a vessel

We will always fill ourselves with something, so what are we filling ourselves with?

Here are some questions we asked during our last Soulwell:

Do I find my worth in what I consume?

Do I continually need food, coffee, drugs, or alcohol to feel “alive?”
Do I become preoccupied with owning the latest fashion in clothes, the best electronics money can buy, or the latest iPod, cell phone, or other “gadget?”

Do I find my worth in what I work for?

Do I work hard for money, just so that I can have more?
Do I strive to achieve my “place” in society by owning the “right” car, buying the “right” house, or living in luxury?

Do I find my worth in the people around me?

Do my friends, family, boyfriend/girlfriend, spouse, children, or parents define who I am, and who I’m supposed to be?
Do I feel better about myself because I’m popular, I’m the “best” at what I do, or I have the right “look,” the right body?

Do I find my worth in what I do?

Do I feel the need to be constantly doing something, talking with someone else, or surrounding myself with music, television, or other “noise?”
Do I constantly check for emails, text messages, or Facebook/MySpace messages, basing my value as a person on how many I get each day?

Do I find my worth in serving God?

Do I define myself by my ministries at church, by serving others, or by being the “model” Christian?
Do I rely on myself to minister to others, not trusting God to do His work with or without me?

In, yet not of, this world

Hello, friends. Most likely, at some point in your life, you've heard the phrase, "in, yet not of, this world." During the course of this year at Soulwell we'll be trying to discover what this actually means for us as followers of Christ.

To get the ball rolling, here are some of our thoughts:

First off, we do not think it means: creating our own Christian sub-culture to make us feel safe, living in a Christian "bubble," substituting Christian materialism for "worldly" materialism, or living a contrived, meticulously crafted life.

Secondly, we do think it means: living a life that exudes the light of God, an honest, real, and raw way of living that seeks to find rest in God, an unending fascination with who God is, and allowing God to "break in" to our everyday lives.

These are just our initial thoughts; we are looking forward to growing deeper in the knowledge and experience of this during the coming year. And we'd love to hear from you as well. The Aftermath is a place for us all to work through this together. So with all that said, what do you think?