By Jacob Walker
Every Monday night the Capital Fellows meet for Capital Commons to have dinner and discuss a pre-determined topic. This week, after some top-notch Italian soup (shoutout to Catherine and Spencer), we talked about rest. The discussion was helpful; we read what the Bible has to say about rest and how the world’s wisdom competes with that narrative. It also presented a challenge to the way I currently approach rest, and about halfway into our talk, I couldn’t help but think, “Well shoot! I don’t know if I’ll ever do this well.”
This has not been an uncommon thought for me throughout the Capital Fellows program. We’ve learned so much in our short time here about God’s intent for humanity and what it truly means to live for God’s kingdom. However, throughout my week, my own imperfections run up against so much of what we are learning. Or, to put it another way: the more I am taught about how this race should be run, the more I realize how bad I am at running.
Fortunately, none of our leaders see us recent graduates struggling and say: “Just run faster.” Case in point, during that same discussion on rest, it became apparent that many of us were discouraged that we could not truly rest and work perfectly. John Kyle, the Director of the Capital Fellows program, sensing our anxiety, quickly pointed us back to the gospel. In particular, he referenced our Church’s sermon on Galatians 2, which reminds us not to add anything to the gospel, but to live under the “freedom that we have in Christ Jesus” (v.4).
In that same Galatians 2 sermon, McLean Presbyterian Church's pastor, Ryan Laughlin, talked about the movie "Chariots of Fire." He explained how the movie juxtaposes its two Olympic Gold medalist-winning main characters. The first, Harold Abrahams, started races full of trepidation because he ran to prove his own self-worth. In contrast, Eric Liddell, secure in his identity in Christ, could freely “feel His (God’s) pleasure” when he ran.
That, to me, has been at the core of my Fellows experience. This program teaches me how to better run the race while constantly reminding me that my God loves me when I fail. It is
helpful to learn how to rest, but it is essential to remember that my salvation does not rest on
my ability to rest. Because of that knowledge, I am free to feel God’s pleasure as I run.
Pictures From The Week
Hanging in the District after work
Grizzly weighing in on a deep discussion at Life & Leadership
Having fun at the Chris Renzema concert
Fellows getting ready before Cornerstone
Know a Potential Capital Fellow?
If you know a college senior or recent graduate that should consider joining the Capital Fellows program in 2024-25, please encourage them to get in touch with us. The easiest way to express interest in the program is our Contact Us Form. You can learn more about the program, including application deadlines, by visiting the Capital Fellows website.
About Capital Fellows. Capital Fellows is an advanced leadership and discipleship program for recent college graduates. Through graduate courses, a paid internship, one-on-one mentoring and many leadership and community service opportunities, fellows develop and apply their gifts in real-world situations while learning to integrate a Christian worldview into all areas of life. Capital Fellows is a unique opportunity to live and work in the Washington DC area and to be an active member of a supportive community that seeks to serve the city with the love of Christ. It is also a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience in the workplace while deeply exploring God’s design for us as workers and contributors to human flourishing.
Pray for the Capital Fellows
Thank you for praying for the Capital Fellows each week!
It's October already! This is the time of year that many fellows start to feel tired and a bit worn down. This is a key aspect of the transition from college to post-college life. In college, a student has a lot of freedom to spend time as they choose. Friends are almost always within close proximity. After college, whether someone is in a Fellows program or not, this dynamic changes. They now have to bend to the schedule of the working world, while maintaining friendships at longer distances, investing in important things like church life and serving others. Like the Capital Fellows before them, Season 17 will find their rhythm in all of this, but the transition is hard and keenly felt in October. So, please pray that they would make this transition well, embracing all that God has for them in this season of life.
Want to pray for the Capital Fellows in an ongoing way? Download this handy prayer guide for your phone or tablet.
About The Fellows Initiative
Capital Fellows is part of a network of similar programs across the country. This network is called The Fellows Initiative. There are 34 Fellows programs in TFI, roughly 3,000 alumni living around the world, and more Fellows programs on the way.
If you know a church in the US or Canada that would benefit from joining TFI by launching a new Fellows program. Please contact TFI by visiting their website.
Don't Miss a Blog Post!
Signup for the Capital Fellows blog email! Emails are sent weekly during the program year. An unsubscribe link is provided in every email.
Comments