Trevor Hoffman, Teaching Pastor
James, the brother of Jesus, writes:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (Jam. 1:17-18)
There's two things I love about these few verses. First, every good thing is a gift that comes from God. Second, the reason God gives, reveals, and redeems, is "his own will.” In other words, He does so because He wants to. There was no external prompting to give, reveal, or redeem. It was simply born out of His desire to share.
As this year draws to a close, I took some time to reflect on the Giver, and on a few of those things He delighted to make available to us. What were some of my favorite small gifts from a good, giving God this year?
My Favorite Books
I set a goal to read better this year. To read more slowly, to digest, and internalize what I was reading. I have a tendency to fly through my reading and find myself struggling to even recall the main ideas of the book. This year was different. I slowed down, read more carefully, and found it to be a really rewarding year full of several excellent books. My favorites:
5 - The Heidelberg Catechism
4 - Beowulf translated by Seamus Haney
3 - The Road by Cormac McCarthy
2 - On the Road with St. Augustine by James K. A. Smith
1 - The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosario Butterfield
This book is beautiful. Not only does it give theological reasoning for being hospitable, not only does it provide practical tips on growing in hospitality, it makes hospitality lovely. This was my favorite read of 2019.
My Favorite Songs
Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me by Cityalight
We've sung this one a time or two at TCGS. It's full of truth, it lends itself to congregational singing, and it's a delight to sing. If you haven't added this to your Spotify, do it now!
How Can I Keep from Singing by Audrey Assad
Audrey Assad has one of the purest voices I've ever heard. She also uses instrumentation in a really tasteful way; it supports her singing and adorns the lyrics in a way most modern music doesn't.
The lyrics are outstanding, but I think this is my favorite stanza: No storm can shake my inmost calm / While to that refuge clinging / Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth / How can I keep from singing?
In Heaven by Joey Dosik
This is a sort of neo-motown throwback to music from the 1960s. I'm a sucker for modern music appropriating different eras. If you are, too, and like groups like Leon Bridges and St. Paul and the Broken Bones, you'll dig this.
My Favorite Moments
This summer we discovered Ruthie's love for music. One of my favorite things has been sitting Ruthie on my lap and noodling on the piano. She is utterly transfixed. I hope it translates into a lifelong appreciate for music, and more than that, a lifelong love for the God behind music. Let's also hope she inherited her mother's singing voice.
Over the months of August and September I coached Jude's 6 & under flag football team. In doing so, we uncovered a family love for football and even ventured to Columbia to watch South Carolina lose to App State. It was cold, depressing, and I think Jude took personally the neighboring fans hurling insults at the coaching staff. But we had a blast. Emily and I decided in early 2019 that our family motto would be, “enjoying the good life together, with open hands and an open home,” and much of this year was dedicated to figuring out creative adventures to take together. This was one of them. (Nate had more fun than that picture conveys, I promise.)
An old friend texted me the (above) picture a few weeks back. It was taken from our home church of Standing Springs Baptist Church in Simpsonville, SC. You'll notice in the top right a small “TH” carved into the pew. When I wasn't drawing on offering envelopes I was apparently carving my initials. Upon seeing the picture, my heart was flooded with scents and sounds, melodies and memories of my first church family and first brothers and sisters in the Lord. This year I've been increasingly grateful for my spiritual heritage and the faith in which my parent's raised me. This mark at Standing Springs is representative of Standing Springs’ mark on me, I'd think.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Looking forward to what 2020 brings!