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.
Wanderer101

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.
Wanderer 101

"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?
Wanderer101

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?
Wanderer101

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.
Wanderer101

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?
Wanderer101

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?
Wanderer 101