Our senior pastor, Mark Beeson, is challenging our entire church to memorize 2 Peter 1.2-12 (NIV). He started with our staff a couple weeks ago. Last evening during our First Wednesday service he invited a room-full of Christ-followers at Granger to do the same - by Christmas. This year. In early 2010 he'll extend the same challenging invitation to our entire weekend crowd. The goal will be to have these verses committed to memory by Easter. [Read Mark's invitation here]

Memorization isn't the mere point of this exercise. As a senior management team (which grew by three more astounding people yesterday - read about it here!) we're jazzed about a fresh strategic approach to spiritual formation in 2010 - and we'll base all of it on this passage of scripture.

When I read these verses I jump right over to Paul's writing in Galatians 5 - the fruit of the Spirit passage (Galatians 5.22-23). And when I read both passages, I realize that both Paul and Peter were looking at Jesus. These characteristics are wrapped up in Jesus. It's the kingdom life he calls each of us to. It is the work and fruit of His Spirit - which he promised would teach us all that Jesus taught and practiced.

Interesting - Peter talks about these characteristics as though in a linear continuum. As though you can't have one without the one before it. And yet I know some very loving people whose knowledge doesn't seem as deep as their love. So, what's up with that? Peter also suggests in verse 8 that this is not a strictly linear process - "get the first one wired up, then move on to the next one". In verse 8 he says "if you possess these qualities in increasing measure..." As in, this is not a closed system - get one, get two, get 'em all. You're done.

Rather, these qualities are interconnected. One makes little sense without the others. Just as Paul's discussion of the "fruit" of the Spirit - not the "fruits" - suggests that we're not to be about getting merely "good" at one, then the next, then the next. Rather the whole is the fruit, the fruit is the whole. As I add goodness to my faith, and knowledge to goodness, I'm on a journey to become my truest, God-created self. In His image.

However, this growth will happen in my life - in your life - as we methodically read, pray, exercise practices, pay attention to relationships that help us develop each of these, individually. But it'll be messy, overlapping and repetitive.

Sounds like a journey to me.

You comin'?

_{Mark Waltz is pastor of connections at Granger Community Church in Granger, IN. He is the author of First Impressions: Creating Wow Experiences in Your Church and Lasting Impressions: From Visiting to Belonging. He consults and trains in the areas of guest services and relational connections in the local church. Catch his blog and contact him at becausepeoplematter.com. Follow him on twitter at http://twitter.com/MarkLWaltz}