Dear church family,
Every year I have the privilege of meeting with seven other pastors for study, conversation, recreation, and prayer. These retreats are sponsored by the Foundation for Reformed Theology, which was established by the late Dr. John Leith, a longtime professor at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA. Dr. Leith was devoted to the training and nurturing of pastors, and his Foundation ensures that this legacy continues for generations to come.
As part of the Foundation, our group has to select a bibliography to read from each year. (We don’t just get to hang out!) This year’s topic was “Reformed Piety,” which refers to spiritual formation and faithful living as followers of Christ. Our list included writings by John Calvin, Karl Barth, Howard Rice, Donald Bloesch, and Belden Lane, all of whom helped us think deeply about the difference Jesus makes in our everyday lives.
Perhaps Calvin summed up this theme the best:
“We are not our own: let not our reason nor our will, therefore, sway our plans and deeds. We are not our own: let us therefore not set it as our goal to seek what is expedient for us according to the flesh. We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us therefore forget ourselves and all that is ours. Conversely, we are God’s: let us therefore live for him and die for him. We are God’s: let his wisdom and will therefore rule all our actions. We are God’s: let all the parts of our life accordingly strive toward him as our only lawful goal… We are consecrated and dedicated to God in order that we may thereafter think, speak, meditate, and do nothing except to his glory.”
Do you hear the refrain? “We are not our own… we are God’s.” May that be the basic witness of our lives and our congregation as we move into October and a new season of life together.
Yours in Christ,
Blake
