Pentecost makes me a bit… sad. Not because I don’t enjoy the day, but because it feels like once the day is over, the Holy Spirit is put back into a box and tucked away until Easter Season of next year. There’s an ache in me that wishes to see the Holy Spirit celebrated, honored, and the topic of conversation as a normal – even daily – part of our Catholic experience. And although our theology surely encourages this, there’s a strange discomfort in the Church with the topic of the Holy Spirit, especially when it comes to the matter of having an active relationship with Him.

Jonna SchusterMay 23, 2021page 3

Building Bold Faith

“Pray prayers big enough that they require God to show up.” This was a challenge I heard years ago, which simultaneously rattled me and brought a hint of thrill and intrigue. It also ended up ruining my life in the best possible way.

Jonna SchusterMarch 27, 2021page 3, faith

Fighting Fear

“What do you do when you’re afraid?” Someone recently asked me this question, and while weighty, I think there's a universality to it that we can all connect with. It's no secret that times right now are stressful. Even apart from the unique events happening in our country and around the globe, I've found in my years of ministry that one of the largest adversaries we face as Christians is the spirit of fear. It comes in many forms, and its outgrowth bears various types of (bad) fruit. I also believe that freedom on every level — individual, collective, spiritual, emotional, relational, societal, etc. — is tied to the overcoming of it. So I'd like to honor the question by taking a moment to unpack some thoughts and strategies on overcoming fear.

Jonna SchusterJanuary 30, 2021page 3

Kingdom Mindset: The Goodness of God

The idea that God is good seems like a very uncontroversial statement up front. It is already a cornerstone of Christian belief, so why would this be worth mentioning as a significant aspect of carrying a Kingdom mindset? I think the answer comes from the fact that all Christians must grapple with the reality of the suffering we experience in this life. The way we attempt to reconcile this experience with a belief in the goodness of God can make a big difference in the shaping of our faith perspective.

Jim SchusterOctober 31, 2020page 3

Honoring Mystery

Right now, we are stewarding an era in time commonly referred to as the “already but not yet” – the initiation of God’s Kingdom on this earth as a reality that is already here in some measure, but is not yet complete; it remains in-process until reached in its fullness. This means that we have the weighty responsibility – and trust of God – to hold in tension the “already” and the “not yet.” To hold in tension the truth that God right now is King, powerful and victorious over every force of darkness and has defeated death once and for all… and the fact that our lived experience does not always reflect this truth.

Jonna SchusterSeptember 26, 2020page 3