Cool mornings are therapeutic.
When the temperature drops below 60, and the sun still rises, it's the perfect prescription for coffee, flannels, paper and pen on the porch.
The morning noises flush out doubts; the clear sky going on for miles acts as the visual sign that the torment of thoughtful days is clearing away. Not that the storms won't rise again, but as for now, it is well.
The shiver that sets in, I know is good. Hot coffee can't or won't subside it; for that I am grateful, because the shivers shake loose the deep-set talons of the solitude and voicelessness that follows the Words.
The talons sink through the surface so effortlessly, unnoticed, and grip right into the marrow of my being. they inject doubt, questions, near-apathy, and reminders of the idol of self like venom; bringing back the darkness of shame once again.
Routine and schedules are tossed into the wind, as the soul-focus is clinging to Life, and the hope that Life brings.
The cool morning brings strength. It slows the black blood of the demons within, sedated by the songs of the birds in their excited chatter.
The Sun rises higher in the sky, warming away the shivers, piercing all the darkness away; reminding me of the Truth that cannot and will not escape me.
I am free for a new day.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
The Fullness of Vision
When we catch the Vision of what God is doing; whether it's in the world as a whole, in our states, or in our neighborhoods; we have to realize that we don't hold every piece of that Vision.
Just as it takes all of us to express the fullness of God, it takes all of us together to bring the Vision to clarity and understanding.
We all have a role to play in the Vision. Some cast it, some protect & defend it, some offer details and possibilities of how it's to flow, and others carry it out; we are all participants.
It is a humbling movement, to realize that I don't hold all the pieces to accomplish something, and it requires the fluidity of faith to keep moving anyways.
To give something, to offer something, to pour yourself into something: an idea, an effort, a community; to empty yourself and yet see that what you give isn't enough.
But then faith shows you it's not supposed to be enough. That it takes a whole community emptying itself, sharing ideas, building upon them and contributing, in order to clarify the Vision given.
The Vision we're given isn't a task to be accomplished, it's a process of transformation.
It's a change in mindset. It's getting over ourselves, so we can participate in the restoration of dignity, and the reconciliation of humanity.
It isn't the end goal, or the target we shoot for; rather, it's what happens along the way.
That's why "mission accomplished" should never be in the church's vocabulary.
Coming to the understanding of this gives us the freedom to not jump straight into it with intentions of "doing".
That means slowing down long enough to gather the troops, to train and equip the saints; a process which, incidentally, never ends.
The slowing down gives time to share stories; time to crush the shame that cripples people into inactivity, or running away, or judgment; time to share and understand the perspectives that define how we each see the Vision; and the time it takes to pray and piece together how we each have an important piece of the puzzle - how each perspective is necessary to what the Vision entails.
The Vision requires participation from people who don't even know they're part of it, let alone, going to be playing key roles.
If, as an established group of people, we jump right into the accomplishment of the Vision as a goal, we'll strive to accomplish everything on our own. We'll completely miss the lessons, the connections, and the relationships intended along the way.
We'll bypass the baby steps necessary along the way, baby steps that will allow us to actually see the Vision played out before our very eyes: lives changed, perceptions shifted, focuses changed, leading to communities restored and transformed - from the visual appearance of an area/ neighborhood/ community to the mentality of the people who make that community home.
It has been said that taking on a giant project requires an extraordinary leap of faith. And that can be true, when speaking individually. (But that leap of "faith" could also be taken as a leap of foolishness of epic proportions, especially if pursued without a sense of accountability from the community.)
But the Vision demands exponential faith. Not from just one person, but from the entire community. Just as it takes all of us together to express the fullness of God, it takes the faith of the community, driven by the heart of God, to see the Vision come to life.
Just as it takes all of us to express the fullness of God, it takes all of us together to bring the Vision to clarity and understanding.
We all have a role to play in the Vision. Some cast it, some protect & defend it, some offer details and possibilities of how it's to flow, and others carry it out; we are all participants.
It is a humbling movement, to realize that I don't hold all the pieces to accomplish something, and it requires the fluidity of faith to keep moving anyways.
To give something, to offer something, to pour yourself into something: an idea, an effort, a community; to empty yourself and yet see that what you give isn't enough.
But then faith shows you it's not supposed to be enough. That it takes a whole community emptying itself, sharing ideas, building upon them and contributing, in order to clarify the Vision given.
The Vision we're given isn't a task to be accomplished, it's a process of transformation.
It's a change in mindset. It's getting over ourselves, so we can participate in the restoration of dignity, and the reconciliation of humanity.
It isn't the end goal, or the target we shoot for; rather, it's what happens along the way.
That's why "mission accomplished" should never be in the church's vocabulary.
Coming to the understanding of this gives us the freedom to not jump straight into it with intentions of "doing".
That means slowing down long enough to gather the troops, to train and equip the saints; a process which, incidentally, never ends.
The slowing down gives time to share stories; time to crush the shame that cripples people into inactivity, or running away, or judgment; time to share and understand the perspectives that define how we each see the Vision; and the time it takes to pray and piece together how we each have an important piece of the puzzle - how each perspective is necessary to what the Vision entails.
The Vision requires participation from people who don't even know they're part of it, let alone, going to be playing key roles.
If, as an established group of people, we jump right into the accomplishment of the Vision as a goal, we'll strive to accomplish everything on our own. We'll completely miss the lessons, the connections, and the relationships intended along the way.
We'll bypass the baby steps necessary along the way, baby steps that will allow us to actually see the Vision played out before our very eyes: lives changed, perceptions shifted, focuses changed, leading to communities restored and transformed - from the visual appearance of an area/ neighborhood/ community to the mentality of the people who make that community home.
It has been said that taking on a giant project requires an extraordinary leap of faith. And that can be true, when speaking individually. (But that leap of "faith" could also be taken as a leap of foolishness of epic proportions, especially if pursued without a sense of accountability from the community.)
But the Vision demands exponential faith. Not from just one person, but from the entire community. Just as it takes all of us together to express the fullness of God, it takes the faith of the community, driven by the heart of God, to see the Vision come to life.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Who We Are
Who are we? Who am I? Who am I, in "we"; this thing called "us"; this "in Christ"; this "Body of Christ"?
As a community that God has put together, we are united in Christ. Shouldn't we know each other? I mean, really know each other?
Paul openly tells us in his letters who he was before his collision with Christ, and he tells us how he can't boast in those things anymore. He tells us he can't boast in those things anymore, because every single one of his accomplishments were from human hands, in order to glorify himself, to draw attention to himself, or to elevate himself in somehow, some way.
I feel the need to open up a bit of my life to you, to let you know who I was, before.
I don't tell you who I was before so I can boast on "how far I've come", I tell you who I was before to let you know that when Christ decided to pull me into His fold, He really had his work cut out for Him!
I tell you who I was before, so you know what it looks like for me to be on the Cross; so that if you notice me slipping, as my brothers and sisters, in the love of Christ that unites us, you can clear your throat, you can give me a nudge, and each of you can help keep me accountable.
Honestly though? Your presence is the biggest help.
How can you do that, though, if you don't know what I look like when I put my flesh to death; if you don't know what me emptying my self looks like? Accountability would seem pointless and powerless, and at worst, can be taken as judgement and attempted control.
So here's the gist of my story:
I was born into a big, loving family; parents devoted to each other and their children. I had a very happy childhood, full of joy, and fun, and laughter, and love. Nothing spectacular in that, except that it was spectacular, to me.
As a teenager, looking back on it, I can see how the more I learned about the world around me, the more my flesh started building. I became more and more interested in what I wanted, with my flesh reacting to that focus on myself. As I tiptoed through my teen years, I was totally unconcerned with anyone affected by my selfish decisions. Alcohol became my courage and I proceeded to drink myself right out of college. God bless my parents; looking out for me, my mom took me out for lunch one day and suggested I join the military. In one of the few moments of clarity in my late teen years, that's exactly what I did.
I rolled into my twenties with new habits, new friends, a new career, and a new false confidence. Out to prove that I knew what I was doing, I chose a career I knew absolutely nothing about, and then made it my life's work to prove that I, a woman, could not just be an aircraft mechanic, but I wanted to be better at it than anyone around me, in every aspect and facet of the job.
I sought acceptance in this new world, no matter what I had to give up to get it... my humility, my self-respect, my softness, my compassion, even my dignity. I took on a hardness, a callousness, that as it developed, it roughed up everyone I came into contact with.
I became a judgemental, manipulative, control-freak.
The persona that I was trying so hard to build left me vulnerable, because it had no firm foundation.
I took on the personality traits of those around me who I saw as "successful", or of people I desired to be like. And believe me... they weren't the positive personality traits. I did it all so I could achieve notoriety and accolades in my career, mistaking my career accomplishments and job performance for my identity.
Sure, there were Christians that I worked with. But anything they said to me fell on deaf ears, because I was so embroiled in my own selfish ambitions that their "Jesus" was offensive and ridiculous to me.
Little did I know, though, they were planting seeds in the parched and cracked soil of my life.
It all came to a head one day, when I realized just what I had accomplished, what I had become:
I was a liar.
I was a thief.
I was a drunk.
I was an adulterer.
I was a murderer.
I would use people for my own personal gain.
I was quick to fly into a slashing rage, I was quick to cut someone down, and I relied on my murderous emotions to get what I wanted. And I had the gall to be proud of that...
I was quick to kill "for God & country", because I hadn't yet realized that I had turned the country I served into an idol; elevated to that status by the monopolizing and deceptive emotions experienced so frequently during wartime.
I needed someone, or something, to save me from myself. Because no matter how fast I ran, no matter how far I went, I couldn't outrun the monster I knew I was.
And Christ found me, hallelujah.
In a slow whirlwind of new friendships, new careers, and new priorities, Christ began His work in my life.
There not has been any instant transformation in my life, like we hear about so often. Learning who God is has slowly revealed more about who I am to Him; and because I'm stubborn, I may or may not have had to learn a few of those lessons numerous times.
Taking time to learn who God is, I was able to shelf the monster in me for a time being. I was able to come to terms with who I am inside, and learn who I have the potential to be; whether in Christ, or not.
I slowly came to understand that no matter what I did to appear 'holy', it was all driven by my selfish desires to appear righteous in front of others, or to try to appease God. And by trying to appear holy, all I was doing was fooling myself, and placing unfair and incorrect judgment on others around me, as if I was the epitome of holiness others should be striving for.
I realized I need Christ, and I need the Cross, in order to deal with the monsters inside. Any and all of my efforts outside the Cross of Christ were useless.
So now, me and God are good! It took me a while to learn that, to fully understand that the person I am is exactly who He created me to be. For me to try to change that, I would basically be taking everything God used to grab hold of me - to show me my own desperate need for Him - and say that it was worthless.
But I cannot stand in who I am alone, relieved that I am saved (Touchdown!); if I am at all interested in what God is doing in this world, in the lives of other people who are just as broken and confused as I was, then I need Him to show me.
He uses His Cross to show me. Using the peace I experienced in knowing that "we are good", the words of Matthew 16:24 came to life, wooing me into a new depth of existence. "All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me."
Christ showed me just how much He accomplishes through the agony of self-sacrifice; His and mine.
"Take up their cross", huh...
What does it look like when I take up my cross?
When I am on the cross, I am deeply interested in other cultures. I no longer see my own culture as the answer to the problems of the world, or as the smartest or most superior culture. I can see how Christ is everywhere, and how he can use other cultures to express Himself. I can see a bigger picture, one that far exceeds the limits of my own imagination.
When I am on the cross, I am interested in, and focused on the ministry of reconciliation, where God no longer counts people's sins against them... so why should I? And, more importantly, who do I think I am that I think I should be the so-called arm of God's judgment?
Being on the cross, in the midst of this ministry of reconciliation, I am now sharing in the compassion of Christ, that I am physically incapable of doing when I'm not on the cross.
When I'm on the cross, my perception changes. I see people, and the world, through the eyes of Christ.
(Side note - I cannot administer justice until I see people this way, either.)
When I'm on the cross, I express patience, I am slow to anger, and I cannot be offended; because it is Christ living through me, and I'm no longer worried about my self-preservation.
When I am on the cross, I am driven into community, because that is what God is doing. No matter what that might look like.
When I am on the cross, I am not afraid. I am not afraid of who God may put in my path, I am not afraid of what's to come, or what's happening now.
When I'm on the cross, it's not just the opposite of what I would do in my flesh, and it's not just reacting differently to what the world throws at me; it's more than that.
I'll give a hypothetical example.
I walk into a room, and inside that room is a man who is wigging out. Totally losing his gourd. My flesh reaction (based on self-preservation) is to leave the room, or take him out. (I might even claim that the safety of anyone else in the room is my primary concern.)
But if I get on my cross, my first reaction is to see this man like Christ sees this man; here is a broken and hurting man, upset about something. Because it is Christ living through me, and I'm no longer worried about my self-preservation anymore, I now have no reason to be afraid of him.
I'm not worried about judging this man for being upset, or angry, or destructive; Christ is the healer, restorer. The expression of Christ in me, the Jesus-Chantal He made me to be, may approach this man with compassionate words that instantly disarm him; words that never would have come from me had I not been on the cross.
Instead of returning fear and hostility with more fear and hostility, Christ applies the balm of compassion and understanding. Disarmed, this man now feels no reason to continue his raging fit. It is then that Christ can apply the therapy this man needs.
There is no blanket answer for what "being on the cross" looks like. It's different for everyone. It's a growth process, a gradual transformation, custom-made for each one of us; and each one of us expresses Christ differently. As Christ consumes each of us, we become a fuller expression of who we're created to be.
All of these, together, express who God is to the world around us: The I AM, the Alpha & the Omega, the Beginning & the End... it is us, in Christ, who fills in that space between.
Every one of us has come to this community from a different place in life, from different cultures, from different countries, from different lifestyles, with different perspectives and experiences. So we'll all look different on our crosses.
By understanding where we've all come from, and who we are with and without Christ, we can further build one another up; we can encourage and strengthen one another in our community, as a community, so that each of us can go to the places we're called to be.
God isn't fully represented by just one culture or by just one people; it takes all of us together to express the fullness of God. And God has called us together, so that we may link arms, hearts and lives; encouraging one another, and standing beside one another, so that we may express the fullness of God to the world we all come in contact with.
As a community that God has put together, we are united in Christ. Shouldn't we know each other? I mean, really know each other?
Paul openly tells us in his letters who he was before his collision with Christ, and he tells us how he can't boast in those things anymore. He tells us he can't boast in those things anymore, because every single one of his accomplishments were from human hands, in order to glorify himself, to draw attention to himself, or to elevate himself in somehow, some way.
I feel the need to open up a bit of my life to you, to let you know who I was, before.
I don't tell you who I was before so I can boast on "how far I've come", I tell you who I was before to let you know that when Christ decided to pull me into His fold, He really had his work cut out for Him!
I tell you who I was before, so you know what it looks like for me to be on the Cross; so that if you notice me slipping, as my brothers and sisters, in the love of Christ that unites us, you can clear your throat, you can give me a nudge, and each of you can help keep me accountable.
Honestly though? Your presence is the biggest help.
How can you do that, though, if you don't know what I look like when I put my flesh to death; if you don't know what me emptying my self looks like? Accountability would seem pointless and powerless, and at worst, can be taken as judgement and attempted control.
So here's the gist of my story:
I was born into a big, loving family; parents devoted to each other and their children. I had a very happy childhood, full of joy, and fun, and laughter, and love. Nothing spectacular in that, except that it was spectacular, to me.
As a teenager, looking back on it, I can see how the more I learned about the world around me, the more my flesh started building. I became more and more interested in what I wanted, with my flesh reacting to that focus on myself. As I tiptoed through my teen years, I was totally unconcerned with anyone affected by my selfish decisions. Alcohol became my courage and I proceeded to drink myself right out of college. God bless my parents; looking out for me, my mom took me out for lunch one day and suggested I join the military. In one of the few moments of clarity in my late teen years, that's exactly what I did.
I rolled into my twenties with new habits, new friends, a new career, and a new false confidence. Out to prove that I knew what I was doing, I chose a career I knew absolutely nothing about, and then made it my life's work to prove that I, a woman, could not just be an aircraft mechanic, but I wanted to be better at it than anyone around me, in every aspect and facet of the job.
I sought acceptance in this new world, no matter what I had to give up to get it... my humility, my self-respect, my softness, my compassion, even my dignity. I took on a hardness, a callousness, that as it developed, it roughed up everyone I came into contact with.
I became a judgemental, manipulative, control-freak.
The persona that I was trying so hard to build left me vulnerable, because it had no firm foundation.
I took on the personality traits of those around me who I saw as "successful", or of people I desired to be like. And believe me... they weren't the positive personality traits. I did it all so I could achieve notoriety and accolades in my career, mistaking my career accomplishments and job performance for my identity.
Sure, there were Christians that I worked with. But anything they said to me fell on deaf ears, because I was so embroiled in my own selfish ambitions that their "Jesus" was offensive and ridiculous to me.
Little did I know, though, they were planting seeds in the parched and cracked soil of my life.
It all came to a head one day, when I realized just what I had accomplished, what I had become:
I was a liar.
I was a thief.
I was a drunk.
I was an adulterer.
I was a murderer.
I would use people for my own personal gain.
I was quick to fly into a slashing rage, I was quick to cut someone down, and I relied on my murderous emotions to get what I wanted. And I had the gall to be proud of that...
I was quick to kill "for God & country", because I hadn't yet realized that I had turned the country I served into an idol; elevated to that status by the monopolizing and deceptive emotions experienced so frequently during wartime.
I needed someone, or something, to save me from myself. Because no matter how fast I ran, no matter how far I went, I couldn't outrun the monster I knew I was.
And Christ found me, hallelujah.
In a slow whirlwind of new friendships, new careers, and new priorities, Christ began His work in my life.
There not has been any instant transformation in my life, like we hear about so often. Learning who God is has slowly revealed more about who I am to Him; and because I'm stubborn, I may or may not have had to learn a few of those lessons numerous times.
Taking time to learn who God is, I was able to shelf the monster in me for a time being. I was able to come to terms with who I am inside, and learn who I have the potential to be; whether in Christ, or not.
I slowly came to understand that no matter what I did to appear 'holy', it was all driven by my selfish desires to appear righteous in front of others, or to try to appease God. And by trying to appear holy, all I was doing was fooling myself, and placing unfair and incorrect judgment on others around me, as if I was the epitome of holiness others should be striving for.
I realized I need Christ, and I need the Cross, in order to deal with the monsters inside. Any and all of my efforts outside the Cross of Christ were useless.
So now, me and God are good! It took me a while to learn that, to fully understand that the person I am is exactly who He created me to be. For me to try to change that, I would basically be taking everything God used to grab hold of me - to show me my own desperate need for Him - and say that it was worthless.
But I cannot stand in who I am alone, relieved that I am saved (Touchdown!); if I am at all interested in what God is doing in this world, in the lives of other people who are just as broken and confused as I was, then I need Him to show me.
He uses His Cross to show me. Using the peace I experienced in knowing that "we are good", the words of Matthew 16:24 came to life, wooing me into a new depth of existence. "All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me."
Christ showed me just how much He accomplishes through the agony of self-sacrifice; His and mine.
"Take up their cross", huh...
What does it look like when I take up my cross?
When I am on the cross, I am deeply interested in other cultures. I no longer see my own culture as the answer to the problems of the world, or as the smartest or most superior culture. I can see how Christ is everywhere, and how he can use other cultures to express Himself. I can see a bigger picture, one that far exceeds the limits of my own imagination.
When I am on the cross, I am interested in, and focused on the ministry of reconciliation, where God no longer counts people's sins against them... so why should I? And, more importantly, who do I think I am that I think I should be the so-called arm of God's judgment?
Being on the cross, in the midst of this ministry of reconciliation, I am now sharing in the compassion of Christ, that I am physically incapable of doing when I'm not on the cross.
When I'm on the cross, my perception changes. I see people, and the world, through the eyes of Christ.
(Side note - I cannot administer justice until I see people this way, either.)
When I'm on the cross, I express patience, I am slow to anger, and I cannot be offended; because it is Christ living through me, and I'm no longer worried about my self-preservation.
When I am on the cross, I am driven into community, because that is what God is doing. No matter what that might look like.
When I am on the cross, I am not afraid. I am not afraid of who God may put in my path, I am not afraid of what's to come, or what's happening now.
When I'm on the cross, it's not just the opposite of what I would do in my flesh, and it's not just reacting differently to what the world throws at me; it's more than that.
I'll give a hypothetical example.
I walk into a room, and inside that room is a man who is wigging out. Totally losing his gourd. My flesh reaction (based on self-preservation) is to leave the room, or take him out. (I might even claim that the safety of anyone else in the room is my primary concern.)
But if I get on my cross, my first reaction is to see this man like Christ sees this man; here is a broken and hurting man, upset about something. Because it is Christ living through me, and I'm no longer worried about my self-preservation anymore, I now have no reason to be afraid of him.
I'm not worried about judging this man for being upset, or angry, or destructive; Christ is the healer, restorer. The expression of Christ in me, the Jesus-Chantal He made me to be, may approach this man with compassionate words that instantly disarm him; words that never would have come from me had I not been on the cross.
Instead of returning fear and hostility with more fear and hostility, Christ applies the balm of compassion and understanding. Disarmed, this man now feels no reason to continue his raging fit. It is then that Christ can apply the therapy this man needs.
There is no blanket answer for what "being on the cross" looks like. It's different for everyone. It's a growth process, a gradual transformation, custom-made for each one of us; and each one of us expresses Christ differently. As Christ consumes each of us, we become a fuller expression of who we're created to be.
All of these, together, express who God is to the world around us: The I AM, the Alpha & the Omega, the Beginning & the End... it is us, in Christ, who fills in that space between.
Every one of us has come to this community from a different place in life, from different cultures, from different countries, from different lifestyles, with different perspectives and experiences. So we'll all look different on our crosses.
By understanding where we've all come from, and who we are with and without Christ, we can further build one another up; we can encourage and strengthen one another in our community, as a community, so that each of us can go to the places we're called to be.
God isn't fully represented by just one culture or by just one people; it takes all of us together to express the fullness of God. And God has called us together, so that we may link arms, hearts and lives; encouraging one another, and standing beside one another, so that we may express the fullness of God to the world we all come in contact with.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Kingdoms
Kingdoms come, kingdoms go,
Ebbing and flowing in human control;
Tiny or mighty, warring or pure,
Can we ever be sure of intentions?
"Spreading" or "building", dominating by might,
Painting portraits of hostile takeovers;
Using only the black of our hearts,
We fill in the color-by-number.
Focused only on outward actions and appearances,
Using words to bludgeon into conformity;
Omitting "freedom" and "choice" from the grace that is preached;
Leaving no room for faith at God's pace.
We build kingdoms by our self-exaltation,
Leaving strewn bodies and our humility in our wake.
We offend, we castrate, we amputate;
Leaving no room for questions, no safety.
We compare instead of communicate;
We serve only to elevate ourselves,
(Even if it's in our own minds.)
Our personal ascent leaves no room for Love.
The Cross that we carry,
The Cross that we claim,
Isn't to be used on each other.
In one breath, through the grace we don't understand,
Our perspective is changed forever.
A new kingdom is ushered in...
By death.
Shaken and broken at our error,
Suddenly aware of our nakedness;
So far from holy, a chasm
That can only be bridged by a savior.
The cross that we wielded as a weapon
Turns and impales us into a new dimension,
Where our eyes being opened
Has silenced the noise from our selfish lips.
Love sticks His foot in the door of our preconceived notions,
Compassion pours from our wounds;
And even if it's just a few convicting moments,
We can experience the Truth of the Kingdom Unseen.
Ebbing and flowing in human control;
Tiny or mighty, warring or pure,
Can we ever be sure of intentions?
"Spreading" or "building", dominating by might,
Painting portraits of hostile takeovers;
Using only the black of our hearts,
We fill in the color-by-number.
Focused only on outward actions and appearances,
Using words to bludgeon into conformity;
Omitting "freedom" and "choice" from the grace that is preached;
Leaving no room for faith at God's pace.
We build kingdoms by our self-exaltation,
Leaving strewn bodies and our humility in our wake.
We offend, we castrate, we amputate;
Leaving no room for questions, no safety.
We compare instead of communicate;
We serve only to elevate ourselves,
(Even if it's in our own minds.)
Our personal ascent leaves no room for Love.
The Cross that we carry,
The Cross that we claim,
Isn't to be used on each other.
In one breath, through the grace we don't understand,
Our perspective is changed forever.
A new kingdom is ushered in...
By death.
Shaken and broken at our error,
Suddenly aware of our nakedness;
So far from holy, a chasm
That can only be bridged by a savior.
The cross that we wielded as a weapon
Turns and impales us into a new dimension,
Where our eyes being opened
Has silenced the noise from our selfish lips.
Love sticks His foot in the door of our preconceived notions,
Compassion pours from our wounds;
And even if it's just a few convicting moments,
We can experience the Truth of the Kingdom Unseen.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Body
What is a body, that You'd give it to us?
We can't repair it; we can't even operate it on our own.
A body. That lives, and moves, and breathes, and thinks...
...organs, and blood, and electricity, and hormones, and flesh all work together, on Your command?
That You'd give us these bodies, and life we can't understand, but connect them together, to You?
To know You've woven life and body together; that one can leave and one can stay...
Why the cruel irony?
To show that the life You breathe into us all cannot be duplicated by man or machine?
To show how dependent we all are on the proper flow of blood?
To show the purpose of each part, and reliance upon the others?
For us to be given this body, and to live to destroy it in the name of freedom and choice, or live to preserve it by the same names...
But watch it decay anyways.
All we have is this moment.
The mercy of the moment: to have the last moment and recognize it as such, to see the next moment, or to be removed from the worry of moments.
The heart keeps beating despite it breaking; a beat we can't control, a beat we'd screw up if we tried.
Then we see the connection, how we think this life is tied to this body we've been given. Though, at the end of it all, which one leaves first?
How many prayers for mercy; how much can the body without life endure?
Once thought to be signs of life, autonomic responses become evidence of the separation; we begin to see clearer and clearer the body and life as two, but so closely knit together...
... that the two makes You, makes me, makes we.
We can't repair it; we can't even operate it on our own.
A body. That lives, and moves, and breathes, and thinks...
...organs, and blood, and electricity, and hormones, and flesh all work together, on Your command?
That You'd give us these bodies, and life we can't understand, but connect them together, to You?
To know You've woven life and body together; that one can leave and one can stay...
Why the cruel irony?
To show that the life You breathe into us all cannot be duplicated by man or machine?
To show how dependent we all are on the proper flow of blood?
To show the purpose of each part, and reliance upon the others?
For us to be given this body, and to live to destroy it in the name of freedom and choice, or live to preserve it by the same names...
But watch it decay anyways.
All we have is this moment.
The mercy of the moment: to have the last moment and recognize it as such, to see the next moment, or to be removed from the worry of moments.
The heart keeps beating despite it breaking; a beat we can't control, a beat we'd screw up if we tried.
Then we see the connection, how we think this life is tied to this body we've been given. Though, at the end of it all, which one leaves first?
How many prayers for mercy; how much can the body without life endure?
Once thought to be signs of life, autonomic responses become evidence of the separation; we begin to see clearer and clearer the body and life as two, but so closely knit together...
... that the two makes You, makes me, makes we.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Thief on a cross
Here we are.
Tried and convicted to death.
Fully knowing the depth of or shortfalls, our failures, or brokenness... our humanity.
Crucified. Together.
Taking the physical punishment demanded of our flesh.
But we are not alone.
A King hangs between us, sharing in the physical agony we endure.
He knows our pain, as we all share in this suffering, together.
He mediates for our sake; to God, to one another.
Who would've thought that community would, or could, be modeled like this.
Shallow
The shallowness of our religion is openly displayed in the depth, or lack thereof, of our interaction with our communities.
If we can't articulate our own relationship with the Almighty, how are we supposed to think that we'll be effective in any way sharing that with a world who doesn't know Him?
Unless we don't really have that relationship, and we're just riding on the coattails of those who do...
The world can smell our in-authenticity.
If you show up with a hummer limo, a fellow blogger, and your beautiful and perfect family in the middle of a city, claiming that you're going to "bless some homeless guys today", then all you do is clean them up, give a haircut and a shave, buy some clothes and food, and tell them in the back of the limo that "homelessness isn't God's plan for you", congratulations.
You get a gold star on your get-to-heaven-checklist; you did a major good work to bless someone.
Here's what you did:
You addressed the immediate need in someones life, you provided a service they were unable to provide for themselves. Hell, they may have even enjoyed themselves for a little while.
You also may have insulted them, talking about 'how good God is' to you, but what about the man you just pulled off the street? Might as well tell him that God doesn't love him, because he lives on the streets. You've successfully associated God's love with materialism, and nothing could be further from the Truth.
Here's what you didn't do:
You didn't ask him to tell his story. You didn't ask how, or even if, God was doing something in his life; you didn't even ask if he knows God.
You failed to address God's sovereignty in this man's life. Maybe living as a homeless person is part of God's plan for their life. (But you'd have to ask God to know this, and listen to Him tell you that.) Maybe, just maybe, God is developing a faith in them to do something unimaginable to you... after all, Christ had no roof over His head, and he sure didn't drive around all the places he went in a hummer limo.
You failed to look for the reason(s) behind this man's lack of shelter. But that would require engagement on a more personal level; that would require a relationship, and that would require admitting that people actually live in an existence far different than yours.
You failed to 'teach a man to fish'. You've given him something to eat, but not equipped him with a way to get more food on his own. Again, that would require doing something that takes time, mental effort, and compassion.
What happens to this man when you're done with your good deed for the day?
You drop him off, right where you found him. He adds the 2 bags of new clothes to his meager possessions, which he rummages through to find another hat, since now his hair is gone.
How is any of this good?? How is this sharing a kingdom which counters the existence they live in?
You might feel good about yourself; you might even admit it.
The deeper we are in relationship with God, the more He gives us His heart for humanity. This is God's kingdom.
"Loving" goes farther than just feeding and clothing; it implies interest in the well-being of your neighbor, the person closest to you.
"Loving" implies concern for the total well-being - physical, mental and spiritual.
If we're only addressing one of those needs, then it is we who are falling short.
If we can't articulate our own relationship with the Almighty, how are we supposed to think that we'll be effective in any way sharing that with a world who doesn't know Him?
Unless we don't really have that relationship, and we're just riding on the coattails of those who do...
The world can smell our in-authenticity.
If you show up with a hummer limo, a fellow blogger, and your beautiful and perfect family in the middle of a city, claiming that you're going to "bless some homeless guys today", then all you do is clean them up, give a haircut and a shave, buy some clothes and food, and tell them in the back of the limo that "homelessness isn't God's plan for you", congratulations.
You get a gold star on your get-to-heaven-checklist; you did a major good work to bless someone.
Here's what you did:
You addressed the immediate need in someones life, you provided a service they were unable to provide for themselves. Hell, they may have even enjoyed themselves for a little while.
You also may have insulted them, talking about 'how good God is' to you, but what about the man you just pulled off the street? Might as well tell him that God doesn't love him, because he lives on the streets. You've successfully associated God's love with materialism, and nothing could be further from the Truth.
Here's what you didn't do:
You didn't ask him to tell his story. You didn't ask how, or even if, God was doing something in his life; you didn't even ask if he knows God.
You failed to address God's sovereignty in this man's life. Maybe living as a homeless person is part of God's plan for their life. (But you'd have to ask God to know this, and listen to Him tell you that.) Maybe, just maybe, God is developing a faith in them to do something unimaginable to you... after all, Christ had no roof over His head, and he sure didn't drive around all the places he went in a hummer limo.
You failed to look for the reason(s) behind this man's lack of shelter. But that would require engagement on a more personal level; that would require a relationship, and that would require admitting that people actually live in an existence far different than yours.
You failed to 'teach a man to fish'. You've given him something to eat, but not equipped him with a way to get more food on his own. Again, that would require doing something that takes time, mental effort, and compassion.
What happens to this man when you're done with your good deed for the day?
You drop him off, right where you found him. He adds the 2 bags of new clothes to his meager possessions, which he rummages through to find another hat, since now his hair is gone.
How is any of this good?? How is this sharing a kingdom which counters the existence they live in?
You might feel good about yourself; you might even admit it.
The deeper we are in relationship with God, the more He gives us His heart for humanity. This is God's kingdom.
"Loving" goes farther than just feeding and clothing; it implies interest in the well-being of your neighbor, the person closest to you.
"Loving" implies concern for the total well-being - physical, mental and spiritual.
If we're only addressing one of those needs, then it is we who are falling short.
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