12 Days of Christmas - Day 9 (Music Video & Reflection by Micah Bentley)

This song came to me as I was sitting one day, overwhelmed by the abundance and generosity of love and life I’ve been handed. Even though in a lot of my life I’ve been a clumsy fool, still I’m invited into the party and adorned as a beloved guest. Our host saves his best drink for us and pours it abundantly. As I think about the gift represented in Christmas, this exact overwhelming sense of abundance and gratitude overflows from my heart and my prayer is that you would experience this too. Take heart in the abundance you’ve been given and allow yourself to be at the wonderful party Christ has invited you to.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 10 (Reflection by Marcia Linderman)

When thinking about Christmas of past, two things come to mind. naturally it’s always meant family. However, that is not what I remember most. Family time meant a new Barrett or mom may have made a-pair of pajamas. Dad always made homemade peanut brittle which I loved.

What made Christmas for me whas the waiting and participating in the celebrations at our small Country church. All the children came together and gave of themselves by memorizing scripture, playing out skits, memorizing poems and songs that all meant to the birth of Christ. It was always quite the pageant.You see it was all about Jesus and who he was or I should say is! It was about who he wants for me and you. What was given to me during those times was compassion, loveand unity I told of that story and how he was interested in me some of the things I took away was hope, love, compassion, community and unity.

These are the the that I remember as I went through abuse, loneliness, being made fun of and other hardships both as a child and as an adult. Matthew 9:36 tells us “that when He saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them.” Psalm 71:5 “ for you are my hope, all Lord God. ” Hebrews 6:19 “this hope we have as an anchor of the soul…“ and lastly Psalms 133:1 “ how good and how pleasant it is for brethern to dwell together.”

Just like the shepherds after the angel came to tell them of Jesus birth, they went with great anticipation to see. I too, look to the Lord with great anticipation for what he has in store for me still today. The lyrics of THER WAS JESUS, captures what the meaning of Christmas has taught me as a child and now as an adult.

Every time I try to make it on my own, every time I tried to stand and start to fall and all those lonely roads that I have traveled on; there was Jesus

When the life I built came crashing to the ground, when the friends I had were nowhere to be found I couldn’t see it then but I can see it now. There was Jesus.

For this man who needs amazing kind of grace, for forgiveness at a price I couldn’t pay. I’m not perfect so I thank God every day, there was Jesus.

In the mountain, in the valleys, in the shadows of the alleys, in the fire, in the flood; always is and always was, no I never walk alone you are always there.

In the waiting, in the searching, in the healing in the hurting. Like a blessing buried in the broken places, every minute, every moment, where I’ve been and where I’m going, even when I know yet or couldn’t see it, there was Jesus. There was Jesus.

For me, Christmas is life and gratitude to my Savior. Trusting in who he is and the promises he has for me and my family.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 11 (Reflection by Ross Bentley)

Favor

by Ross Bentley

“The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.”

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

And on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” 

Luke 2:14

The Gospel message, as it is told, even in the Christmas story, is a story of favor.  It was a primary message of the angelic messengers to the people who would receive it.  We see it here when Gabriel brought the wonderfully disruptive message to Mary, that God had chosen her to form, deliver, raise, nurture and love His Son. He was bestowing favor on her.  Again, as the angel delivered the message to the shepherds outside the city, he was joined by a resounding choir of angels proclaiming the message of God’s favor to those recipients of his grace. These shepherds were not used to the favor of anyone, let alone God Almighty!

What is favor?  Websters defines it as:

-friendly regard shown toward another especially by a superior; a gracious kindness

The Greek word has as its root the same word that is used for ‘grace’ as well as ‘charisma’ - a heavenly gift of grace.

One of my pastor friends would often say to his congregation - “You are one of God’s favorite children.  He has your picture in His wallet!”  These days, a modern translation of this might be -"He's got your picture saved on His phone!”

After Jesus' baptism and 40 days alone in the wilderness, He returned home and showed up in the local synagogue to announce the start of His ministry. To do this, He used a quote from the prophet Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, 

because he has anointed me 

to proclaim good news to the poor. 

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners 

and recovery of sight for the blind, 

to set the oppressed free, 

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Jesus declared that with the coming of the Kingdom of God, all of humanity can enter into 'the year of the Lord’s favor.’  Paul goes into a little more detail about this favor from God:

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.  

2 Cor 5:17-19

God is no longer counting our sins against us. Now that is favor! And that is good news! It doesn't always come across that way, does it?  But this truly is the message God has for all of us.

This reminds me of a story from 2 Kings 7.  

During the time Elisha served as a prophet of God, the nation of Israel was at war with the Arameans, and they had laid siege to the city of Samaria.  It was an horrific situation for the entrapped people.  There was great famine, and the people were desperate.  Then Elisha boldly prophesied to the king that the siege would be lifted by the next day.  

At this time, there were 4 men who suffered from leprosy and lived outside the walls of the city.  They were waiting by the city gates for food to live on, but there was none.  They finally said in desperation, “Why wait here and die?  Why not go over to our enemy’s camp?  If we die, no difference, but if they spare us we will live.”  So they went over to the place where the Aramean army camped at dusk.  As they entered the camp, they found it had been abandoned - there was no sign of the enemy anywhere in the camp.  They had fled in fear of the Lord.  The tents were left empty, fully stocked with food and wine and plunder.  The 4 lepers feasted and drank in that first tent, and took the plunder and hid it, then came back to do it all again on the next tent.  All this for them, and why not!  Didn’t they deserve it?  Hadn’t they suffered enough?  Why not take this all for themselves?  After all, they had been rejected by God, and had been outcast by their own people - banished outside the city because of their affliction.  They had finally found favor!

But in a moment of gracious revelation, they said to one another - “This isn’t right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves… Let us go at once and report this...” And so they did, and the result was that the whole city became beneficiaries of this gracious provision.  

How wonderfully true that God has bestowed His favor and grace on us.  We absolutely are some of His Favorite Children!  And this message is meant for the whole world - our family, friends, neighbors, strangers and foreigners alike!  God has declared the time of His favor through Jesus.  And this is our message for others - God is no longer counting our sins against us!  Your sentence has been commuted, you’ve been pardoned, you are free!  This is the year of the Lord’s favor!


12 Days of Christmas - Day 12 (Examen by Gavin Linderman)

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas

A Christmastide Examen


  1. Begin with a moment of silence and stillness. In this moment take a few deep slow breaths, taking in the light of Christ, the gift of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Exhale your battles, your worry, your burdens and your sins you can always come back to them later. When you sense you are ready to reflect with God proceed.

  2. Consider these first days of 2021 as if you were a newborn child. As you take on infant eyes, what do you see in the light this year so far? Has something bright been spoken, is there anything that has surprised you with joy? What is the light revealing to you? How does the light of Christ make you feel? Breath Deep, Exhale Slowly.

  3. God has given you the gift of Jesus in your life. Take a moment to reflect on Gods gift to you. Imagine receiving Him and acknowledge your feelings about this Gift from God. Do you sense that you have the freedom to receive all of Him? How have you received or experienced the gift of God today? How have you been a gift to others this day? Breath Deep, Exhale Slowly.

  4. You are in the presence of Gods Spirit. How does the Spirit of God see and experience you in this moment? How do you see and experience the Holy Spirit right now? What hope does the Spirit of God offer you in this moment? How might you share that same hope with others this year? Breath Deep, Exhale Slowly.

  5. Give thanks to God. Ask God to bless those in your life this year and ask God to be with you this day and everyday as you seek to experience Jesus in 2021.

Emotional Hijacking and the Psychology of Fear

By Jason Gillespie

Life is a comedy for those who think

and a tragedy for those who feel.

                                                                                 Horace Walpole

The advances in neuroscience, especially over the past thirty years, have yielded groundbreaking insights into the neural architecture of the human brain. But with this new understanding, we find both opportunity and warnings in service to the human advance toward a better, yet unknown future.

Perhaps most powerful is the newly discovered role of the amygdala in the human brain which is derived from the Greek word for “almond”. It is located above the brainstem, near the bottom of the limbic ring. There are two amygdalas, one on each side of the brain, nestled toward the side of the head. And where the limbic structures do much of the brain’s learning and remembering, the amygdala is the specialist for emotional matters. Moreover, the amygdala acts as a storehouse of emotional memories and is the locus of significance and personal meaning in our life; more than affection, all passion depends on it. 

We have all been confronted with predicaments, tasks and fearful life experiences that elicited emotional upset and a feeling of imminent threat or danger. In those moments we also discover ‘automatic’ (i.e., instinctive) reactions that are commonly referred to as a fight, flight or freeze behavioral response. Likewise, we can all attest to the efficacy of our response based on the ensuing outcome. 

After the danger has passed, we inevitably perform a personal assessment (or others do it for us) of our verbal and behavioral posturing in the face of the crisis. Did we overreact, underreact, or were we just about right in our actions? The answer we give ourselves is of course subjective and based on a multitude of factors that are too lengthy to discuss here. 

But we do come to realize that there is something going on in our brains that is on full display; we find ourselves trying to mobilize an appropriate (rational) response in the face of a physical threat whether real or perceived. In such moments, when anxiety and fear and anger are such overwhelming emotions, we are left vulnerable to a neuropsychological event known as emotional hijacking. [1]

As mental health professionals with over 60 years of combined clinical practice, my wife and I have encountered a wide range of mental health problems. This is less a statement of pride and more a confession of the amount of human emotional suffering we can give witness too as frontline clinicians. And in that experience, we can both attest to our observation that the most prevalent reason for mental health referrals is a poor coping response to stress. 

Symptomatic behaviors typically include (but are not limited to) the following:      anger outbursts; physical and emotional withdrawal or isolation (depression); increased rumination (worry) with or without panic attacks or phobias; drug and alcohol abuse; process addictions (e.g., pornography and overeating, etc.); and suicidal ideation and gesturing. 

Further, poor coping responses are also seen in the context of a couple or family referral. However, this requires a more comprehensive treatment approach that addresses communication, interactional and structural problems that are contributing to the presenting complaints and manifested in the symptoms above.

Upon individual interview, complaints emerge that reveal important patterns of feeling and thinking that are contributing to self-defeating behavioral responses. The patient’s degree of emotional stress can be roughly quantified on a scale from low to high much like physical pain. The initial clinical interview(s) then, focuses on a more formal assessment of the intensity and the source(s) of the patient’s (dis)stress.

Treatment using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and its variants, begins with educating the patient as to how the human brain reacts automatically when presented with identifiable environmental triggers (as explained earlier). Patients are then introduced to the most common types of Negative Automatic Distorted Thoughts that contribute to self-defeating behaviors and the ensuing emotional upset. Patients discover even in the initial phases of treatment, that they have been caught in a repetitive and predictable cycle of negative thinking that is driving their emotional upset; and will contribute to further symptom development over time.

The introduction of a cognitive behavioral treatment approach is frequently received with skepticism. But a simple illustration is offered to quickly and effectively demonstrate the way our brains react to stress. It goes like this:

[therapist to patient] … “I want you to focus on a really negative thought (idea) that is very upsetting to you. Keep it simple and just keep thinking about it. Do you have it? Good. Now I want you to make yourself feel good (positive) about that thought.”

[patient to therapist] … “I can’t feel good about it!”

[therapist to patient] … “Exactly! That’s because you cannot have an upsetting feeling without FIRST having an upsetting thought. The sequence is hard wired in your brain (the amygdala). First comes the thought then the feeling. So if you want to learn how to feel better when you get upset or stressed, you will have to learn how to work with your brain rather than pretending you can change the way you feel without first changing your thinking.”

It is always a moment of joy when patients acquire this simple but factual insight. But then the real work begins by helping patients identify their particular Categories of Automatic Distorted Thought patterns. Here are some of the more common distorted thoughts that we have all experienced at various times but are especially destructive when you are under any kind of duress:

  1. Mind reading: You assume you know what people think without sufficient evidence of their thoughts. “He thinks I’m a looser.”

  2. Fortunetelling: You predict the future negatively. “I know I’m not going to get the job.”

  3. Catastrophizing: You believe that what has happened or will happen will be so awful and unbearable that you won’t be able to stand it. “It would be terrible if I fail that test.”

  4. Labeling (Name-calling): You assign global negative traits to yourself and others. “He’s really a jerk” or “I was an idiot for believing her.”

  5. Overgeneralizing: You perceive a global pattern of negatives based on a single incident. “This happens every time I’m in rush hour traffic.”

  6. Dichotomous thinking (black and white): You view events or people in all-or-nothing terms (good or bad, right or wrong, etc.) “That was a complete waste of time.”

  7. Shoulds: (shoulda, woulda, coulda): You interpret events in terms of how things ‘should be’ rather than focusing on what is. “I should have done better.”

  8. Blaming: You focus on the other person as the source of your upset and refuse to take responsibility for changing yourself. “She caused this and she’s to blame for what happened.”

  9. Unfair Comparisons (apples to oranges): You have standards that are unrealistic and find yourself inferior or superior in the comparison. “She’s prettier than me.”

10. What if?: You keep asking a series of questions about “what if …”  

      something happens and you fail (refuse) to be satisfied with any of the 

      answers. “But what if I have a panic attack” or “What if they don’t hire me.

These are among the most common categories of distorted (negative) thinking but there are more. Patients find both insight and humor when exploring how this type of thinking manifests itself in their daily encounters with their world. Some become so masterful at recognizing when they are engaged in negative thinking that they start pointing it out when they observe it in others. They are, of course, instructed to avoid this and focus on what they can control.

The addition of Mood Logs (documenting negative thoughts) augments the treatment effort by giving homework to patients between interviews. Logging an upsetting situation holds the patient accountable for their negative thinking whenever and wherever they encounter emotional upset. The CBT treatment effort is typically concluded in 8-10 interviews depending on the severity of symptoms and the patient’s compliance with the treatment protocol. Additionally, a referral for further psychiatric follow-up for medication assessment can be a useful tool if there is evidence of familial (genetic) predispositions toward anxiety and mood disorder.

In summary, we must always take note of the reality that the Creator endowed us with two minds. The rational mind is prominent in awareness, thoughtful, able to ponder and reflect. But we are also given another system of knowing; impulsive and powerful and sometimes illogical … the emotional mind. The spiritually minded know this as the “heart” and the “head”. In most moments, these minds are exquisitely coordinated. But when passions surge the balance tips and the emotional mind rules supreme. The ancients knew this well:

Anyone can become angry ─ that is easy.

But to be angry with the right person,

to the right degree, at the right time,

for the right purpose, and in the

right way ─ this is not easy.

Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics

We are living in trying times. The historical reality is that we have always lived in trying times. Our Humanity is as resilient as it is fickle. Along the way we innovated ways to mitigate danger and increase survival by storing information in our large brains and translating it into words and then writing which advanced knowledge. That knowledge now reminds us of the delicate balancing act our brain performs in service to our individual well-being and the well-being of our neighbor.

The next time you find yourself upset, pause and take a moment to evaluate how your amazing brain has just tricked you into some category of negative and irrational thinking. Laugh at it and then make the necessary correction and move forward while remaining open to the possible need for additional help and support. And in that moment, you will discover how wondrously we are made in His image.

[1] Adapted from Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, October 1995

Politics of Jesus 2020

by George Trifanoff

Reflecting over recent Axiom Sunday messages, I’ve been thinking a bit about those passages in Matthew 5, particularly the utterances of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. It is easy to fall into a trap and see these just as moral aphorisms, detached from the Gospel arc. But these are radical prescriptions that should deeply influence how any Jesus follower interacts with the world.

  • Blessed are the oppressed, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  • Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

  • Blessed are the nonviolent, for they will inherit the earth.

  • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be filled.

  • Blessed are the compassionate, for they will receive compassion.

  • Blessed are the contemplative in mind, for they will see God.

  • Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

  • Blessed are those who are persecuted for justice’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

How can we read these eight “Beatitudes” and come to the conclusion that Jesus wasn’t political?

I realize that any reference to politics in the church (or the church in politics) is laden with landmines, but here I venture into that space, and I hope to honor God by going there in a spirit of Christlike love.

For many, the word “politics” has become so polluted, so tainted, that we come to associate it with television talking heads yelling at each other or the vile derisive messages posted on social media timelines. But the etymology of the word comes from the Greek word polis, meaning “affairs of the cities.” Technically, every act and decision made in a community setting is of a political nature. But we’ve siphoned the positive aspects of the term and rendered it an ugly, confrontational noun. To say “I’m not political” is to assert “I’m not responsible for anything happening around me.”

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, is issuing a harsh critique of the values of his culture. He flips upside down the overarching allegiance to the dominant institutions of family, religion, power, and the economic system. He challenged his hearers to embrace a different reality—a loyalty to a Kingdom of God. Most seemed unready for this radical transformation of consciousness, and this cost Jesus popularity, scorn from the authorities, immense inner agony, and eventually his human life.

Is our culture today that radically different from that of Jesus’ time? Sure, we inhabit a world light years ahead, technologically speaking, with all of the modern comforts and miracles of electricity, the internet, and other wonders the ancients could only dream of. Yet in our age, money and power might be more dominant frames than they ever were. An ethos of production and consumption rules the Christian world. But followers of Jesus are called to embrace a radically different worldview—one of sacrificial love, one that honors the lowly over the exalted of society, one that takes the side of the oppressed over the ruling class. When you bear the yoke of Jesus, it should be accompanied by an all-encompassing metanoia that revolutionizes how you interact with everything in your life.

Whatever your political tilt, be it conservatism, liberalism, libertarianism, or whatever-ism, a committed Jesus follower should wrestle with Gospel implications on all the political and social community concerns in both the local and global environment.

For myself, it leads me to ponder questions like these:

  • Why is it only class warfare when it is the poor against the rich?

  • Is our economy oriented toward restoration over exploitation?

  • Do we have an economy that is based on healing the future instead of stealing it?

  • Why do most Christians disregard the teachings of Jesus on nonviolence and his admonition to love your enemies and instead are no different than the non-believer on beliefs regarding war and torture?

  • How can many Christians not see immigrants and refugees in the light of how the Bible frames what our attitude should be in welcoming strangers?

  • How can we treat all of our brothers and sisters as beautiful image-bearers of God? How do we truly foster a culture that honors the sacredness of life?

The justice agenda for Jesus was humility and loving thy neighbor. It is our job as Kingdom servants to tear down walls and build bridges. Our identity as Jesus followers is not one of nationalistic emblems, icons, and slogans, but a new identity with space for everyone to belong and be loved. Truly transformed people can change the world, while those unchanged serve only as cheerleaders for the status quo.

A caution here though—we must be vigilant not to be overcome with a certainty that has us acting as if we were gods ourselves.

What I submit to you is this: the very darkness which Jesus came to shed light on was our habit as human beings of seeing things in terms of light and dark. In other words, we have this habit of setting ourselves up as the judges of who belongs to the light and who belongs to the darkness. We see ourselves as belonging to the light and someone else as belonging to the darkness. It is this habit of ours which is itself the darkness that Jesus came to shed light on. Why else would Jesus let himself be judged so, as a person of the dark? First, he was accused of hanging around with sinners, with those of the darkness. Then he was condemned as one of the darkness and executed accordingly. It is only the light of Easter morning which begins to open our eyes to the darkness of our entire game of deciding who’s in the light and who’s in the dark.

As a Jesus follower, when I enter into the realm of the political, I strive not to conduct myself in a partisan or polarizing manner. I’d like to boast that I always hit the mark here, but I do not always act in accordance with my better angels. But we urgently need to address politics in the language of the heart—that we’re all in this together, that “us and them” does not have to mean “us versus them;” it should just be “us.” And we need to develop an ability to hold political tension with those holding different views in life-giving ways.

As the 2020 US election year unfolds, the forecast is for a heated and turbulent season. My prayer is that we who pledge allegiance to the way of Jesus would inscribe on our hearts the instructions of Jesus on loving our enemies (or our friends and acquaintances who differ with us on the issues), the practice of forgiveness, and conducting political dialogue in a spirit of love.

The call of Jesus, for me, is to be a Kingdom servant in God’s politics—by compassionately focusing on the least in Jesus’ family, by being intentional in helping forge the beloved community, and by committing to be an agent in advancing the Kingdom. The Kingdom Jesus pronounced was at hand.

1 The Axiom Church Podcast, https://axiomchurchaz.podbean.com/

2 Epiphany 4A, http://girardianlectionary.net/reflections/year-a/epiphany4a/

3 Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polis

4 David Dark, Beloved America, https://chapter16.org/beloved-america/

5 Center for Action and Contemplation, “Bias from the Bottom”, https://cac.org/changing-our-minds-2016-03-29/

6 Paul J. Nuechterlein, “Rise, Shine, You People”, http://girardianlectionary.net/reflections/year-a/epiphany5a_1999_ser/

The Vaporizing One

by Tiffany Heath

As a child, fear plagued me. Being alone in any room caused me to tremble and long for escape. I prepared for bedtime as a soldier entering battle. Flashlight, socks, nightlight, radio, stuffed animal bodyguard, cordless phone, and a spray bottle. Blame the active imagination. It is as much a curse as a blessing. Did you know that there was an actual creature who lived beneath my bed and lurked when the lights went out? He persistently loomed over my thoughts. If a foot slipped out of the covers for more than five seconds, I would be pulled below and gnawed to pieces by his thrashing teeth. Fact. Luckily, my wandering feet always found redemption under the covers in four seconds or less. Wearing socks to bed ensured safety. Creatures don’t touch blankets or clothing—only human flesh…pretty serious creature business. Keeping the socks on your feet all night was a true act of God, though. He always had his hand of protection over my tiny feet. Triumphantly, the creature vanished (although I choose to believe he was eventually vaporized) after I learned to recite Psalm 23. Creatures pale in comparison to scripture. 

For years at night, I was battling creatures and nightmares. During the day, my vaporizing scriptures didn’t always vanish what I feared. In totally real life, I hadn’t met a slimy green beast who stalked me in pursuit of dining on the delicacy of my toes, but it certainly felt that way after moving and beginning anew in a different city and school. I was always prepared with my “vaporizer” and “socks.” Metaphorically speaking. SoCal kids wear flip flops, even in wintertime.

Through thick and thin, I trudged through life as my own superhero, vaporizing junior high bullies, failures, breakups, moves, health problems, disappointments, the prolonged loneliness of solitude, and even normal seasons that brought reluctance. As you age, your fears become more complicated and interwoven in the fabric of your identity and independence. That which could not be defeated would henceforth be avoided. Fun coping mechanisms for adults. Weeeee! 

Eventually, I understood that avoiding a fearful situation will not dissolve it but prolong it instead. In my experience, it also intensifies fear. My heart became hardened and I was weak from preparing for battle constantly. I didn’t interact without my “vaporizer” and personal superhero cape. Always ready to save myself. Not surprisingly, family and friends notice the figurative vanishing techniques that keep you at arms distance. They will refer to this as “too many walls.” As empowering as courage and bravery are, always being your only hero is sad. What happens one day when you are not strong enough anymore to defeat the creature on your own, but you don’t know how to ask for help? Fear conquers when pride is your protection.

Two years ago, I met my greatest foe, and fear, face to face. My family, the greatest piece of my heart, separated. I wasn’t figuratively alone anymore. I was physically alone. The pain of extreme loneliness amidst the chaos of conflict shattered my life into pieces. Worse yet, I could not vaporize the creature of divorce. I could not fix anything. This loss coupled with the passing of my beloved uncle and a friend left me breathless. I grappled to the social safety of workaholic syndrome and the completely secure world of dating. Filling the void of grief is never that easy. Simultaneously, my career imploded and each relationship that began rejected me. I always knew there would come a day when I wouldn’t be living in the fear of being alone again…but would physically be living it.


When I faced the giant of loneliness, I trembled. I shook, bargained, avoided, ran, suffered from the depression of isolation, and eventually realized that I could not take away the pain of my fear. No matter how hard I tried. I was not going to escape it and would not be able to vanquish this creature. Anger boiled up within me at the lack of control I had and life continued to bring further loss.

Losing what I valued most humbled me. Facing my fear reminded me that I am still the child hiding under her covers with a spray bottle and layers of socks on her feet. Just as I needed my vaporizing Psalm once upon a time, I needed to acknowledge the promise of that Psalm.

God is my shepherd. I am not without when he is beside me. He leads me, protects me, provides for me. He REFRESHES my soul and leads me on right paths for his glory. EVEN WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE DARKEST PLACES, I WILL NOT FEAR. GOD IS WITH ME, PROTECTING ME. He welcomes, blesses, and gives me provision in the presence of my enemies. I have everything I need in him and more.

His goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will live in his home forever.

We will never be alone because God is always with us. The promise of Psalm 23 vanquishes all fear.

Facing my foe allowed me to see how great God is. It taught me to set aside my pride and ask for his help. I pleaded, “Help! I am lonely. Send me friends.” He sent friends. In spades. “Send me responsibility. I need motivation and purpose.” He sent a stubborn puppy. “I miss my family. My heart is in pain without them.” He provided me with the wisdom, compassion, and love to reach out to them. With humble hearts, he is teaching us how to forgive and support each other. “Send me a job that provides and encourages.” He led me back to a job in a loving community. “God, I need a support system that will keep me close to you.” He sent friendships that anchored me and pulled me out of the pit of depression. He sent me a lighthouse, a guide, a place of safety, full of his love for others, and connection with him. He sent me Axiom Church.

I don’t believe that God wants us to stop vanquishing creatures. In fact, I believe he blesses this and I choose to believe that he is a mega-fan of this! May we always do what we are afraid to do (with him). But when our fears are completely demolished, we should rejoice that we weren’t holding the vaporizing spray bottle on our own. A strong and powerful God has his hands of protection over us.

Even when life smacks us in the face, we can call him, beep him, if we wanna reach him (Kim Possible reference). He’ll be there, one step ahead, and *pew pew pew* (vaporizer noises).

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:8)



Not Created To Be Alone

by Johnny Kerr

In the Western world, America in particular, the notion of self-sufficiency has been idealized to a potentially unhealthy degree. We have countless examples of “self-made men” who overcame adversity and fought their way to wealth and influence. Professionals who work 50+ hour weeks—often sacrificing physical and mental health, personal leisure, social life and family—are lauded as hard workers committed to their careers. People who silently endure immense suffering are revered for their strength and perseverance in made-for-TV movies. The market for self-help books has been booming since the 1970’s. 

None of these things are inherently bad. But their emphasis has made our culture sick. Loneliness, depression and suicide rates are reporting at an all-time high. Although we live in relative abundance and security compared to much of the world, our model of individualism has significantly reduced our quality of life. Despite the vast potential for virtual connection via the world wide web and social media, many are experiencing real life in isolation. We have traded the benefits of community thriving for a romanticized caricature from a dime-store cowboy novel. We’ve become convinced that all we need is ourselves and some good old-fashioned grit.

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The postmodern church has not been immune to these ills, even with a rich history of community going back to ancient Israel. We’ve become pretty good at using buzz words, pretending to be in community without really going all-in. Our church buildings have names like “fellowship hall” and our volunteer committees have names like “hospitality team.” Unfortunately, many times these efforts amount to little more than providing donuts and coffee for people to grab as they rush in before service starts, or a quick handshake during a worship invitation. When the service is over, many of us go home and live our separate lives until next Sunday.

Again, it’s not that fellowship halls, hospitality teams, donuts, and handshakes are bad things. But they are incomplete. They are lacking the wholeness we see exemplified in God’s desire for the nation of Israel, or the early church as recorded in the book of Acts (ex: Acts 2:42-47). Just as predators in the animal kingdom try to isolate potential prey from the heard to increase the chances of a kill, the Enemy knows that isolation weakens both the individual and the body. Our modern myths of self-reliance are hindering us from experiencing Heaven on Earth. We are missing out on the richness of life in God’s Kingdom which He has called us to usher in, here and now, together as His body of co-laborers.

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Orthodoxy recognizes God as a triune being, a community of Father, Son and Spirit. From the very beginning of our creation account God reveals Himself as inherently relational. Genesis depicts God in the act of creating saying, “Let Usmake man in Our image…” (Genesis 1:26, emphasis added). Humanity’s need for relationship is immediately recognized (“It is not good for man to be alone.”) and fulfilled through Eve, a suitable co-laborer for Adam (Genesis 2:18-25).

In Exodus we see, laid out in excruciating detail, a list of guidelines given to help Israel navigate the conflicts that arise in community life (Exodus 20-23). Later, Jesus sums up that entire code of law with two simple, relational commands: love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:34-40). When Jesus began His ministry of reclaiming and establishing God’s Kingdom on Earth, one of His first actions was to build a community. He called the disciples together and began teaching and living life with them. Scripture is replete with themes of relationship, community and covenant.

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God’s Kingdom is based on community relationship. Community is not possible without humility, vulnerability, a degree of transparency and accountability. It may feel like we are dying many small deaths as we rip ourselves out of conformity to the patterns of our modern world. It will be uncomfortable as we lean into vulnerability, allowing others to see who we are beneath the surface. It will get messy as we navigate the challenges and uncertainty of life together in community as God’s family.

Lest we swing the pendulum too far in the opposite direction, it is worth noting that, when implemented appropriately, boundaries are also a healthy part of communal living. Although vulnerability and transparency are necessary in a thriving community, they come with their own limitations. Researcher and author Brené Brown makes this important distinction:

“Oversharing is not vulnerability. In fact, it often results in disconnection, distrust, and disengagement.”

— Brené Brown

Vulnerability without boundaries is unhealthy. There are personal matters that are appropriate to share with a spouse or an accountability partner but should not be casually mentioned to a stranger as you shake hands over donuts in the foyer or fellowship hall. Some personal struggles might be appropriate to share with a small, closely knit home group but not with the whole church body (or on social media, for that matter!).

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As the images accompanying this article playfully portray, there are things we can (and probably should) do on our own. A degree of independence is certainly healthy. However, there comes a point for all of us where we meet the limits of our physical ability, skill set, cultural perspective, spiritual maturity, etc. As I looked at the next number painted on the asphalt, spot number 5, I knew I had run out of limbs to continue this picture series on my own. Similarly, there are times in life when we need to rely on others in the larger church body to come alongside us and lend a hand. There should be no shame tied to needing and asking for help. We were not created to be alone. We need to do life in community.

Finally, as we begin to shed the Western notion of going it alone, don’t make the mistake of thinking about community only in terms of receiving. Receiving can be a great act of humility, and a great blessing. But giving, sacrificial giving, is also at the heart of Jesus. Live a life rooted in deep love for God and your neighbor. Take care of each other and be proactive instead of just reactive, always looking for opportunities to be ministers of reconciliation. 

When we look at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of the Beloved Community, or Jean Vanier’s L’Arche communities we can see that God’s Kingdom is indeed established, and being established, on Earth. These are not merely lofty ideals or Utopian fantasies, but pictures of what it really looks like when Jesus is at the center of all that we do. Cultivating community with Christ at the center doesn’t guarantee perfection. It will still involve navigating conflict and pain, just as in family life. But it will also lead to flourishing, a richness and fullness that can only be experienced when we fulfill our roles as image bearers and ministers of reconciliation in God’s family.

The Beatitudes of Creativity

by Michael Denson


Blessed are

those who create and recreate and recreate until the unseen is seen.

Those whose agony is the birth of something new;

something different, something good and true.


Blessed is

the one who captures life in stone and iron.

The one who shapes and reshapes the world around us.

The builder of shelter and space.


Blessed are

those whose bodies fill space with extended arms and swift feet.

Those covered in international silhouette.

Those who personify the thoughts that remind us how to move and

feel and find our freedom.


Blessed are

those whose voices become notes, become harmonies, become ballads of a people.

Those who make noise that echo throughout our bodies, and deeper still,

And deeper still


Blessed are

those who shape lines and curves into words and stories.

Those who imagine fantastical worlds of beings and being.


Blessed are

those whose flickering frames reveal to us the wisdom of yesterday

and give us the wonder of tomorrow.


Blessed is

the one overcome by color and light; whose eyes dance around form and shadow.

The one who etches paper with wood and pressed stone.


Blessed are

The ones who mirror the image of the Maker.

Those who plunge hands deep into soil and find humanity.

Those who inhale life and breathe out beauty.