We're All Invited (Introductory Blog)
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4 (NASB)
When you trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit immerses you into Jesus' life. You literally become alive, spiritually, in that moment. But even though we are spiritually alive, we are still invited to step into that reality by making relationship with God the core part of our experience.
If you are reading this and you haven't placed your faith in Jesus, yet, the invitation still stands, no matter who you are, no matter what you have or have not done. As Eugene Peterson used to whisper over his young son as he slept, "God loves you. God is on your side. He's coming after you. He is relentless." The Holy Spirit whispers this over your life now.
My name is Tim Bergey. This site and the associated podcast, videos, and blog all have one message: our relationship with God is about an actual relational relationship with God. That is lived out sometimes by stepping away and being alone with God, but usually it is lived out in the day-to-day, and among those God loves (meaning people, all people). Actually, not just among, but together with those God loves.
What I hope
I have a few hopes for what God will do together with us through Our God Bathed Life.
My hope for us is that we would be reminded of the fact that our relationship with God and others is indeed relational. In John 15:1-17 (you can read it in John 15:1-17 here) Jesus invites us to abide in His love. The implication being in doing so, we would bear much fruit (become more like Jesus in heart, life, and deed), which would glorify God. Think about that: God decided to tie His glory into our flourishing in His kingdom. Who does that? A good God, our God. That's who.
My hope for God is that He gets what He wants: deeper connection with us and a deepening of our love for one another. So the invitation that we abide in His love is intertwined with His desire for connection with us and His desire for our flourishing.
That is my hope: that Our God Bathed Life can bring a little more goodness and flourishing into the world.
What you can expect
What you can expect with each podcast, video, and associated blog, is that we'll discuss a topic, consider what it might sound like if God were to speak to me and you about it directly, and then we'll wrap up with a daily practice that we can engage in to help secure in our bodies and minds what we have learned. These practices are meant to be practiced with God, and/or with God together with those He loves (once again, people, all people). We call this art practicing being with God and people "practicing with" (you know: with God, with people... with. "practicing with").
For the full effect, my hope is that you will start from the beginning and won't try to "catch up" if you started late. I suggest bathing in the practice for two weeks before moving on to the next blog, but listen for the movement of the Holy Spirit and follow His timing.
One more suggestion: do you know why most people fail at their New Year's resolutions? It isn't because they don't have enough will power. Very few of us actually do. If we are relying on will power, we'll probably fail. Early in Genesis God saw that "it is not good for man to be alone", even though he really wasn't alone because he was with God. No, people also need people. We fail at our New Year's resolutions because we try to do them alone, even if it is alone with God. So maybe start Our God Bathed Life with a friend or five. If you are a Christian, and your across-the-hall neighbor is also, invite them along. If the neighbor next to them isn't a Christian, then let them know that they can come along, too. You don't need to be a Christian to do this.
The ones who are God-curious, the ones who want to believe but can't find the faith, the ones who want to believe but want to sin too badly, the ones who have been hurt by God's people, you are especially welcomed here. I invite you to ask God to help you find someone to do this with.
Since episodes are coming at a relaxed pace (every two weeks or so), may I suggest that you check out the curated material on OurGodBathedLife.com. There are a lot of great articles, videos, and podcasts from other voices that will help us walk into the newness of life (Romans 6:4) that is on offer through relationship with God and others.
Summing up
Again, this is about keeping our relationship with God and people just that, relational.
If it is easier (and it is), OurGodBathedLife.com can be found at PracticingWith.com.
See you next time!
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