A Pharmacy

Recently, both of our kids got orthodontic apparatuses at the same time. As many of you heard from my email a few weeks ago, we also had a broken arm happen at about the same time. On top of that, our dog Brittany…which I have a complicated relationship with…had to have plastic surgery.
You know…like dogs do…but she’s never looked better…
During the first two weeks of orthodontic equipment, the broken arm, and Brittany’s cone-of-shame recovery, our house looked like a pharmacy. Painkillers of nearly every kind rotated through, antibiotics, wax to put on sharp wires, steroid creams for healing stitches, and a few other medications for a variety of things that I will leave out of this note.
We looked like a pharmacy.
We had what seemed like a silly amount of things to help everyone to head in a direction towards healing.

We often talk about spiritual disciplines here at The Chapel. For those newer to the conversation, these are ancient rhythms and practices that Jesus, his followers, and the early church regularly lived out. They are rooted in the practices of our Hebrew brothers and sisters, in what Jesus taught and modeled, and in the ways Christians have sought for centuries to become more like him and embody his ways.  In fact, the early church was called The Way…because the lived by a particular way…the way of Jesus.

That’s why we spend time helping people learn what it looks like to practice Sabbath, to fast, to spend regular time in prayer, to know and study the Scriptures, and to carve out intentional times of silence and solitude, among many others.
These things do not save us. They are simply practices Jesus modeled and that for the past 2,000 years or more, have been vital to our faith tradition as we seek to become more like him.

My kids’ orthodontist uses this scanner thing at home. It’s a contraption that hooks onto a phone. They shove it into their mouths and do what looks like some sort of video game, but what it is actually doing is tracking the progression of their braces. It helps the orthodontist see how things are going and what needs to be addressed.
It’s pretty awesome.
So every week, they are shoving this contraption connected to our phone into their mouths…which sounds disgusting as I type that out…
The scanner doesn’t fix their teeth. The scanner doesn’t save their smiles. It simply provides some guidance and rhythm. It helps us see how things are going and what might be beneficial for the next step.

I think sometimes we resist the idea of spiritual practices because we think they sound legalistic, but that is certainly not the intention. The intention is to become more like Jesus.
In some of Jesus’ final words, he called his disciples to go and make more disciples…to teach people what he taught and help them learn to live the way he lived.
That’s what discipleship looks like. It’s being a student…and in our case, a student of Jesus.

As we begin this new month, we begin the final 90 days of the year.
Ninety days to build rhythms and practices into our daily lives that will stretch far beyond 2026.
You may think, “Right…it’s the beginning of the holiday season. I have ZERO rhythm this time of year.”
I get it. Several years ago, Sarah and I decided to try Whole30 for the 30 days leading up to Thanksgiving. Kind of a dumb decision in retrospect…
So…no fun halloween candy. Boring water at social events. No pumpkin treats or anything else that feels remotely fall-like. I’m gonna be honest. It was not my favorite.
But choosing to take on a new challenge during an already busy and challenging time of year taught me a ton about discipline. It taught me to prioritize, think carefully, and practice self-control. You know…living a disciplined life.
But that was for a little health journey that lasted just 30 days.
What we are talking about is following Jesus for the rest of our lives..but you’ve got to start somewhere.

And different rhythms and practices will carry different weight in different seasons.
I love reading and studying the Scriptures. It is hard for me, but incredibly valuable.
I spend daily time in silence and solitude. As a busy minded extrovert I don’t love it…but I notice a difference when I don’t.
I pray constantly throughout the day, but I struggle sometimes to stay focused…or awake.
I practice fasting regularly before I teach or preach and usually one day a week. I’ve done it enough that it comes pretty easily for me now.
I practice Sabbath weekly. I stop for about 24 hours and do what gives me life so I can find my rest and identity in God…not by something I’ve accomplished. It is one of my favorite days of the week, but it is incredibly difficult to keep consistent because, you know…there is always something trying to fill the space, something to do, some expectation to fulfill.
You don’t have to do all of these practices or rhythms. Maybe there are other ones you are trying to live out as you practice your faith…but each of these practices has a purpose.
They help center me in my faith. They help me become more spiritually healthy. They help form me to be more like Jesus…a non-anxious person of love.

All those medications spread across our house had a purpose too. That’s why we had them out. But they weren’t forever. They were meant to help in the healing journey.
Fast-forward about a month from when we became a pharmacy, and we are no longer relying on any of those medications. The cone is off Brittany. We are almost used to our new reality…or back to the way we were before…but hopefully healthier and more whole..and I hope we remember that this is part of the beautiful picture Scripture gives us of salvation.

The biblical language we translate as “saved” or “salvation” can also carry the sense of healing, rescue, and being made whole. Following Jesus isn’t simply about being saved for some future reality. Jesus is also healing and forming us here and now…rescuing us and making us whole.
We are all being formed into someone by what we do, what we give our attention to, and who we surround ourselves with.
So the hope is that I will abide in Jesus. That I will practice his way of life. That over time, through the work of the Spirit, I will be formed more and more into his likeness…and when people interact with me, they might catch a glimpse of God’s story and his incredible love.
It just takes time.
As Eugene Peterson famously described it, it is “a long obedience in the same direction.”
I’m ready to take on the long, slow journey of healing and becoming more like Jesus…I just don’t want to have to wear a cone like Brittany.

I hope you’ll join us as we continue learning together what it means to become more like Jesus.

This Sunday – I hope you will come this Sunday for worship at 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.  We’ll be sharing in communion at both services…and it looks like it might be raining…so…pro-tip, I would recommend you come to the 8:30 service.  Likely more room and less of a chance you’ll be stuck outside.

Sunday Mornings – We offer ministry options for birth through 12th graders at The Chapel at the 10am service.  Obviously all ages are welcome at all the Sunday morning worship services as well.
Nursery Care — Children ages 0–4. Email Sarah@thechapelatseaside.com for more information.
Kids Church — Children ages 5 through 4th grade. Check in at The Chapel when you arrive. Email Chelsea@thechapelatseaside.com for more information.
Youth Bible Study — Students in 5th grade and older. Students should bring their Bibles and come ready to learn how to read Scripture and discover what it has to offer them.

Tuesday Noon Prayer – Join us on Tuesdays from noon–1:00 p.m. for our weekly Noon Prayer Hour at The Chapel. We spend time praying through Scripture, worshiping, sitting in silence, and simply being in the presence of God. It really is a beautiful hour together. Come and go as your schedule allows.

Wednesday Bible Studies – Our Bible studies meet Wednesdays at The Chapel.
Men: 8:00–9:15 a.m.
Women: 9:30–11:00 a.m.
We’re journeying through 1 Samuel together this fall. If you haven’t been able to join us in person, be sure to check out our weekly podcast, Chapel Study Notes, where we recap each lesson.  Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you stream.

Youth Group – Youth Group meets each Wednesday from 6:30–7:30 p.m. at The Chapel. It is a great time of fun, worship, learning, and growing in faith with some wonderful leaders. Whether you live here or simply happen to be in town, we hope your students will join us!  It has been awesome.  For more information or to make sure you know when we are meeting, contact sarah@thechapelatseaside.com.

25th Anniversary of The Chapel – The Chapel building will celebrate its 25th Anniversary on Sunday, October 18th during both our services.  8:30 and 10am.  It will be a lovely morning and if you are free, I hope you will join us for that special morning.  We will still have our normal worship services, it will also include celebration. It will be a lovely time where we give thanks for all God has done in and through this place.

Baptism and Bonfire – Join us for an evening of Baptisms and a Beach Bonfire Celebration on Sunday, November 1st from 4-6 p.m.  We will have registration open for this soon if you simply want to attend. If you are interested in being baptized, please click here.   And we’ll get you signed up and set up a time to visit about Baptism.

Habitat Build Day – On Friday, November 13th, we will have another Build Day with Habitat.  November 13th is a general build day, but we are having The Chapel at Seaside people also sign up for that date.  So if you are free, we’d love to have you join.  Build days take place on Fridays from 8am-12noon. We will meet on site in DeFuniak – See registration for location details. Click here to register for November 13th – select November in the options.

Chapel Women’s Retreat – We’re excited to host our first official Chapel Women’s Retreat, February 4th–6th, 2027. Sign up and learn more at the link here.

Parking – As you know, parking is limited at The Chapel. We encourage you to park by the school on Smolian and use the linked parking passes. These passes are valid for Sunday morning worship through noon. Just print the pass, put the correct date on your dashboard, and you’re good to go.

Here is the link to Sunday morning Worship Parking Passes.

Here is the link to Wednesday morning Bible Study Parking Passes

Let us know if you have any questions or need anything and we look forward to seeing you on Sunday…even if it is a bit rainy…

Blessings.

Andrew