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2012-09-09 Journeying with Paul (Leslie Hawthorne Klingler).pdf

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It is in those moments that God reminds us of our traveling companions, God’s people. We are not given<br />

a permanent home here on earth, but we do have an itinerant home—the motley caravan of the church on<br />

the way. In that caravan is where we belong: the church is our security; it is our home.<br />

<strong>Paul</strong> constantly talks about his dependence on his brothers and sisters in Christ. Not only did his fellow<br />

Christians offer spiritual sustenance, they also provided <strong>Paul</strong> <strong>with</strong> extremely practical help. They financed<br />

his journeys, they fed him and provided him <strong>with</strong> lodging, and they freed him from prison more than<br />

once—just to name a few occasions when they came in handy. Friends make all the difference.<br />

When we embrace our identities as members of the rag-tag caravan of believers making our way by the<br />

light of Christ, our wilderness becomes free and open space to praise our Lord. “We find ourselves<br />

standing where we always hoped we might stand, “ writes <strong>Paul</strong> in Romans 5, “out in the wide open spaces<br />

of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.”<br />

So how do we navigate our way in our new lives of freedom in Christ? This is one of the most important<br />

lessons from our summer travels <strong>with</strong> <strong>Paul</strong>. If we follow <strong>Paul</strong>’s example, we will stop obsessing about our<br />

own journeys, about where we are, about how we are doing spiritually, and about where we will go next.<br />

We will truly begin to travel our Lord’s way because we will understand that the whole Christian<br />

endeavor is to simply live in resonant response to the active love of our Maker.<br />

<strong>Paul</strong> tells the Romans, “God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. Our lives get<br />

in step <strong>with</strong> God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the<br />

parade” (Rom 3). Our life in the Spirit does not involve constantly redoubling our own efforts; rather, it is<br />

simply embracing again and again what the Spirit is doing in us and in others. It is patient, responsive<br />

living.<br />

So how does this kind of life look from the outside?<br />

It may look nomadic; but it is inextricably bound to the family of God moving ever homeward.<br />

It may look like it disregards borders and boundaries; but ever heeds the limits of God’s will.<br />

It may look foolish; but it recognizes that real foolishness is trying to stay at home in our sin.<br />

It may appear to seek martyrdom, but it acknowledges that the only truly dangerous place is outside of the<br />

will of God.

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