Erin Lately

God, help me understand and reconcile your holiness with my humanity and discipleship command to be holy.  I believe you are holy.  I believe you are uncreated.  I believe you are above and sovereign. You are BOTH Jireh and Way Maker. You are the I Am. A divine paradox. You are mysterious and wonderful and good and righteous, O Ancient of Days. I have dreams and desires and visions for my life and in my Christian walk.   I argue, even holy dreams.   Visions of being yoked with a partner who is so deeply convinced of Christ’s goodness and glory and power that we have the privilege of ministering and serving God together.  Desires for children someday that I may bring up sharing the knowledge and love and fear of the Creator of all things in and under Heaven.  Dreams of living out my career to serve and love people in a way that is only possible because of the grace of the Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace. How do I fully behold, rest, ab...

If you have spent any length of time in the Church or just happened to catch it on the given Sunday, you have probably heard a sermon about prayer.   Too often, this sermon topic is presented/interpreted as emphasizing the need of prayer for others; a friend, a neighbor, a city, or a greater injustice or cause to be triumphed…that we should be less selfish and more kingdom-focused.   While there is a degree of merit to this, an unchecked selflessness can derail even the best intentioned.   Derailment stems from guilt—guilt from petitioning too frequently or about “needs” considered too frivolous.   It derails us from that which God has called us to be; not only fishers of men, but also his children. Fishers of men.   A royal priesthood.   A chosen people.   All pose a heavy burden of leadership, accountability, and service that demand strength, perseverance, and resolve—or at least the appearance of them. Children.  ...

It’s a funny feeling really.  For so many years you are trained (conditioned) for moments such as these.  Moments that take our breath away (but not in a good way).  You are supposed to pray…and pray…and pray.  But for what?  About what?  For whom?   It is in times of deep hurt and pain that the mystery of God is most clouded; most obscured.  “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” – C.S. Lewis People often use the phrase “God works in mysterious ways” as a comfort(!).  Wait – what the f*ck?!  Is that supposed to make me feel better or do you desire punch to the face?   God’s Mystery sure has a real way of deepening the sadness, the pain, and the excruciating anxiety.  If God – and his love and his work – is such a mystery, why are we so confident (& quick) in making it a pillar on which to place our faith? “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” – Charles ...

"Look, Ma!  I'm gonna be an attorney!" Yes; I'm studying to become a lawyer.  No; I'm not going to law school. *               *               * “Thankful” :: This mug (↑) started out as a $3.99 Thanksgiving-time impulse purchase from Homegoods, but it has become a lot more than that.   I use it every day at work and it has taken on a role as a sort of token of the daily grind and the blessings that come hand-in-hand with journeys unknown. At the risk of sounding heretical or sacrilegious, this mug has helped me redirect my daily thoughts and attitudes toward Christ (though, I often fail at these pursuits).    Every day it’s in my face: Why am I perpetually "stressed"(good or bad)?   How have I let my anxiety, pessimism, (fill-in-the-blank) into my headspace?   How have I not acknowledged His handiwork in the mundane?   Why is this great blessing b...

On Father's Day 2013 the earth lost a man, but heaven gained a treasure.  My grandfather, Charles David Barnett, left this world...taking his last breath as my grandmother sat by his bedside. When I got the news, I didn't know how to feel.  We all knew his time to die was in the near future - he had been slowly degenerating over the span of two years.  But, no one can ever truly be prepared for a moment like this. As I drove home from work a couple of days later, I listened to Hengilás by Jónsi... My mind was racing, my heart was pounding, and tears began to collect in the corners of my eyes.  I still don't know why this song was so cathartic, but it triggered a need to explore all of the emotions surrounding the loss of my grandpa. After I got home, the house was quiet and I began to write.  I wrote furiously; carefully choosing each word.  While most people reminisce about the good times of a person's life, I felt compelled to expose his tryin...

Tithe .  [ tahy th ] noun.     T he tenth part of agricultural produce or personal income set apart as an offering to God or for works of mercy, or the same amount regarded as an obligation or tax for the support of the church, priesthood, or the like. As a college student the last thing I want or need to do is spend the little bit of money I do have for "charitable" purposes.  Personally, I'm already looking at nearly $70,000 of debt from my undergraduate career staring me straight in the face after I walk across a stage, grab a leather folder, and shake a man's hand this next May.  This reality drives me to keep any spare cash tightly within the grasp of my fingers and not let it go...until I need to buy the inevitable next textbook. Since being offered an amazing PAID internship with my employer this fall semester, blessings have been pouring out: the internship, living at home with no rent, not having to pay for a meal plan, not worrying if I will...

Since having attended a Christian university (which mandates a Bible minor) for nearly three years, I can confidently say my belief in God has been challenged.  Not necessarily in a positive way.  Having so much theology thrown at a person often does the reverse of what is intended: doubt, bitterness, and cynicism seep into the very fabric of one's existence.  My faith has taken a royal beating.  While there is a reasonably justified demand for academically viewing God's Word for (a) evangelizing to to that woman on the street corner, (b) your co-worker facing crisis, or (c) to "work out" your own times of trial, I find it quite terrifying how easy it has become for me to dissect, contextualize, and simply over analyze. Every time I sit in church I find myself critiquing the song lyrics, the sermon, the style of praying, the words used in prayers, the pastor's  hermeneutics, and the list goes on...and on...and on. Over Spring Break, I was visiting ...