Author: indycrowe

You can follow me on Twitter or Instagram @IndyCrowe for the short & sweet stuff.

Remembering My Dad, John Crowe

John Thomas Crowe
(5/14/1952-6/25/2022)

“You can’t give yourself over to love for somebody without giving yourself over to suffering.” Wendell Berry from Hannah Coulter

My dad died on Saturday, June 25th. He had battled in the hospital for over seventy days. When he had no more fight in him and he could tell his time was up, he wanted to return to his own house and enter glory with loved ones around him. I had the privilege to be standing next to him, holding his hand, both ready for him to enter the fullness of joy in God’s presence but not ready to have him gone from earth. Though it’s not what he or we wanted, we trust in the loving kindness, infinite wisdom, and perfecting timing of God. I’m thankful for his life, the man, dad, and grandpa he was, the memories I have of him, how he has shaped me as a person, and for these last few days and the chance to be next to him with people who love him.

Below is a eulogy of sorts that I wrote for his memorial service. There is so much more I wanted to say and I had to cut a lot out, but I hope it gives a glimpse into both who he was and what it looks like to be both sorrowful and rejoicing in this time.

Continue reading Remembering My Dad, John Crowe

A Few Books and Articles on Death and Grieving

“Grief gives the full measure of love, and it is somehow reassuring to learn, even by suffering, how large and powerful love is.” Wendell Berry

As I’ve been processing my dad’s recent death, one of the ways I do that is by reading, which usually leads to reflection, prayer, and writing. Below are a few books and articles I’ve found helpful this week in finding hope and even rejoicing while facing the pain of death and loss.

Continue reading A Few Books and Articles on Death and Grieving

Growing through Knowing in 2 Peter

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” (2 Peter 1:2)

Grace and peace often open the NT letters as blessings found and sought in Jesus Christ.[1] To have these multiplied in our life is to experience the favor of God and a flourishing life in Christ. Peter opens both of his letters with this prayer that grace and peace would be multiplied to his readers (1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:2). Or, as he says when he closes this second letter, he wants them to “grow in grace” (2 Peter 5:18).

How does this happen? What multiplies God’s grace and peace in our lives and churches? What causes us to grow, mature, and see the Spirit bear fruit in our lives? It’s knowing God (2 Peter 1:2). 

Continue reading Growing through Knowing in 2 Peter

Favorite Quotes from Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

If I had to pick my favorite fictional book, it would be a neck and neck finish between two Wendell Berry novels. It might depend on which I read most recently. But the two finalists would be Jayber Crow and Hannah Coulter.

Continue reading Favorite Quotes from Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

Seven Simple Ways to Grow through Your Church

Most people want to know the magic formula for integrating into the life of a church. They desire to feel known, to grow, and to move from an outsider to an insider.

While a hospitable church will provide on-ramps for assimilating people, my experience has taught me that fully integrating into the life of a church ultimately falls on the individual. Are they willing to take an intentional step or two to get involved, or do they watch from a distance, staying in the crowd without ever trying to get into the game?

Continue reading Seven Simple Ways to Grow through Your Church

November Gratitude Reading Plan: The Psalms

November is always a great time to leverage the national focus on gratitude by leaning into thanksgiving. One way to keep gratitude on your mind and tongue is a reading plan. While The Grumbler’s Guide to Giving Thanks has a 30-Day Challenge which includes a reading plan, and you can find a daily devotional for each of those days here, below is another 30-Day Reading Plan. This one is exclusively in the Psalms. Each day, the chapter will includes themes related to gratitude, ingratitude, or thanksgiving. My hope is these psalms can lead you into giving thanks this November.

Continue reading November Gratitude Reading Plan: The Psalms

Genesis Reading Plan

Here’s a Genesis Reading Plan that will take you sixty days, roughly a chapter a day with rest days built in. You can use these questions to ask when reading the Bible.

And here are a few recommended studies and commentaries on Genesis.

What does it mean that God is “simple”?

God’s attributes are not like characteristics that are parts of who he is, as if he can act out his attribute of kindness in one moment but do apart from his attribute of justice (as an example). His attributes aren’t separate from who he is, nor do we separate his attributes from one another. It’s not as if he scores a 97 on kindness, 85 on patience, and 75 on gentleness. He is not a conflicted being where his mercy and wrath are at odds with one another. God is all his attributes perfectly and seamlessly.

Continue reading What does it mean that God is “simple”?

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!

It’s hard to believe it, but today marks one year from when The Grumbler’s Guide to Giving Thanks was published by Moody Publishers. Thank you to all of you who have read it (or listened to the audiobook). I’ve been greatly encouraged by the interactions, feedback, comments, and conversations. Once a book releases, you know little about who’s reading it and what they might be gleaning from it, so it’s always nice to hear what people learn from it or find helpful in it.

Continue reading HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!