In Wickedness, or Servitude?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/29.PS20251122_085426_resized.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nFinding Our Way Through the Thick Woods of Life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nPsalm 84:10<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFor a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luke 2:49<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nHe said to them, \u201cWhy were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Words of Grace for Today –<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every day we make choices<\/p>\n\n\n\n
again and again<\/p>\n\n\n\n
whether we will dwell in wicked places of comfort and privilege,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
or<\/p>\n\n\n\n
in servitude to others, answering Christ\u2019s call,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
to be blessings to others<\/p>\n\n\n\n
at great cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pastor Schmitke shared this story from decades ago:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn a typical spring Sunday afternoon in downtown Vancouver, a bit cool under cloudy skies, a group of pastors and lay people gathered to discuss how better to lead their congregations in doing more of what Christ calls us to do. Serving my internship in a nearby congregation, I stood with a group meeting outside on the lawn while other groups met inside the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen a street person, jacket-less and a little rough around the edges, stepped up onto the lawn. He needed help finding the local second hand shop where he hoped to get a jacket. Multiple responses from the group made clear that this shop was closed on Sundays and there was no other second hand shop open within even a half day\u2019s walking distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSurprising us all, a young pastor, who was about the same size as the street person, stepped forward, emptied his jacket pockets and handed over his good leather jacket to the man, asked him if he needed anything else, and pointed him to the local soup kitchen for a hot meal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surely this is living in the Light of Christ, eh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is fine to talk the talk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
but Jesus calls us to walk the walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How do we choose again this day?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Where You Will Dwell Today Saturday, November 29, 2025 In Wickedness, or Servitude? Finding Our Way Through the Thick Woods of Life. Psalm 84:10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness. … Continue reading “Choose”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trees"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12717"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12720,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12717\/revisions\/12720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nFinding Our Way Through the Thick Woods of Life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Psalm 84:10<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n .<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luke 2:49<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n He said to them, \u201cWhy were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Words of Grace for Today –<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every day we make choices<\/p>\n\n\n\n again and again<\/p>\n\n\n\n whether we will dwell in wicked places of comfort and privilege,<\/p>\n\n\n\n or<\/p>\n\n\n\n in servitude to others, answering Christ\u2019s call,<\/p>\n\n\n\n to be blessings to others<\/p>\n\n\n\n at great cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pastor Schmitke shared this story from decades ago:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOn a typical spring Sunday afternoon in downtown Vancouver, a bit cool under cloudy skies, a group of pastors and lay people gathered to discuss how better to lead their congregations in doing more of what Christ calls us to do. Serving my internship in a nearby congregation, I stood with a group meeting outside on the lawn while other groups met inside the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen a street person, jacket-less and a little rough around the edges, stepped up onto the lawn. He needed help finding the local second hand shop where he hoped to get a jacket. Multiple responses from the group made clear that this shop was closed on Sundays and there was no other second hand shop open within even a half day\u2019s walking distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSurprising us all, a young pastor, who was about the same size as the street person, stepped forward, emptied his jacket pockets and handed over his good leather jacket to the man, asked him if he needed anything else, and pointed him to the local soup kitchen for a hot meal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surely this is living in the Light of Christ, eh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is fine to talk the talk<\/p>\n\n\n\n but Jesus calls us to walk the walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How do we choose again this day?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Where You Will Dwell Today Saturday, November 29, 2025 In Wickedness, or Servitude? Finding Our Way Through the Thick Woods of Life. Psalm 84:10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness. … Continue reading “Choose”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trees"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12717"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12720,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12717\/revisions\/12720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysticphoto.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}