Staying put at the Field

I was a sophomore when I made my second trip to the Field Museum. My high-school choir made the 4-hour trip to Chicago for a couple of performances and one of our side trips included a visit to that venerable institution with the woolly mammoths and mummies. I can't remember how much time we had, but I know I raced from this exhibit to that exhibit trying to take in as much as I could while also trying to impress a girl who was a junior. When we were done, I was talking to one of our chaperones (a science teacher) and asked what his favorite part of the museum. It turns out he never left the ancient Egyptian area. I couldn't believe it. He only stayed in one exhibit? I felt kind of sorry for him.

As the years have gone by, however, I now appreciate his attentiveness and wisdom. He was perfectly happy to stay with one section of the museum and learn, explore, and wonder. I'm sure he was interested in other parts of the museum, but he saw the benefit of digging deeper.

This Sunday, we'll be reflecting on one of the ways we live out our faith at Urban Village: growing. Exploring the Christian faith can be daunting: The Bible can be hard to comprehend, theological terms can make little sense, traditions can seem odd. One way to start, though, is to simply start somewhere and stay there, be it a Bible verse or a term or a tradition. Start somewhere and, even more importantly, start with a companion (like in a small group or retreat). You won't cover it all in a day (or even a lifetime), but you will start to discover glimpses of glory and joy that make the process well worth the trip.