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Writer's pictureCapital Fellows

Hope's Cry

By Brooke Sorenson




There’s a lot going on in Northern Virginia (understatement of the year, I know). It’s fast-paced and intense and I’ve stopped using the adjective “busy” to describe myself because everyone else is probably busier than me. It’s easy to feel the pressure—not necessarily even pressure that others put on me, but a burden that I put on myself.


It’s been easy to feel like I have to do and be all things to all people, both in Capital Fellows and in this corner of the world. It’s easy to feel like I’m not enough, like I won’t live up to the expectation and demands of all that we’re doing. But, what I’m learning is that I won’t. I won’t live up to it all. I’m not enough. I can’t do it all and I won’t be all that I feel the need to be.


Normally, that should be a crushing revelation. As a Christian, however, it’s a bit of a relief for us, as God never asks us to do it all or to be it all—because He already is. As one of our wise counselors told us this year, “In Christ, we already have the full share of all we could ever want or need.” We lack for nothing, because in Him we have everything. This changes a lot for us and for me. It takes off the pressure of feeling like we have to live up to some expectation of perfection. I can laugh at myself a little bit for thinking that I ever could and rejoice that Christ already is perfect.


This also changes the way that we accept God’s blessings. Capital Fellows has been such a sweet gift to me, but how wonderful it is has frightened me. The last two years changed each of us in different ways. For me, I learned to self-protect from expectation, because hope seemed like too big of a liability. Hope didn’t really feel practical anymore. Coming into Capital Fellows, I was ready to learn and have fun, but I didn’t want to buy in because I didn’t want to get burned. I didn’t want to love it because love is risky.


Each of these sweet Fellows, however, our directors, the kind people of this church and so many others have made it impossible not to love them and buy in to all that God is doing here. What I’m learning is that, in Christ, because we already have the full share of all we could ever need, we are free to take delight in the good of the world. His good gifts to us can be a blessing but not the blessing, a sprinkle of salt on top of a delicious feast that He offers His children to come taste and see.


In The Valley of Vision, a wonderful book of Puritan prayers, one line proclaims, “Let me live near to the great Shepherd, hear His voice, know its tones, follow its calls.” This is my prayer for myself and all of us as we enter the Advent season, a time of the year where hope’s cry is persistent and deep. May we heed its cry, looking to the One who came humbly and with nothing to give us everything--our Christ in whom we have the full share, the true inheritance, and the deepest hope we could ever imagine. He is coming. May we laugh at ourselves as we fall short and rejoice in the fullness of His perfection.


For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:19-20





 

Pictures from the Week




Taking one for the team at Capital Pres Fairfax Student Ministry!




Capital Fellows night out on the wharf to see the boat parade & fireworks!!




Capital Fellows Frisbee team wearing all black because we’re so scary and intense (clearly) :))



 

Become A Capital Fellow in 2022-23


We are now receiving applications for Season 16 of the Capital Fellows program!


WINTER APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 15th!


Most fellows work in the marketplace - for companies, nonprofits, government offices. Three Capital Fellows work at our church each year as well. For these roles, we are looking for a worship fellow, a children's ministry fellow, and a missions fellow. These are special Capital Fellows opportunities because you are not only paid a salary, but also your Capital Fellows program fees are covered as well!


The Season 16 program year runs from late August 2022 through mid-May 2023. If you are a college senior or recent graduate - or know someone that is - we would love to hear from you!




 


Pray for the Capital Fellows


Thank you for praying for the Capital Fellows each week!


The Capital Fellows are finishing up the fall semester this week and heading home for a well-deserved Christmas break! They will be finishing up final papers for their seminary courses, packing up their stuff, and heading home over the coming days. Please be in prayer for them as they focus their attention on writing and finishing well. Please pray for them as they drive or fly home - for safety and good health. Finally, please pray that this Christmas would be uniquely special for them as the reflect on the person of Jesus Christ in new ways, informed by the first semester of their Capital Fellows year.


Want to pray for the Capital Fellows throughout the year? Download this handy prayer guide for your phone or tablet.



 

Benefits of The Fellows Initiative


You probably already know that Capital Fellows is one of 32 fellows programs in The Fellows Initiative network. Capital Fellows benefit from our affiliation with The Fellows Initiative in many ways. One of those ways is that all Capital Fellows alumni receive a 33% tuition discount at Reformed Theological Seminary for 5 years. For more information, please contact us.


If you know a church in the US or Canada that would benefit from joining The Fellows Initiative by launching a new fellows program. Please contact TFI by visiting their website.



 

Want To Read More?


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