What comes out?
April 26, 2007
We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen. The things which are seen are temporal and the things which are not seen are eternal. ~1 Corinthians 4:18
When life squeezes us (as it invariably will), what we truly believe is revealed. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes not.
Think about it. When we’re under pressure, what is truly abundant in us has to find a relief valve - usually that means our attitudes and actions. None of us are strong enough to always hold it in. And if we try, say our medical friends, the stress that accompanies can harm us, sometimes irreparably. Therefore, sooner or later, whatever is abundant in us comes out - good or bad. And we get to choose what is abundant in us. OK.
Truth be told, most of us live by sight more than by the hope and certainty of the Faith and our Hope of Glory. It’s as if there were a long, thin line threaded throughout our reality that divides what we see - the temporal that surrounds us, from the unseen and eternal. Oppressed by our circumstances, we become distracted from the eternal and focus below the line - on those circumstances. We can’t help it. Or can we?
God tells us repeatedly in His Word that if we’re out of focus we’re taking our cue from below the line. As Christians, our focus should be above - on the unseen, eternal Kingdom of God. That doesn’t mean we should deny or repress what we see happening around us, but we should be led by the Holy Ghost to look beyond the seen and temporal into the unseen and eternal - and act rather than react. After all, our Lord didn’t tell us we wouldn’t have tribulation in our lives. Just the opposite. He just told us He had beaten the World (and, through Him, so have we!). And He also told us to seek His Kingdom first, and everything else in life would be added to us. Again, we get to choose what we seek and dwell on. But, back to the line.
You can see allusions to the line throughout the New Testament. When approached by those under pressure, Jesus, talking about their circumstances, said: “You’re looking for bread, but I am the living bread. If you eat of me, you’ll never go hungry again. You’re looking for a drink of water, but I am living water. If you drink from me, you’ll never thirst again.” He was showing us our Source for the abundant life!
We can’t trust what we see, especially when we’re focused below the line, because we can be deceived into thinking that what we see is truth. We become slaves to our perceptions. Time and time again we see Jesus moving the focus from the seen to the unseen, from the temporal (the temporary!) to the eternal. He knew that for those who walk by faith, appearances are never the ultimate reality.
Are there parts of our lives we’ve allowed to discourage or depress us? Have we wondered where God is? Remember St. Paul to the Galatians, from which the classical theologian Erasmus drew his famous quote: God is present, called or not called - even in the midst of our confusion and pain. He’s tapping us on the shoulder, reminding us to look up beyond the horizon into the Heavenlies. But we get to choose.
“So what,” we might ask? So this:
· We can’t trust everything we see - The Father, our Lord and the Holy Ghost -and even Heaven - are reality, even if they are unseen for now. And, by the way, this world is not our home. We are just passing through. Jesus came to give us life and that abundantly. Receiving His abundant life is one big reason we should always have Holy Communion as often as possible. And He gave us another bigtime tool for perspective - each other. We need the viewpoint of other Christians, who have to walk the same Path. That’s huge in God’s reasoning behind why He instructed us in His Word not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We need the support and each others’ viewpoints. Then our combo of Faith and the fellowship of like-minded believers allows us to:
· Put life in perspective. Realize that our emotions will fail us, and stop allowing them to lead us. That’s why St. Paul told us (by the leading of the Holy Ghost) that we don’t walk by our sight (our natural senses) but, rather, by Faith. And our Faith is centered on God’s Word, consumed regularly and hidden away in our hearts. When our perceptions begin to take us down a depressing path, challenge them openly, in the Name of the Lord, under the protection of His saving Blood. And stand on the promises in His Word - another good reason to know what it says and means. When we make studying and knowing His Word a priority, it becomes abundant in our hearts - and that is what comes out under pressure. Then:
· When we become discouraged - we can more readily stop and ask the Father, “Am I seeing this situation through your eyes, or my own?” Consider the words of Colossians 3:2: “And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.” The Message paraphrased Bible renders the same verse this way: “Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ - that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.” In the words of many of our Christian youth, WWJD - What Would Jesus Do? After all, the Scripture tells us He was tempted in every way as we are - and always looked above the line. And His viewpoint is definitely where the action is!
So, when the pressure is on, what comes out?
All love in the Beloved,
Chip+
Liturgy Lesson for the First Sunday After Easter: Eastertide
April 14, 2007
This is the first Sunday in Eastertide, the oldest festival of the church year - and one that rightly enjoys a far greater emphasis than Lent, which is, more than anything else, a spiritual examen to prepare us to receive the joys and empowerment of Resurrection life made possible by Easter’s victory. In ancient times, there was one long festival between Easter and Pentecost, correctly linking the two great holidays as one spiritual event - the birthing of the Church Militant by the conquest of sin and death and subsequent coming of the Holy Ghost. The early church called Easter “Pascha,” derived from the Hebrew word for Passover and our faith’s Hebraic roots. The liturgical color of the season is white, honoring our Lord’s purity and royalty. The symbols of the season are pleasant, in contrast to the hard symbols representing the unpleasantness of our falleness we discover and overcame in Lent. Eastertide symbols tie to the Resurrection - typified by the lilies decorating our nave and sanctuary areas. This flower represents the season in two ways: (1) it blooms at the appropriate time and (2) the seeming decay of the bulb before its growth, beauty and fragrance is an icon of the Resurrection. Alleluia!
Relationship, Not Religion
April 6, 2007
Bible Reading: “He endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” - Hebrews 11:27
Bonus Reading: II Corinthians 4:13-18
Devotional writer Henri Nouwen urged people to know God intimately through our Lord Jesus. Once, when participating in a conference on art and the spiritual life, Nouwen was at a table where a woman complained that she had quit going to her church because she disagreed with its policies, which had little to do with the Lord and more to do with the details of administration or procedure.
Henri leaned over and said to her, “All that is distraction. I don’t mean to denigrate or even dispute your complaints, but those are beside the point. The only thing that really matters is your relationship with Jesus.”
Nouwen knew the importance of a personal relationship with the Savior. Although He may be invisible to our natural eyes and unable to be touched by our hands, that doesn’t mean He’s not there with us, every day. In fact Scripture teaches us the complete opposite. After all, electricity is invisible, but it is a pervasive and vast source of power. So it is with Jesus. We keep in touch with Him through prayer, diligent study of His Word, and listening, empowered by the indwelling, baptizing Holy Spirit. If we do, He is central and powerful in every aspect of our lives.
Nouwen advised, “Just take 5 minutes a day every day for 2 weeks to sit quietly and ask to be with Jesus, and ask for His presence. And then come and tell me what’s important.” What advice!
I recently came on the scene of a traffic accident, while traveling to a hospital visit on my Harley. I felt prompted to stop, an urge confirmed by the fact this was no ordinary fender-bender. Two young men, probably not even old enough to vote, were hot-rodding their high powered coupe, when they lost control and rolled the auto over the guard rail to a freeway exit some 30 feet below. They were killed instantly - only minutes before I arrived. As I stopped my bike, took off my helmet and strode to the pavement where one young man’s lifeless body lay in a puddle of his own blood, As I prayed the ancient prayers over the departed, I wondered if they had a relationship with the Lord. Not long thereafter, after checking the rest of the scene for anyone needing care, I remounted my motorcycle to complete my hospital visit, just as paramedics arrived. As I rode on, I acquired a deeper understanding of what is important. It’s not religion - it’s relationship.
The heart of Christianity is a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ - not religion, which is a term derived from the Latin word for “rules.” Once we have relationship with Jesus personally, the details of our lives roll into perspective. Will we take 5 minutes today to seek His presence?
Thought to Apply: When you relate to God as a person, you develop a personal relationship with God and the details of life come into perspective. What is our relationship with Jesus?
Grace and peace, Chip+
