Words from an Apache Chief

This speech really touched me. If you want to know the context and the story within which this speech falls, you’ll have to read the book... :) From pgs 209 & 210. (Photo of a local Japanese garden, from the internet.)
* * * * *
Cochise replied in a quiet voice, seldom gesturing: "The sun has been very hot on my head and made me as in a fire; my blood was on fire, but now I have come into this valley and drunk of these waters and washed myself in them and they have cooled me. Now that I am cool I have come with my hands open to you to live in peace with you. I speak straight and do not wish to deceive or be deceived. I want a good, strong and lasting peace. When God made the world he gave one part to the white man and another to the Apache. Why was it? Why did they come together? Now that I am to speak, the sun, the moon, the earth, the air, the waters, the birds and beasts, even the children unborn shall rejoice at my words. The white people have looked for me long. I am here! What do they want? They have looked for me long; why am I worth so much? If I am worth so much why not mark where I set my foot and look when I spit? The coyotes go about at night to rob and kill; I cannot see them; I am not God. I am no longer chief of all the Apaches. I am no longer rich; I am but a poor man. The world was not always this way. God made us not as you; we were born like the animals, in the dry grass, not on beds like you. This is why we do as the animals, go about at night and rob and steal. If I had such things as you have, I would not do as I do, for then I would not need to do so. There are Indians who go about killing and robbing. I do not command them. If I did, they would not do so. My warriors have been killed in Sonora. I came in here because God told me to do so. He said it was good to be at peace—so I came! I was going around the world with the clouds, and the air, when God spoke to my thoughts and told me to come in here and be at peace with all. He said the world was for us all; how was it?

"When I was young I walked all over this country, east and west, and saw no other people than the Apaches. After many summers I walked again and found another race of people had come to take it. How is it? Why is it that the Apaches wait to die—that they carry their lives on their fingernails. They roam over the hills and plains and want the heavens to fall on them. The Apaches were once a great nation; they are now but few, and because of this they want to die and so carry their lives on their fingernails. Many have been killed in battle. You must speak straight so that your words may go as sunlight to our hearts. Tell me, if the Virgin Mary has walked throughout all the land, why has she never entered the wickiups of the Apaches? Why have we never seen or heard her?

"I have no father nor mother; I am alone in the world. No one cares for Cochise; that is why I do not care to live, and wish the rocks to fall on me and cover me up. If I had a father and mother like you, I would be with them and they with me. When I was going around the world, all were asking for Cochise. Now he is here—you see him and hear him—are you glad? If so, say so. Speak, Americans and Mexicans, I do not wish to hide anything from you nor have you hide anything from me; I will not lie to you; do not lie to me."

Shining Lights

Every once in a while, someone in the book would stand out as a bright and shining light of love and kindness towards the Native Americans. My heart always lept with joy and relief when they made an appearance on the pages. This excerpt comes from page 206. Everything in parenthesis are my own clarifications.

* * * * *

In June, 1871, General George Crook arrived at Tucson to take command of the Department of Arizona. A few weeks later Vincent Colyer, a special representative of the Indian Bureau, arrived at Camp Grant. Both men were keenly interested in arranging a meeting with the leading Apache chiefs, especially Cochise. (An Apache Chief whose trust had been betrayed and people attacked by white men, and who had succeeded in staying hidden from them in spite of many determined efforts on their part to find him.)

Colyer first met with Eskiminzin (another Chief) in hopes of persuading him to return to his peaceful ways. Eskiminzin came down out of the mountains and said he would be glad to talk peace with Commissioner Colyer, "The commissioner probably thought he would see a great captain," Eskiminzin remarked quietly, "but he only sees a very poor man and not very much of a captain. If the commissioner had seen me about three moons ago he would have seen me a captain. Then I had many people, but many have been massacred. Now I have got few people. Ever since I left this place, I have been nearby. I knew I had friends here but I was afraid to come back. I never had much to say, but this I can say, I like this place. I have said all I ought to say, since I have few people anywhere to speak for. If it had not been for the massacre, there would have been a great many more people here now; but after that massacre who could have stood it? When I made peace with Lieutenant Whitman my heart was very big and happy. The people of Tucson and San Xavier must be crazy. They acted as though they had neither heads nor hearts . . .they must have a thirst for our blood. ... These Tucson people write for the papers and tell their own story. The Apaches have no one to tell their story."

Colyer promised to tell the Apaches' story to the Great Father (the President) and to the white people who had never heard of it.

"I think it must have been God who gave you a good heart to come and see us, or you must have had a good father and mother to make you so kind."

"It was God," Colyer declared.

(photo from an email)

An All-too-real Reality

As I was reading the book, this same thing happened over and over again. It wasn't until page 405 that I came across a paragraph that summarized quite well what I'd been noticing through so many of the chapters and which filled my heart with disgust and sorrow...

"It is too often the case that border newspapers...disseminate all sorts of exaggerations and falsehoods about the Indians, which are copied in papers of high character and wide circulation, in other parts of the country, in which the Indians' side of the case is rarely ever heard. In this way the people at large get false ideas with reference to the matter. Then when the outbreak does come, public attention is turned to the Indians, their crimes and atrocities are alone condemned, while the persons whose injustice has driven them to this course escape scot-free and are the loudest in their denunciations. No one knows this fact better than the Indian, therefore he is excusable in seeing no justice in a government which only punishes him, while it allows the white man to plunder him as he pleases." -General Crook (known to the Native Americans as "Gray Wolf")

So What Happened??

I just finished reading "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown. The entire book was beautiful, sad and gut-wrenching, and I couldn't put it down. I'm going to share a few excerpts on this blog. My great-great grandfather was Native American, but I don't know which tribe, because my family never talked about it, and now the people who did know no longer walk this earth. Someday I'll find out, though.

* * * * *

"So tractable, so peaceable, are these people," Columbus wrote to the King and Queen of Spain (speaking of the Native Americans), "that I swear to your Majesties there is not in the world a better nation. They love their neighbors as themselves, and their discourse is ever sweet and gentle, and accompanied with a smile; and though it is true that they are naked, yet their manners are decorous and praiseworthy."

(chapter 1, pg 1. Photo from an email.)

Cathedrals and Invisible Women

I've never been to the Sistine Chapel, and God only knows if I'll ever be able to go, but when I saw THIS, my heart rejoiced and marveled at the wonders of the electronic age. And, it goes perfectly with the following text, which I've received as an email several times now, and have printed out to keep forever in my keepsakes box:

A Tribute to Invisible Women

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible -- "The Invisible Mom."

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated college - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, and she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that wasclean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: '…with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life.. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my daughter to tell the friend she's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want her to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to her friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

God's V-Day!

One Of the most decisive battles of World War II--and perhaps of the century--was the Normandy Invasion of June 6, 1944­. On D-Day the outcome of the war was at stake. If the Nazi army could have driven the invading Allies back into the sea, victory for Hitler and the Third Reich would have been assured. But if the Allied forces could establish a beachhead at Normandy, their triumph in the war would be virtually inevitable. It would take nearly a year of bloody fighting, mis­erable conditions, and the deaths of tens of thousands of Allied soldiers—but victory did come. V-Day followed D-Day.

The cosmic battle between God and demonic forces also had its D-Day, and will have its V-Day. When the God-Man hung on the cross, all the dark forces of the universe zeroed in on him. At the D-Day of Calvary, God had become vulnerable, and the dark forces knew it. If there was ever a time when darkness could extinguish the light of the world, it would be then, when Jesus had allowed himself in love to be the victim of sin and injustice. And when that horrendous Friday was over, it did indeed appear that the demonic forces had triumphed.

Yet the third day witnessed a coup when Jesus broke the power of sin and death with his resurrection. This D-Day triumph ensured that, in the end, he would subdue all rebellious principalities and powers and establish his unchallenged rule over all and everything.

The D-Day victory of Jesus' resurrection by no means meant there would be no more suffering1. There would be plagues and AIDS, famine and cancer, deliberate evil and accidental tragedies, massive Holocausts and personal anguish. The list of horrors would be long—but it would not be endless. For God's D-Day meant that V-Day would come. Guaranteed.

And that V-Day will be the Second Coming.

Although the Second Coming is a certainty—Christ will return, and the kingdoms of this world will then become the toward, that is in fact the very goal of history—a kingdom that will be realized at Christ's physical return.

In short, this is what the Second Coming of Jesus is all about: ultimate hope...the fulfillment of all our dreams...the realization of every Utopian expectation.

The Second Coming is not a threat, but a promise. It was given to us that we might have hope. It is intended to be good news for all who have joined with God to struggle against the evils of this world. To those who work for peace, the Second Coming is assurance that their labors are not in vain, and that one day peace will reign. To those who strive to eliminate poverty, the Second Coming means the day is coming when the hungry will be fed, the naked clothed, and the homeless housed. To those who strive to save the environment, the Second Coming is the promise and expectation that God will create a new heaven and a new earth, and that people will not hurt the earth any more. The Second Coming affirms that all the good that is hoped for will be realized. Perhaps not soon, but inevitably.

* * * * *

(Excerpt from "Adventures in Missing the Point" by Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo. Photo from the Internet.)

Converting People Away from God's Purposes?

If our theologies make us focus only on the eternal and the individ­ual (i.e., getting my soul into heaven) so that we avoid God's concern for the historic and the global (i.e., God's will being done on earth as well as in heaven), then the more people we win over to our theologies, the fewer people will care about God's world here and now.

The more converts we make, the worse the world will become.

If God really cares about justice in this world here and now, and if we are converting people away from that concern, then we are working against God. We could inadvertently become enemies of God's wishes.

Does this possibility frighten you? Do you dismiss it too quickly?

One of the toughest challenges we face, I believe, is to discover an understanding of the gospel that comprises historic and the eternal, individual and the global. The phrase kingdom of God, I believe, was Jesus' image intended to bring the historic, eternal, individual, and global together. May God help us to seek God's kingdom in all of its dimensions.

(From "Adventures in Missing the Point." This part was written by Brian McLaren. Photo from the internet. I would love to have a greenhouse like that someday...)

Pressing Toward the Kingdom

We are all flawed people, and only a face-to-face encounter with the eschatological Christ can make us into kingdom people. And without kingdom people, there is no kingdom—as John Milton wrote in Paradise Lost, "The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Hell of Heaven and a Heaven of Hell." The conversion of individuals is indeed a prerequisite to the coming of the kingdom of God on earth.

Still, in the meantime we should be committed to pressing toward this kingdom—toward becoming what Jesus is calling us to be (Philippians 3:I3"I4)- Remember; the whole creation is waiting for us to be instruments of God, through which it will be delivered from its present tragic condition (Romans 8:l8­)

So this is the tension: granted, we will not be like Christ until we are with him at his coming—yet we must daily press toward that goal, socially and civically as much as personally and spiritually. We may not be able to create the kingdom of God in its fullness prior to his return, yet we are nonetheless called by God to work toward that end.

Think of this tension this way. You are in France, and it is early 1944- Most of the country is occupied by the Nazi army. The Resistance is sabotaging German operations here and there, enough to disrupt and distract, but never enough to actually drive Hitler's forces out of France. What rifles and explosives have been smuggled to the Underground are nothing compared to the artillery and tanks of the Wehrmacht.

Looking only at the continent, seeing only a handful of ragged saboteurs armed with little more than determination and a willingness to die for their country—knowing only this, you would have no idea that at that moment across the English Channel, there was being assembled, the most massive invasion force in human history. And that within only a few months, the signal would be given to launch that force. And that shortly after that, Allied soldiers would finish what the French Resistance had started, and drive the Nazis out of France once and for all.

So it will be with God's people. Even as you and I struggle to take very small steps in creating the kingdom of God in the here and now, a huge invasion force is being gathered beyond the clouds. And, at an unexpected moment in history, a trumpet will sound, and Jesus will return with a mighty army to overthrow the evils of this present age. On that day Jesus will join our limited efforts and carry us to victory (Ephesians I:l8-22). Then justice will roll down like a mighty flood, and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our God, and God shall reign forever and ever.

* * * * *

(Hallelujah!! This is an excerpt from "Adventures in Missing the Point" by Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo. Photo from the Internet.)

The One Thing

"Let's get one thing straight: the One Thing. The one certainty against which all our theologies are guesswork. 'This one thing I know,' the apostle Paul wrote: Jesus, and how his crucifixion delivered us from sin, and how his resurrection assures us of eternal life. I believe these are unquestionable absolutes for all Christians—and perhaps the only absolutes. In the end, God's truth is not a theology, but a person. Our faith is not about Jesus Christ, not based on Jesus Christ—it is Jesus Christ."

(From "Adventures in Missing the Point" by Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo.
Photo from the Internet.)

A Fresh Perspective

"Salvation doesn't mean slitting Roman throats and getting power. Salvation means being liberated from the cycle of violence, liberated from the need to be in power. God wants to save you from your present life of hatred and fear, and instead reconnect you with God's original plan for the descendents of Abraham. Even as an oppressed people, you can be a blessing. Instead of slitting a Roman soldier's throat, carry his pack for him. Instead of cursing him, pray for him. I am here to save you from the whole system of insult and revenge—not by giving you politi­cal victory (as you wish I would), and not by telling you to give up on this life and instead focus on salvation from hell after this life (as some people are going to do in my name)—but by giving you permission to start your participation in God's mission right now, right where you are, even as an oppressed people. The opportunity to start living in this new and better way is avail­able to you right now: The Kingdom of God is at hand!" (Jesus)

From "Adventures in Missing the Point" by Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

(My Mom says this is the prayer of her life. It is the prayer of my life as well)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury,pardon;where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen

Fred's Post About Kindness

I have taped this post of Fred's (Flying Embers) to my fridge in hopes that every member of my family will read it and be changed by it:

I was reading a chapter on kindness in a book called The Royal Path of Life.I think he did a good job on this fruit of the Spirit; such a simple and basic Christian character, but oh so difficult.

“He who neglects the trifles, yet boasts that when ever a great sacrifice is called for, he shall be ready to make it, will rarely be loved. The likelihood is he will not make it; and if he does, it will be much rather for his own sake than for his neighbors.

Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles, and kindnesses, and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart, and secure comfort. Give no pain. Breathe not a sentiment, say not a word, and give not the expression of the countenance that will offend another, or send a thrill of pain to his bosom.

We are surrounded by sensitive hearts, which a word or look even, might fill to the brim with sorrow. If you are careless of the opinions of others, remember that they are differently constituted from yourself.

Many will lose the opportunity of saying a kind thing by waiting to weigh the matter too long. Our best impulses are too delicate to endure much handling. If we fail to give them expression the moment they rise, they effervesce, evaporate, and are gone.

Speak promptly when you feel kindly.Deal gently with the stranger. Remember the severed cord of affection, still bleeding, and beware not to wound by a thoughtless act, or a careless word.”

Of course this advice is so important in rearing children and a building a happy marriage as well as good counsel for the stranger.

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Photo from the internet

Prayers I don't want to forget

Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort

At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships

So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,

So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears

To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,

So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and

To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

To believe that you can make a difference in the world,

So that you can do what others claim cannot be done

To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen

* * * * *
Celtic Prayer

The vitality of God be mine this day,
the vitality of the God of life.

The passion of Christ be mine this day,
the passion of the Christ of love.

The wakefulness of the Spirit be mine this day,
the wakefulness of the Spirit of justice.

The vitality and passion and wakefulness of God be mine,that I may be fully alive this day.
The vitality and passion and wakefulness of God, that I may be fully alive.

* * * * *



Copied from "Crowbar Massage." I've had the opportunity to share both of these beautiful prayers with several people in several different formats. It has provided food for thought, prayer and meditation. I'm going to tape them to my fridge alongside a few posts from "Flying Embers."

And in this.

In my search to understand Jesus and his message, as I began peeling back the layers of theology and history, seeking to find the core of Jesus’ message, I increasingly realized that at the heart of everything there is a story, a deep and grand story. Some might call it a myth, and others might call it factual history. Either way, it is a story that gave meaning and shape to life. It was the story Jesus found himself in. Central to the story are seven characters: God, Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Moses, and David.

God is the central character in the story right from the moment of creation—"in the beginning" (Genesis 1:1). From the start, God gives creation a fertile goodness, a precious independ­ence, a life of its own, a certain creative freedom—the signature of the good, free, and creative Being who could say, "Let there be light!" and light would be. But creation is never understood as being completely independent of God, for God would always continue to care for creation and interact with it, not from a dis­tance but up close and intimately, not just as an observer but also as a relational participant. In other words, creation would have its own story, but God would always play a role in that story—the role of a good and wise king, with creation as God's domain.

(From the book “The Secret Message of Jesus” by Brian McLaren - Pages 26 & 27)

(Photo from the internet; the photo in the previous post was from an email I received)

My spirit feels at home in this, too...

Much about [Jesus’] message is frustratingly unclear and impos­sible to categorize, but this much is clear - this carpenter's son from Galilee challenges every existing political movement to a radical rethinking and dares everyone to imagine and consider his revolutionary alternative.

What is that alternative? It is to see, seek, receive, and enter a new political and social and spiritual reality he calls the king­dom (or empire) of God, or the kingdom (or empire) of heaven.4 This kingdom throws down a direct challenge to the supremacy of the empire of Caesar centered in Rome, for in the kingdom of God, the ultimate authority is not Caesar but rather the Creator. And you find your identity—your citizenship—not in Rome but rather in a spiritual realm, in the presence of God (which is what heaven means,- the idea of chubby angels playing harps on clouds is pop mythology rather than thoughtful theology. More on this in chapter 20).

If you are part of this kingdom, you won't slit Roman throats like the Zealots. Instead, if a Roman soldier backhands you with a blow to the right cheek, you'll turn the other in a kind of non­violent and transcendent countermove. If a soldier forces you to carry his pack for one mile, you'll carry it a second mile as an expression of your own benevolent free will; you choose a higher option, one above either passive submission or active retaliation. If you are part of this kingdom, you won't curse and damn the notorious sinners and scoundrels to hell,- instead, you'll interact with them gently and kindly, refusing to judge, even inviting them to your parties and treating them as neighbors—being less afraid of their polluting influence on you than you are hopeful about your possible healing and ennobling influence on them.

If you're part of this kingdom, you won't be blindly patriotic and compliant like the Herodians and their allies, the Sadducees, ­instead, you'll be willing to confront injustice, even at the cost of your life. You won't nestle snugly into the status quo, but you'll seek to undermine the way things are to welcome the way things could and should be.

If you're part of this kingdom, you begin to live in a way that some will say is stupid and naive. (Turning the other cheek? Walking the second mile? Defeating violence with forgiveness, sacrifice, and love? Come on! Get reall) But others might see in your way of life the courageous and wild hope that could heal and transform the world.

("The Secret Message of Jesus" by Brian McLaren, Pgs 17 & 18)

My spirit feels at home in this...

So I've been on a journey, a search. You might call it a jour­ney of doubt, because I've doubted some conventional under­standings of Jesus and his message. You might also call it a journey of faith, because my quest emerges from deep convic­tion that whatever the essential meaning of Jesus' message is, it's true and worth knowing—that even if it overturns some of our conventional assumptions, priorities, values, and practices, a bet­ter understanding will be worth the temporary discomfort.

A lot of people say, "It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you're sincere." They're partly right: sincerity is a precious thing, and arguments about who has the correct beliefs have too often led to arrogance, ugly arguments, and even violence. But believ­ing untrue things, however sincerely, can have its own unintended consequences.

For example, try believing that God will be pleased if you fly an airplane into a tall building, that you can get away with embez­zling funds, that you have a personal exemption from sexual pro­priety, or that your race or religion makes you superior to members of other races or religions. You will become someone nobody respects, including (eventually) you.

But seeking to believe what is true—seeking to see things as closely as possible to the way they really are, seeking to be faith­ful to what is and was and will be—puts you increasingly in touch with reality and helps you become a wise and good person. It can also make life a lot more meaningful, and enjoyable. For example, if you have a huge inheritance in the bank and don't believe it, or if somebody really loves you and you don't believe it, you're miss­ing out on a lot, right? Having truer beliefs—beliefs more aligned with reality—makes all the difference.

(From the book "The Secret Message of Jesus" by Brian McLaren, pgs 7 & 8)

(Photo by Katrena, of a California beach)

Incredible Story!

This is an email that was sent to me by a friend of mine. It’s not her own story, but a story that was emailed to her. It sounds familiar to me. God has spoken to me in the same way that He spoke to the woman who wrote this. When I was reading it, I felt like I was right there with her.

* * * * *

April 1, 2009

Dear new friends,

Last month, I had the life-changing privilege of traveling with Luci, Marilyn and Mary to Rwanda. The World Vision team tried to prepare us for the heartbreak we would surely experience in this war-torn country and, specifically, when visiting the Genocide Memorial Museum.

Nothing could have prepared us for what we saw and heard and read that day at the museum. At the end of the tour, I went off by myself to walk in the memorial gardens to reflect and talk to God. I came across a beautiful, unique flower I have never seen in America. I said, “God, I feel like I can worship the Creator of this beautiful flower, and I feel like I can worship Jesus...but, honestly, I’m having a really hard time worshiping the God who would allow this kind of suffering to take place in His world.”

As I was walking in the garden, ruminating on my many questions, I sat down on a step and began to weep. Then, all I could do was whisper the name of Jesus, and (from somewhere beyond my consciousness) I began to hum a tune and then I couldn’t help but sing the words out loud...”Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know. Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go.”

I thought, “What a strangely happy song to be singing at a time like this. I don’t remember singing this hymn in decades. What is God trying to tell me? What are the rest of the words?” Then I began singing, “And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own.” I couldn’t remember the rest of the words. But then it dawned on me what the name of the hymn was...“In the Garden.”

I felt like God answered me, but not in the way I would have expected or even chosen. I felt like He was saying, “I can’t answer your question in a way you can understand. But I will let you know I have heard your cry and your questions...and My answer is My presence in the middle of the mystery.”

I still have questions as I look around our own country. But maybe when our minds start getting muddled in the mystery, we can remember that there are still gardens in our lives, that He walks with us and He talks with us and we can feel at peace about trusting Him with our finite understanding.

(Photo by Katrena, owner of the blog "My Father's Beautiful World")

Passover Communion

As you remember, the Passover was a way of recalling the old covenant, when God's judgment passed over the people and they were saved because the blood of a lamb was marking their doors (see Exodus 12). Now, in the upper room, Jesus established a new covenant, a new agreement to save people through the shedding of his own blood: "After supper he took another cup of wine and said, 'This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you—-an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you'" (Luke 22:20).

The old covenant (or testament) is completed; the new covenant (or testament) is here. It's because of this meal that the Bible has two parts, two testaments. The old covenant has run its course, and now God's new covenant is to save us through the poured-out blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus of Nazareth.

I think the key to fathoming Jesus's meaning lies in that little word my. When Jesus says, "This is my body" and "This is my blood," he's recasting the whole story. The disciples would never have associated the bread and wine with Jesus but rather with the sacrificial lamb. So when he says "my body" and "my blood," it's as if he's saying, "You always thought this meal was about remembering the Passover lamb and the deliverance of God. Well, guess what? That was just the first half of the movie. Now the tables are turned. From now on it's about remembering me and the sacrifice of God."

Whiplash.

Jesus is the Lamb of God, the one they'd been waiting for, the one centuries of sacrifices had been pointing toward. And now he was talking about being killed. Nothing was as it seemed. The deliverer of the ages was feeding these twelve guys God's new agreement, and they remained
c lueless. The entire Old Testament had been foreshadowing this night, and none of his disciples even realized it.

This meal was Jesus's way of integrating his life with all the Old Testament promises. As Jesus said during his famous Sermon on the Mount, "Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama" (Matthew 5:17 Message). The ancient echoes were all about him.

Through his brokenness and death, hope would finally become tangi­ble and real—as real as a warm loaf of bread or a cup of sparkling wine.

from the book Story, by Steven James, pgs 126 & 127

Mystery

mystery of mysteries,
truth of all truths,
finder of the lost,

here i am.
unriddle me.

* * * * *

Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. - (I Corinthians 1:24 The Message)

I used to think 1 knew Jesus because I knew about him. But knowing someone's resume and being someone's brother are two completely different things. I found that out after I met Jesus for myself.

If you can make sense of Jesus, explain him, define him, or make him sound reasonable, my guess is you've never actually met him. After all, his closest friends didn't understand him, the religious rulers thought he was possessed by demons, and his own family thought he'd gone insane. No one knew what to make of this man of mystery. I guess that's what happens when God dresses in skin, when heaven's wisdom speaks human words.

The greatest mystery of Christianity isn't that God loves us; nearly every religion would tell you that much. The greatest mystery is that God actually became one of us: "Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ appeared in the flesh and was shown to be righteous by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and was announced to the nations. He was believed on in the world and was taken up into Heaven" (1 Timothy 3:16)

In Colossians 2:2-3 Paul calls Jesus, "the mystery of God... in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (NIV).

Jesus is a holy conundrum. A living enigma. A mystery. He was born helpless and yet almighty, temporal and yet eternal, human and yet divine. He grew to become a carpenter who was wildly meek, quietly loud, I furiously patient, humbly proud. He was the bringer of both peace and a sword, of both clarity and confusion, of both judgment and pardon.

i don't name you, you name me.
i don't understand you, you understand me.
and the paradox of this love is that you uncover me
as you unveil yourself.

the mystery of this discovery swallows all of who i am.
that's the essence of faith.
if i could understand faith it would cease to be faith.
i only know the mystery
because the mystery knows me.

Jesus was too normal-looking to arouse suspicion. He didn't stick out in a crowd. In fact, Judas had to point him out to the soldiers so they could identify him when they arrested him. He was that forgettable. And yet he's the most memorable and influential man in the history of the world.

He spoke in the riddles of a mystic, yet with the authority of a God. He was both humble and audacious, both soft-spoken and fiery, full of both sorrow and joy. No one has ever been meeker. No one has ever been bolder.

Jesus, the real Jesus, is earthshaking, He will both calm your soul and send a tidal wave of truth crashing through your spirit. As soon as you try to figure him out or wrap your mind around him, you'll get lost in the mystery of this man.

child of heaven,
son of earth,
fragrance of light,
strength of eternity,
former of worlds,
shaper of souls,
storm of glory,
love of God.
tamer of tempests,
raiser of the dead.

offender of the religious,
befriender of the outcast,
lion of conquest,
lamb of sacrifice,
hero of the ages,
talebearer of eternity,
king of all kings,
servant of all servants,
calmer of consciences,
disturber of the peace.

He is the mystic, majestic, mysterious Jesus. Holiness wrapped in humanity. He sneezed, coughed, yawned, burped, and got the hiccups, and yet he could walk on water, step through walls, and raise the dead.

When you try to prod at him, he prods at you. And when you finally i neet him face-to-face, he'll shake your world—hardened criminals have hocn known to fall to their knees, shield their eyes, tremble, and weep at his feet. That's what happens when the veil is lifted and you finally glimpse his terrible, irresistible, glorious, soul-consuming love.

* * * * *

Theology is the greatest threat to spiritual pilgrims when it becomes the game of'defining God and gets in the way of letting God define you. I think the wonder tales—fantasies and fairy tales—lie closer to the heart of the Easter story because they acknowledge the reality of good and evil, the battle between right and wrong, the power of the supernatural, and the wonder of a world where dreams actually do come true.

If you try to divorce the mystery of Jesus from Christianity, you'll be left with just another religion, and a not very interesting one at that. Mystery lies at the heart of this story.

When Jesus calls us to believe, he calls us to step out on a limb, not to fall back into our comfort zone and rely on our own reasonable opinions. He calls us to a radical commitment, never to a practical religiosity.

And I think that's good, because it seems to me that people today are hungry for mystery again. Philosophy has given us questions; science has given us facts. But neither of those fill our souls. Jesus gives both truth hidden in mystery and mystery hidden in truth. In this way he can give both our heads and our hearts what we long for most.

The story of God becoming man is incomprehensible. Only fools would dare to believe it. And the idea that God loves us enough to die for us? Preposterous. I'm staggered at the thought of the world-whisperer speaking my name, of the almighty breaking into song at the thought of me or coming to earth to die for me. Yet that is the truth, that is the mystery of Jesus.

God didn't send us a doctrine to learn, or a religion to live, or a phi­losophy to debate. He sent us a brother to love and a madman to trust and a servant to serve and a mystery to embrace. Within the mystery of Jesus, all that is foolish teaches all that is wise, all that is weak conquers all that is strong, and death itself is swallowed up by life. Here truth and mystery stand side by side and immerse hungry souls in their sea.

To enter the story of Easter, you have to pass through the gate of mystery.

Through the person of Jesus.

from the book Story by Steven James, pages 86-90)

Narration

ah, sweet storyteller

what will it take to slay the dragon

and rescue your future bride?

in your hands straw becomes gold,

rags become linen,

and thorns become roses—

dew-covered, scarlet, and fragrant forever,
speak your tale into my heart

so that my life might finally make sense.

* * * * *

From the book Story by Steven James, Page 85 (None of his poems have any capitalization in them, or very little. I'm posting them here exactly as they appear in the book.)

narration.

(story)

Heaven's Storyteller

When Jesus came to earth he brought along the folktales of heaven. He didn't lecture like a professor but told fables like a bard, weaving tales of another world into the fabric of human lives.

He told stories because he knew humans are rarely interested in truth unless it's wrapped up in a story. He taught through stories, used stories to explain himself to his detractors, and helped people with eternal hungers get a foretaste of heaven through his parables. In fact, for a period of time, storytelling was the only way he taught: "Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable." (Matthew 13:34 NIV).

Most of his stories were metaphors of heaven. He described the kingdom of heaven in terms of shepherds who would risk their lives for their sheep, women who can't find enough excuses to celebrate with their girlfriends, and fathers who party till dawn with their wayward sons.
In his stories, kingdom dwellers aren't just monks or mystics, priests or clerics, but jewelers, treasure hunters, bridesmaids, fishermen, farmers, business executives, outcasts, widows, prostitutes, and thieves.

And I love how irreverent Jesus is in his stories. He compared himself to a chicken, the coming of God's kingdom to a robber breaking into your house, God's message of hope to an uncorked bottle of wine, and prayer to a nagging neighbor hungry for a sandwich at midnight.

According to Jesus, we can learn about God's kingdom from eccentric landowners, dishonest managers, idiots who build condos on quicksand, demon possessed do-gooders, a warm loaf of bread, a field full of weeds, and a little kid tugging at your pants leg asking you to come outside and play. The kingdom of heaven unfurled from his lips in story after story after story.

When Christianity becomes something other than entering into and living out the story of God, it becomes something other than Christianity. God's story isn't over; it's still being told today. Each one of us has the potential to become both a chapter of history and his story.

you untangle the mysteries,
you whisper forth the parables,
you live within the fairy world,
and light up the real world,
with your tragic magic and your
heart full of blood.

(from the book Story by Stephen James, pgs 83 & 84)

Life is a Maze

Life is no straight and easy corridor along
which we travel free and unhampered,
but a maze of passages,
through which we must seek our way,
lost and confused, now and again
checked in a blind alley.

But always, if we have faith,
God will open a door for us,
Not perhaps one that we ourselves
would ever have thought of,
But one that will ultimately
prove good for us.

A.J. Cronin (copied from introduction of “Who Moved My Cheese” by Dr. Spencer Johnson)

Photo collage "Half Past Dawn on Ke'e" by Satoshi Matsumaya

The Story We Find Ourselves In

This was posted by Pastor Eric Blauer on Crowbar Massage today. For me, it’s a culmination of sorts… A culmination of something deep and real that God has been doing in my life and heart. A budding, a birthing, a new song, a fresh work… I don’t have to wait to see if this will be one of my all-time favorite literary works. It already is.

*****

"Confine not yourself always to one sort of company, or to persons of the same party or opinion, either in matters of learning, religion, or the civil life, lest, if you should happen to be nursed up or educated in early mistake, you should be confirmed and established in the same mistake, by conversing only with persons of the same sentiments. It is said, when the King of Siam first conversed with some European merchants, who sought the favor of trading on his coast, he inquired of them some of the common appearances of summer and winter in their country; and when they told him of water growing so hard in their rivers that men and horses and laden carriages passed over it, and that rain sometimes fell down almost as white and light as feathers, and sometimes almost as hard as stones, he would not believe a syllable they said, for ice, snow, and hail, were names and things utterly unknown to him and to his subjects in that hot climate. He renounced all traffic with such shameful liars, and would not allow them to trade with his people. See here the natural effects of gross ignorance." -Isaac Watts

It amazes me the more I ponder the wonder of the scriptures and the fact that they are stuffed full of mystery, humanity, sacredness and a multiplicity of journeys that all seem to weave together like a divine mosaic that say something eternal and yet...so relevant to earth. The use of story and all the elements, genres and ingredients of the craft are called upon to tell something more profound than anything ever spoken and yet as common as anything ever experienced.

The kingdom of God is like...
There once was a man...
Camels crawling through needles...
Boys eating in pig pens...
Finding buried treasures...
Dragons, four faced-multi-eyed angels,
gates of pearls, cities without suns, dead people coming alive, naked people having picnics in the garden, people eating their children, old folks making babies, talking animals, men going to the bottom of the ocean in sea creatures bellies, flying Pegasus of fire carrying prophets into space, fortune tellers, witches and ghosts from beyond, sordid love affairs, heart breaking murders, vile sinners and inspiring saints...

Who wouldn't be intrigued about such a path...?

All the stories we know or themes that we retell...seem to be shadows of the greatest story unfolding...the characters, villains, heroes all seem to be but a reflection of their greater counterparts. In fact the more we read and come to understand within the scriptures the more we see that we too are found within its pages.

Simply amazing if you really meditate on it.

(props to Fred and Melanie for the quote and added inspiration in this post)

picture by Satoshi Matsumaya

Great Faith

"...and she crosses the stream at once."

Have faith in God.
-- Mark 11:22

Faith gives feet to the soul, enabling it to march along the road of the commandments. Love can make the feet move more swiftly; but it is faith that carries the soul. Faith is the oil enabling the wheels of holy devotion and of practical holiness to move well; and without faith the wheels are taken from the chariot, and we drag ourselves along.

With faith I can do all things; without faith I will be missing both the inclination and the power to do anything in the service of God.

If you want to find the men who serve God best, you must look for men of faith. Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things for God. Poor Little-faith could not have fought "Apollyon"; it needed "Christian" to do that. Poor Little-faith could not have slain "Giant Despair"; it required "Great-heart's" arm to knock that monster down.

Little faith will go to heaven most certainly, but it often has to hide itself in a nutshell, and it frequently loses all but its jewels. Little-faith says, "It is a rough road, beset with sharp thorns, and full of dangers; I am afraid to go;" but Great-faith remembers the promise, "Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be"; and so she boldly ventures.

Little-faith stands despondently, mingling her tears with the flood; but Great-faith sings, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you," and she crosses the stream at once.

Do you want to be comfortable and happy? To enjoy the journey do you desire cheerfulness rather than gloom? Then "have faith in God." If you love darkness and are satisfied to dwell in gloom and misery, then be content with little faith; but if you love the sunshine and would sing songs of rejoicing, covet earnestly this best gift, great faith.

C.H. Spurgeon

****

Posted on “Souls of Men” on March 7, 2009 – I will be forever changed by this beautiful post

Bedroom Cathedral. A Poem by Fred Blauer

This was originally posted on “Flying Embers” on November 1, 2004

Bedroom Cathedral

Kneeling passionless, entrenched in apathy
hoping, but doubting you'll meet with me,
yet a glimmer of reserved expectancy
is the timmorous invitation that brings remedy.
The room transforms to a passageway,
to the heart of God, and I begin to lay
all clamor aside, and I reach with a call
for the full presence of God to fall.
Enraptured with kisses as you bring
me under the shadow of your wing.

A lifting up to glory -- and yet,
hot tears, and my eyes are wringing wet,
from the sense of sin deep in me
and the failings of spiritual truancy.
Then the Spirit's saber begins to lance
this evil heart, and again the chance
to rise in penance cleansed within,
to carry the blood stained banner again.

Jesus, I'm amazed you would take the time
to linger and touch a life such as mine.
With angelic hosts your glory to adorn
yet you stoop and touch this soul forlorn.

Now I leave, resolved to run the race,
strengthened within by saving grace.

My Little Cup

My little cup * Eric Blauer * 1.12.04

****
I cannot offer You glorious kingdoms,
palaces of gold,
walls of rubies or gates of pearls.
*
The wealth of the seas,
The treasures of the deep,
a kaleidoscope of colors to robe you with,
is not mine to command.
*
The magnificence of temples,
heavenly spires and intricate altars,
are not within my power to build for You.
*
I can't weave the songs of heaven,celestial music
You already have without end.
*
But one thing I have,
that isn't found in all the heavenly expanse...
the wine of my love,
I give.
*
I desire to be a better wine
in the end,
than the beginning.
*
To age well,
and be a chosen drink,
in the closing of my days.
*
You prophesied a more glorious draught at the dusk.
A wine that would surpass the glory of the dawn.
Better wine for latter days.
*
I desire to be the cup You choose to drink.
Let the wine of my love,
be Your drink,
in the days of Your abstaining.
*
I prepare a banquet of wine,
I set a table for two.
*
A simple and humble offering I give...
*
Drink, until you are drunk,with my love.
*
"Your love is better than wine." -Canticles 1:2

The River's Pupil

The River's Pupil

1.23.04 - Eric Blauer

The Lord provides even men

who lose their way with pools

to quench their thirst.-Psalms 84:6

****

There is something about deep waters,

that beckons to my soul.

Deep calls to deep, the psalmist moans.

It is a truth that echoes most alive

in the presence of a river,

that has gathered itself together

in a watery womb.

***

Meandering streams in fading summer's light,

Gentle fragrances of meadow flowers soothing crinkled brow.

The melodic whispering of stately mountain pines,

is as intoxicating as any of earths pleasures.

***

The mystery of it's dancing colors

and shimmering light,

like a sirens call,has often lured me into her cool waters.

***

Whether in season or out,

The pull of the depths

Has quickly overtaken my more sensible self.

I'm a fool for the deep.

***

The soul is seen in ones eyes, they say.

And like the beautiful eyes of Eden,

a river's pupils… are her pools.

***

The spell cast by her glances,

And the touch of her invigorating hands,

has more than once,

helped this lost man

find his way again.

From "Seeing Him" by K.P. Yohannan

Pg 27 – “ The best thing we can do for anybody is to point them to Jesus. Only when we keep Jesus before us can we then live and work with one another in love and humility.”

Pg 27 & 28 - “The best disciple, the most effective witness of Jesus, is one who points everybody not to himself, but to Jesus. This is exactly what the Holy Spirit came to do—to point people to Jesus (see John 15:26). And all of creation – everything – points to Jesus. The entire Old Testament points to Jesus, while the New Testament is a fulfillment of who He is. The Bible is not a book full of doctrines; it is a book full of Jesus.

“Why do we point to Jesus? When I see Jesus, I see the truth—that I am nothing. He is all there is. I have nothing to offer you, I have nothing to offer the beggar and I have nothing to offer the lost world, except Jesus.”

Pg 17 – “But I look back now and thank God for the few months of that ‘dark night’ of my soul. It was during that time that I began to pursue and embrace the Lord again. I began living again and each day loving Him. He was no longer distant and far off, but near and continually before my eyes. I realized then, and still do todasy, that I have only one need. That need is Jesus.”

Harmony

Once in a while you see an artist or an athlete or a musician step out of himself and disappear into his art and you sit there thinking, "He was made for this. He was made for this." Pure poetry.

Throughout our lives we see moments of harmony, precisiou, symmetry, unbridled beauty, poetry in motion. But here's what I've been wondering lately: why is it so rare? You'd think in a world of seven billion people all striving to become more happy, successful, and fulfilled, we wouldn't have to look so hard to find those moments when life really rocks, when true harmony appears.

Story, by Steven James, Pgs 26 & 27

*****

In the beginning, Adam and Eve lived without tension or regret. They had no prejudice, stress, hatred, rebellion, guilt, worry, or fear. They weren't ashamed of themselves or their choices or their God. Nothing had shattered the harmony. Nothing had splintered the original song. I can hardly imagine what that kind of world would be like.

We still see glimpses of he good, fragments of beauty, echoes of the holy, but it's always marred on this planet of unwanted pregnancies, school shootings, white lies, brain tumors, junk mail, terrorist attacks, political spin, sprained ankles, corporate cover-ups, AIDS, gossip, indigestion, heartache, and big angry dogs. We know harmony is possible, but it's so elusive. Most of us spend our entire lives trying to recapture it, to hear it clearly once again. And most of us fail.

And shame? Well, we don't like to think about that too much. We ignore our failures and downplay our moral meltdowns, and we fill our lives with frantic distractions so we can avoid noticing the splinter of guilt embedded so deeply in our souls.

But it was different in Eden. Adam and Even spent time one-on-one with God, and nothing got in the way. No shame. No fear. No posturing. No religion. Just harmony, playing itself out in the synchronicity of creation.

Adam was one note, Eve another, and God a third. And they were woven together in a melody of relationship none of us ever come close to recapturing. We hear faint echoes of that original song. But we haven't heard the whole thing. Not for a long, long time.

Story, by Steven James, pgs 27 and 28

****

Whenever I see a science fiction version of utopia in a novel or movie, I'm always left wondering, Is that the best we can do? Sure, the people are well cared for. Sickness is gone. No one has dandruff or bad breath or zits. Little boys don't fight, argue, or miss the toilet. Little girls don't kick, scream, whine, or pout. Instead they just share the toys and giggle a lot and play nicely with their little brothers. Adults don't sweat, swear, conquer, compete, pass kidney stones, throw golf clubs, or get depressed. No one gets warts or stretch marks. Everthing is provided. Everyone is happy... I guess.

Danger is gone. Temptation is gone. Life is safe and comfortable and secure and predictable. But of course there's no adventure anymore. No thrills, no risks, no new frontiers, no new challenges, just happiness--if you can call it that. If you call a life of no excitement, no struggle, no passion, and no uncertainty happiness. I can think of better words for it.

I think there's a reason bedtime stories always end with "happily ever after." Once everything is happy and there's no struggle, then there's no more story to tell. We don't want to hear about happiness and peace unless the story also includes freedom and discovery. Without discovery all you have is monotony. Without freedom, utopia isn't paradise after all. It's just hell in a fancy prom dress.

pgs 28 & 29

*****

God's first words to humans were "You are free." Eden was untamed and people were free. The future held forth the promise of infinite challenge, exploration, and adenture. We call Eden a garden, but I think it was more like a jungle. Each moment was a new frontier. Adam and Eve enjoyed both freedom without restraint and happiness without limits... Life hummed with harmony just as God intended it to. Our first parents were in tune with nature and in touch with each other and at peace with the Creator of it all. In Eden, freedom and happiness complemented each other. They met. They held hands. They ran together through the jungle.

It was pure poetry back then. Everything was in sync. And the game was never meant to end.

Yet even here on this early page of our story a shadow looms on the edge of paradise. Evil has slithered onto the scene.

The strings that played the most perfect melody between God and humanity were about to be plucked and snapped in half, and the ancient song would not be heard again until it echoed from an empty grave.

Story, Steven James, Pgs 29 & 30

The Breastplate of St. Patrick

The breastplate of St. Patrick

For my shield this day I call:
A mighty power:
The Holy Trinity!
Affirming the Three,
Confessing oneness,
in the making of all
Through love...

For my shield this day I call:
Christ's power in his coming
and in his baptizing,
Christ's power in his dying
On the cross, his rising
from the tomb, his ascending;
Christ's power in his coming
for judgment and ending.

For my shield this day I call:

Strong power of the seraphim,
with angels obeying,
and archangels attending, in the glorious
company of the holy and risen ones
in the prayers of the fathers in visions prophetic
and commands apostolic
in the annals if witness...

For my shield this day I call:
Heaven's might,
sun's brightness,
Moon's whiteness,
Fire's glory,
Lightning’s swiftness,
Wind's wildness,
Ocean's depth
Earth's solidity,
Rock's immobility.

This day I call to me:
God's strength to direct me,
God's power to sustain me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's vision to light me,
God's ear to my hearing,
God's word to my speaking,
God's hand to uphold me,
God's pathway before me,
God's shield to protect me.

From evil enticements,
from failings of nature,
from one man or many,
that seek to destroy me,
near or far.

Around me I gather
these forces to save
my soul and my body...

Against knowledge unlawful
that injures the body,
that injures the spirit.

Be Christ this day my strong protector
against poison and burning
against drowning wounding
through reward wide plenty

Christ beside me
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ within me
Christ beneath me
Christ above me
Christ to the right of me
Christ to the left of me

Christ in my lying, my sitting, my rising
Christ in heart of all who know me
Christ on tongue of all who meet me;
Christ in eye of all who see me;
Christ in ear of all who hear me.

For my shield this day I call
a mighty power:
The Holy Trinity!
Affirming the Three,
Confessing oneness,
in the making of all
Through love

*****

I received this as an email once, but this time I grabbed it from the archives of Crowbar Massage. Thanks, Pastor E! This is my all-time favorite St. Patrick’s Day… well, anything.

Creation

i told my friend, "only children get excited over watching a butterfly." but then he turned to me and said, "so does God."

From the book Story, by Steven James, Pg 19

****

The Creator created. He did it. He spoke it. He hung the canvas of the universe with his words. He invented time and space in a single breath. God spoke, and comets and glaciers and stardust and volcanoes and gophers and platypuses became reality.

He formed mountains on the tip of his tongue, blew kisses of red dwarves into the far reaches of space, said the word and trees and flowers and animals blossomed and bloomed and bolted across the land. The sunrise of Easter had its origin at the dawn of time when darkness fled before the words of God.

Story, pg 21
...

By the way, I don't think being made in the likeness of God has anything to do with having toenails or tonsils or nipples or blue eyes or curly hair. Instead it includes stuff like being passionate about peace and quick to laugh and full of wonder and imagination and love and longing and life. Then God poured a questioning spirit into his children, along with dreams and persistence and salty tears and a dash of joy.

I think it's pretty cool that God made people-both male and female-in his own image. By fighting each other, we diminish ourselves. The image of God is found in our unity as well as our uniqueness. There's a great equality here. The completion of each other. Our fullness reflects his fulness. Males being male and females being female reflect a clearer, sharper image of the Creator.

And then God rested from his work. He stepped back and looked at this world teeming with life and hope and possibility, budding and growing and glistening everywhere, and looking forward to the future.

"Yeah, this is good," said God. "If I do say so myself, this is really good."

From the book Story, by Steven James, pgs 22 & 23

Awakening

The sermon wasn't all that memorable, but the joy of the people was. And that day something happened to me. Jesus didn't show up in a bedsheet. Somewhere between the dancing and the testimonies, he showed up in my heart.

I'd been telling people my whole life that I was a Christian. I'd gone to church every Sunday as long as I could remember. I knew the story, or I thought I did. But I'd never been moved to tears. But that day, at last, it all started to make sense. For the first time, I began to see the sweep of the story, not just isolated scenes here or there. The whole story finally clicked together. Oh, so that's what it means.

I finally realized what those words "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" must have really sounded like back when Jesus died. Thos words were spoken from the center of the greatest darkness of all--the darkness of a soul abandoned by God. I'd been aching my whole life to believe in something that ultimately mattered. That day, I didn't ache anymore.

Easter was a love story after all. I'd never seen that before.

And I was there, in the arms of God, in the final scene.

To understand Easter, to really get it, I think you need to experience the whole story--enter the darkened thater, take your seat, and watch the tale unfold. Because the empty tomb doesn't make sense without the cross, the cross doesn't make sense without the manger in Bethlehem, and the manger doesn't make sense without the Garden of Eden.

It's all one story. And only when you finally untangle it, see its scope, and enter it for yourself do you realize that the story has finally entered and at last untangled you.

Story, by Stephen James, pages 15 & 16 of the introduction
Picture from the internet

Story

Tuesday, we were told that we would no longer be able to sit at our desks or use our computers through our lunch or break times. Several good things happened because of that... God gave me the grace to accept bad news with a good attitude, on the inside and out. I renewed my library card, which had expired in 2004. (They're good for 3 or 5 years... something like that.) I worked out on the treadmill at work for the first time in months. My journey to fitness was given a violent shove into overdrive.

But the best thing that happened, by far, was this.

God reached into the river of books that flows in this world, and He plucked one out, and gave it to me.

When I was at the library, before renewing my card, I stopped by the "Friends of the Library" used bookstore on the first floor. As I was browsing the "religious" section, my eyes fell on the spine of this rather plain looking small paperback book. My heartrate sped up, and there was a quickening in my spirit as soon as my eyes saw it. I've been telling everyone since then that the book literally jumped off the shelf and lept into my hands, because that's exactly what it felt like.

The name of the book is "Story." It's by Steven James. I've never heard of it before, never seen it before, didn't know it existed. But God intended for me to have this book, at this exact moment in my life. It's one of those books that calls to me even when I'm not reading it. Every moment and every task is hurried because I can't wait to get back to it.

I'm reading it because I simply must read it--there is no other option. And the next 50 or so posts on this blog may likely be little echoes, little gems, that I've found hidden in this book. Starting with this:

From the back:

"Do you crave a faith that matters in the day-to-day? Go back to the very beginning and let God's story untangle you, leading you through a journey into the mystery of faith. From creation to Christ's birth, from His first miracle to eternity and everything in between, you will see familiar scenes from the Bible as you have never seen them before. They will wake you up spiritually. They will re-inspire your faith journey. They will jolt you into action." (Amen, Lord, You are already making it so!)

The first part of the chapters' titles list:

creation
harmony
thorns
blood
echoes
chains
longing
silence
light
story
...

I read a couple of pages to my mom today, and both of us cried. There is a nervous knot of anticipation and barely-contained screams of joy and wonder in the pit of my stomach. God, You're more than awesome!

*****

Here's a poem which nearly perfectly expresses the magic in my heart:

You are Wonder!
Oh God, I marvel at what you plant within the forming soul.
Every womb is a new genesis, an eden of wonder!
Mysteries hidden like dreams in the fabric of your creation.

You are Wonder!
Like a prophet gardener you sow seeds of destiny in the heart.
Then at the appointed hour of fading dark, you awaken the dawn!
You speak and out from the dirt of our passions emerging as tender seedlings...
the fruit of the future.

You are Wonder!
Your answers lay in the countless fields of desire.
Secret pearls...awaiting desperate and searching hands.

You are Wonder!

By Eric Blauer, posted on Crowbar Massage on 12.26.03

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Poets more than prophets... Indeed. Prophets that ARE poets, even better. :)

Photo of Lothlorien from the internet, from the movie "Fellowship of the Ring"

Who we are in the Fire...

"I don't really like this truth, but here it is anyway: Who you are in the fire is who you are. I want to imagine that who I am on television is the true representation of who I am. I like the edited version of me. I like how I look after an hour with a makeup artist and someone who actually knows how to style my hair. I like kind lighting, a controlled set, and a clapping audience, but none of these dynamics reveal my hidden flaws. These usually come out when some area of my life is crossed."

"Fire makes us us pure. Fire separates the precious from the vile and makes the hidden apparent. When silver is heated to such an extreme temperature that it becomes liquid, any dross in the metal rises to the surface. As our impurities bubble up and dance on the surface, there is a decision to be made: Do we leave them or let them be removed? If we choose to allow dross or impurities to remain in the metal of our lives, they will become visible again as the furnace clools down. This revelation of fire usually will occur in the secret place of our heart. Often we will be in prayer when God points out these impurities."

Lisa Bevere in the book "Fight Like a Girl," pg. 175

Every once in a while I read something in a book or online that changes me forever. This is one of those things. Every time I lose my temper with my kids or my husband, every time I harbor secret resentment or judgment or criticism, I remember this, and I ask God to skim that dross straight off the surface of my heart. Usually it hurts, sometimes excrutiatingly so, but it's always worth it.

My blogging buddy Danielle sent me this picture from the recent fires in Australia. That's God in that picture... God caring for His creation through the kind heart of that firefighter.

A Poem by Megan

I’m running down this road that never ends
With horror in my heart
demons everywhere
Nowhere to restart

I’m starting to go slower
My burdens weighing me down
Falling into satan’s power
My life will soon be a frown

And then I came to a stop
And I saw a man with a tree
A whip slashed his back
And then he looked to me

A tear ran down my face
When I saw him nailed to the tree
He looked back at me
And said you are free.

An urge of Love hit me
With its all mighty power
I looked up to heaven
It was like an All Mighty tower

And I said this is my home
where I belong
No more fears
This is my Life song

A man came down from heaven
And started to come near
I reached out for his arms
And there was no more sign of fear

And I said you are my rock
You are the foundation I will build my home on
No more fears
This is my life song

You Are my life song

*****

My daughter, Megan, age 12, wrote this poem and sent it to me on February 21, 2009. (Way to go, Honey! I love, love, love it! And you!) She just sat down at the computer and hammered the whole thing out in a matter of minutes. She's never, ever shown an inclination towards poetry before. I find it quite interesting that she wrote her very first ever poem within days of a post on another blog I read called "Poets... More than Prophets."

There will be more to come on this subject soon, I hope, as my heart is full to overflowing, and I have a story to share. :)

Worthy is the Lamb

The other day I was feeling a little down in the dumps... Until I read this inspired post. I have been thinking lately about how Christ is referred to as the "Lamb." Can you think of a more innocent creature? I can't. Gentle, soft, white little lambs. They are the perfect picture of humility and kindness.

To think that an innocent Lamb suffered the full wrath of His Holy Father, for our sake, is far too much for a human mind to comprehend.

Here's a short excerpt from the post:

It is the Lamb who stands in the midst of the elders (Rev. 5:6) and before whom they fall down. "Worthy is the Lamb" is the theme of celestial song. It is the Lamb that opens the seals (6:1). It is before the Lamb that the great multitude stand clothed in white (7:9). It is the blood of the Lamb that washes the raiment white (7:14). It is by the blood of the Lamb that the victory is won (12:11). The book of life belongs to the Lamb slain (13:8). It was the Lamb that stood on the glorious Mount (14:1). It is the Lamb that the redeemed multitude are seen following (14:4), and that multitude is the first fruits unto God and unto the Lamb (14:4). It is the song of the Lamb that is sung in heaven (15:3). It is the Lamb that wars and overcomes (17:14). It is the marriage of the Lamb that is celebrated, and it is to the marriage supper of the Lamb that we are called (19:7, 9). The church is the Lamb's wife (21:9). On the foundations of the heavenly city are written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (21:14). Of this city the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb (21:27, 22:1, 3) sum up this wondrous list of honours and dignities belonging to the Lord Jesus as the crucified Son of God.

Thus the glory of Heaven revolves around the cross, and every object on which the eye lights in the celestial city will remind us of the cross and carry us back to Golgotha. Never shall we get beyond it, or turn our backs on it, or cease to draw from it the divine virtue which it contains.

Please feel free to read the whole wonderful, beautiful, miraculous post here.

A Delightful Echo

"When Satan comes to take away your peace, if you do not understand the full significance of your justification in Christ you will be easily overcome. A saint without assurance of salvation is as unprotected as the rabbit that darts into a thicket to escape a fox, but is easily followed by the print of her own feet and the scent she leaves behind. In Christ you have a hiding place where the enemy dare not come: 'the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs' (Song of Sol. 2:14). While the devil may be in hot pursuit of your soul, the very scent of Christ's blood, by which you are justified, is noxious to him and will stop him in his tracks. Run straight into this tower of the gospel covenant, and roll this truth on the head of Satan, as the woman cast the stone on the head of Abimelech: 'To him....that....believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness' Rom. 4:5

From “The Christian in Complete Armour” by William Gurnall

Copied from “Flying Embers.” (Thanks, Fred!)

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I chose this photo because I was looking for a picture of something on earth that is solid and long-lasting, as an illustration of our unshakeable foundation in Christ. As I was pondering this, God reminded me of something a dear friend told me a while back that has stuck with me.

She said God told her to “trust the land.” Her life had been in severe turmoil, but when she would get outside and walk on God’s ground, and take in God’s world, and meditate on His goodness and faithfulness, and the solidness of the land under her feet, she would feel more peaceful.

I’ve thought about that so much… The land has been here through all of Earth’s existence. It changes constantly, but it has always been here, and always will be, until the new Earth is created. So that’s why I chose this beautiful picture of the Land that God created. This picture happens to be from Norway, where one of my grandparents came from.

Introducing Dr. Jesus

Recovering from the Disease of Sin

Taste and See by John Piper – August 29, 1983

There is life at Bethlehem. With all our imperfections we have tasted the honey of divine Life and it has made our eyes sparkle. Christ is walking among us. Not because we are so much fun to be with but because he loves to make house calls on patients who glory in his medical expertise. He is not partial to the healthy. But he has a special fondness for the homeliest, weakest, sickliest patients whose eyes sparkle when he enters the room.

Sunday morning worship is when we all wheel ourselves together and shout, “Three cheers for Doctor Jesus!”

Sunday School is when we divide up into groups to make sure we understand his prescriptions.

Sunday evening is when we wheel down to the rec hall and tell stories and sing ballads about what it is like to convalesce from sin.

Wednesday prayer meeting is the group therapy he assigns. He says it’s good for us that he saves some healing to give when we have stirred each other up to send for him with great earnestness. The old infection starts to spread again when we take the Doctor’s presence for granted.

A pastor is a convalescing cripple that the Doctor has assigned to teach others how to use the crutches of grace.

What a motley sanatorium we are! Paralyzed, clubfooted, humpbacked, pockfaced, nearsighted, cancer-eaten! But there is life at Bethlehem! The Doctor’s here! He’ll touch any sore without a flinch. And O, how it soothes. He spends time. He talks. He looks you in the eye. He takes your elbow when you rise. He asks how Jake is doing. He promises he’ll be back. And he comes!

Sometimes he reads from his book about the day when he will finish all his therapy and make us perfect—like him. I can hardly wait. The other day he read me this about his Father’s plans:

And he will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 25:7, 8)

It made my eyes sparkle. I would have done a back flip like a baby gorilla—if I weren’t crippled.

But I did lift my hands. Hallelujah. Three cheers for the Doctor!

Tapping my crutch to a happy tune of hope,

Pastor John

(I copied this from the Desiring God website, but I found out about it on the blog “Pilgrim in Conflict.” Thanks, Chris!)

William Tyndale - A 15th Century Hero of Epic Proportions

William Tyndale gave his life for the cause of bringing to the English-speaking world an accurate translation of the Bible that we could read for ourselves. He also blessed the entire world and all of society by studying and perfecting the use of language as a tool to bring glory to God for the joy of all people.

Listen to this:

This is … how William Tyndale accomplished what he did in translating the New Testament and writing books that set England on fire with the reformed faith. He worked assiduously like the most skilled artist in the craft of compelling translation, and he was deeply passionate about the great doctrinal truths of the gospel of sovereign grace. Man is lost, spiritually dead, condemned. God is sovereign; Christ is sufficient. Faith is all. Bible translation and Bible truth were inseparable for Tyndale, and in the end it was the truth—especially the truth of justification by faith—that ignited Britain with reformed fire and then brought the death sentence to this Bible translator.

--and--

William Tyndale gave us our English Bible. The sages assembled by King James to prepare the Authorized Version of 1611, so often praised for unlikely corporate inspiration, took over Tyndale’s work. Nine-tenths of the Authorized Version’s New Testament is Tyndale’s. The same is true of the first half of the Old Testament, which was as far as he was able to get before he was executed outside Brussels in 1536.

Read the whole message here. You will be fascinated from beginning to end, and have a new appreciation for that Book of all books that is occupying a sacred place on your bookshelf.

Baptized in the Spirit

I read this the first time on a blog that no longer exists called "A Fish Out of Water." It's from the Desiring God website. I appreciate it and have thought about it more than any other post I've ever read.

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An Illustration from Lloyd-Jones



Let me use an illustration from Martin Lloyd-Jones in his book Joy Unspeakable to describe the difference between common Christian living and what happens when the Holy Spirit "clothes" a person with power or "comes upon" a person with this unusual power.



He says it is like a child walking along holding his father's hand. All is well. The child is happy. He feels secure. His father loves him. He believes that his father loves him but there is no unusual urge to talk about this or sing about it. It is true and it is pleasant.



Then suddenly the father startles the child by reaching down and sweeping him up into his arms and hugging him tightly and kissing him on the neck and whispering, "I love you so much!" And then holding the stunned child back so that he can look into his face and saying with all his heart, "I am so glad you are mine." Then hugging him once more with unspeakable warmth and affection. Then he puts the child down and they continue their walk.



This, Lloyd-Jones says, is what happens when a person is baptized with the Holy Spirit. A pleasant and happy walk with God is swept up into an unspeakable new level of joy and love and assurance and reality that leaves the Christian so utterly certain of the immediate reality of Jesus that he is overflowing in praise and more free and bold in witness than he ever imagined he could be.



The child is simply stunned. He doesn't know whether to cry or shout or fall down or run, he is so happy. The fuses of love are so overloaded they almost blow out. The subconscious doubts—that he wasn't thinking about at the time, but that pop up every now and then—are gone! And in their place is utter and indestructible assurance, so that you know that you know that you know that God is real and that Jesus lives and that you are loved, and that to be saved is the greatest thing in the world. And as you walk on down the street you can scarcely contain yourself, and you want to cry out, "My father loves me! My father loves me! O, what a great father I have! What a father! What a father!"



I think this is basically what happened at Pentecost. And has happened again and again in the life of the church. They were so filled with the fullness of God—they were overwhelmed with the length and breadth and height and depth of the love of Christ—that they began (as Acts 2:11 says) to speak "the greatnesses of God." Their mind was full of a fresh, new, breathtaking vision of God and their mouth overflowed with prophetic praise—sons and daughters, old and young, slave and free.

You can read the whole thing here

It's not about Survival

Survival Isn’t the Goal

Posted on 3/29/07 on the blog Pilgrim in Conflict (Chris Gatihi’s blog)

‘For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’Philippians 1:21

Have you ever wondered what Paul means when he makes this statement? Sam Crabtree, one of the pastors at Bethlehem Baptist Church where John Piper preaches, helps us understand the mind of the apostle with a profound meditation. Here is an excerpt (you should read the whole thing here. It's actually a meditation on Isaiah 7:1-9.):

The battle is the Lord’s. But if we choose to make the battle ours, and choose to make survival the goal of the battle, then we start to figure the angles, make subtle accommodations, compromise here and there, demote moral conviction, and do anything to win, to survive. What we need is a fundamental shift in the center of gravity in our lives from focusing on survival of ourselves to glorifying God, even in death.

At the outset of his public ministry, Jesus was driven out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit for forty days and nights, to be tempted. That’s a long time without nourishment. He begins his ministry about to starve to death. (At the beginning of your ministry, people will not beat a path to your bones.) Survival in jeopardy. And what does he say? “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” He could say no to Satan because he had settled the fundamental issue of survival. The issue was not bread, but obedience.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could remain faithful in the face of fiery flames because they had settled the issue of survival.

Daniel could persist in prayer because he had settled the issue of lions’ dens.

David could charge Goliath with a bag of small stones because he had settled the issue of what was worth dying for.

The martyrs in Revelation testified in the face of death threats and overcame Satan.

Revelation 12:11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

In contrast, Caiaphas had to survive (If we do not destroy Jesus we will lose our place.), and so he concocted a bogus legal proceeding.

Pilate had to survive (“You’re not Caesar’s friend.” Oh, so that’s the issue.), and so he washed his hands of it and said “Crucify him.”

Beware the impulse to survive. You may become something you didn’t intend. Ironically, if you don’t believe, you won’t last. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.

Dying is only gain when we love Christ and His glory and coming to behold the fullness of it in eternity more than we love this life and the comfort that it offers. When we love Jesus in this way then, and only then, will we join Paul in being indifferent to whether we live or die, caring only that Christ will be honored in our bodies (Philippians 2:20).

Who cares about survival? Paul didn't. Daniel didn't. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn't. And Jesus surely didn't.

I pray that when my time comes, I won't.

Oh Father, make us a people who love Christ more than we love life. Only You can make this happen by doing a supernatural work in our hearts. May we desire the infinitely satisfying glory of Christ more than we desire pain-free lives. Do this for Your Son's sake, that we may show Him to be the infinite treasure that He is. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Picture and poem posted on Crowbar Massage on January 23, 2009

(Words are inadequate to describe how much I love this poem, or how deeply it echoes in the furthest regions of my being… To know Christ more, to love Him more, to understand Him more, to appreciate Him more, to value Him more, to enjoy Him more, to love what He loves and be passionate about what He’s passionate about—this prayer repeats itself in my heart and mind a thousand times a day, like a mantra.)

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Thy mind, my Master, I will dare explore;What we are told, that we are meant to know.Into Thy soul I search more and more,Led by the lamp of my desire and woe.If Thee, my Lord, I may not understand,I am a wanderer in a houseless land,a weeping thirst by hot winds ever fanned.-George MacDonald (Diary of an old soul)

And here’s another George MacDonald quote, also from Pastor Eric’s blog, that I enjoyed:

"That man is perfect in faith who can come to God in the utter dearth of his feelings and desires, without a glow or an aspiration, with the weight of low thoughts, failures, neglects, and wandering forgetfulness, and say to Him, “Thou art my refuge.”

The Imagination

From the blog “The Souls of Men”, originally posted November 15, 2008

The Imagination

One of the great duties of the Christian mind is imagination. It is not the only thing the mind does. The mind observes. The mind analyzes and organizes. The mind memorizes. But imagination is different. It does not observe or analyze what's there; it imagines what is not seen but might be there and might explain what is there (as in the case of most scientific discoveries). Or it imagines a new way of saying what is there that no one has said before (as in the case of creative writing and music and art).

I say that imagination is a Christian duty for two reasons. One is that you can't apply Jesus' golden rule without it. He said, "Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them" (Matthew 7:12). We must imagine ourselves in their place and imagine what we would like done to us. Compassionate, sympathetic, helpful love hangs much on the imagination of the lover.

The other reason I say that imagination is a Christian duty is that the supremacy of God in the life of the mind is not honored when God and his amazing world are observed truly, analyzed duly, and yet communicated boringly. Imagination is the key to killing boredom. We must imagine ways to say truth for what it really is. And it is not boring. God's world - all of it - rings with wonders. The imagination calls up new words, new images, new analogies, new metaphors, new illustrations, new connections to say old, glorious truth. Imagination is the faculty of the mind that God has given us to make the communication of his beauty beautiful.

Imagination may be the hardest work of the human mind. And perhaps the most God-like. It is the closest we get to creation out of nothing. When we speak of beautiful truth, we must think of a pattern of words, perhaps a poem. We must conceive something that has never existed before and does not now exist in any human mind. We must think of an analogy or metaphor or illustration which has no existence. The imagination must exert itself to see it in our mind, when it is not there. We must create word combinations and music that have never existed before. All of this we do, because we are like God and because he is infinitely worthy of ever-new words and songs.

A college - or a church - committed to the supremacy of God in the life of the mind will cultivate many fertile, and a few great, imaginations. And O how the world needs God-besotted minds that can say the great things of God and sing the great things of God and play the great things of God in ways that have never been said or sung or played before.

Imagination is like a muscle. It grows stronger when you flex it. And you must flex it. It does not usually put itself into action. It awaits the will. Imagination is also contagious. When you are around someone (alive or dead) who uses it a lot, you tend to catch it. So I suggest that you hang out with some people (mainly dead poets) who are full of imagination, and that you exert yourself to think up a new way to say an old truth. God is worthy. "Oh sing to the LORD a new song" - or picture, or poem, or figure of speech.

Fleeing with you from the sin of boring other people with God,

John Piper

Passion vs. Affection

From “The Souls of Men,” originally posted on 12/9/08

When I first read this post, I was reminded of when I was reading the "Twilight" series. Language has the power to illicit very strong feelings of lust (among other things), which if left untended can give birth to life-altering decisions, sin and all kinds of wickedness. My daughter and I had a conversation about it, actually. We had recently seen the movie, "The Other Boleyn Girl" in which the destiny of an entire country was changed because of the power of lust, and I told her she needs to be extremely careful - as we all do - with anything or anyone that encourages those kinds of powerful feelings. When I read this post, it really hit the point home, and I think this is something everyone needs to be aware of and on the look out for.

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Passion Vs. Affection – is there a difference?

This is incredibly interesting. We have all been somewhat influenced (if not brainwashed) by the culture and generation we happen to be born into. This brief explanation will make so many passages in scripture so much more meaningful and understandable:

Not all emotion is created equal.

In fact, the category of emotion itself is fairly novel. It is a category that was created near the dawn of the Enlightenment to describe the experience of humans as mere animals.Premodern thought understood a distinction between kinds of emotion. At the time of the writing of the New Testament, common Greek thought articulated a distinction between the splankna — the chest — and the koilia — the belly. The splankna was the seat of of the affections, things like love, joy, courage, and compassion. The koilia was the seat of the passions, things like appetite, sexuality, fear, and rage. The affections were to be nurtured, developed, and encouraged, and the passions were to be held under control. The passions were not evil — they were simply part of man’s physical makeup, but in any contest between the passions and the intellect, the passions always won unless the intellect was supported by the affections.

This was the common way of articulating things in Greek culture, and therefore NT authors wrote with such distinctions in mind. For instance, Paul says in Philippians 3 that enemies of Christ worship their koilia — their “belly,” their passions. In Colossians 3 Paul tells Christians to put on splankna — the “chest,” affections — of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and longsuffering. In other words, this distinction is not explicitly defined in the New Testament because the original readers would have already understood it, but the distinction is clearly evident. Enemies of Christ serve their passions while God-pleasing Christians nurture noble affections. This distinction has been lost in our day, largely because of the influence of secularism and especially evolutionism, but premoderns understood it.

Please God, no Pharisees here...

Dianna posted a comment on one of my prior blog posts. In the comment, she linked to this article, which I believe every Christian parent should read. May God open our eyes to see these truths, and give our hearts His own wise understanding in these matters.

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How (not) to Raise a Pharisee

One dynamic of Children’s Ministries at Grace Community Church is that most of
the children we minister to come from Christian families. Many of them are
blessed with the sound and systematic teaching from God’s Word both at home and
in the church, and even sometimes in school. This is something to be grateful
for, but it also presents a unique challenge to those of us in Children’s
Ministries. While the world breeds rebels, the church can unwittingly breed
hypocrites.

It is the sad testimony of church history that the works and expressions of
sacrificial love and devotion of one generation of Christians can quickly turn
into legalistic rules and regulations for the next. The convictions of the first
generation become the caprice of the second. It is sad and shameful how quickly
the Object of wonder and worship of a generation can become the boredom and
betrayal of the next. Hypocrisy is an imminent and evident threat to the church
of Jesus Christ.

Churched children are seldom given to outright defiance of authority; they are
much more susceptible to the poison of Pharisaism. Hypocrisy in the heart is
much more difficult to spot than disobedient behavior. The Bible gives us some
definite character traits of the pretentious pietist, and here is what they may
look like in a child:

His outward behavior and adherence to rules are driven by a desire to please
men, not by a love for God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength (Mk.
12:30).

Doing good works and having them observed by adults is more important than
the action itself (Mt. 6:5).

The child is openly obedient and responsive — asking to pray before bedtime
with you — while maintaining a quietly deceitful and rebellious attitude (Gal.
6:7).

He scrupulously observes the letter of the law — like religiously bringing
his Bible to church — but neglects the weightier spirit of the law — like
sharing his favorite toys with his siblings (Mt. 23:23).

He craves the verbal praises and tangible rewards of his parents and
teachers, but cares little for the approbation of God Himself (Jn. 12:43)

Left unchecked by the grace and Word of God, by the time such a child reaches
his teenage years, hypocrisy can have entrenched itself.

This teen prefers well-defined, black and white rules, for they give him a
sense of certainty that God must surely reward those achievements (Lk. 18:12).

He adds a layer of rules to the Word of God (like not watching any movies,
not listening to popular music, et cetera), giving the impression that he
holds to a higher standard than Holy Scripture (Mt. 23:4).

He tends to propose personal preferences as, or elevate them above, divine
imperatives (Mt. 15:2-3).

He pursues perfectionism (Phil. 3:6), not excellence (Phil. 3:12-14).

He separates himself from others he considers of lesser cultural morality —
people whose table manners, courtesy of speech, and refinement of mannerisms
do not match middle-class norms (Lk. 15:1-2).

He is judgmental — he excels at fault-finding, he loves to pick verbal fights
— and the standard by which he condemns others is not primarily biblical, but
personal, preferential, or traditional (Mt. 7:5). He fights against many
people, against many issues, but he does not know who he is fighting for.

Hypocrisy is the pretense of virtue or piousness that is contrary to one’s real
character. And make no mistake, hypocrisy spreads like an unseen cancer.
Everything appears alive and spiritually vital, then suddenly, the person is
dull – and soon dead. The Lord specifically warned His disciples, “Beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” (Lk. 12:1) Since hypocrisy is
hidden deep within the recesses of the heart, it goes on unchecked and will
hollow out its victim from the inside.

One of the dangers is that these outwardly compliant children receive much
approval from parents and teachers. So they are encouraged to continue the
duplicity unless anti-hypocritical measures are employed. We can certainly teach
and militate against hypocrisy in the following ways:

Instead of just dealing with external behavior issues, we should seize every
opportunity to help children understand that it is their hearts that generate
their actions (Mt. 15:19). In His judgment of man, God looks at the heart (1
Sam.16:7). We should never equate occasions of good behavior (professions of
love for Jesus, acts of compliance, et cetera) with saving faith in Jesus. We
need to go beyond fixing wrong behavior to helping the child understand that
his evil heart can only be changed by the Lord in regeneration.

Emphasize the affections of NT religion. Make sure that we are not just
aiming at a young person’s understanding, but that we reach for the heart and
its affections.

Do not encourage children to exhibit their talents and gifts to impress
others. They should be reminded that all that they are and have are gifts of
grace from God (1 Cor. 4:7), and they should not regard themselves more highly
than they ought (Rom. 12:3).

Teach the truth about integrity — which comes from the word for “integer” or
“whole.” For a child with integrity, whichever way you turn them, they look
they same. Who they are at church, is who they are in school, is who they are
at home. This is what our kids should be.

Do not be afraid to share our spiritual and moral failures with children in
instances where they can identify with our shortcomings. This allows us to be
authentic with them. It also allows us to demonstrate our response to God when
we have done wrong, and our reliance on Him to continue molding our hearts.

Be authentic in your love for Christ. Genuine desire for Christ is not easily
faked. Let your zeal be a barometer by which they measure their own affection
for Christ.

Hypocrisy is an insidious danger in Children’s Ministries today. It also
threatens each individual home. As parents, it is our job to honor the intention
of Psalm 78:4-6:

We will not conceal [the Word of God] from their children, But tell to the
generations to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wondrous
works that He has done, that they should teach [the law] to their children,
that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That
they may arise and tell them to their children.


The entire article and subsequent comments can be read here:

http://www.sfpulpit.com/2008/09/22/how-to-raise-a-pharisee/

Why are we so afraid of criticism?

I love this post from the blog “The Souls of Men" (originally posted on 11/21/08). I agree with Dianna completely and have thought of this post hundreds of times since first reading it.

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Why is everyone so afraid of criticism?

I tend to welcome criticism and have found that even if 99% of any given critical remark is unwarranted; there is always at least 1% that contains truth. It is that grain of truth that I hunger for because it makes me ponder and reflect on my own thoughts, ideas, and behavior and in so doing helps me to grow.

I love what Piper says when preaching from Hebrews 6:9-12

“The writer to the Hebrews is calling us by his example to grow up and to take the risks of love. He is also calling us to be less easily offended. And less easily hurt. We have a massive foundation for our salvation in the death of the Son of God and we have an advocate in heaven more powerful and more compelling than any accuser on earth. We should be the freest of all people to listen to criticism and take it into account and not be wounded or self-pitying or resentful.”

Just listen to these lines from the Book of Proverbs:

“Better is open rebuke from a friend than hidden love.”

“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”

“Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.”

“Rebuke a discerning man, and he will gain knowledge.”

“A rebuke impresses a man of discernment.”

“He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.”

“Rebuke a wise man and he will love you."

I realize that some people are more sensitive than others and the pill of criticism must be crushed and mixed with honey before administered. I am not one of those people. I will readily take the pill whole and taste the bitterness because I look forward to the healing effects of the medicine it contains.

If someone feels I need medicine, I don't want to put someone through the extra time and effort it takes to crush the pill; give it time to dissolve in the honey; and make sure that it won't taste to bitter. Frankly, that seems incredibly self-centered to me. But, there I go again, being insensitive.

The Beauty and Necessity of Shadows

Pastor Eric posted this comment on a fellow blogger's blog ("My Cloud"). It is beautiful. It is excellent.



Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. -Psalms 139:12

A common mistake I find in sharing one’s journey; is attaching too much judgment or explanation to the phases of our temperaments. Dark is purposeful...imagine a world without the nuances of shadow.

Could one endure the brightness of constant light?

We need the moon to balance the Sun.

We need our sleep life to counterbalance our awake life.

Could you truly appreciate much of anything without the multiplicity of opposites?

Is a walk underneath moonlight to be eclipsed by a stroll in evening colors?

Could the world ever bloom with only sunlight and no spring drenching showers?

I think the problem comes when the winter refuses to give way her hold to the advances of spring.

These are the seasons when we need a savior, an Aslan, a doctor, a rescue.

But it all makes up our story...no chapter should be left unwritten, if it has been lived.

The church is weaker because she pretends to presently live in a city without a Moon...but that day hasn't arrived yet.

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Sigh... Amen.

The Renewed Mind

I've heard it said that the Gospel of John and the book of Romans are the "twin towers" of the New Testament. Well, this post and my post from 10/20/08 that talks about "a heart connection" are the twin towers when it comes to how God moves in my life. This message from John Piper has impacted my walk with the Lord more than any other single message I have ever heard, seen or read. I know it's long, so I've tried to bold the portions that to me are central to the message.

The heart of this message for me is that a renewed mind is the key to a life that glorifies God, and the way God renews my mind is by speaking to me through those people with whom He has given me "a heart connection." My passionate prayer is that everyone I know -- indeed, everyone on Earth -- will come to understand what having a renewed mind means, and will begin to seek God for it before another minute passes.

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Pastor John Piper - "All of Life as Worship" - November 30, 1997

If the vital essence of that inner experience we call worship is a being satisfied in God or a cherishing Christ as gain above all things, this accounts for why Romans 12:1-2 portrays all of life as worship. If God cannot be served by human hands but loves to serve us, what does life look like? The answer would seem to be that we get up in the morning and we get our hearts fixed on Christ. We go to him and renew our satisfaction in him through his word. And then we enter the day seeking to express and increase that satisfaction in all that God is for us in Jesus.

Look at Romans 12:1-2, which connects all of life with worship:

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Verse 1 talks about sacrifices and worship. Verse 2 talks about your mind being renewed and doing the will of God.

There is a negative command and a positive one: negatively, don't be conformed to this world; positively, be transformed. Be transformed! It's present tense, on-going, continual growth in un-conforming yourself to the world.

But how does this happen? Does it mean we should just study what the world wears and watches and listens to and buys and plays, and then do the opposite? Well, there will be a difference at most of those levels probably, but that's not what the text focuses on. It says, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The focus is not first on getting the outside of the cup cleaned up, but on getting the inside cleaned up. In other words, transformation and non-conformity on the outside must flow from a new mind. Be transformed in the renewing of your mind.

The root issue in verse 2 is more than right thinking. It is right valuing. Not just right proving, but right approving. Not just right testing, but treasuring.

Here’s an illustration: It would be possible, perhaps, to teach an uneducated person to recognize some of the traits of gold without his knowing how valuable gold is. So you might give him a job panning gold with you in a stream and pay him a dollar an hour while he accurately tests the yellow stones and tosses thousands of dollars worth of gold nuggets into your bag.

That is not the kind of renewal Paul is talking about. He is not saying: read enough books or listen to enough tapes or sermons so that you can spot a good deed when you see it and then work up the discipline to do it. He is saying, be renewed so deeply in your mind that you not only can test and spot gold when you see it, but also love gold, approve gold, treasure gold. That's what the verse is saying.

Now you can see that the renewal involved is more than a logic lesson. If you want to find out if a certain material is sweet, you might reason logically: it is brown, gooey, comes from a bee hive, crystallizes if you drop water in it, and makes the eyes a two-year-old light up if you put it on toast. Therefore, you infer, it must be honey, and honey is sweet. That is not the main way God means for you to find the will of God. The way to know if this material is sweet, is by the power of taste, not logic.

Ephesians 4:23 has the closest parallel to this verse and there Paul says, "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind." That is a very strange phrase, "the spirit of your mind." I think it means something like the capacity of your mind to taste the spirit of a thing.

One of the reasons some simple, uneducated people live much more holy and upright lives than some Christians who are very educated is that their minds are far more deeply renewed. That is, they are so renewed that they can taste, or you might say smell, the rottenness of a temptation way before others and turn away before the least contamination happens. And they can taste and smell a beautiful opportunity for love before others see it coming.

In other words, mind-renewal is a deep spiritual change in how the mind assesses things and values things. In Ephesians 4:18 Paul says that ignorance (of mind) is rooted in hardness of heart. So if the mind is going to be wise and discerning about the will of God, the heart must be soft and susceptible to spiritual reality.

In other words, the renewal Paul is calling for is profound, and deeper than any mere mental effort can achieve. This is why prayer is utterly essential. The constant prayer of the Christian is, "Open my eyes that I may see" (Psalm 119:18); and, "Let the eyes of my heart be enlightened" (Ephesians 1:18); and, "Cause me, O Lord, to taste and see that you are good" (Psalm 34:8). In other words, God must do the renewing through his word and Spirit.

The root of Christian living is a profoundly renewed mind. It doesn't just think clearly, but assesses truly and values accurately and approves strongly and treasures passionately what is good, acceptable and perfect. This is utterly relevant to our daily lives because 95% of the things we do during the day, we do without any extended logical reflection. We just act spontaneously out of the spirit of the mind that is in us (Ephesians 4:23) - or as Jesus said, out of the abundance of our heart (Matthew 12:34). So to live the Christian life with any authenticity we must be in the process of a deep renewal deep beneath right thinking.

So our spiritual worship is to come to God each day and say: "O God, there is nothing that I want more than to approve what is most worthy, and value what is most valuable, and treasure what is most precious and admire what is most beautiful and hate what is most evil and abhor what is most ugly. I reckon myself dead to all that is unspiritual and worldly and deadening to my soul. Renew me, O my God. Awaken spiritual capacities of right assessment."

And then we say, "And take me, body and soul, and make me the instrument of your glory in the world. Let the renewal you are working from within show on the outside. This is my spiritual worship. To show the world that you are my all-satisfying treasure."

This is what it means to have a renewed mind. The renewed mind perceives and approves and treasures and cherishes the will of God (and thus transforms all of life), because it first and foremost perceives, and approves and treasures and cherishes God.

And doing the will of God is the outshining of God in his glory. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and give glory to your father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). All of life is the outshining of what you truly value and cherish and treasure. Therefore all of life is worship. Either of God, or something else.

Therefore be transformed in the renewal of your mind. Cherish God in all his works and all his ways. Reckon the old mind dead and offer yourself to God as a living sacrifice that he may put you on display by the outshining of his worth and his value in your life. Worship him with your life.

(I edited this version so it wouldn't be quite so long. The whole thing can be found and read at the Desiring God website.)

The Power of Loving Fiercely and Fearlessly

(inspired by the movie “The Village”) from the book “Fight Like a Girl” by Lisa Bevere

I guess I typically measure how effective a book was in my life by how many times I think of it after I read it, and whether or not there are any changes in my behavior and decision making that are directly related to some particular truth or truths that were communicated to my heart through it.

This is another part of this book that has profoundly impacted and blessed my life. I am looking forward to watching the movie again, keeping in mind these profound insights the author shares. This time I won’t be peeking through half-closed eyes or a screen of fingers during 70% of the movie…

(This is going to be long, but hopefully worth the read, and hopefully won’t contain too many typos.)

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(Starting on page 107)

Love Declared; Interdependence Revealed

I recently watched a poignant love story called “The Village.” I found it to be a brilliant wealth of unspeakable loveliness and longing set in an unreal almost-dream world. If you have not seen it for fear it is a horror movie, I can assure you, it is not. It is both wholesome and thought-provoking, and one movie I would highly recommend. To my best ability I will recount a few of the scenes for you, which I believe capture the essence of love and legacy.

The scene: It is late. Ivy, a vivacious blind girl, discovers Lucius sitting on her porch. The night is well spent, and a mist is rising. He has come to protect her, to keep vigil as she sleeps during the last watch of the night. Slipping outside, she joins him. She teases him, asking why he is on her porch rather than on another in the village. She chides him in an attempt to get him to declare his affection for her. When this doesn’t work, she tries another tactic: “Do you find me too much of a tomboy? I do long to do boy things… It’s so exciting.”

He offers no comment, so she continues, “How is it that you are brave when all the rest of us shake in our boots?”

He answers with an air of nonchalance, “I do not worry about what will happen, only about what needs to be done.”

Impressed, she pauses a moment, then continues, “When we are married… will you dance with me? I find dancing very agreeable.”

He is silent. She knows he loves her, yet he will not speak of it. When her question goes unanswered, she impatiently adds, “Why can you not say what is in your head?”

His response is one of frustration. “Why can you not stop saying what is in yours? Why must you lead when I want to lead? If I want to dance, I will ask you to dance. If I want to speak, I will open my mouth and speak… What good is it to tell you that you are in my every thought from the time I wake? What good can come of my saying that I sometimes cannot think clearly or do my work properly? What gain can rise from my telling you that the only time I feel fear as others do is when I think of you in harm? That is why I’m on this porch, Ivy Walker! I fear for your safety before all others. And yes, I will dance with you on our wedding night.”

A quiet settles over them both. She trembles like a leaf overcome by the intensity of his outburst. In the aftermath of this passionate revelation, a tear falls. Everything has changed because love has been openly declared. Now neither of them can find their way back without the other. He reaches over and gently kisses her.

For Ivy, the leap has been made. No longer does she desire to be one of the guys. She has realized this portion of herself in the man before her. Her feminine life will be mingled with his in a way no other man could be joined with him. She has found her protector and he his beloved. She is the reason behind all he does. In a moment’s time, the two have become one heart. Their strengths have met and found a place of rest in the presence of each other. Equally matched, they fit perfectly together. As I watched this interchange, tears traced my cheeks.


Strength Calls Forth Strength

There is such beauty when strength gives place to strength. It is where our weaknesses are compensated and our assets maximized. A woman does not yield to a man because she is weak; she yields because she has found the place, that safe place in which to entrust her dreams, to lend her strengths and find her vulnerabilities protected. It is something reflected in the eyes of the one to whom she will choose to open her life and with whom she will bear joy, children, and sorrows. He is the vessel into which she can pour her love and life. All the good stored up in her can be safely released to him. Why? He would give his life to preserve hers.

In this scene, Lucius revealed she was his one weakness. With this revelation, Ivy is positioned to freely give him her strength. If she had been a different kind of woman, she might have used his need against him. If she had access to modern counsel, she might have exploited his longing and fears for her own purpose and protection. She could have chosen to manipulate him. Before you are ever tempted to choose this route, know that in games of manipulation, both sides eventually suffer loss. The woman loses her power of influence, and the man loses a safe place to entrust his heart.

Our need for each other was never meant to be a weakness to be exploited, but a dynamic to be celebrated. We all long for such a place of safety and intimacy. What is it that we protect? Do we safeguard our places of strength or our vulnerabilities? Anyone who abuses his source of protection is a fool. Women are vulnerable in the area of physical strength, and men often find their hearts at risk. We women are the caretakers of men’s hearts, just as surely as the men should be the protectors and providers for any physical weakness in us. Women, is there any commission more noble than to be the guardian of a heart?

Was it not Adam who declared Eve to be just what he needed? Eve did not say this when she saw Adam. From the beginning, did not the man long for the unique help of the woman? He did not need her help in his labor so much as he needed her as a companion of the heart. He was alone without one who was like him and yet different enough to encompass his vulnerable heart.


Stay Open to Love

Everything of value in this life carries with it some form of risk. There is the threat of losing control and the curse of failure, but there is no fear in love. Why? Love can never fail. Therefore, when love is found, it should be protected at all cost. It should be the driving force behind all we do. Once we have love, it cannot be separated from us without causing great injury. I realize I am painting a picture of what should be rather than what often is. But in this picture, I believe you will glimpse the power of what could be and move from the domain of disappointment to the realm of hope.

Once love is openly declared, there is no going back. This happens between a man and a woman as well as between Christ and His beloved bride. For with Him, there is no coming back from the promise of the love that propelled Him to risk it all. I know men in their many frail and human forms of father, brother, boyfriend, and husband may have disappointed you, but God cannot. It is not possible for Him to fail you. Men love, but God is love.

If we are to move beyond survival in our human relationships, we must allow our hearts to remain open to the transforming power of love.

Once Ivy learned of Lucius’s desperate longing for her, she never again desired to be him. He was not drawn to her by the ways she was like him; he embraced her for the strengths she awakened within him. Though she was once complete alone, she now refused to be without him.

Do we women seek to be men because we long for what they alone can bring to our lives? In our desperation, have we forgotten that by becoming their piece of the puzzle, we have lost the intimate fit?

While we were so busy coaching them on how to be men, did we forget what it was to be women?

Are we afraid that they will so profoundly fail us that we will not entrust them with the gifts of our love and strength? What can we ever hope to gain by withholding what we were made to give so freely? Must we rob them of their words and take control merely because we are afraid that if we are not speaking we will not be heard? Are we still so frightened that we seek to control so we will not again be hurt?

Return again with me to the story:

Lucius is critically wounded, and there is a desperate need for help from outside the borders of their village. This help might come at great cost to the safety and existence of the whole community. To minimize this risk, only one person may go and bring back what is necessary. Ivy comes to plead her case before her father.

“I am in love.”

“I know.”

“He is in love with me.”

“I know.”

“If he dies, all that is left to me will die with him… I ask permission to travel—to retrieve help. You are my father. I will listen to you in all things. I will trust your decision.”

Though she is desperate and determined, there is no manipulation or threat found in her words. Her words speak the truth encased in the timeless dynamics of love, relationship, trust, obedience, and honor. How could she ever be denied an entreaty so pure, so persuasive?

Ivy’s father sees the truth for what it is. Yes, the life of his daughter is entwined with the life of this wounded son. But even more than Lucius’s life is at risk. Ivy’s plea of “all that is left to me” describes something we often miss in our selfish now culture. She is her father’s legacy, and it is only through the power of love that he will live on. Why? Without love, nothing of true value can continue.

If I… have not love, I am nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV)

We can pass on many things to our heirs, but without the motive and preservation of love, they all eventually become nothing. Sex without love becomes nothing. Money without love becomes nothing. Relationships without love are shallow and ultimately lonely. Love transfers legacy as surely as it creates life. Fear is the enemy of love as certainly as love has the power to overcome and displace fear.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18 NKJV)


Be Led by Love

Ivy’s father sends her on her way and gathers the village elders to tell them what he has done. An argument arises… how could he have risked so much to save the love of two? Her father vehemently justifies the choice he made: “Do you plan to live forever? It is in them our future lies… Yes, I have risked. I hope I am always able to risk everything for the just and right cause.”

Then the question arises, why her? Why send Ivy when she is blind?

“How could you have sent her? She’s blind.”

“She is led by love. The world moves for love; it kneels before it in awe.”

Oh, that we would know and walk in this truth. It is when we learn to love fearlessly that we will find ourselves loved perfectly. Don’t be afraid of my words. Those around you may not magically change, but you will. You will be free again. The world trembles before the woman who chooses to fearlessly love. Love is not only one of the weapons and forces women fight with; love is their domain to protect. Like the Word of God, it is both our sword and our promise.


(This was posted earlier today, but I deleted it because there were too many typos… Most of them should be fixed now.)

I want to be a telescope!!

I first came across this short but beautiful and eye-opening statement on the Desiring God website. Then I was reminded of it again when I came across it on one of my favorite blogs, "A Fish Out of Water." Since then I've printed it three times and read it to and shared it with multiple people. May the Lord make it true in my life and the lives of everyone in my circle of influence, for God's glory and our joy in Him. :)

Pastor John Piper - Bethlehem Baptist Church - Minneapolis, MN:

"God has revealed in his Word that every human being exists to magnify the all-satisfying greatness of his Son, Jesus Christ. That's why the apostle Paul has this ambition: "that Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death" (Philippians 1:20).

Magnified, that is, like a telescope, not a microscope. Microscopes make tiny things look bigger than they are. Telescopes make massive things look more like what they really are.

Our calling as a church is to function like telescopes for the beauty of Christ. The world sees Jesus as a mere pinprick in the night sky of their lives. He is, in fact, the Ruler of all things and the most valuable Person in the universe.

Astonishingly, he has made a universe in which he is best magnified in us when we are most satisfied in him. Think about it: If, when you die, you are so satisfied in Jesus that you say, "To die is gain" (Philippians 1:21), you show that he is more valuable than all that life can offer. That's good telescope work. (Which means you don't need a college degree to do the most important thing in the world.)

Therefore, we at Bethlehem are radically committed to helping you be supremely satisfied in God -- especially in the midst of tragedy. "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Corinthians 6:10) is one of our favorite biblical mottos.

We love broken people. They make good telescopes. Of course, there isn't any other kind of human. "None is righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). Jesus did not come to recruit the strong; he came to save helpless sinners and "give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

We hope you feel at home here -- whatever your ethnic or cultural background. We are not perfect. But we have been saved by the one who is. And he did it by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Christ alone, for the glory of God alone, revealed infallibly by the Scripture alone."