Imaginatively Inhabit

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Do you want joy?

by Tyler Dirks

Yesterday God sent his messenger Will Brian to tell us about JOY. For a somewhat nerdy definition of joy I suggest you contact Will directly, but I am compelled to share the following truths with you now: DON’T LET ANYTHING GET IN THE WAY OF GATHERING WITH YOUR SIBLINGS EVERY SUNDAY! God gives you joy […]

If You Dig You Get Diamonds

by Tyler Dirks

“If you rake, you get leaves. If you dig, you get diamonds.” – John Piper I attended a board meeting at the Simmons YMCA this morning. The meeting began with an earnest exhortation to thoroughly embrace the mission of the YMCA. So I decided to dig deep into the history of the YMCA to discover […]

Grandma’s Prayers: Part II

by Tyler Dirks

Once a month ECPC is contacted by her grandma (Christ Covenant Church) simply to ask, “How can we be praying for you?” In case you weren’t aware, ECPC’s mom is Uptown Church (Uptown CLT, NC), and our mom’s mom is Christ Covenant Church (Matthews, NC). I always enjoy receiving this inquiry from grandma because it […]

Grandma’s Prayers: Part I

by Tyler Dirks

Once a month ECPC is contacted by her grandma (Christ Covenant Church) simply to ask, “How can we be praying for you?” In case you weren’t aware, ECPC’s mom is Uptown Church (Uptown CLT, NC), and our mom’s mom is Christ Covenant Church (Matthews, NC). I always enjoy receiving this inquiry from grandma because it […]

Judah, son of Leah (Part VI)

by Tyler Dirks

Mercy liberated me to remember. There was a vast hoard of history in the catacombs of my soul; a myriad of memories which I had pronounced dead and consigned to the realm of “forgetting.” But the business of burying shame proved tricky, because while you might achieve momentary amnesia, the memories are nevertheless still buried […]

Judah, son of Leah (Part V)

by Tyler Dirks

It was a surreal moment. A blend of incredulity, shame, and awe swept over me. The incriminating items were certainly mine. Any attempt to hide my ownership would’ve been like an identical twin trying to deny his relation to his brother. But the fact that it was Tamar holding the signet, cord, and staff was […]

Judah, son of Leah (Part IV)

by Tyler Dirks

I think the word “desensitized” would sum up my life in those days. It was like I had anesthetized my soul. I knew that life among the Canaanites would be hazy, and after “The Joseph Transaction” I was desperate for a foggy environment where hiding happens naturally. I didn’t want to face the truth, I […]

Judah, son of Leah (Part III)

by Tyler Dirks

I had experienced episodes of shame before, but they never lingered long – never had my bouts been severe or sustained. It’s like when you’re sitting around a fire and an ember lands on your leg, there’s a singe but it dies, it dissipates; but this ember embedded and burned. I don’t think anyone was […]