Blog
Revival
2/18/2023 by Matt LewellynYou may have heard the news - there's revival happening in Kentucky. At a college chapel service, one thing led to another, and now hundreds of people are descending to catch a glimpse of this new work of the Holy Spirit.
I told myself I shouldn't publish this one. But we can make assumptions about what the mature Christian looks like - what they're composed of internally, how they respond to events like this.
De(Re?)construction
2/2/2023 by Matt LewellynYou won't hear it in church very often. It probably won't be obvious if you look around you. Most likely, though, someone around you is in the process of internally tearing apart tenets and building blocks of their faith.
It's not so interesting that many have found reasons compelling enough (to them) to set aside the faith. No - what's interesting is how the church responds.
I Was
1/16/2023 by Matt LewellynWhen we talk about our testimonies or why someone ought to come to Jesus, let's be clear about what the expectations are. Coming to Jesus does not mean all our problems are solved. It does not mean anxiety should be resolved, depression changed to joy, addiction replaced with agency.
What's the "before" and "after" in your life? Is your experience normal?
The Veil
1/6/2023 by Matt LewellynAwareness of the veil doesn't solve the veil, so we become fascinated with probing the edges of this experience. We explore the margins where souls are caught in purgatories constructed by the hands of men and of demons. We fixate on this veil, in the face of hell itself - daring God to show up.
Still Life
9/27/2022 by Matt LewellynI want my life to be like a great movie. I can picture it in my mind sometimes - starting from the past, where I've been. The present is usually the middle part of the script, when the protagonist (that's always me) runs into some problems. Some of those problems are new. Others have been there since the beginning. Some are from the actions of various antagonists. Others are troubles of my own making.
But thinking of life that way brings some unexpected psychological pressures that can trip us up. Especially when hardship enters the picture - how do we put past, present, and future together?
Surviving the Storm
9/19/2022 by Matt LewellynWe want to see life's storms coming on the horizon. We'd like to think we have some influence and agency to use to avoid them. Some can be sidestepped. And some, well, they can't. And the storm comes, we find ourselves disintegrating, and it can be difficult to figure out what to do next.
Earth’s Ends
8/29/2022 by Matt LewellynMissionaries can and do experience trauma. Some have it on the field. Others, before they even get there. And instead of an intentional, soul-care-based response from their missions agency, many of them receive silence or pressure.
A large number of missionaries feel like they are alone. But the gospel they're sharing says they aren't.
In the Beginning...
8/15/2022 by Matt LewellynA day like any other day. You do the same activities. And you have the same patterns and struggles... Many of us do, really - you're in good company. And the voices of the life-is-victory style of Christianity sound tone-deaf to your ears.
If any of this rings true of your experience, drop me a line, and let's chat a bit. None of this is easy, but it's worth walking through it.
Victory’s Voice
7/17/2022 by Matt LewellynLife can be long. We can have a certain schedule, or a set of coping mechanisms, or some relational techniques that help give us "victory" for a season. But days turn to weeks, weeks to years... And what helped us some years ago might not work for us anymore.
The tectonic plates shift, we feel the earthquake. We know the poor in spirit are blessed. How do we react and speak when victory turns?