded for seminary and the Partnership Program! There is always room for additional Direct Monthly Donors to help with seminary fees and expenses not covered by the Partnership Program Scholarship. Learn more at davidtanner.co/give
In addition, if you would like to contribute to my upcoming sabbatical, you can make a one-time donation here. Note: those funds run through and are managed by Refuge Church.
Book Club Round 2!
Book Club Round 2 is underway! We are reading Working the Angles by Eugene Peterson and have added one new member to the club. We are running from February 12 through April 2, with a gathering on Sunday, April 2nd from 3-4:30pm. If you are interested and available, it is not too late to join!
