Seamless Lives of Faith | 1 Corinthians 15:58

Rachel Guerra ‘25

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

We are through almost two months of the fellows year! With so many responsibilities, obligations, and commitments, the time has flown by much faster than I ever anticipated.

What drew me to this program is the dedication to excellence. All of the fellows mirror this goal -  in our questions, our conversations during roundtable, and in seminary. Nevertheless, this expectation of excellence in our efforts can be the feeder of perfectionism. I for one have felt somewhat burnt out due to these expectations, but have found solace in the words of Paul: “knowing that your labor is not in vain.”  

Monday’s seminar continued this theme. Esther Powell discussed the power of classical Christian education, a topic from which I have personally benefited over the course of life and with which I have a deep relationship. It is clear that the pursuit of excellence is something that drives each and every one of the fellows, regardless of their educational background. We inquired into the quadrivium and trivium, and we recognized that the quest for knowledge is one we carry with us forever, as we attempt to direct our minds to the things above. 

A particular joy amidst the work weeks has been TFCA’s  youth family dinners. Although scheduled at the end of a long day, Marty’s encouragement and our evenings spent praying for our youth group classes have brought us closer to the Lord and to our fellow youth leaders.

Perhaps the thing I have learned most from this past week - and these current months - has been to be steadfast and immovable, as 1 Corinthians exhorts. This fellowship gives us the leeway to abound in the Lord’s work, both for our sake and for the sake of the Kingdom. This abounding takes character (to be steadfast) and perseverance (being immovable), and excellence is the product of these efforts. Therefore, as our responsibilities continue and our schedules overflow, may we continue to be steadfast in our work, recognizing that the City of God is our end goal.