By David Seaton
Congruency Moments - that’s what I call them. They’re moments when God connects aspects of our stories in a manner that places his magnificent and unknowable sovereignty on display. They often involve little reminders that God is at work redeeming experiences of deep hurt, frustration, or confusion. Sometimes we get them, sometimes not. I believe our experiences with these moments are fleeting encounters with the reality of the coming Kingdom; as C.S. Lewis says, these moments are like “the scent of a flower we have not yet found, the echo to a tune we have not yet heard.”
Throughout my college years, I was filled with anxiety about how God would use the couple of years after my graduation, a sort of “waiting room” period between two stages of life. However, at the very last minute, God essentially dropped the Capital Fellows program in my lap. And I love it. I feel known by my friends and I love them deeply. I love my team at work. Our professors are pouring into us spiritually. Our directors are helping us figure out questions we didn’t even know we were asking about God. I feel as if I am watching myself grow. Congruency moments are everywhere to be found.
Candidly, however, I am also really struggling. I’m exhausted because I feel as if I lack the time and energy to take care of my heart properly. It has been difficult for me to find the heart-rest I really need. Scripture stresses the importance of tending to our own hearts and resting:
it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth, [...] for what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart. Matt 15:10-18
for with the heart one believes and is justified Rom 10:10
Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest Matt 11:28
Where is rest - the kind of rest that reaches deep into the heart - to be found? This is a topic we have been discussing in our class with Dr. Irwyn Ince recently. I’ve learned that rest is not just a function of leisure, it is a culmination of experiences that allow us to wonder about God and ponder his complexity. I’ve learned that for me, rest is a walk late at night or a piece of music. It is a thoughtful conversation with one of the Fellows, or having a good laugh about gerbils.
Certainly, taking rest seriously is swimming against the cultural riptide. We are taught the antinomy between work and rest: we work to rest, rest to work. That is, if we even have time to rest at all. But as I’ve learned, scripture provides us with a better model: work, rest, repeat. Scripture promotes the value of frequent heart-rest as a time of selah, pause and reflection.
As the Christmas bustle increases this season, I can approach it with confidence, knowing there are extending moments of unknowable sovereignty to ponder.
Pictures from the Week
Capital Fellows Christmas Party and white elephant! The most stolen white elephant gift was a poster of our very own Seth Gladysz with his trusty surfboard
Jack picks up Madi and Emily after *quite* the adventure
Some of the Capital Fellows flexin' on em at Christmas Party, round 2
Become A Capital Fellow in 2022-23
We are now receiving applications for Season 16 of the Capital Fellows program!
WINTER APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 15th!
Most fellows work in the marketplace - for companies, nonprofits, government offices. Three Capital Fellows work at our church each year as well. For these roles, we are looking for a worship fellow, a children's ministry fellow, and a missions fellow. These are special Capital Fellows opportunities because you are not only paid a salary, but also your Capital Fellows program fees are covered as well!
The Season 16 program year runs from late August 2022 through mid-May 2023. If you are a college senior or recent graduate - or know someone that is - we would love to hear from you!
Pray for the Capital Fellows
Thank you for praying for the Capital Fellows each week!
The Capital Fellows are finishing up the fall semester this week and heading home for a well-deserved Christmas break! They will be finishing up final papers for their seminary courses, packing up their stuff, and heading home over the coming days. Please be in prayer for them as they focus their attention on writing and finishing well. Please pray for them as they drive or fly home - for safety and good health. Finally, please pray that this Christmas would be uniquely special for them as the reflect on the person of Jesus Christ in new ways, informed by the first semester of their Capital Fellows year.
Want to pray for the Capital Fellows throughout the year? Download this handy prayer guide for your phone or tablet.
Benefits of The Fellows Initiative
You probably already know that Capital Fellows is one of 32 fellows programs in The Fellows Initiative network. Capital Fellows benefit from our affiliation with The Fellows Initiative in many ways. One of those ways is that all Capital Fellows alumni receive a 33% tuition discount at Reformed Theological Seminary for 5 years. For more information, please contact us.
If you know a church in the US or Canada that would benefit from joining The Fellows Initiative by launching a new fellows program. Please contact TFI by visiting their website.
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