I attended a new adult Sunday School Class for the first time this week. The subject matter has been on my mind ever since.Our study is based on the book, The Centered Life, by Jack Fortin, a Lutheran scholar. One of the benefits of joining a church of a new denomination has been and continues to be the exposure to fresh (for me) Christian thinking.
In his book, Fortin points out that most of us futilely seek a “balanced” life. Our new buzz word is “compartmentalization”. We try to walk a tight rope, giving ample time and focus to home, family, work, kids, politics, education and a social life. Is it a wonder most of us live a tension-filled life?
Rather, suggests Fortin, as Christians, we should seek a “centered life” – centered on God, through Christ, who created us. The Church at its best, he feels, is the place where we can find and practice this centering.
Fortin proposes that there are four dimensions to the “centered life”—
· That we are awakened to God’s presence in our life
· That we are called to live our faith in every situation
· That we are set free to contribute our unique gifts to God’s work in the world
· That we are nurtured and supported by a community of faith
For me, this is a nuance in my faith journey that I’m looking forward to not only exploring, but also to hopefully put into practice. I’m looking forward already to Sunday.
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