I was setting up a tent when the news came in.
I’d intended to stay away from social media during our time away, but after a message from the states clued me into the unfolding situation, I was forced to keep an eye on the news.
Losing the Queen was harder than I would have thought, that isn’t to say that I didn’t admire her before, but the loss struck me in a way I wasn’t expecting. I’m in London today and to be honest, it’s the same as it always is, but after a week in which we found ourselves with a new Prime Minister and a new King, England just feels different. In the past, we’ve marked periods of time by the Monarchs who ruled through them, time will tell what will happen in this case, but certainly, everyone in England will remember where they were when they heard the news.
#notmyking some have responded.
It’s a message I’m more than used to, but not with regard to King Charles III. The reality is that this is a sentiment I’ve heard my whole life, from Christians and Non-Christians alike, I’ve even heard it in my own heart.
The articles this week speak to this feeling we have, a feeling which has existed since the garden which rails against any sense that we might be ruled by someone else. “You’re your own King, you’re a god!” we heard the enemy whisper.
As you read these articles, take a second to assess whether your life is being lived as though Christ is King, or whether instead, you’re joining in with the hashtag. Charles may not be your King, but if you’re reading this, I hope Christ is.
Adsum Try Ravenhill is married to Anna and together they are passionate about seeing young men and women discipled within the context of the local church. You can find Adsum through his writing at The Raven’s Writing Desk and alongside Anna as the co-host of the Consider the Ravens Podcast, you can also find Adsum’s articles for GCD here.
Articles of the Week
Stuff I Didn’t Want by Wendy Willard
“It seems I’m not alone in my inability to see what is good for me. In fact, in the Bible we read about a group of at least five-thousand people who felt frustrated by what Jesus offered them. They had witnessed multiple miracles, including Jesus feeding them all with just a few fish and loaves of bread before walking across the Sea of Galilee. But still they pressed Jesus to be the kind of king they wanted him to be, demanding he give them daily bread from heaven like Moses.”
How God Humbled Me Through a Church I Didn’t Agree With by Lara D’entremont
“I still don’t agree with my church on worship, but as I sing, I remind myself to look at the people around me; many of them love and believe in Jesus, and I will worship with them in spirit and in truth in eternal life. They are serving Jesus in faith, and I hope that through them God will teach me to have just as much love and service for the lost and hurting as they do. I may have stacks of theology books that give me many answers, but they know a lot of the right actions that I often fumble through.”
Don’t Ask God for Forgiveness by Ben Connelly
“If in Christ God already removed our transgressions, why must we ask him to forgive us again (and again and again)? If God already forgave my sin (through an event that occurred both in history past at the cross, and in my experiential past when I trusted in him for that forgiveness), why does every Christian tradition teach followers of Jesus to ask God’s forgiveness anew, every time we discover another sinful act, thought, or desire?”
Adapted from Reading the Bible, Missing the Gospel: Recovering from (Shockingly Common) Ways We Get the Bible Wrong in Our Everyday Lives by Ben Connelly
Question of the Week
In lieu of a poll this week, why not comment and let us know where you were when you received the news of the Queen’s death. The reality is that most of you are Americans, but I’ve had messages of condolence from many from across the pond who have expressed sorrow over the loss of a Christian leader of her stature.
The GCD Writer’s Guild
Here at GCD, we run a small social network catered to Christian writers. As a writer myself, I know that it can often feel like a thankless and solitary task, and it sometimes leads me to believe the lie I must be the only one experiencing that. If you’re a writer and you feel like that too, the GCD Writer’s Guild is for you. We provide regular writing prompts, we help each other by providing critique, and we champion and cheer on the work of other writers in the Guild. We welcome writers of every level, from communicators who are just getting started to published authors. Our aim is to encourage and help each other in saying what is good, truthful, and beautiful and to create a culture that glorifies Christ. If you’d like to join, or you simply want to know more, click here for more details: