By Jack Neary
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7a
My favorite app on my phone is a camera app that takes grainy, vibrant photos like the ones you might get from a cheap, green, disposable camera from CVS. What makes the app unique is that once you take a picture, you have to wait until 9:00am the next morning to see the photo. It's an exercise in delayed gratification that echoes the era of 24-hour photos. The physical act of waiting for photos to arrive is somewhat emblematic of the season we are in as Fellows, for good and for bad.
Capital Fellows is a development program – it’s a training ground meant to leave us ready to live as Christian leaders in the workplace at the end of our nine months. It is, in some ways, also an exercise in delayed gratification. In this moment of Fellows, I’m waiting expectantly for the chance to take a full-time job, move into a new home, and fully step into adult life. I want to see who I become at the end of the program. Part of this is because our Winter Retreat focused on vocation and “adulting,” with advice on budgets, time management, and job interviews that made me both excited and terrified for the future.
This restless looking forward to tomorrow reflects the state of Christians living in a broken world in the here and now. If life is a football game, the score has already been decided. The game has been won. Our enemy is defeated! We have ultimate victory through Christ – yet we still find ourselves wearily playing the game, leaving us bedraggled, beat up, and burnt out. Similarly, although I see the end of the Capital Fellows year coming nearer and nearer as we pass the halfway mark, I still must live out my daily and weekly routines. I cannot and should not miss out on the opportunities to learn in my classes, to enjoy time with my host family, to engage deeply with other Fellows, or to take advantage of a wonderful church community.
Living in the present while anticipating the future is not easy and thankfully we don’t have to do it alone. Although I might worry about finding a job or managing a budget, I’m grateful that I get to face these fears alongside 14 other Fellows going through the same process, and I’m especially thankful for a God who is greater than all these worries—a God who tells me not to worry about anything because He will provide for me each day. So, as I look forward to May, to the day of the new heavens and new earth, and to 9:00 am tomorrow, I can rest in the peace and security of the Lord. His mercies are new every morning, and He has more than just a sunset picture waiting for us.
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:31-34
Recent Capital Fellows Pictures
Walking on the C & O trail with other fellows during our Winter Retreat in Sharpsburg, Maryland
A sunrise over fresh snow at our retreat center
A photo taken in the midst of a Capital Fellows snowball fight
A Texas sheet cake and candles for Kate’s birthday!
Become A Capital Fellow in 2022-23
We are now receiving applications for Season 16 of the Capital Fellows program!
THE CLASS IS FILLING UP! APPLY TODAY!
IMPORTANT: SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK AT MCLEAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - 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 the midst of our guest speaker season. This year we are hearing from fifteen amazing individuals that do everything under the sun - world renowned computer scientist, senior government officials, a professional musician, a stay-at-home Mom, an entrepreneur, someone working to combat human trafficking, and more! We are thrilled that so many guests come and meet with our fellows each year. Please pray that God would bless each of the guest speakers in their work and ministries. Please pray for the Fellows who are discerning God's callings in their lives.
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.
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