Peterson is adamant about the idea that our spiritual lives must be grounded in the specific time and place in which we live. He makes the point that the gospel of John re-writes the Genesis creation story and presents Jesus as both the Creator at work within us and also the creation of which we are all a part. The Incarnation shows us that we cannot expect to live more spiritually if we only lived in better circumstances or if we could just escape the "humdrum" of ordinary life. We must live our lives robustly to the glory of God right where we are.
This idea continues to challenge me, because I admit I want to escape or I think "if only I didn't have such difficult people in my congregation, I would be a better pastor", etc. Interestingly, I think people in our churches have these same feelings/thoughts. I've had people tell me that it must be easier for me to be "spiritual" because it's my job and I have time to pray/read my Bible/serve. Our task as pastors is to help people live out their faith in the context of their ordinary lives, not to look for a "higher spiritual plane" as the gnostics do.
Peterson's discussion on the importance of words made me reflect on two things: 1) Are my sermons full of abstract ideas more than words that challenge practical spiritual living? 2) How can I be more intentional in my conversations with people to create community and to help them see spirituality in everyday life?
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