EXTRAS in MY Ordinary Life

The concept for this blog was inspired by a retreat which I attended in February 2007 held at Camp St. Christopher on Seabrook Island just south of Charleston, SC hosted by and for The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) of the Diocese of South Carolina. The theme for the retreat was "Extras in the Ordinary Life" focusing specifically on Extraordinary Priorities, Extraordinary Joy, Extraordinary Service, and Extraordinary Love and it was presented by the keynote speakers The Very Rev. John and Sylvia Burwell from The Church of the Holy Cross on Sullivans Island, SC.

The main premise for this retreat came from John 10:9-10, NIV

"I am the gate; whoever enters by me will be saved.
He will come in and go out and find pasture . . .
I came that they may have life and have it to the full."

Or as the NRSV translation says,
". . . that they may have life and have it abundantly."

All this is to say a life lived for, through and with Christ is anything but ordinary. Inviting Christ into our life will result in a fuller, richer, more abundant life more than we could ever dream or imagine. This is not however to say that life in Christ will be all joyous, happy and sunny moments, rather experiencing life "to the full" or "abundantly" means that we will experience the full, broad spectrum of human emotion and experience including pain, disappointment, hurt, loss and the like. Thus in Acts 9:16 (after Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus), Jesus said to Ananias, "I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

In the course of this blog I hope to explore just what the "Extras" in my Ordinary Life may come to be. Merrium-Webster defines extraordinary as "going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary; exceptional to a very marked extent." What it will mean here in the context of this blog only time will tell. Brennan Manning, in his book Ruthless Trust, says:

We are, each and every one of us, insignificant people whom God has called and graced to use in a significant way. In his eyes, the high-profile ministries are no more significant than those that draw little or no attention and publicity. On the last day, Jesus will look us over not for medals, diplomas, or honors, but for scars.

I hope you will see fit to join me as I navigate what it means to live an Extraordinary Life. Feel free to join in with your own commentary on the posts you read here.