Courage!

By Marcos Leon

…the thrill of hope,
The weary world rejoices…

These lyrics from the classic Christmas carol “O Holy Night” are about to make their annual debut this Christmas season…and it thrills my heart. Aren’t we all ready for some hope? 2020 has been the longest year in history and has kicked our tails with the usual suspects. BUT STILL, there’s a thrill of hope from a weary world that still rejoices. Where does that come from? Courage! It takes courage to hope. It takes courage to rejoice. We are more courageous than we give ourselves credit for. Faithwalking has taught us crucial steps. We have learned that being vulnerable and authentic are two actions inextricably linked with courage. It’s not easy, but we have practiced this in 2020. Practice does not make perfect; it makes progress.

We have exercised vulnerability that left us wide open when we expressed how we were feeling or when we behaved in a way that revealed our true selves. This may have been unfamiliar to others, or even to us. There have been hard, awkward talks that perhaps started with a simple, scary “I need help” or with being present to our feelings without numbing or distracting from them. However, each vulnerable step required some courage and also increased our courage when it was completed.

Likewise, authenticity is in the mix with courage. Authenticity possesses its own deep process that risks love, certainty, and safety. We have chosen to take our masks off (the existential ones, not the physical ones – keep those on!), to show up and be real, be honest, and be seen. This year, the mirror on the wall may have revealed we are not the fairest of them all. There is someone fairer. Guess who? Us! It’s still us, yet we have a ways to go to reach that vision of our better selves. Keep being brave on this journey and move towards it. In the meantime, keep in mind this compassionate advice from Faithwalking: find a safe community and say kind things to yourself. You are always listening.

How does all of this change the conversation going forward into 2021? Vulnerability, authenticity, and courage fuel our conversations which propel transformation in becoming fully human, fully alive, and on mission with God’s purpose for us. Take joy in each new day to sing songs, tell stories, laugh with each other, and make some memories. We can rejoice in new perspectives. We can be excited about the possibility of crossing over into new communities with new conversations. And triumphant that we didn’t lose our cool when triggered. Or excited that our practice has elevated us to being the best we can be that day. It takes courage to intentionally strive for spiritual formation towards a vision that God has cast for us.

God sees us as strong and courageous people. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) God said that he is always with us – no matter what: success, failure, healthy, recovering, work-in-progress, in charge, assistant, activist, defender, or bystander. He inspires our courage this season and as we waltz into 2021. Emmanuel – God is with us.

Merry Christmas.

Written by Michelle Woo

 

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Please consider supporting Faithwalking through:

Giving. Help us reach our financial goal this year. We are praying and hoping for:

$35,000 by the end of 2020 in one-time gifts, plus:

– 60 monthly donors of $15 per month

– 40 monthly donors of $25 per month

– 20 monthly donors of $55 per month

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We need discernment, wisdom, and provision of human and financial resources to make Faithwalking possible and accessible. Join our intercessor team.

 

Promoting. Help us promote the work of Faithwalking: like and share our posts, and post about our work.

There are several ways people can learn about Faithwalking at no cost. Help us promote:

The Faithwalking podcast

Spaces for Wholeness groups

The Faithwalking Facebook page

Please also help us promote our

Faithwalking Foundations modules and Ongoing Education Offerings

 

Why Faithwalking?

We believe that God’s intended design is for wholeness in individuals, communities, and the world. We believe that God’s hope is for shalom to be present, which includes peace, unity, completeness, wholeness, and well-being for everyone and in everyone. God’s hope is for the Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.

We live in a world of brokenness: People are chronically anxious and reactive, internally conflicted, frequently unloving, and regularly unconcerned about the common good. Many Christians are inconsistent in following the way of Jesus.

Our Mission

To make wholeness possible for individuals, communities, and the world.

We do this through a process of spiritual formation where people are equipped with tools to gain freedom from wounds of their past, grow in emotional maturity, and live lives of purpose on mission with God, so that they increasingly follow the way of Jesus by serving the poor, the marginalized, and those in need, working for the common good, and restoring individuals, social systems, communities, and nations to God’s intended design.

Our Vision

Our vision is for Faithwalking to be accessible to every person in the world so that participants become agents of wholeness in their own context.

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