Ryan Brunsink's Blog
from. to. / 10.01.08, 02:31 PM
First post—hope you’ve been anticipating it.
So I arrived in Camden a few short weeks ago. Things have been fast paced thus far; we are just now starting to get in a routine. Shortly after setting our bags down, we set off for Atlanta for five days of camping and orientation. We heard some great speakers who challenged us to begin to shift our thinking in many regards. Charlottesville’s own Josh Kauffman-Horner left me anticipating some great shifts in perspective over the next year. And here they are:
FROM a cultural standard of fun… TO a biblical standard of joy.
What’s the first question someone asks you after you get back from some outing or event? “Did you have fun?” Right? We’ve got to shift our thinking as followers of Christ to a standard of joy. Fun does not equal joy. “For the [fun] set before him, he endured the cross”!? Nope. Fun is great, but it can be a cultural-idol. Fun won’t get me through this year. Joy is of Christ.
FROM compartmentalized health… TO holistic health.
Part of my wanting to live in an urban impoverished community is due to a desire in me to see communities and individuals restored to ‘health’. We’re trying to produce healthy communities. Doctors want to ‘fix’ you biologically, psychiatrists psychologically, evangelists spiritually. We must look at a person or community as a whole, not just as a bunch of independent compartments. You don’t mend a soul by providing health care, but reciprocally you don’t mend a community of broken social systems by preaching from the street corner. Jesus often met peoples’ physical or emotional needs in order to break down the walls concealing their spiritual brokenness. Let’s mend in entirety.
FROM expectation… TO trust.
Expectations often give us tunnel vision. The messiah was expected to be an earthly king. Don’t miss Jesus because of set expectations. Instead, trust what God may put before you, even if it looks nothing like you may have anticipated. This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t lean on what God has already revealed to us as truth, but that we shouldn’t create a pre-formulated equation by which God must work in and around us. Be ready to learn in your uncertainty.
FROM comfort… TO struggle.
The good life is the comfortable life, or so we think. But we all know the truth is that there is treasure in the struggle. You don’t (attempt to) hike the AT just to chill at a campfire at night. We must learn to find ‘comfort’ in the struggle to live faithfully, loving God and our neighbors, rather than seeking comfort in and of itself. We learn and grow through the struggle.
So, this post is quickly becoming a novel (or rather a spiritual self-help book) which I did not intend. Don’t you loathe self-help books? Nothing frustrates me more than Joel Osteen. BUT I believe these are some things that the Spirit has been leading me to search throughout this year. Hopefully they challenge you as well. Stay tuned for a synopsis of the past few weeks. Peace to you.
4 Comments
Leave a Comment...
Read more of Ryan Brunsink's Blogs.
Well put brother. . .I pray God grants you joy as you learn through the struggle. Nice AT (attempt) shout out.
Looking forward to hear how God is working in and thru your team.
By jon / Oct 1, 05:05 PM / #
hey man, i know you’ll grow tons while in Camden… i’m completely jealous. i will be reading this often. take care,
josh
ps. ditto on joel osteen
By josh / Oct 1, 11:45 PM / #
Love what is going on. I am really excited for your ministry there bro! I am also really excited about God’s ministry in your life in the next year. Exciting stuff. We prayed for you in our Community Group Tuesday night. You are missed and we are looking forward to the life-changing stores.
Many blessings,
Justin
By Justin Conger / Oct 2, 12:54 PM / #
Ryan! Hey bud! I am so glad to hear what you are doing. It sounds amazing. Praise God! Miss you, man.
By Ansley / Nov 1, 11:07 AM / #