Would we dare?

The Omega

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” [Hebrews 12:1-2]

The Alpha

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Never, before today, have I thought of Christmas in terms of “shame”. Of Mary’s shame of conceiving out of wedlock, Joseph’s shame to wed a pregnant bride, their family shame to bear their son in a cast off stable, to bed Him in a feed trough…

And what of Jesus Himself? Who can even begin to conceive of the contrast between His glorious throne, and swaddling clothes, nappies, and nipples?

And yet… and yet… He EMBRACED that! ALL of them did! Who can imagine such a thing? Mary dared deadly shame to say “yes” to the Angel Gabriel. Joseph dared to trust Mary when she told him of Jesus’ conception.

And Jesus? Jesus willingly embraced His humanity, placing Himself in the care of this incredible couple. He embraced the shame. He accepted His own weakness, helplessness, dependency.

Doing so… as a puny little infant… His very presence terrified a king, prompting the slaughter of countless boys. His presence inspired other kings, who paid Him homage and presented Him gifts. His danger, and the warning of an angel, uprooted His family to an alien country to preserve His life. Did they travel in secret? Like people ashamed? Traveling by little known routes, not to be seen, moving by night, resting and hiding by day?

How strange does this all seem for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?

Did they despise the shame? Yet did they all embrace it, for the love of God and those He came to save? Did they love us? Somehow know that somewhere, sometime, you and I would be sitting here praising God for all this?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

All this… all this shame… they took on and embraced, that WE might come to be freed of OUR shame! That our own shames, guilts, sins, be remembered no more. That we stand clean and clear, robed in the righteousness of Christ before the Holy Throne of the Father!

What about us? That’s the question that came to me this morning. That’s the question the Lord confronted me with this morning.

Does “shame”, a concern about what other people will think of me, ever prevent me from doing the right thing, a righteous thing, an action of grace?

It has, Gentle Reader. I must be honest. There are times I have refrained from doing “the right thing”, because it would embarrass me. You too?   * head nods here *   Well, our human frailty gets us all sometimes.

But just let me encourage you, Gentle Reader. Let me ask you to encourage me as well, from time to time. Acts of grace, of compassion, of gentleness… should never be constrained by “how it looks” to others, or whether we will “lose status” by embracing the shame. Do the right, the gentle, the loving… and let onlookers sort themselves out before the Throne.

Jesus’ earthly life began embracing shame. His earthly life ended the same way. But throughout… He is, was, and ever shall be… King of Kings, Lord of Lords…

“Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [Philippians 2:8-11]

 

Ripples and Birthdays

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. [Genesis 1:1-2]

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,  in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. [Luke 2:4-7]

While I know that technically it is “Christmas Day” as I write, Gentle Reader, for me it is the ending of Christmas Eve for I’ve not yet slept. These several days, I’ve yet been struck with the awesome power of “silence’ and “waiting”. I know there are those who decry the customs and traditions of the Liturgical Year, and the cycle of holidays such as Christmas and Easter in the Christian Church. I realize, with all educated theologians, that the decisions to select the dates we have are more dependent on the incorporation of customs by pagan peoples into Christian practice, than any scriptural seasonal basis. But it has always seemed more to me an apt unification of God’s people, rather than any denial or wrongful compromise.

Paulfg (Just me being curious) speaks often of dropping pebbles and watching the myriad ripples that follow. So much of grace is like that. God, or one who follows Him, drops a pebble, and the Holy Spirit echoes and reverberates among many others like variations on a theme of music. I was recently struck by the rhythmic nature of reality, of the necessity of opposites. In order to know true freedom and choice of good over evil, we MUST of logical necessity, have the capacity to choose evil. In order to know light, we must have the ability to apprehend darkness. For me, limited as I am by my own culture and upbringing, I’m coming to consider this the nature of yin and yang. Even Paul’s ripples have peaks and troughs, a zenith and nadir to define them.

This “silence”, this “fasting”, this preparation for the annual commemoration of the Great Events of the Nativity and the Resurrection that comprise Advent and Lent… these are important, and can do much to enrich our experience of God. Why? Because they are, in and of themselves, some sort of “magic times”? No. Because God takes special note of those who are devout enough to honor these penitential periods, and rewards the faithful with special Brownie Point Blessings? No. Because we have to “purge ourselves of our worldliness and sin”, in order to benefit from these sacred feasts? Well, such exercise may well bear some fruit, yes… but not in such a transactional way, no.

Now, I know you’ve heard this before, but let me say it again. I write from my own experience and subjective perspective. My opinions and conclusions are my own, and if they do not agree with yours I am NOT implying that you are wrong. For you, in your life, your world, your walk with the Lord, these ideas may not fit at all… and if that is the case, please cast them aside without hesitation. But perhaps these reflections will spur a new thought or idea to explore with Him, and that may bring additional grace or blessing. I share to expand our sense of the Possible in the realm of the grace of God.

This night, I’ve been struck with the Ripples of the Nativity. With this transition from Advent into Christmas. From pregnancy to parenthood. I was struck with those TWO texts quoted at the beginning of this post. All of “Not-Yet-Created” waited silently and darkly for “Creation”. The verb there for God “formed” is a word that means “brought forth from nothing at all”. This is not like a conjurer’s trick, the magician who unveils and releases a dove from a handkerchief and his “empty” hand. No, this is vastly more profound. This is God the Father and God the Son and God the Breath of God speaking, extending, and hovering over the expanse of darkness to bring forth… EVERYTHING. Birth!

And then, much later on, we see this scenario play out into our world, our time and space, as the Father sends forth Gabriel and speaks, the Son extends, and the Holy Breath overshadows Mary in her home. Nine months later, according to the rules of biology established in our lives, we have… Birth!

In my own life, this is a night each year when the universe itself holds its collective breath and gazes upon THE miracle of birth. It is God’s glory, God’s act, God’s love, God’s grace. It is entirely and wholly His, and it could well be said that He alone has the right to rejoice in it. But… just as He invited the shepherds and the maji so long ago to take part, to come, to witness, to celebrate… so too, He invites us. Isn’t that wondrous?

But watch this, it gets better! It is not only the celebration of the Birth of Jesus that is going on here.  Jesus said, “you in Me and I in you and together we in the Father.”  John the Apostle calls you a “Child of God”. Paul the Apostle waxes eloquent about “joint-heir with Christ,” including the training and discipline involved. We never see any of these texts grovelling in any sort of “worthless worm theology”, as so often undermines Christians in the name of humility.

The Nativity is not only Jesus’ Birthday… but ours as well. We are here to commemorate a birth… your birth, my birth… as sons and daughters of God… joint heirs… princes and princesses of kingdom… called to do the works of Jesus and greater yet because He is risen to the Father.

God Alone creates something from nothing. God Alone chose to lay down His divinity and become a man like us in all things but sin. God Alone moves the Holy Breath Spirit to dwell within us and among us. Why? Because He chooses to. Because that’s what Love means to Him.

And God Alone could make royalty of you and me. “Holy and Royal Priesthood” is all well and good as long as we speak of it in some vague corporate collective of “The Church”. But people become vastly less comfortable when one points out that means that YOU, are a sacred prince/princess priest/priestess. *I’m* not saying that… Scripture says that.

So… for tonight… let us continue to be silent, waiting, and ready. For, tomorrow, there will be Birth. And there will be a Gift. And the Gift will be an entirely new life… not just a “getting by” life… but a holy and royal life. A life filled with life, love, joy, truth, beauty, goodness, power, authority, and duty. Life that gives itself away and pours itself out for others…

Why? Because that’s what God has chosen to do. Because that’s what Love means to Him.

Happy Birthday, Your Highness.

 

 

No Words Today…

This Gift Box, Ribbon on Top, is accompanied by the Following Note…

This is an unusual day, Gentle Reader.

My town’s churches, CLOSED because of weather and driving danger.

THEREFORE:

• I got to listen to one of my ministry young people (college seminarian) preach his first sermon on the radio this morning… which was wonderful… THEN…
• I got to “attend church” with a pastor many hundreds of miles away, listening to this young  (to me) man preach, who I have prayed for all his career, having first heard him give a sermon when he was (I think) 19 years old, or so (more than 20 years ago, now)… as he was giving his life to the Gospel Ministry… and that was wonderful… THEN
• I got to hear God “put me on notice” that this was Palm Sunday, and that He again (as often in my life) was going to bring about something wonderful in/for me… come Easter Sunday… and that was wonderful.

But somewhere in the course of all that, perhaps in the internet radio portion early on… this song, that I’ve posted here… played. And it absolutely captured me. Moved me to tears, took my heart to the Throne, and took all breath and sensation away.

I have no words to wrap around this moment, this song, these words, this experience for you. All I can say is they rang deeper in me than anything I’ve ever known, and the words “Holy”… and “Glory”… have somehow transformed in me from “words” to “being”. They feel, and felt, like the very blood coursing through my veins, or the air filling my lungs. They were not “Thoughts”… they were “Dimensions in Themselves”.

They were, and are, Beauty Itself! Beyond Beautiful… so far beyond beautiful that there are no words I know to express what they ARE!

This was Gift, Gentle Reader. Jesus, this morning, handed me a wrapped Present, and Inside it, I found this song… these words.

And now, I hand them on to you… wrapped in all my love and care… filled with His Grace… to Gift you for your sacredness. These go to you with all my blessings this day!

Yours, in Him — The Little Monk

 

What Do You Expect?

Yesterday, AGAIN, Don Merritt published a great post that God just grabbed in my heart and ran with. And *cough* AGAIN, I wrote this… erm… well… “comment”. Come to find out, that comment has set Don’s new “record for longest comment ever received”, and it has prompted some very gratifying discussion appended to his post. I decided the comment deserved its own post here, and I’d love to see the discussion continue.

His post is “What do you expect from the Bible?” and was prompted by the recent Creationism/Evolution debates on YouTube. Please look at his post, and then contribute to the dialogue, either here or there! Here are some “critical trigger words” that Don wrote:

What do you expect from the Bible?

Have you ever thought about that?  Are you looking for a science textbook or a history textbook? The end of the world? Sex and violence? Facts, trivia and minutia? The way to follow Jesus? Maybe something else?

It could be argued that you can find all of these in the Bible to one degree or another, and people seem to find what they are looking for in most cases. [Don Merritt, Life Reference]

Here was my response:

What do we Expect?

Expectations!

How incredibly powerful this one little word is. Don’s post, the title itself… the Lord took this in an utterly “unexpected” direction for me as I pondered, and I thought you might enjoy the trip. The title, as read by most people, would seem like… “What do we expect from THE BIBLE”. But my reflections sounded more like… “What do WE EXPECT from the bible?” Entirely different syllabic emphasis.

Without getting lost in detail and footnotes, let me just air this thought for consideration. You, as all readers, are welcome either to ponder and affirm this as true in and for your spirit, or totally cast it aside if it does not ring true. But through years of ministry and counseling, I have discovered…

In any and every encounter or relationship, we, as humans, tend only to see, perceive, hear, and experience that which we EXPECT to experience. Events that ‘surprise’ us, tend to be perceived and reported subject to a great deal of factual error (such as accident or crime reports). Emotionally, we experience ‘negative’ emotions (anger, sadness, disappointment, fear) when we hold one set of expectations for an event, and the actual outcome is ‘less, or lower’ than anticipated. We tend to experience ‘positive’ emotions (joy, love, gratitude, awe) when our expectations are exceeded.

Here’s a piece of research that changed my life when I was in my graduate studies as a counselor. There is an 80% correlation between ‘pre-therapeutic expectation of outcome effectiveness’ for any given school or style of treatment, regardless of modality. That is, no matter which of the 15 or so types of dynamic therapies a client undergoes, 8 times out of 10, if they expect to complete treatment with a positive outcome and improvement, they do so; and 8 out of 10 times if they expect counseling to make no difference to their situation, it does not. Didn’t matter if that was Freudian Psychoanalysis, Behavior Modification, Adlerian, Gestalt, Transactional Analysis… didn’t matter. Intake expectation was far and away the strongest predictor of discharge outcome.

As a counselor, for decades, that truth struck deep in me. And I never EVER began actual “work” with any client, until I could determine whether they BELIEVED and EXPECTED that this work would help, and change their situation. Until I had that, my focus was to improve their expectations, rather than begin the work on the specific issue.

That just came leaping to mind today, after reading Don’s post. The old saw,

“For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not, none is sufficient.”

Don knows my view on “The Holy Bible” as a document, a book. For me, this fully sacred text is almost what we would think of as “magical”… a “dimensional portal”… where we, as finite, four-dimensional, little creatures as frail and faulty as we are… can encounter and engage FULLY… with the Presence and Person of Infinite Holy God — Omniscient Omnipresent Omnipotent Omnidimensional Omniconscious God — from our universe to His Omniverse. And THAT… I submit… is just plain flat AMAZING.

Why is this so? Because here is this “physical object”… two covers, white paper, black ink marks… this finite simple “book/thing”… that sets down symbolically the Word(s) of God (utterances of Jesus and God through historical revelations of the Holy Spirit)… ALONG WITH HIS PROMISE and ENDORSEMENT that when we “seek Him” here, He Himself will teach and reveal through the Living Word of His Holy Spirit.

So why is it then…

Why is it that some people can “read the Bible” and find nothing more than a series of dead historical reports… fodder for argument on philosophy, comparative theology, history, or literature? And others can enter into this Omnidimensional Portal and experience rhapsodies?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I believe Don hit the nail on the head. The difference is “What do we expect…”

I hope this offends no one, but the very power of God on earth, among men, can be “limited”… but only by a single thing, a single factor. The factor is: Faith. Look at the 6th chapter of Mark, the very beginning narratives and the ending narratives, and look at the progression through the chapter. Jesus is very very clear here, as is the inspired author of the chapter. Jesus’ “potency” is conditioned by the faith of the people surrounding Him, and grows from “He could only heal a few…” at the beginning, to mighty works at the end. Did Jesus change through the chapter? Of course not. But clearly the “dunamis” changed, and the chapter identifies only one factor to explain that:

The Power of Expectation…

9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” [Luke 11]

Here, it seems Jesus Himself teaches of “expectation”.

Anyway, I thank Don. I think “debates” such as have been discussed, are really an “Apple/Orange” situation. If one approaches the Bible expecting an “encounter with God”… to “seek, ask, knock, know”… God honors that, and the encounter happens. If one does not… well…

But it’s important to note, merely pinning the label “Christian” on one’s lapel before approaching the Bible doesn’t define one’s expectations of encounter. I know countless “Christians” who diligently sit before their Open Bibles, NOT seeking an encounter with Holy God on HIS terms… but rather seeking to “Master the Bible” on their own. They’ve been taught to see scripture verses as “darts”, “weapons”, to be collected and mastered (largely through memorization)… not that the verses CHANGE THEM… but that they learn to “handle and wield them with dexterity” in order to defeat and wound others they define to be “the enemy”… whether that is non-believers, or other Christians not of their culture and traditions.

Approaching the Bible as one would approach caged animals… complete with whip and chair, to “train them to do one’s bidding and obey”… well, the Holy Spirit really has to struggle to get heard in such encounters.

I have found in my own walk, that what I “bring away” from an encounter with God in the Bible depends a lot on how I approached the encounter in the first place. When I go to meet Him, to seek, knock, ask, know Him… on His terms… I come away changed. When I go out of “duty” or “habit”, or to “get some verses down because of an argument I’m in”… or in ANY way… to MASTER the BIBLE… well… at best, there’s “no magic there”, at worst the Father has to pull this Kingdom over for a “little chat in the woods” for a bit.

“What do we expect?”… What a marvelous question. It’s not just “The Book” that is holy… the physical object. It’s not the black marks on the white pages. But rather, it’s that when we sacredly reach THROUGH the black marks of the object, our minds and spirits can encounter the LIVING WORD(S)… the “Speaker” of the utterances, and the “Teacher” of the utterances, and Giver of understanding and wisdom…. ON HIS OWN TURF! But ONLY when we EXPECT to find Him there!

Isn’t that amazing? Wow! Grace to thee! — The Little Monk

 

“Don’t TEST Us!”

“When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’” [Luke 11]

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
‘Give us this day our daily bread.
‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
^‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’] [Matthew 6:9-13]

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We are exploring the unfurling of a wondrous Rose, in our gardens of spirit, considering the Lord’s gift to our lives of the Lord’s Prayer. We have acknowledged that there are two iterations of the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus gave an “amplified version” to the Multitudes in Sermon on the Mount, and a much leaner version in the Gospel of Luke to the Disciples. We have noted that “thee, thou, thy” is a more familiar form in older English, than “you, your” as we use the words today.

As we look at the Lord’s Prayer, one phrase per post, today we will consider:

^“‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” [Multitude’s Version]

“And lead us not into temptation, (but deliver us from evil.)” [Disciples’ Version]

* The Parenthetic “but deliver us from evil” shown in the Disciples’ (Luke) version, appears in the King James’ Version, while most modern translations omit it right here, noting that the phrase appears there in later manuscripts of this gospel, but not the earliest. I am including it because its inclusion takes nothing from the meaning or significance of these verses, while those who are deeply attached to King James’ rendering may find their absence distracting. *

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We are drawing near to the completion of this mini-journey in time, looking at this incredible gift, this Rose the Lord granted to us, teaching us “how to pray”.  As ever, I am going to make every effort NOT to interpret or comment or read into the verses beyond some very basic observations… just to shine a highlight on the Rose in YOUR hands, so that you yourself can examine, twirl, ponder, and watch it unfurl as the Lord opens it before you.

As to the quick notes here, all the verbs are in that “magic Greek super” form. These are not “commands” or even just “petitions”, but in this form that both makes a statement and an affirmation, covering a wide span of time and circumstance. One interesting thing is that the word “temptation” more refers to a “test, or trial”. I was struck by that, because of how many people I know who think (and preach) that God is doing JUST that all the time… that His commands to us, His recommendations, are PRECISELY “tests”…. lines drawn in the sand to see if we have the “will” and “obedience” to “do what we are told”. (Ask a random Sunday School teacher why God told Adam and Eve to leave the Good/Evil Fruit alone… and see how many tell you He did it “to see what they would do, whether they would obey.” You’ll be amazed.) But here is Jesus saying that to pray properly is to affirm that that is NOT what God does… that in fact He “delivers”… “rescues”… not from “evil” (as some “ethereal mist of badness”)… but the word there is “the evil ONE”… an entity of evil. Jesus doesn’t specify further, or name… but the word isn’t for a “concept”, but for an “entity”.

OK, that’s it for me messing with your Rose. But this is a good point… a good point to pause… Look at this line, look at this layer of petals on your Rose, and keep twirling it for a few moments. Let the Whole Rose speak to you. Let the Whole Rose, all the lines, spiral outwards from the center to this outer layer. When you let it build, one line first, then two lines, then start again — first, second, third lines, then start again — first, second, third, and fourth… the Rose looks different every time.

Isn’t that amazing?

One Rose! The Word doesn’t change. God doesn’t change. He didn’t “tell anything different” to the Multitudes than He did to the Disciples! He speaks the Father’s words… He tells One Truth! But.. but… that Truth can resonate so richly and differently in and with us depending on which way we look, on what we are dealing with, on how long we’ve seen Him…

This Rose NEVER fades, Gentle Reader. It never wilts, dries up, goes stagnant. This will never ever be a “Wood Rose”. This will never be pressed in the pages of The Book, to freeze in time, looking the same in a shadow box on the wall. No… this Rose grows more lovely every day, and wafts that incredible fragrance afresh every time we pick it up.

Enjoy your Rose, Gentle Reader. It cost the life, and death, and Life of God Himself to place it in your hands. How awesome is that?

 

Parallel Hearts!

Do you love Jesus? Do you feel, through prayer, worship, scripture study, and the life you live as His follower that you have come richly, wonderfully to know Him?

If someone asked you to tell them about Jesus, do you feel you would have something to say?

Now, what about God the Father? How would your description differ? Is He more strict? Is He more violent? Is He more prone to bouts of anger, to jealousy, to rage, to destruction? Do we gloss over that part with explanations like, “well, remember, He’s really HOLY!”… or “He has to deal with JUSTICE, not just MERCY.”… or “He’s very forgiving, and yes, He loves us, but there’s limits… I mean, there’s severity, not just kindness to God the Father.”

Deep down inside, in your heart of hearts… not anyplace you’d say anything in Sunday School or to your church friends, but deep down in that private place, where you don’t show your heart to anyone but God… if He Himself were to ask how your relationship differs between God the Father, and Jesus, God the Son… would there be the tiniest whisper of… “I love, I embrace, I follow, and I trust Jesus… but Father? I’ll ‘pray’ to You, but You are too scary for me to embrace or come to, except looking down, crawling on my knees. I do not understand You, so I cannot fully trust You.”

Now please don’t misunderstand! That is a QUESTION! Not an accusation. Maybe that feeling has no part of your heart. But I’m here to tell you, it is deep deep deep in the hearts of many believers. The Enemy manages to run a con on so many children… who look at the drama of the Bible… hear faulty explanations of “Grace, BUT!!” as we look at our world, see so much divisiveness and “unlove” where there should only be love and grace and forgiveness. The con, planted as a niggling suspicion so deep we can barely even discern it, let alone admit it… is this: “Jesus may be all that… loving, forgiving, grace… yes. But He is only the Son. And we have to be careful, because the Father is dangerous, abusive, and best avoided as much as possible.”

You know what I mean… that iconic aristocratic, autocratic parent? The cold one? The harsh one? The “children should be seen and not heard” one? The “spare the rod and spoil the child” one? The one you dress for dinner, and sit up straight silently, and eat with the right fork, and crook your pinky… one? The one always waiting, and seeking to “catch you out”, to criticize and rebuke? You know… THAT one!

Lots of non-believers see the Father this way. Sadder, lots of believers see the Father this way. Sadder still, once upon a time… *I* saw the Father this way. Oh, not so’s you’d notice. Not so it would show in my ministry, or teaching, or serving. But, I would speak readily of Jesus… I had no problem at all sharing the tenderness of Jesus… but… but… the Father? Deep down in my heart about the Father, there was fear. Fear of failing Him. Fear of displeasing Him. Fear of disappointing Him. Fear of His wrath, His temper, His punishment.

Perhaps you have never known such feelings.

If that is the case, you have been blessed. But, in case you ever run across anyone who DOES struggle with this lie, this temptation, here is what healed me from this pain. [Empasis is mine.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves”. [John 14:7-11]

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. [Hebrews 1:1-4]

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. [1 John 4:18-19]

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Those were the verses, those were the Truth. And one day, many years ago when I was the parent of a wondrous little girl… I was praying. And this “trusting Jesus… but fearing the Father” thing crept into my heart, and RIGHT THERE… THAT DAY… the Spirit was able to bring my mistrust, my fear, to the surface and confront it.

And I SAW these verses… really SAW them. And I saw, with them, the most ridiculous idea in the world… that I believed that I, as a parent, were more tender, more loving, more compassionate, more understanding, more forgiving… frankly… more gracious to my own child… than God the Father was to me.

I wounded the Father’s heart with my fear. I brought tears to the Father’s face, as I shrank back from His touch, when He reached out to caress me… for fear of being struck for some shortcoming instead. Imagine that of your own child, if you can. Feel the heart of what that would be like, and see what I was doing to the Father of Lights.

I finally SAW these verses, I OWNED them. I FELT them all the way down in my heart.

So, Gentle Reader, I make no claim whatever to understanding how God works out all that justice, fairness, punishment, righteousness, holiness, stuff. I simply know… and I know that I know… and I know that I know that I know… that when I look at Jesus, when I embrace Him, when I hear Him, when I love Him… I am hearing, hugging, loving and following a Father who loves and cares for me with a tenderness I cannot even IMAGINE, let alone express.

I’ve learned that I can TRUST Him. And in that, finally, I can get close enough to KNOW Him.

Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” [John 17:1-3]

 

Paul’s Song

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard.

Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world.

I stand at the edge of the Omniverse ask, “Am I? Do I Exist? Am I a Figment?” and wait… silence.

Then Omniverse answers, “You are, because I AM.”

“Why?” I ask.

“That I may Love Thee.”

“What must I do, to be so loved?”

“Continue to exist. To be. To live.”

“What more?”

“Nothing more.”

And from the silence, the darkness, I begin to hear… The music comes, the rhythm comes, the pulses of praise of worship, from hearts and voices without lips or form. The music builds, layer by layer, to a chorus beyond count. Songs without words. Music without notes. The very humming of the IS… the ARE… THEMSELVES.

“What… What is that? What do I hear?”

“You hear the IS… it comes from I AM… this is Worship, this is Life, this is Love, this is to BE!”

I listen… I hum… I vibrate… I AM… I live… I love… No longer just me… Now we… Us…

The Omniverse, and all within hums, vibrates, thrums… Is He/She the Source of the vibration? Or does the hum answer Him/Her?

“Yes… and No… Both!”

“I do not understand.”

“I know. But that does not matter. It is all right.”

“But what IS all this?”

“Love. My love.”

“But Who AM I?”

“Love. My love.”

But WHY is all this?”

“Love. My love.”

“But What is it all about? Why is there life? Why are there others? Why is there freedom? Why can some do good, and others do ill?” and as if in some gigantic canyon, some cosmic canyon of stars and galaxies, I heard my wee small voice echo…

“WHY?… WHY?… WHy?… Why?… why?…”

And the Stars, and Galaxies, and Universes, picked up my echo, and all vibrated with…

“WHY!… WHY!… WHy!… Why!… why!…” But from THEIR voices, it was not a question, but a statement…

The Omniverse completes the statement… “Love. My LOVE!”

And I see. I know, but not comprehend… the answer to all “Why?”…

“Love. His/Her Love.”…

“Yes.”

The Song… It is so beautiful… I no longer hear it… I no longer sing it…

I am a… a Note. NO! More than a “note”, I am a Harmony WITHIN it! Yes!

The Song is:

Love… MY Love…

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
² Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
³ There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
⁴ Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
⁵ Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
⁶ Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
¹² Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
¹³ Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. [Psalm 19]

 

What is Your Gospel?

This morning, I read and commented on Don’s terrific “ongoing Journey” post in his blog Life Reference. It is a fantastic read, better than I have ever done or could do in “synthesizing” the fundamental Christian theology, and I recommend you peruse it after this.

My eye fastened on the title of another blog in his sidebar list of follows called iChristian, and when I chased that cat I happened upon, Lying Religious Leaders, posted yesterday.

Steve’s post ends with the following:

2 Timothy 4:1-4 Easy-to-Read Version

4 Before God and Jesus Christ, I give you a command. Christ Jesus is the one who will judge all people—those who are living and those who have died. He is coming again to rule in his kingdom. So I give you this command: 2 Tell everyone God’s message. Be ready at all times to do whatever is needed. Tell people what they need to do, tell them when they are doing wrong, and encourage them. Do this with great patience and careful teaching.

3 The time will come when people will not listen to the true teaching. But people will find more and more teachers who please them. They will find teachers who say what they want to hear. 4 People will stop listening to the truth. They will begin to follow the teaching in false stories

Now, these verses echo richly and dig deep into the soil of my spirit, as probably many others here. These were read, as my “charge”, my “commission”, a pronouncement of the will of God over my life, on the day I was ordained to the Ministry of the Gospel. These verses state clearly, Paul’s expectations of Timothy. In my own heart, I believe they state the expectations of my “Pauls”, those who have poured out their lives investing in my formation. But beyond that, they very solemnly proclaim, in a deep and intimate way, GOD’s expectations of me.

And… of you. Of everyone touched by the charge, the great commission, of Christ. And this struck me very deeply this morning. I heard echoed a question you’ve seen addressed here from time to time… “Proclaim the Gospel! YES! But, what IS… YOUR… Gospel?” That is, what is YOUR Good News, the Good News as you own it, perceive it, as you have experienced it? Because if whatever Good News you proclaim is not deeply relevant to you, does not express your love to and from God, AND your love for the person you speak with… well, without the love… it’s just a brassy clang, not a proclamation.

Well, I cannot answer that question for anyone else. That is wholly in that sacred space between you and God. But over the past week, with an intensity I have never known before, I have seen Jesus crystallize to a diamond’s point…. to a laser’s precision… what is my OWN Gospel. I now know what *I* am to proclaim, and it is a matter of what Richard Rohr calls the “Jesus Hermeneutic”.

These verses fit right up there alongside Paul’s charge to Timothy…

Luke 4:18-21 Easy-to-Read Version

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me.
    He has chosen me to tell good news to the poor.
He sent me to tell prisoners that they are free
    and to tell the blind that they can see again.
He sent me to free those who have been treated badly
¹⁹     and to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness.”

²⁰ Jesus closed the book, gave it back to the helper, and sat down. As everyone in the synagogue watched him closely, ²¹ he began to speak to them. He said, “While you heard me reading these words just now, they were coming true!”

Well, Gentle Reader, God is very kind and gracious, very patient and understanding of the flaws and frailties of this Little Monk. In that kindness, He has shown me here, in simple terms, the six lines of “my own Gospel”. This is the message I have shared since my teens. This is the message I will continue to share to my last breath. “That God so loved the world that He sent Jesus to embrace us in His Name, take on all our frailties, faults and sins without committing any of His own, paid the price for them, removed them utterly from us, and now offers us induction into the Father’s House, Kingdom, and Family that God Himself provide for us, protect us, and nurture us as His Own Children. That all we need do here, is acknowledge our need for such embrace, and accept it… relax, and allow HIM to hug us, feed us, and transfuse us from our own death, to the blood of His life.”

I OWN those statements. I have walked through those statements in my own journey, wanderings, triumphs and failures. Thus, that is, My Gospel.

How about you? What is yours?

Pray for me always, Gentle Reader. Always a work in progress. Take and enjoy what suits and rings true in your spirit. Dismiss what does not. God is “ever speaking” in your own heart your own way. “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 🙂 Grace to thee!

 

Depressed Today, Isn’t that Wonderful?

I am depressed today.

A more accurate statement would be, “Today I experience spiritual dryness, “desolation”, rather than my accustomed “consolation”.

Upon examination, I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing at all wrong. One normally thinks of such times being associated with sin, with rebellion of some sort. Or receiving bad news. Or being upset by something, rejected by someone, frustrated in some way… Any of that… All of that.

But, upon a fairly comprehensive self-assessment and examination… Nope, none of that. No explanation. It is what it is… the interior meteorology of my spirit is simply… “mostly cloudy with chance of freezing rain, with forecast of more shadowy darkness in the immediate future.”

Bottom line: My accustomed cats are not bouncy, but rather morose and whiny today.

My response? “Isn’t that wonderful!”

What DID I do about it? Checked with Jesus to see if there was anything out of order I was, or am, supposed to address.

What did He say? “Nope, everything is fine. Today just is what it is…”

So what AM I doing about it? Absolutely nothing. I am going on with my day, yet traveling down the road, pedaling my bicycle just as every other day.

I may have to WORK a little harder at it than usual… I’m accustomed to feeling the “wind at my back” most days, and today it is absent, or seems to be blowing in my face. But that’s OK. Stuff may be a little more uphill than normal, but that’s OK, too.

This, is proper and balanced life, letting Him dictate the route and the terrain. I may like “perpetual downhill”, but coasting forever doesn’t grow me. I may prefer all landscapes to be sunshine, grassy glades, and wildflowers… but some landscapes are just desolate, and He never promised to shelter me, wrapped in Bubble Wrap.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When I said, “Isn’t that Wonderful?” in this Title, there was no sarcasm there at all. I mean that absolutely.

I am determined to praise, pray, intercede, work, share… and reflect the “joy of the Lord”, and the unutterable privilege of being His Child, WITHOUT DIFFERENCE between this “gray” day and the “golden” ones.

HE is no different. I am no less blessed, and He bestows no less grace this day than any other. And I would much rather praise and honor Him, as Him, for Himself… than just “effervesce” as a side-effect of spiritual jubilation. Now, do I ENJOY those bubbles? Heavens yes! I enjoy all that tremendously.

But, I don’t want to be addicted to the bubbles. I don’t want to pray, praise, worship, out of my attachment to the “holy feelings” of devotion. I do not SEEK such “gray days” as this… but I will still thank Him when He grants them to me.

These are the days I get to be truly free! When we pray, praise, worship, exercise our devotions WITHOUT the sensible graces of consolation… they come from deep inside us, from the place our hearts are grounded, from the place we experience Love.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One day, I would have tried to “talk about” this… teach on this… this Desolation/Consolation thing is a big fundamental truth in Spiritual Direction.

God is so much smarter than I… now I will not have to do that.

Here it is. *lays this Desolation down on the table between us*

There it is. There’s what it looks like. There’s what it feels like (kinda like the two days before you come down with the flu.) And you can recognize it. You’ve had it. You’ve experienced it.

So now you know everything I have to say about the “Care and Feeding of a Desolation/Depression”. Just embrace it. See if it has a meaningful message for you. Take it to Jesus and see if He has a comment. If not, just thank Him for it, and move through your day as if you felt Great Consolation and Joy.

The Enemy would like us to think this means something is wrong. That is a lie. This means something is very right… we pedal on in the face of the wind, and we GROW in Him.

Grace to you, beloved brethren and Gentle Readers! No comfort called for, just breathing up hill a little harder than usual.

 

What Are We Waiting For?

Are you familiar with a “Hot Button”, Gentle Reader? I am. I have one (or two, or more). But I have this friend of long standing who has interesting ones. One of his most fascinating is the iconic verse of the Holy Bible… John 3:16.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

He takes issue with the typical, and careless, handling of the words “eternal life” in that sentence as calling to mind a concept of “living a really really REALLY long time after we die”, rather than understanding their nature in the context as reflecting “primarily a QUALITY of life as being ‘the life of eternity’ or ‘life of paradise’ (e.g. life of the Kingdom of God), and only VERY secondarily a descriptor of QUANTITY.”. Anyone who has fortuitously managed to be present when this button is pushed, manages in short order to learn a GREAT deal about a very small portion of the Greek language {“zoen aionion”), and comes to the interior resolution that one will never make that mistake again as long as one lives. (Not that I, myself, ever did so, you understand… *cough*.)

Well, the Lord brought this recollection to me over coffee last week Thursday, when I managed to string together four “Bad Days” in a row…

Know what I mean? Nothing particularly wrong… just the difference between the normal emotional/spiritual mood day, or the bright and shining “joyful-for-no-particular-reason” type, and the…. gray skies, overcast, whatever, just… makes you wanna “go-out-in-the-back-yard-and-eat-worms”… kinda day. Not depression, not violent in any way, just… well… “bleh”.

I, like all others who share this human form, am subject to this “mood” thing, and it doesn’t derail the nature of Coffee Time with Jesus much at all in my life. There’s a rather natural rhythm of oscillating spiritual affect known in some traditions as “Consolation” (positive spiritual brightness), and “Desolation” (negative or subdued spiritual grayness), that is a normal variation of the prayer landscape… and so I subsumed this… for the first three days.

But I am not the most patient of Our Father’s children, and long about Thursday I had had enough of this. Of course, outwardly all goes on per usual: duties, service, prayer, devotions, study… all routines are maintained. But there’s just this unaccustomed “dryness” throughout, that I don’t find typical for the Father’s boisterous joyful house (or at least the wing of it I usually occupy). So, being ready for all this to end, I asked the Lord…

“OK, Lord, I’m ready for this to end if it’s all the same with You. Does this grayness, this dullness, somehow give You or The Father glory in some way I don’t understand? If so, then bring it on! If not, if it is something I’m doing wrong, then please correct me in my error, for I would not have it so. Or if I’m doing the right thing, but in the wrong way, then please make that clear that I may amend my course.” (Ball in His court.)

He just sat there, thoughtfully sipping… (I make really decent coffee)… and gently smiling, until finally He set His cup down and replied.

“Little Monk, why do you care?” He asked, then waited patiently for my response.

I considered a bit before answering, then said, “One, I don’t like this feeling. Two, perhaps I’m out of order somewhere, and that doesn’t glorify You, so I would fix that. Three, I like feeling joyful, it makes everything easier, and I miss its presence.”

The Lord nodded approval at the answers, then said, “Well, those are good and truthful responses. First, be at peace, you are not out of order. You’re in the right place at the right time doing the right things. That is not an issue. Second, the fact that you enjoy consolation more than desolation, is true, good, right, and normal. The fact that you bring the concern to Me, in this respectful way, is also a good thing.

“Little Monk, I have two responses on this for you. One is quite short, just reminding you of what you already know. But the second may teach you a new thing.

“One, I Alone, as you know, grant consolation or desolation from and of My grace and love. BOTH are gifts. Consolation is sweet, makes burdens light and time fly. True. It is a lovely thing to experience Consolation, and it is readily embraced by those who love Me. But were Consolation to accompany every spiritual exercise as a child seeks to know the Father, or to walk with Me, there would develop an unhealthy association, like an addiction, between the exercises and the consolation itself. Soon, the child’s heart would be less attracted by yearning for the experience of God, and confuse that with the sweetness of the experience of the Consolation. The child subtly stops seeking True Sanctity… the experience of the Immediate Presence of God… and would begin seeking the FEELINGS of sanctity instead. So whether you are given bright Light or dim, you are always given ENOUGH Light to guide your steps. And whether you can see and feel the Immediate Presence or not, I am always there. So, you keep moving your feet in and towards Light, regardless of whether you see and feel Me (consolation), or not (desolation). There are patches of dim terrain across the journey of your days that are navigated through faith. These desolate moments are those patches.”

I thought about this for a while, as the Lord paused and let me ponder. It made sense to me. (Not that it had to… He wasn’t particularly inviting my “approval” or “disapproval” of how He manages my life. That’s all a bit “above my pay grade” as they say.) But at least it reminded me with some assurance that to experience less of the delight associated with prayer does not imply that I was necessarily leaving the path of God’s will, which can become a concern in such times.

He swirled the coffee in His mug as He gave me pause to process His words. When my attention again fixed on Him, He continued in a brisker tone…

“Now, I have a question for you.”

“Yes, Lord, what’s that?”

“How do you plan to spend your very first day in Heaven?”

“Lord?” I vamped. The question was ENTIRELY unexpected. I… I didn’t know what to say. He knows my mind and heart fully. He knows what I anticipate that day, including two “appointments” long set… to go crabbing with my grandfather, and riding with my mother… made long ago in my pre-theological youth. I had no idea how to answer the question. My mind danced across all the moments of prayer, meditation, contemplation, or even dream… in which I had flashes of momentary image of what I would experience and “do” in the Immediate Unmitigated Presence of God. The praise of that, the worship of that, the song, dance, adoration, petition… and the communion among His children in such a state… I literally could not even BEGIN to wrap words around the answer to His question. But my mind flashed there in a heartbeat.

The Lord just smiled as He followed my train of thought. Thank goodness, with Him I don’t HAVE to find the words so often. But then He broke in…

“Now STOP! Little Monk. Freeze frame right there for a second, and stay with that thought. Stay with ‘What will you do on your very first day in Heaven?’. Now, let Me repeat Myself even more specifically. ‘What will YOU DO?’… not ‘What will you EXPERIENCE?’… or ‘What will God Do FOR You?’… Those are different questions, that you have all mixed into one.

“On that day, you will experience ME utterly differently. There will be no more ‘glass darkly’, no more shadows or desolation, no more darkness, illusions, or lies. You will ‘know as you are known’, no more ‘partial’, no more prophecy or knowledge in part. Paul put all that very well in Corinthians. What the Father, Spirit, and I will give YOU will be massive, and will change what YOU feel, see, and know… utterly. THAT… is what WE will do on that day. Do you see that? Do you understand?”

I nodded, a bit dumbly, I’ll admit… but I understood what He was talking about.

“But, Little Monk, I am not asking how you will be changed, or what WE will do. I am asking you to think about what YOU will DO regarding US that day. Your two appointments are fine, well taken care of, and will delight everyone. Let that go for the moment. Just think about what it is that you plan to do to, with, for God… in Heaven… on the very first day you are there. Ponder that, and hold there a moment.”

So, of course, I did. Who can really articulate such a thing? But to dance in and with Trinity… to worship at the Heavenly Court… to sing… to dance… to praise… to adore… to join in All That Chorus of acknowledging and loving the Great Divine Beloved! Who can express such things? So, as instructed, I just let my mind get there, and rest immobile. I held still, rapt in such worship, until His gentle voice broke into my reverie…

“Now, listen closely and hear Me clearly… There is NOTHING that you will do that day, that you will be able to do on that incredible day to which you so look forward… that you cannot be do right here, right now, anytime you choose!” and Jesus paused to let that sink in, before going on.

The Lord went on, “You hold the ‘keys to heaven’ in your hands right now. The fullness of the Kingdom of God dwells inside you right now. You HAVE ‘the life of eternity’ right here, right now…” (And here is where my friend’s Hot Button lesson danced across the stage of my memory in a brief but intense flash. I KNEW this… I’d been TAUGHT this… decades ago. But only now, at this moment, was I beginning truly to SEE it, see the truth of it!)

“Little Monk, understand, there is NO DIFFERENCE in the life you lead, the life you are granted, through My Redemption between here and now, or there and then, regarding your access to Holy God, or what gifts, praise, or worship you can offer. There’s a world of difference in how you experience that… that here and now you are yet in a ‘temporary tent’ and subject to a great deal of shading and shadow, of ‘partiality’, that I will be able to remove utterly when you pass through this experience into the fullness of Life. But all that is only your side, your perception and experience, of your side of Our relationship, yours and Mine. From MY side, as to your worship, praise, thanks, adoration, petition… All That…

“But from THIS side of Our relationship… My side of this love between you and Me… your transition from the partial to the Real makes no difference at all. I SEE everything, fully and completely, both here now, and there then. YOU will see those differently, because your vision will change. But I will not, for Mine does not. Do you understand?

“Whatever it is you plan to do THERE and THEN… you CAN do HERE and NOW… and in the eyes of God there is no difference. You can praise, thank, worship, sing, adore, dance, offer each and every moment in adoration and love of the glory of God THIS VERY DAY… and it is JUST as powerful, as lovely and beautiful in the eyes of God, as it will be there then. From the Throne, there is NO DIFFERENCE! ”

It is hard to express, Gentle Reader, but I was stunned. I’d never realized this. Never pondered this. “The Lord, Thy God, is One!” When Jesus redeemed the cosmos, He rent the veil. He brought us the Life of Eternity. He gave us the power, the authority, the privilege, of engaging in our heavenly joy of adoration and delight in, of, and before Him, the Spirit, the Father… right here, right now. How awesome is that?

The Lord closed our conversation with this:

“Little Monk, in a manner of speaking, you ARE in ‘your very first day in heaven’ all the time. Time is a very different thing there. There is no more ‘dividing line’ between now and then, since I did what I did on the Cross. I erased that line. So…

“The next time you are having a ‘Bad Day’, and experiencing desolation, why don’t you try this? Spend a little bit of your ‘First Day Time’… take a moment to put yourself there, and do exactly what you feel like doing there in Heaven that day. Sing, or dance, or praise, or worship, or just adore and smile before the Love that is The Father. Just spend a few minutes there, since you’re having a Bad Day anyway, and being there will beat being here. But watch this, I bet when you return, and get back to your ‘here and now’ life and day… it won’t be so bad anymore.

“Just try that and see how it goes…”

“Thank You, Lord. I will…” was all I could say. as I rose to rinse out Our coffee cups and move on with the day. As He rose to go, He left me with…

“Little Monk, when I arrived you were having a bad day. So, what are you waiting for?”

Blessings and grace to thee, Gentle Reader. Please keep me in your prayers. — The Little Monk