Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Shift

My right shift key never gets used. When I was learning to type, I had broken my right pinky finger. It healed up, but I never got used to using that finger. Moral of the story. If you don't utilize the broken, you'll miss some good keys.

Most people are broken somewhere. Interesting that Jesus took people as they were and used the creative power of experience to teach and equip them. Empowering people isn't an option if unity and the the fullness of Christ are of any value to you at all. In Ephesians 4:11-13 there's this line of thought that I'll paraphrase. The gifts of Christ, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers are given to equip the church to do the works that give evidence to the faith we all claim. When that happens, we become unified,

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Theophany

I'm pondering the Kingdom truth that it's the kindness of God that leads to repentance. Modern theology has trained us to believe that it's the repentance of man that accesses the kindness of God, giving religion cause to create an obstacle course painting the Father's embrace as the finish line, when in fact, we run the race in the Father's arms, and therein lies freedom.

Truth: All have sinned... Romans 3:23
Truth: All are justified... Romans 3:24
Truth: God does not count your sins against you. 2 Cor 5:16-20.
It's called the "Ministry of Reconciliation".
Truth: That is the ministry that we are all called into. 2 Cor 5:16-20)

Its God's authority, not man's activity, that assigns man's identity. Our mandate is to agree with His destiny for man to be conformed into the image of Christ, calling out the treasure in earthen vessels.

If I cannot do this, I cannot love, (nor can I claim to love) like Christ. And without love, you can have theology (the study of God) but you will not have theophany (the appearance of God) for there are two things without which we are nothing. God and Love, and those two are one.

The heart of the revivalist is calling the church to radical love, and seems to be asking the question, what is the boundary line you have drawn which, if a person crosses, will disqualify them from your love? Grace is the revelation that sin doesn't have the power to dictate to God how He will love or accept you. Mercy is God's embrace of the guilty, and thankfully it triumphs over judgement.

Moment-um

The apex second
The iridescent blink
Behind me a door closed
An origin fading into forgotten
A life now marked in decades
Well worn the soles
That carry my alternating steps
Striding toward the door marked exit
Which some days appears
Closer than others

And in this stroll
Between the doors
There are moments
Where breath
And step
And breeze
And blink
And beat
And sun
And warm
And spray
And rain
And dawn
And dusk
And touch
And taste
And sight
And scent
And sound
And Spirit
Converge and create

That apex second

Love's perfection
Fear's demise
Joy's leap

That a universe filled with currency
Could not purchase

The Sigh of Heaven

That which reason cannot destroy does not itself need a reason to exist. Love is such for it exists unto itself without reason and is, quite often, unreasonable. Thus the question 'why' goes unanswered except for the audible sigh of the lover's unreasonable heart, wrapped warmly within the fabric of mystery. It is the sigh of Heaven that embraces the soul.