Love in the Garden

Gen. 3:8-9 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (9) But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?"

I have reflected often on the imagery evoked in my mind by this particular passage. I think of the simple act of taking a walk in a beautiful garden in the cool of the day. A very simple act and one that gives pleasure as I take the time to absorb the calmness and tranquility it can bring to my soul.
But, it appears this passage is it talking about the infinite, almighty creator God taking His daily walk to share beautiful moments of communion with Adam and Eve. What would it have been like to simply take a walk with God in a beautiful garden, in the cool of the day? What would I talk with Him about, ask Him, tell Him about my day? What would an all-knowing God want to know, want me to tell him?
And then I read the next verse, one of the saddest in all of the Bible, “Where are you?” I wonder how could Adam and Eve could have ever given up the intimacy of relationship this simple act represented? How could they exchange this intimate love relationship for one that was marked by fear and shame? What did they think when they realized that while they must suffer the consequences of their choices, God’s love was unconditional and He covered their shame and gave them the promise that He would out of that unconditional love send His only Son to offer redemption to humanity from the bondage of fear, shame, and sin?
And then I reflect on the reality that God has clothed me, covered my shame, freed me from the guilt and penalty of sin and is offering to be my Abba Father and to walk with me in the cool of the day? God Loves Me! and desires that I will walk with Him.
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Know Him

I was struck this morning by this question, "how can I know God in the way He has designed in such a way that I am helping others to know him with that passionate intimate love relationship he offers? As I look forward to this coming semester, I wonder at the material I will be teaching and how it will help in this process.
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"To love is to be vulnerable"

"Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable." --C.S. Lewis [A quote from, "Consumed Ministries" blog.]

I was deeply struck by this quote from C.S. Lewis. I sometimes wonder at the heart of our Abba Father as His Spirit ministers to His Children. Is His heart wrung as we make decisions that grieve and sometimes even quench the voice of the Spirit in our beings?
Can I continue to love with an openness as I think about the possible consequences of knowing the pain that comes from disappointment and betrayal? But, even an even more important question, Do I really have an option as a Child of God?
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Bigger and More Complex

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction. Albert Einstein

I was struck by this quote as I thought about how significant it was in relationship to what we have done in the world of the church. Have we made Christianity bigger and more complex over the centuries? And, even more significant, have we made it more violent? Has the church lost the ability to be the safe haven for the broken, hurting, lonely people of the world? Have we in the process of making church bigger and more complex lost the heart of what it means to be a Child of our Abba Father? If the heart of christianity is relationship with our Father and with the family members of the household of God, is bigger and more complex really the goal?
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Motives

A man must learn to understand the motives of human beings, their
illusions, and their sufferings. Albert Einstein

I was recently struck by the thought of all the various forces that are at work in my life. I have been impacted by so many events, situations, people, things I have read, and all sorts of other ways, some consciously and probably the vast majority subconsciously. And yet regardless of how they happened, they are at work. And as hard as it is for me to comprehend this vast array, it is even a more awesome task to begin to think about it in the lives of those that are around me. But I am convinced that until I begin to comprehend the motives of those with whom I interact, I will not be able to join them on the journey. If I am going to be a healer on the journey I must make this a priority both in my life and in the lives of those with whom God brings me in contact.
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An Infinite God

"A God who let us prove his existence would be an idol” - Dietrich
Bonhoeffer

I wonder at the great desire that seems to be in the church to be able to prove the existence of God. Is this drive a result of a commitment to some aspect of modernism? While I think it certainly did not originate as a result of the enlightenment since it was prominent in the church centuries before, but I would guess it was definitely reinforced over the following centuries.
The world today is looking for a God that is bigger than our thoughts, a God who is full of mystery, beyond our frail attempts to define and prove. And I am forced to wonder at how to offer the world an infinite God in the frail packaging of humnanity?
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Conversation Partner

Creating identification means taking the postmodern world seriously and addressing it from a collaborative rather than an adversarial stance. A postmodern world demands a pulpit willing to be a viable conversation partner. -- Breaking the Missional Code.

What would it mean for the church to actually become a viable conversation partner with those who are outside the family of God? It seems so easy to talk at people, but much more difficult to engage in their journey and hear the questions that come from their lives. I suspect that the first step I would need to take is to stop spending my life in a little office and begin to step out onto the stage of life and engage fellow travelers. I wonder if I even know the questions any more. Or, have I been disengaged from the reality of life too long?
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Uniformity by Fear

"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then
we are a sorry lot indeed." Albert Einstein

It seems to be relatively easy to force some form of uniformity within the Christian world, but it also seems that fear and guilt are motivators that will only work for a limited amount of time. And when the dam breaks, the torrent of flood water can easily overwhelm the valley and wash away all signs of the fragile life that was clinging to the valley floor of conformity.
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Strength of the Body

"It is very easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements in comparison with what we owe others." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I have been reflecting on this thought the past few weeks as I listen to my words and understand how much I have been impacted by many other members of the Body over the years. I think of the countless hours Jacques invested in me during our ministry together. He was always kind and patient but he would keep forcing me to deal with the core issues of life. He had lived most of his life on the edge of life and death and this allowed him to understand what was truly important and what was just the noise we generate trying to make ourselves sound smart or important. He was a true mentor, friend, and companion on the journey to conformity to our Jesus.
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Incarnate Life

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

It is so amazing to reflect on the thought of God, in flesh, walking, talking, living here in this world. The more I meditate on this marvelous truth the more I come to understand the multifaceted dimensions of the ‘why’. It was easy for me to simply put it under the heading that He needed to come so He could accomplish salvation on the cross. But, the more I thought on the ‘why’ the more I came to realize the smallness of this view. He was born into this world to accomplish more than this final act, even as I am born again to accomplish more than going to heaven. And then I am faced with the question, Do I truly want to allow the Living Word of God dwelling in me, to become flesh? Do I want to live my faith, this new life, in such a way that when people see me they see the glory of God, and when they see my actions they sense the grace and truth of my holy Abba Father? What would an incarnate life look like for me, today, in our culture, ?

The Global Ministry

At our church this morning the Global Ministry Pastor shared our church's vision to be a part of ministering in partnership with the global church. It was exciting to hear all the current plans, partner relationships already established in South Africa and Kenya and the possibilities for the future. The message came on the heels of teaching a Global Ministry doctoral class last week, having a new student in the class from Ukraine ministering in Kazakhstan and the opportunity last wednesday evening to share language learning ideas with the team that will be ministering in conjunction with believers in Kenya this summer. And, to top it all off, remembering our graduation last month when we had students from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ukraine, and India graduating from our doctoral program. I praise God for the opportunity he has given me both to participate in the ministry and to learn from these men from around the world.
And my heart is challenged when I think about how to share this incredible blessing with churches all over the US. Somehow we must come to the realization that the old model of missions with 'us' sending and 'them' receiving must come to an end. But, are we ready to admit that believers and churches in the global church are truly our peers, and God has called us to mutually give and receive out of our abundance, whether it be material or spiritual?
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Power Questions

Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.
An observation that a person’s sense of morality lessens as his or her power increases. The statement was made by Lord Acton, a British historian of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

I find sadness fills my heart when I see the struggle and hurt that has come from ‘power’ questions in the church. The desire to be ‘in charge’ seems to run deep within humanity and the struggle for power or control has plagued the church over the centuries. Often it is clothed in the seemingly respectable garments of desiring to establish or preserve purity in the body by first establishing uniformity [as defined by a person or group, those who feel they have the ability and skills to read and comprehend the Word of God], and then enforcing that model on the other members of the body.
But, what if the statement by Lord Acton is an axiom that does have validity? What if the ability to understand the Word of God and to hear the voice of the Spirit does tend to decrease as the desire for power increases? Would this mean that the church must learn to listen to those that are perceived to be simple followers of Christ? What if the first shall be last and the last shall be first in God’s kingdom?
As someone once said, "The drive for purity, when defined by uniformity, will kill the church."

Walking by Faith

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

As I have been reflecting on this issue of faith and what it means for my daily life I fear it comes in direct contrast with my desire to control many aspects of my life. The writer of Hebrews seems to be contrasting faith with a high degree of certainty as he talks about ‘things hoped for’ and ‘things not seen.’ As I look at this moment in my life I find a great desire to know what will happen in the following moment and the one after that and the one after that. But, what if I really did know all the joys and sorrows that would come to me in this journey, could I survive the immensity of the emotions I would feel?
And, so, back to the issue, what does faith look like for me in my journey. Is the reality that God has shielded me from the future one of His great blessings. Can I learn to be content to simply walk in faith as Paul challenged the believers in Cornith?
As the writer continues in this chapter with a multitude of examples of ‘by faith’ I find that faith is at the very core of my walk and life.
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The Journey

In the last few years I have come to understand in a much deeper way the reality that life is a journey I am sharing with the children of God. We are all at different places on the journey and each has brought a wide variety of helpful provisions and heavy burdens. But the more I comprehend the depth of this truth, the more I am confronted with the fact that my Father has called me to share this journey and to be engaged in a love relationship with the other pilgrims on the path.
While the reality of this truth has given me the freedom to engage the other travelers in meaningful dialog it has also helped me understand that I must enter into their journey and share with them in the sufferings and joys of the path.
As I contemplate the depth of this truth I wonder at the implementation. Can I be truly moved with compassion as I look at those fellow pilgrims who have wandered far from the path and have found the pain and sorrow of this world overwhelming them? Can I step into the depth of their agony and bring healing and comfort to the brokenness?
My prayer is that God would allow me to weep over those who are as sheep wandering in the wilderness and be the shepherd of God to them.
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Silence and Speech

The mark of solitude is silence, as speech is the mark of community. Silence and speech have the same inner correspondence and difference as do solitude and community. One does not exist without the other. Right speech comes out of silence, and right silence comes out of speech.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

In my world I find that it is much easier to be involved in the speaking of many words and sometimes I wonder if they simply fly on the wind and disappear over the horizon. How many words are truly needed in the deepest sharing with friends and the articulation of my faith? I remember those days of sitting on our front porch with my father and hearing the silence. He was truly a man of few words and but I am not sure I really learned to appreciate the quiet he offered those summer evenings. I make my living in the speaking of many words, and yet sometimes I wonder at what cost to the health of my soul. Have I lost the ability to sit in silence with God and wonder at His creation? Have I lost the ability to know and sense of His love and care for me because of the noise of the many words I speak? Have I allowed the burdens of this life to overwhelm the silence and in the process lost the peace God offers me in quietness of a moment? Sometimes I long for that quietness in the depth of my soul as I commune with my Abba Father.
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The Book I wanted to Read

I was given an excellent book this morning. I opened the book, read a page and knew this was the book I have been searching for this past year. I have been convinced of the power of the narrative in presenting the truth of God, but I had not been able to find a book that described it with the power and clarity I knew I needed for a class text. The author connects the parts of the story, imagination and community and demonstrates how each element contributes to the powerful impact a story can have in a setting.
And, for those with a longer history in church, it gave indirectly the reason why flannelgraph was so powerful a teaching tool. It was the combination of the story, the setting portrayed on the board, and the powerful stimulation of the imagination that allowed good teachers to be powerful tools in the lives of their students.
This is a must read for anyone interested in sharing their faith to the world around them. It provides the tools, understanding and examples that will bridge the communication gap between the modern and the post-modern world.
And who knows, maybe flannelgraph will make a comeback!
Creating Stories That Connect by D. Bruce Seymour, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI
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Power of Symbolism

If the symbol of immersion in baptism is critical, then why would we not guard the critical symbolism of Communion, one cup and one loaf? Or have we actually establish a cultural adaptation of Communion that accurately depicts our setting. It seems that we are very much like the little individual cups in the tray. We are all sitting in the same room, and yet never touching. And the sterile little wafers I have seen in Communion services, sterile, individualized, neat, definitely not portraying the messiness of real life.
I understand the reasoning for not having the single cup, [definitely not hygienic] but then again, if we can change the symbol for pragmatic reasons in Communion, can we also do the same for baptism?
It grieves my heart to see how we have taken the most powerful symbol of the community of faith and changed it to the sterile modern very individualistic version seen in so many churches today.
And yet we wonder why there is so little true fellowship in the church. Maybe believers are simply living out the model they are seeing and experiencing every time they participate in a Communion service?
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Friend of Tax Collectors

Mat 9:10-13 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. (11) And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (12) But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. (13) Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

I wonder if Christ was an enjoyable person to have around. Why did the tax collectors and sinners hang out with Him? How could they feel comfortable with the Son of God? I think maybe we have lost something very significant in our desire to not be touched by the world. Would I want to be with sinners, or maybe more significantly, would sinners want to be with me? Would they understand that I love God and desire to serve Him and at the same time I love them and enjoy their company? I think about God's desire for us to be in the world but not of the world and I realize afresh that Christ lived out this tension in His life.
I pray that I might come to understand the reality of being a saint, a holy one, and at the same time a good guy to hang out with.
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We are Frail Beings

Hebrews 4:14-16 (ESV)14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as weare, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

As I sit in my office and listen to Celtic harp music playing I ponder the significance of what it means that Jesus is touched by the reality of my frailty [v. 15]. There are times when I clearly sense the depths of my frail being and the reality that Christ enters into my sorrow and suffering gives me hope in the midst of the deep valleys. My desire is to walk through the valley even as David describes, and yet, there are times when the path seems dark.
And in the midst of the journey God brought wonderful, kind and encouraging words for me from His children. I rejoice that I have friends that can hear the voice of the Spirit and allow Him to lead them to send an email at just the right moment.
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Know the Truth

John 8:31-36 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, (32) and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (33) They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" (34) Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. (35) The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. (36) So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

My heart longs for true freedom, not just the absence of laws or regulations, but to be free to soar to the heavnes, to experience God in new and deeper ways. But, the question remains, What does it mean to abide and to know? What is the connection between abiding in His word and knowing the truth? How can I know "the truth"? How can I know "the Son"?

The more I ponder the issue the more I come to understand the interconnectedness between the living Word, the living Word of God and the written Word. The freedom I desire demands that I abide in the Word and that I know the truth, Christ, the living Word.

And this reality drives me back to the realization that true freedom must come from loving God will all my mind, my heart, my soul and my strength.

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He was moved with Compassion

Matt. 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

I reflect on Christ's response of compassion for the crowds as I see the news of the tradegy that occured at Virginia Tech. I think of the many mothers, fathers, spouses, brothers, sisters, friends, lovers, and other family members who are just beginning the deep journey of grief. Will their journey be more difficult as they wonder at the senselessness of the act? Will there be a friend, a believer who will walk with them on this path?
And I realize that I can only open the door a small amount and for a limited time as I feel the pain of the moment. How can I enter into their suffering? How can I begin to allow my heart to be touched by the pain I see on the faces of those that remain? I don't want to allow myself to be objective and just watch the news and walk away, and yet, I sense the frailty of my being to allow my heart to absorb a tiny amount of their pain, to become a healer in the midst of the pain.
And as the Spirit ministers to my spirit, I know that God has given me a path to follow and the strength to walk each step.

God give me the desire and strength to be a healer to those who are hurting and allow my heart to absorb some portion of their pain today.

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Poverty of the Soul

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.
Mother Teresa

I recently heard someone talk about how blessed we are in the United States because of all the things God has given us. But, what of the poverty of the soul of which Mother Teresa speaks? How can we be most blessed if we are the most lonely, the most separated from one-another?

I understand it has become too easy for me to go to church, sit in neat rows, sing, listen to a preacher and leave. My soul feels the depth of poverty that comes from living within my little world as I rush about being busy doing such good things.

How can I connect to another believer and share concern, care, and love for those in greatest need? Christ came to give His life, what am I giving for the great poverty of soul that I see in the Body of Christ?

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