In the Seventies I led the singing for a youth Bible study. A few years later, it became acceptable to play those types of songs in church services. In the Eighties I joined a church where there was a rock band instead of an organ.
Over the years we shorthanded the phrase, “A sequence of songs about our relationship with God that helps facilitate an atmosphere conducive to a collective experience something we identify as worship” into “Worship”. At first it was just a convenience of language; we knew the music was not actually worship – or at least it was not the sum total of worship.
But over the years our linguistic laziness contributed to a serious error; one that seems to be common to most of the “contemporary worship” movement. We began to equate our 20-ish minutes of singing with worship itself. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a handful of dopey little songs!
The first few sentences of the twelfth chapter of Romans contain some of the most important insights available to us on the subject of Christian worship. This passage forms a “hinge” that connects the two essential elements of Paul’s theology: 1) the Gospel achieved by God; 2) the Gospel applied by us.
“With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give Him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to Him and acceptable by Him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-make you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed. Thus you will prove in practice that the will of God is good, acceptable to him and perfect.”
Paul’s Letter to the Romans 12:1-2 (Phillips – Revised Edition)
One of our principle works of faith is to abide in the moment of transformation, remaining open to change and continually yielding to realignment with the Spirit of Christ. We must return again and again to God’s mercies, with our eyes wide in wonder at the endless interventions of grace into our lives.
Music is uniquely effective in both softening and empowering us to worship. Music isn’t worship, but it is a pivot-point where the whole human soul (physical, emotional, cognitive, spiritual) can turn toward God.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Deeds
"So long as the word remains in any way theoretical and is not incarnated by actions and translated into deeds, then it is not faith. It might be theology, not very good theology at that, but it is not faith. Faith is a combination of conviction and deeds, and it cannot be one without the other. Faith divorced from deeds is as lifeless as a corpse."
Murphy Davis, in "Turning Dreams into Deeds," Sojourners, June 1985
My friend Brian sent this to me recently because he thought I'd resonate with it. He was right.
Murphy Davis, in "Turning Dreams into Deeds," Sojourners, June 1985
My friend Brian sent this to me recently because he thought I'd resonate with it. He was right.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Muscle
A few weeks ago, I started posting about Fourfold Fitness [see intro], which is a tool that helps me focus my intentions.
It might seem like an obvious statement to say that physical strength [see table] is integral to a healthy life. I’ve noticed a couple of disturbing abilities in myself, however; one is taking for granted the strength I have, and the other is adapting to my incremental loss of strength. In other words, I don’t tend to think very much about developing or even maintaining physical strength. And as various muscles atrophy, I just work around my reduced capacity.
I’m committed to altering that trajectory; its eventual destination is not where I choose to go. My skeletal frame needs support and connectivity. I need muscle in order to do what I’d like to do without damaging myself. So I’m slowly building resistance training into my routine.
There are many other things I’d rather do, so it’s important for me to remember the big picture of my life. I have to consciously consider what my “ten-years-from-now self” would say to me; that a decade of small choices directed toward good habits (practices) will profoundly effect my future quality of life.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
It might seem like an obvious statement to say that physical strength [see table] is integral to a healthy life. I’ve noticed a couple of disturbing abilities in myself, however; one is taking for granted the strength I have, and the other is adapting to my incremental loss of strength. In other words, I don’t tend to think very much about developing or even maintaining physical strength. And as various muscles atrophy, I just work around my reduced capacity.
I’m committed to altering that trajectory; its eventual destination is not where I choose to go. My skeletal frame needs support and connectivity. I need muscle in order to do what I’d like to do without damaging myself. So I’m slowly building resistance training into my routine.
There are many other things I’d rather do, so it’s important for me to remember the big picture of my life. I have to consciously consider what my “ten-years-from-now self” would say to me; that a decade of small choices directed toward good habits (practices) will profoundly effect my future quality of life.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Wisdom (Cognitive Balance)
Wisdom is not a one-dimensional quality. It is something like an intersection of knowledge and understanding with commonsense… A cultivated awareness of the big picture along with attentiveness to detail… Consistent, tenacious, and ready for change... Open-hearted with clear, strong boundaries…
Wisdom seems to presume and produce thoroughgoing balance. While its varied streams and currents seem to flow in and out through the mind, it certainly involves much more than cognition; it’s a whole-soul endeavor. Furthermore, it makes no sense in isolation: wisdom is relational.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Wisdom seems to presume and produce thoroughgoing balance. While its varied streams and currents seem to flow in and out through the mind, it certainly involves much more than cognition; it’s a whole-soul endeavor. Furthermore, it makes no sense in isolation: wisdom is relational.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Generosity
I think generosity is the heart of emotional flexibility. Physical flexibility improves the fluidity of my movement, allows me to flow more symbiotically with life’s currents, and helps fend off injuries related to brittleness. Generosity brings analogous qualities to my feelings, reactions, and moods.
A readiness to share what I have, whether material, relational, or spiritual, keeps my soul pliable and supple. It seems to increase my capacity to “roll with the punches”, and ease my tendency to jump to conclusions.
Kindness is among generosity’s most beautiful faces; softness to another soul. Sometimes it’s harder to share than cash! But its power to radiate blessing is remarkable – even small acts of kindness can emit wellbeing in all directions.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
A readiness to share what I have, whether material, relational, or spiritual, keeps my soul pliable and supple. It seems to increase my capacity to “roll with the punches”, and ease my tendency to jump to conclusions.
Kindness is among generosity’s most beautiful faces; softness to another soul. Sometimes it’s harder to share than cash! But its power to radiate blessing is remarkable – even small acts of kindness can emit wellbeing in all directions.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Cognitive Endurance
Honesty ^ Curiosity ^ Follow-through
Clear, productive thinking can’t be sustained without honesty. Without it, cognition gets tangled, threadbare, compromised, structurally unsound…
Curiosity – an appetite for discovery – is a sustainable fuel. It steadily propels the soul's rambles, pilgrimages, and ascents.
I wonder if follow-through can become a habit. It is certainly a discipline – a practice I seek to cultivate and deepen. I aspire to the art of finishing; I suffer the empty ache of failing to finish.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Clear, productive thinking can’t be sustained without honesty. Without it, cognition gets tangled, threadbare, compromised, structurally unsound…
Curiosity – an appetite for discovery – is a sustainable fuel. It steadily propels the soul's rambles, pilgrimages, and ascents.
I wonder if follow-through can become a habit. It is certainly a discipline – a practice I seek to cultivate and deepen. I aspire to the art of finishing; I suffer the empty ache of failing to finish.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Friday, October 20, 2006
Joy (emotional strength)
“This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:9b
I pulled these words out of their context, which is not a recommended practice. However, I believe the heart of what Nehemiah stated here is a universally transferable truth. The joy of the Lord is your strength…
In my experience, there is a sense – maybe more than a sense… maybe it’s closer to an assurance – of “all-rightness” that seems to be related to the presence* of God. It is not always rational or even explainable; sometimes it is flatly counterintuitive. But it’s as though the Creator smiles, touches, communicates, “It’s going to be alright.”
Sometimes joy violates my sense of justice. I might attenuate my celebration of someone’s good fortune because it strikes me as dissonant to their choices. This embarrasses me; I’m committed to learning a better, more generous-hearted way.
Sometimes I abstain from joy because I don’t think it’s congruent with my circumstances. I recognize my ridiculousness in this, but can still be very stubborn about it. Joy isn’t a wage – it’s a gift. Once received, it enlivens and empowers the rest of life.
*God's Presence is a huge topic unto itself -- one I'm not up to tackling today...
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
I pulled these words out of their context, which is not a recommended practice. However, I believe the heart of what Nehemiah stated here is a universally transferable truth. The joy of the Lord is your strength…
In my experience, there is a sense – maybe more than a sense… maybe it’s closer to an assurance – of “all-rightness” that seems to be related to the presence* of God. It is not always rational or even explainable; sometimes it is flatly counterintuitive. But it’s as though the Creator smiles, touches, communicates, “It’s going to be alright.”
Sometimes joy violates my sense of justice. I might attenuate my celebration of someone’s good fortune because it strikes me as dissonant to their choices. This embarrasses me; I’m committed to learning a better, more generous-hearted way.
Sometimes I abstain from joy because I don’t think it’s congruent with my circumstances. I recognize my ridiculousness in this, but can still be very stubborn about it. Joy isn’t a wage – it’s a gift. Once received, it enlivens and empowers the rest of life.
*God's Presence is a huge topic unto itself -- one I'm not up to tackling today...
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Monday, October 02, 2006
Peace (& Humor)
Peace is elemental to Emotional Balance; in fact, it fundamentally impacts the health of the whole person.
“A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)
The ancient Hebrew idea of shalom connoted wholeness and well-being: physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual. It’s this sort of peace that Jesus promised his followers in John 14:27.
For me, one way of cultivating peace is to practice nonviolence: interior (toward my own soul), interpersonal (toward other souls), and environmental (toward creation’s soul).
And I’ve found that the power of Humor mustn’t be underestimated in these pursuits. Laughter is not a luxury; it’s impossible to engage the fullness of life without it.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
“A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)
The ancient Hebrew idea of shalom connoted wholeness and well-being: physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual. It’s this sort of peace that Jesus promised his followers in John 14:27.
For me, one way of cultivating peace is to practice nonviolence: interior (toward my own soul), interpersonal (toward other souls), and environmental (toward creation’s soul).
And I’ve found that the power of Humor mustn’t be underestimated in these pursuits. Laughter is not a luxury; it’s impossible to engage the fullness of life without it.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Transformation
To deepen Spiritual Flexibility in myself, I’m committed to a lifestyle of Transformation.
Transformation presupposes Humility; it is to embrace to the truth that I’ve not yet become what I’m becoming.
Both the means and the end of my transformation is Christ. Christ, the perfect human iteration of Creator Spirit, continues to create me into a new creation – one that becomes increasingly more reflective of Christ.
To remain in the lifelong moment of transformation is, arguably, the essence of true worship.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 (Today’s New International Version)
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Transformation presupposes Humility; it is to embrace to the truth that I’ve not yet become what I’m becoming.
Both the means and the end of my transformation is Christ. Christ, the perfect human iteration of Creator Spirit, continues to create me into a new creation – one that becomes increasingly more reflective of Christ.
To remain in the lifelong moment of transformation is, arguably, the essence of true worship.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 (Today’s New International Version)
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Friday, September 22, 2006
Teachable
Cognitive Flexibility means taking a “bend, don’t break” approach to beliefs. It is to be teachable.
In 2nd Timothy 2:24-25 Paul writes, “…the servant of the Lord must not engender strife, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those in opposition.”
(21st Century King James Version)
Complimenting the explicit phrase “apt to teach” is the implicit characteristic of “apt to learn”.
Perhaps it’s slightly counterintuitive, but maintaining a teachable mindset calls for fearlessness. The fear of being wrong and – even worse! – going public with it by changing my attitudes, opinions, and ideologies is frequently enough to keep me from becoming genuinely open to new ideas.
I suspect that cognitive flexibility is at least as difficult to cultivate as physical flexibility. Stretching is a uniquely irksome form of pain. Sometimes I have to remind myself of why this intention is important in my quest to more fully engage my life. But, as with my body, I want my intellect to enjoy the entire range of motion for which it was designed.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
In 2nd Timothy 2:24-25 Paul writes, “…the servant of the Lord must not engender strife, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those in opposition.”
(21st Century King James Version)
Complimenting the explicit phrase “apt to teach” is the implicit characteristic of “apt to learn”.
Perhaps it’s slightly counterintuitive, but maintaining a teachable mindset calls for fearlessness. The fear of being wrong and – even worse! – going public with it by changing my attitudes, opinions, and ideologies is frequently enough to keep me from becoming genuinely open to new ideas.
I suspect that cognitive flexibility is at least as difficult to cultivate as physical flexibility. Stretching is a uniquely irksome form of pain. Sometimes I have to remind myself of why this intention is important in my quest to more fully engage my life. But, as with my body, I want my intellect to enjoy the entire range of motion for which it was designed.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Coin
A few posts ago, Craig-Bob (of Out Of Fellowship fame), asked about the rogue row beneath my Fourfold Fitness table: Finances. He wondered why it was set apart from the main grid.
My answer was that the financial dimension began as a subset of Physical, but since it isn't physiological, per se, it seemed to warrant a separate row.
T-Wolf argued that “Finance is not a component unto itself but rather an intention zone of the cognitive + the attribute strength.”
Craig-Bob followed with the idea that "Financial might fall on a z-axis because it has attributions in each of the 2-dimensional cells […] defined.”
Michael C. brought in the notion of metrics, suggesting that money measures momentum in each of the sixteen zones. He referenced Jacob Needleman's book, Money and the Meaning of Life.
For now, it remains a fifth row in my provisional paradigm. At some point, however, I intend to incorporate an additional four-directional plane to the map. It describes the way I think of resources: Time, Energy, Money, and Affection.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
My answer was that the financial dimension began as a subset of Physical, but since it isn't physiological, per se, it seemed to warrant a separate row.
T-Wolf argued that “Finance is not a component unto itself but rather an intention zone of the cognitive + the attribute strength.”
Craig-Bob followed with the idea that "Financial might fall on a z-axis because it has attributions in each of the 2-dimensional cells […] defined.”
Michael C. brought in the notion of metrics, suggesting that money measures momentum in each of the sixteen zones. He referenced Jacob Needleman's book, Money and the Meaning of Life.
For now, it remains a fifth row in my provisional paradigm. At some point, however, I intend to incorporate an additional four-directional plane to the map. It describes the way I think of resources: Time, Energy, Money, and Affection.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Vision
Vision is cultivated in a context of Hope, and connects directly to Emotional Endurance [see table].
“Without a Vision is a people made naked”
Proverbs 29:18a (Young’s Literal Translation)
I had no idea that this was the literal translation! In the ancient context, nakedness meant poverty and shame; there was nothing erotically provocative about it.
In this proverb, vision obviously refers to something more than physical sight: it’s the ability to look into the future and see the prospect of joy, abundance, accomplishment, meaning…
This sort of vision has to do with attending to invisible things. I believe that every human is given something that only she/he can see; an internal treasure that needs to be externalized – the intangible made tangible. It relates to incarnation. Each of us is to champion what’s been entrusted on a spiritual level – sowing, cultivating, harvesting, distributing… to the enriching of our relational circles.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
“Without a Vision is a people made naked”
Proverbs 29:18a (Young’s Literal Translation)
I had no idea that this was the literal translation! In the ancient context, nakedness meant poverty and shame; there was nothing erotically provocative about it.
In this proverb, vision obviously refers to something more than physical sight: it’s the ability to look into the future and see the prospect of joy, abundance, accomplishment, meaning…
This sort of vision has to do with attending to invisible things. I believe that every human is given something that only she/he can see; an internal treasure that needs to be externalized – the intangible made tangible. It relates to incarnation. Each of us is to champion what’s been entrusted on a spiritual level – sowing, cultivating, harvesting, distributing… to the enriching of our relational circles.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Hope
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.”
Psalm 42:11 (21st Century King James Version)
Hope is integral to Emotional Endurance [see table]. What feeds my heart’s fire if not hope? And what distinguishes hoping from wishing? For me, hope is the belief that God is planting goodness in the future so that it’s already taking root and blooming as we step into each unfolding day.
Here's an ancient prophetic poem that was composed by a person who understood the valley of deep trouble. His words have the heartbeat of authenticity.
“There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”
Hosea 2:15 (New International Version)
First, God promises to restore vineyards, which represent abundance and gladness. Then follows an image that I find profoundly moving: God will transform the valley of trouble into a door of hope. The lowest, most disturbing circumstance becomes the threshold to a good future.
The second sentence begins with the response of the people, which is carefree singing: a picture of rejuvenation and festivity. The closing line references release from slavery, and the long-awaited freedom to engage life.
That’s what this Fourfold Fitness thing is about, really [see intro]. I don’t need to be a slave to disconnection and disintegration; by God’s grace, I’m free to cultivate practices that increase my capacity for living.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Psalm 42:11 (21st Century King James Version)
Hope is integral to Emotional Endurance [see table]. What feeds my heart’s fire if not hope? And what distinguishes hoping from wishing? For me, hope is the belief that God is planting goodness in the future so that it’s already taking root and blooming as we step into each unfolding day.
Here's an ancient prophetic poem that was composed by a person who understood the valley of deep trouble. His words have the heartbeat of authenticity.
“There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”
Hosea 2:15 (New International Version)
First, God promises to restore vineyards, which represent abundance and gladness. Then follows an image that I find profoundly moving: God will transform the valley of trouble into a door of hope. The lowest, most disturbing circumstance becomes the threshold to a good future.
The second sentence begins with the response of the people, which is carefree singing: a picture of rejuvenation and festivity. The closing line references release from slavery, and the long-awaited freedom to engage life.
That’s what this Fourfold Fitness thing is about, really [see intro]. I don’t need to be a slave to disconnection and disintegration; by God’s grace, I’m free to cultivate practices that increase my capacity for living.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Rooted
For me, there are three essential dimensions of Spiritual Balance [see table].
1) Beauty must be celebrated, and Wonder relished.
2) Upright is an old-fashioned word, but I like its imagery: spiritual balance means I stand up in my full stature, walking tall. Dignity.
3) It also connotes Grounding – having my feet solidly beneath me. Rooted.
“Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.”
Colossians 2:7, Contemporary English Version
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
1) Beauty must be celebrated, and Wonder relished.
2) Upright is an old-fashioned word, but I like its imagery: spiritual balance means I stand up in my full stature, walking tall. Dignity.
3) It also connotes Grounding – having my feet solidly beneath me. Rooted.
“Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.”
Colossians 2:7, Contemporary English Version
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Motion
Physical Flexibility [see table], or range of motion, is a fantastic thing: acquiring it… not so much. Flexibility doesn’t happen without stretching, and stretching is viscerally unappealing to me. It makes me cranky.
But I believe in it – I believe it’s important enough to warrant assimilating yoga practice into my lifestyle.
I think flexibility is a proactive prevention of future injuries. I like the idea of doing my part to avoid preventable suffering (my own and that of others).
I also like being able to move fluidly – having a body that can flow with the riffles and rills of existence. To my way of thinking, it’s an important dimension of enjoying and honoring creation. If I want to fully engage my life, I’ll cultivate flexibility.
But I believe in it – I believe it’s important enough to warrant assimilating yoga practice into my lifestyle.
I think flexibility is a proactive prevention of future injuries. I like the idea of doing my part to avoid preventable suffering (my own and that of others).
I also like being able to move fluidly – having a body that can flow with the riffles and rills of existence. To my way of thinking, it’s an important dimension of enjoying and honoring creation. If I want to fully engage my life, I’ll cultivate flexibility.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Fourfold Fitness Table
Strength | Flexibility | Endurance | Balance | |
Spiritual | Integrity | Humility Transformation | Courage Loyalty Perseverance | Grounding Beauty Upright |
Cognitive | Creativity | Teachable Broadminded | Curiosity Honesty Follow-Through | Wisdom Awareness |
Emotional | Joy Gratitude | Generosity Kindness Adaptable | Hope Vision | Peace Humor |
Physical | Muscle | Motion | Stamina | Agility Rest |
(Financial) | Income | Giving / Spending | Savings | Budget |
Friday, September 01, 2006
Creativity
Cognitive strength is valuable to me; I intend for it to be among my primary character traits. One of the ways I choose to cultivate greater capacity in this intention zone is by practicing creativity.
When I’m at my best, creativity is radiating into every territory of my life. It isn’t contained or compartmentalized. So it wouldn’t be out of place in any of my sixteen zones.
But for the sake of focus, I center Creativity at the intersection of Cognitive & Strength [see table]. In my experience, my mind nearly always comes into play when I’m being creative. Thoughts are sorted and shuffled, and arranged in new constellations – new categories are framed and tested – new pathways, sequences, connections are mentally sketched out…
It’s a very satisfying form of exertion: it feels like pushing a stalled car that I didn’t think would budge, or hiking a little farther than my imagined capacity, or splitting a cord of firewood. Creativity makes me feel strong.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
When I’m at my best, creativity is radiating into every territory of my life. It isn’t contained or compartmentalized. So it wouldn’t be out of place in any of my sixteen zones.
But for the sake of focus, I center Creativity at the intersection of Cognitive & Strength [see table]. In my experience, my mind nearly always comes into play when I’m being creative. Thoughts are sorted and shuffled, and arranged in new constellations – new categories are framed and tested – new pathways, sequences, connections are mentally sketched out…
It’s a very satisfying form of exertion: it feels like pushing a stalled car that I didn’t think would budge, or hiking a little farther than my imagined capacity, or splitting a cord of firewood. Creativity makes me feel strong.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Fourfold Fitness
The soul’s topography won’t fit within the languages of tongue or pen. It’s like trying to capture the vastness and detail of a natural landscape in the frame of a photograph.
But knowing the terrain of our own depths is necessary for fully engaged living. Some people have an innate knack for soul navigation; others need a map and compass.
I use a four by four grid, where the intersections create “intention zones” integral to my joie de vivre. The four components of my humanness are: Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, and Spiritual. The four key attributes of fitness (IMHO) are: Strength, Flexibility, Endurance, and Balance.
The next few soul-friending posts will describe some of my intention zones. I hope there will be ideas and inspirations for you. However, I hasten to underscore that it’s just a map I’ve sketched to help make sense of my personal topography; it’s not intended to be comprehensive, absolute, or directly transferable. But maybe it’ll provoke you to undertake your own “depth cartography”.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
But knowing the terrain of our own depths is necessary for fully engaged living. Some people have an innate knack for soul navigation; others need a map and compass.
I use a four by four grid, where the intersections create “intention zones” integral to my joie de vivre. The four components of my humanness are: Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, and Spiritual. The four key attributes of fitness (IMHO) are: Strength, Flexibility, Endurance, and Balance.
The next few soul-friending posts will describe some of my intention zones. I hope there will be ideas and inspirations for you. However, I hasten to underscore that it’s just a map I’ve sketched to help make sense of my personal topography; it’s not intended to be comprehensive, absolute, or directly transferable. But maybe it’ll provoke you to undertake your own “depth cartography”.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
trust
It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them.
Confucius
This is as deep a truth as there is. To be deceived is among the worst of human experiences; but distrust withers friendship, and we need friendship in order to become fully human.
Friendship brings longevity and joy to our loves: marriage blooms in it. In friendship, family connectedness can thrive without throttling.
Friendship freely says, "I'd rather risk being a fool than hoard my heart behind fortress walls."
Confucius
This is as deep a truth as there is. To be deceived is among the worst of human experiences; but distrust withers friendship, and we need friendship in order to become fully human.
Friendship brings longevity and joy to our loves: marriage blooms in it. In friendship, family connectedness can thrive without throttling.
Friendship freely says, "I'd rather risk being a fool than hoard my heart behind fortress walls."
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
circus ride
The best circus rides are the ones that feel terrifyingly out of control, but are not -- the ones that have been engineered to be completely safe while simulating the sensation of impending disaster. We’ll pay good money for the thrill of careening toward annihilation, as long as the ride comes with a guarantee that all will turn out okay in the end.
Life doesn’t come with that sort of guarantee, of course. But according to Jesus, there is an Author who weaves our crazy fragments into a meaningful narrative. I need for this to be true. Daily, I re-surrender to the trueness of it.
Sometimes my world accelerates into the red zone, when my beliefs, my dreams, and my loves quake on the verge of disintegration. At those moments, I remind myself that all things fall into the hands of God -- nothing slips between those fingers, or spills over the edges. All things constellate meaningfully within the Creator’s cupped hands. And it will turn out okay in the end.
Life doesn’t come with that sort of guarantee, of course. But according to Jesus, there is an Author who weaves our crazy fragments into a meaningful narrative. I need for this to be true. Daily, I re-surrender to the trueness of it.
Sometimes my world accelerates into the red zone, when my beliefs, my dreams, and my loves quake on the verge of disintegration. At those moments, I remind myself that all things fall into the hands of God -- nothing slips between those fingers, or spills over the edges. All things constellate meaningfully within the Creator’s cupped hands. And it will turn out okay in the end.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
soul-sized life
What are the dimensions of your soul? How far can she throw her light? How many close relationships do you have the capacity to honor?
How much art will you render? How many stories will be yours to tell? How many friends will you help to discover their own souls?
As I ask questions like these of myself, the tendency is to swing between overestimating and underestimating the size of my soul. Maybe the oscillation between big and small is what keeps me bending back toward a sane assessment.
For more on this topic, see the post inhabiting littleness, and the comments that followed.
How much art will you render? How many stories will be yours to tell? How many friends will you help to discover their own souls?
As I ask questions like these of myself, the tendency is to swing between overestimating and underestimating the size of my soul. Maybe the oscillation between big and small is what keeps me bending back toward a sane assessment.
For more on this topic, see the post inhabiting littleness, and the comments that followed.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
arrogance versus ignorance
Never attribute to arrogance what can adequately be explained by ignorance.
Friday, July 07, 2006
TRANS|plant|action|formation
Transplant Transaction Transformation
Look at God’s declared intent in this lovely couplet: the equation contains three additions and one subtraction.
"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel 11:19, NIV
{PLUS} Integration (undivided heart)
Meaningfully constellating our fragmented souls
{PLUS} Inspiration (new spirit)
Breathing into us a second wind
{MINUS} Petrification (heart of stone)
Stone became set in its ways a long time ago
It would rather break than bend
It’s incompatible with breath and blood
{PLUS} Corporeal Reanimation (heart of flesh)
Flesh is pliable, vulnerable
And capable of growth
It’s a suitable habitat for life
Look at God’s declared intent in this lovely couplet: the equation contains three additions and one subtraction.
"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel 11:19, NIV
{PLUS} Integration (undivided heart)
Meaningfully constellating our fragmented souls
{PLUS} Inspiration (new spirit)
Breathing into us a second wind
{MINUS} Petrification (heart of stone)
Stone became set in its ways a long time ago
It would rather break than bend
It’s incompatible with breath and blood
{PLUS} Corporeal Reanimation (heart of flesh)
Flesh is pliable, vulnerable
And capable of growth
It’s a suitable habitat for life
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
clay resoftened
Modeling clay becomes cold and hard after a few days of no touch. It has to be patiently warmed and softened in order to return to responsiveness. My hands learned the process a long time ago; the rhythm, heat, and fragrance of transformation are still present to me. Squeezing, pressing, folding... renewing the tactile bond between the clay and my skin... settling into creative interaction.
I used to waste time feeling guilty in moments of awareness that I’d again become hard clay. Now I try to respond with gratitude to that awareness as though it is the Spirit’s touch, initiating a new session of softening. It’s an invitation to change and creativity.
I used to waste time feeling guilty in moments of awareness that I’d again become hard clay. Now I try to respond with gratitude to that awareness as though it is the Spirit’s touch, initiating a new session of softening. It’s an invitation to change and creativity.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
headwaters (river, part three)
Have you visited the headwaters of your defining dream? Have you made an inner pilgrimage to the birthplace of the vision that shapes your intentions?
It’s not an easy hike. Sometimes you come across dams you’ve built to block to flow of your own calling. Sometimes you encounter a culvert of pollutants you’ve allowed to empty into your passion.
But eventually you make it back to the simple source. A wellspring of clear water bubbling up from your soul-dirt... The Spirit flowing from your deep places...
Your family, your friends, your community need the living water that is meant to flow from you. You’re an integral part of a relational ecosystem.
It’s not an easy hike. Sometimes you come across dams you’ve built to block to flow of your own calling. Sometimes you encounter a culvert of pollutants you’ve allowed to empty into your passion.
But eventually you make it back to the simple source. A wellspring of clear water bubbling up from your soul-dirt... The Spirit flowing from your deep places...
Your family, your friends, your community need the living water that is meant to flow from you. You’re an integral part of a relational ecosystem.
Friday, June 16, 2006
equity
“Teach me to number my days.”
I’ve been making a concerted effort to consistently reassess my time equity. What do I have to work with? How am I spending it, investing it, wasting it, enjoying it...?
In 2016, how will I feel about the way I spent 2006?
I’ve been making a concerted effort to consistently reassess my time equity. What do I have to work with? How am I spending it, investing it, wasting it, enjoying it...?
In 2016, how will I feel about the way I spent 2006?
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
river (part two)
Riverbanks make a river possible. Limitations facilitate flow.
Riverbanks aren’t absolutely rigid; they aren’t permanently fixed. Flow affects limitations.
The reciprocity of a river and its banks teaches me things about the paradoxes of faith-life: focused and flowing -- settled and questing...
The current is power, direction, intention, movement... submitting to boundaries.
The banks are shape, form, structure, support... organic and malleable, responding to the stream of change.
Riverbanks aren’t absolutely rigid; they aren’t permanently fixed. Flow affects limitations.
The reciprocity of a river and its banks teaches me things about the paradoxes of faith-life: focused and flowing -- settled and questing...
The current is power, direction, intention, movement... submitting to boundaries.
The banks are shape, form, structure, support... organic and malleable, responding to the stream of change.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
river (part one)
Has a more inspiring description of worship ever been conceived than Ezekiel 47:1-12?
Water flows from under the altar, out of the temple, increasing exponentially until it is a great river. It flows eastward into the Dead Sea, transforming the brine into freshwater. (Interestingly, the marshes are left salty; presumably as a source of preservative and seasoning.)
The formerly “dead” sea becomes as full of fish as the Mediterranean. The riverbanks are lined with trees bearing nutritional and medicinal fruit. The picture is of lavish abundance – of fullness and healing.
This transformative power floods from the temple - the iconic center of worship in Ezekiel’s culture. He’s portraying a world profoundly changed by, and a way of life instigated and sustained by worship.
Water flows from under the altar, out of the temple, increasing exponentially until it is a great river. It flows eastward into the Dead Sea, transforming the brine into freshwater. (Interestingly, the marshes are left salty; presumably as a source of preservative and seasoning.)
The formerly “dead” sea becomes as full of fish as the Mediterranean. The riverbanks are lined with trees bearing nutritional and medicinal fruit. The picture is of lavish abundance – of fullness and healing.
This transformative power floods from the temple - the iconic center of worship in Ezekiel’s culture. He’s portraying a world profoundly changed by, and a way of life instigated and sustained by worship.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
awful coffee and a Lorna Doone
Bleary-eyed and hours from home, struggling to stay awake... Awful coffee and a Lorna Doone cookie at the rest stop... Okay, I think I can make it for another chunk of miles.
Thank God for the Rotary and Kiwanis people who cheerfully host those simple oases.
Maybe that’s what weekly church services are for: offering simple, spiritual hospitality and helping souls stay awake to their faith journeys.
Thank God for the Rotary and Kiwanis people who cheerfully host those simple oases.
Maybe that’s what weekly church services are for: offering simple, spiritual hospitality and helping souls stay awake to their faith journeys.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
economics
"I think we're miserable partly because we have only one god, and that's economics. Economics is a slave-driver. No one has free time; no one has any leisure. The whole culture is under terrible pressure and fraught with worry. It's hard to get out of that box."
James Hillman
James Hillman
Monday, May 22, 2006
legalism and grace
Legalism is easier than grace. Or at least it has a heavier gravitational pull. Most religions and ideologies seem to bend that way.
Law is legislatable and grace is not. That’s why attempting to politically impose Christian morals on a society is a dalliance with the devil: it necessitates a shift away from the heart of the Gospel.
We prefer to create systems of thought and behavior to which we can adhere, or against which we can rebel. These are the polar extremes portrayed in the parable of the Prodigal Son: the older brother versus the prodigal. Whether in compliance or defiance, law sells itself as simpler to manage than grace.
The way of grace traverses a different grid altogether than the compliance-defiance continuum.
Law is legislatable and grace is not. That’s why attempting to politically impose Christian morals on a society is a dalliance with the devil: it necessitates a shift away from the heart of the Gospel.
We prefer to create systems of thought and behavior to which we can adhere, or against which we can rebel. These are the polar extremes portrayed in the parable of the Prodigal Son: the older brother versus the prodigal. Whether in compliance or defiance, law sells itself as simpler to manage than grace.
The way of grace traverses a different grid altogether than the compliance-defiance continuum.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
prophetic contradiction
“The most powerful thing you can hear, and the only thing that ever persuades any of us in our own lives, is if you meet somebody whose story contradicts the thing you think you know. At that point it’s possible to question what you know, because the authenticity of their experience is real enough to do it.” Ira Glass
The gift of prophecy is not always expressed in words about future things. Sometimes it means living out the story God is writing into you and me... Being present to Presence in a manner that clarifies aspects of the Spirit’s narrative... Becoming human renditions of new ways of being...
The gift of prophecy is not always expressed in words about future things. Sometimes it means living out the story God is writing into you and me... Being present to Presence in a manner that clarifies aspects of the Spirit’s narrative... Becoming human renditions of new ways of being...
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
dis-illusion
“They say to the seers, ‘See no more visions!’
and to the prophets,
‘Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.
Leave this way, get off this path,
and stop confronting us
with the Holy One of Israel!’” Isaiah 30:10, NIV
Oh boy... this is a tough one. My illusions have been very dear to me, and I’ve mourned each one’s passing. Certainly, there are many remaining -- including the illusion that I’m relatively free of illusions!
A world cobbled together with denial is a rickety affair. It won’t hold up against the blasts of reality. It lacks depth of foundation and openness to light. How can relationships find health in a place like that?
Disillusionment is a strange friend, never welcome but often bearing excellent gifts.
Tell me the truth
Show me what is right
Confront me with holiness
and to the prophets,
‘Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions.
Leave this way, get off this path,
and stop confronting us
with the Holy One of Israel!’” Isaiah 30:10, NIV
Oh boy... this is a tough one. My illusions have been very dear to me, and I’ve mourned each one’s passing. Certainly, there are many remaining -- including the illusion that I’m relatively free of illusions!
A world cobbled together with denial is a rickety affair. It won’t hold up against the blasts of reality. It lacks depth of foundation and openness to light. How can relationships find health in a place like that?
Disillusionment is a strange friend, never welcome but often bearing excellent gifts.
Tell me the truth
Show me what is right
Confront me with holiness
Monday, May 15, 2006
silent
I recently posted a quote on my other blog that celebrates the gift of shutting up. More quotes extolling silence appeared in the comments section. The conversation (yes, it is slightly ironic to have a conversation about not talking) brought to mind one of my favorite Hebrew proverbs.
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue. Proverbs 17:28
I love the confluence of commonsense and comedy in those words!
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue. Proverbs 17:28
I love the confluence of commonsense and comedy in those words!
Saturday, May 06, 2006
holy curiosity
“The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates
the mysteries of eternity, of life,
of the marvelous structure of reality.
It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend
a little of this mystery every day.
Never lose a holy curiosity.”
Albert Einstein
Monday, May 01, 2006
Trinity
The Trinity illuminates perfect relationality, showing the simultaneous, interpenetrating, and ongoing processes of communion and differentiation. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit submerge within the One Triune God, and emerge as distinct, unique facets of the Trinity they create.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Havel's Hope
~~
“Hope is a state of mind, not of the world.
Hope, in this deep and powerful sense,
is not the same as joy that things are going well,
or willingness to invest in enterprises
that are obviously heading for success,
but rather an ability to work for something because it is good.”
Vaclav Havel
“Hope is a state of mind, not of the world.
Hope, in this deep and powerful sense,
is not the same as joy that things are going well,
or willingness to invest in enterprises
that are obviously heading for success,
but rather an ability to work for something because it is good.”
Vaclav Havel
Thursday, April 27, 2006
hate
Hate is a prolonged form of suicide.
Douglas V. Steere
"You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."
Anne Lamott
Douglas V. Steere
"You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."
Anne Lamott
Monday, April 24, 2006
conflict & disillusionment
Conflict confirms individuation as persons face the inevitable challenge of dismissing neither their own nor the other’s place, perspective, and prerogative within the group.
Disillusionment affirms the process of authenticating genuine relationality as individuals are freed from their illusions about one another and their community.
absorption & transcendence
Self-absorption is a symptom of relational entropy.
It exacerbates fragmentation.
Self-transcendence, on the other hand, integrates the self within a greater meaning .
It paradoxically deepens identity and propels individuation.
"It takes all sorts to make a world; or a church. This may be even truer of a church. If grace perfects nature it must expand all our natures into the full richness of the diversity which God intended when He made them, and Heaven will display far more variety than Hell."
C.S. Lewis
Saturday, April 22, 2006
innocence
The innocence we enjoy by way of ignorance is a gift given in secret. By its nature, it is invisible to its recipient.
Wisdom’s innocence, on the other hand, is heroically chosen in defiance of evidence that demands cynicism.
To know what life inevitably throws at us and yet choose to remain softhearted is the epitome of maturity. It is close to holiness.
Wisdom’s innocence, on the other hand, is heroically chosen in defiance of evidence that demands cynicism.
To know what life inevitably throws at us and yet choose to remain softhearted is the epitome of maturity. It is close to holiness.
Friday, April 21, 2006
filtered
“We all have ideas, images of God that are untrue, which the Holy Spirit would remove if we would let Him. These are cultural and doctrinal traditions which have become ingrained in our minds. The power of Christ’s life is filtered and proportionally diminished by the number of these wrong images existing within us.”
Francis Frangipane
Thursday, April 20, 2006
worshipping and becoming
"That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
miracle
"There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle."
Albert Einstein
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
worry
"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength."
Corrie Ten Boom
Corrie Ten Boom
Monday, April 17, 2006
calling
“The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
Frederick Buechner
Frederick Buechner
obedience
Obedience is not the acknowledgement that an unintelligent being gives to an intelligent one. It is the compliment that a lover pays to a beloved. If obedience rested solely on the recognition of a superior intelligence, it would not last a week. We can always persuade ourselves that we know better...
Hubert van Zeller
Hubert van Zeller
Saturday, April 15, 2006
presence
Is there a difference between the omnipresence of God (his ‘everywhere-ness’) and his real presence or manifest presence (his ‘right-here-ness’)?
It certainly feels different, but is that due to changes in us or changes in him? …Or both?
Is it our perception of God's closeness that changes as we yield our splintered wills to his One Will? ...Our cloudy truths to his Clear Truth? Or is God actually pressing nearer to us during certain holy moments?
It certainly feels different, but is that due to changes in us or changes in him? …Or both?
Is it our perception of God's closeness that changes as we yield our splintered wills to his One Will? ...Our cloudy truths to his Clear Truth? Or is God actually pressing nearer to us during certain holy moments?
Thursday, April 13, 2006
ebb and flow
"Dear Lord, today I thought of the words of Vincent van Gogh: 'It is true there is an ebb and flow, but the sea remains the sea.' You are the sea. Although I experience many ups and downs in my emotions and often feel great shifts and changes in my inner life, you remain the same. Your sameness is not the sameness of a rock, but the sameness of a faithful lover. Out of your love I came to life; by your love I am sustained; and to your love I am always called back. There are days of sadness and days of joy; there are feelings of guilt and feelings of gratitude; there are moments of failure and moments of success; but all of them are embraced by your unwavering love.
My only real temptation is to doubt in your love, to think of myself as beyond the reach of your love, to remove myself from the healing radiance of your love. To do these things is to move into the darkness of despair.
O Lord, sea of love and goodness, let me not fear too much the storms and winds of my daily life, and let me know that there is ebb and flow but that the sea remains the sea. Amen."
Henri Nouwen
From A Cry for Mercy
My only real temptation is to doubt in your love, to think of myself as beyond the reach of your love, to remove myself from the healing radiance of your love. To do these things is to move into the darkness of despair.
O Lord, sea of love and goodness, let me not fear too much the storms and winds of my daily life, and let me know that there is ebb and flow but that the sea remains the sea. Amen."
Henri Nouwen
From A Cry for Mercy
absence
“The great temptation of the ministry is to celebrate only the presence of Jesus while forgetting his absence. Often the minister is most concerned to make people glad and to create an atmosphere of ‘I’m okay, you’re okay.’ But in this way everything gets filled up and there is no empty space left for the affirmation of our basic lack of fulfillment. In this way the presence of Jesus is enforced without connection with his absence. Almost inevitably this leads to artificial joy and superficial happiness. […] If we deny the pain of his absence we will not be able to taste his sustaining presence either.”
Henri Nouwen
From The Living Reminder
Henri Nouwen
From The Living Reminder
Monday, April 10, 2006
Speak to that rock
When the water dried up in Kadesh, and the people brought their pointed complaint to Moses, God told him to “speak to that rock… and it will pour out its water.” Moses chose to strike the rock twice with his staff instead. Water still gushed from the rock, but Moses lost something by not honoring God.
At times, people in authority over me have seemed like that rock: set in their ways, hardened, difficult to relate to… What if God’s word to me is the same as his word to Moses? Speak to that rock.
There are blessings that can only come through the people God has placed in authority over me – blessings like the water the Israelite community so desperately needed in Kadesh. In order to continue my journey, I need the water that flows from them: wisdom, protection, guidance, compassion, assistance...
When an authority figure has what I need, and I know I can’t go on without it, I'm faced with an age-old impasse: Will I speak to that rock or strike it? Often the temptation to strike the rock is strong. Dishonor takes many forms – some are harsh, some are cold, some are glossed with politeness. All of them make the person in authority over me a little less human.
I'm only just beginning to understand what my dishonoring actions have cost me over the years. Moses lost the dream of taking his people all the way into their promised homeland. He got what he wanted in the moment, but he fell short of his ultimate goal.
At times, people in authority over me have seemed like that rock: set in their ways, hardened, difficult to relate to… What if God’s word to me is the same as his word to Moses? Speak to that rock.
There are blessings that can only come through the people God has placed in authority over me – blessings like the water the Israelite community so desperately needed in Kadesh. In order to continue my journey, I need the water that flows from them: wisdom, protection, guidance, compassion, assistance...
When an authority figure has what I need, and I know I can’t go on without it, I'm faced with an age-old impasse: Will I speak to that rock or strike it? Often the temptation to strike the rock is strong. Dishonor takes many forms – some are harsh, some are cold, some are glossed with politeness. All of them make the person in authority over me a little less human.
I'm only just beginning to understand what my dishonoring actions have cost me over the years. Moses lost the dream of taking his people all the way into their promised homeland. He got what he wanted in the moment, but he fell short of his ultimate goal.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Lawn and Garden Care
An ideal lawn is completely uniform. The grass is one height, one texture, and one shade of green. Needless to say, weeds, moss, and wildflowers have no business there. It would never be confused with the wild; it is set apart from nature. It covers a clearly defined area like a cool, green carpet.
A garden, on the other hand, celebrates variety. It is home to an assortment of plants, each with its own needs and qualities. Deciduous, evergreen, creeping, climbing, twiggy, bushy, leafy, shade-loving, sun-craving, drought-resistant, frost-sensitive, hardy, showy, modest, etc… It is a place for wildly diverse expressions of planthood.
The ideal garden is a seamless, living truce between the tame and the wild – between humans and nature. Lawns, on the other hand, are human creations; nature has only a limited role with them. A proper lawn can’t exist without a lawnmower. Conversely, the thought of mowing a garden is as ludicrous as it is disturbing!
Is the church more like a lawn or a garden? It’s easier to manage a large group of people if their maintenance can be standardized. The same watering regimen, the same fertilizer and the same dose of weed-killer work for everyone. Measuring progress is far less complicated if the target is conformity to one standard.
Sameness isn’t holiness, though. Our challenge is to bring ourselves into alignment with Christ’s image, not conform to someone’s notion of the ideal Christian. It will require a host of believers, each reflecting Christ’s image according to their own unique styles, to even begin to express the vast loveliness of Jesus.
In my opinion, the Creator wants a garden. Jesus interacted with people in all sorts of ways; his approaches were as diverse as the people themselves were. The only group he tended to address in broad, generalized terms was the group that wanted to mow humanity: the religious elite. But it is obvious that his true passion was for individuals. He engaged people creatively and uniquely; he delighted in discovering and illuminating each person’s interior.
A lawn church is fertilized and weeded with a toxic concoction of religion and subculture. Legalism is its lawnmower. It is artificially sustained, separate from both God’s kingdom and the world.
Conversely, the garden church celebrates variety. It is home to assorted humans with assorted needs and qualities. Some are colorful, some muted – some kinetic, some reserved – some produce spiritual fruit continually, while some require seasons of rest after harvests. Some are as fussy as roses; some are as hardy (and occasionally as invasive…) as weeds. Some are as strong as trees, and some cling like vines. Some announce their yield of fruit with showy blossoms, and others bear their fruit invisibly underground. The garden church is a place for wildly diverse expressions of the human faith-journey.
A garden, on the other hand, celebrates variety. It is home to an assortment of plants, each with its own needs and qualities. Deciduous, evergreen, creeping, climbing, twiggy, bushy, leafy, shade-loving, sun-craving, drought-resistant, frost-sensitive, hardy, showy, modest, etc… It is a place for wildly diverse expressions of planthood.
The ideal garden is a seamless, living truce between the tame and the wild – between humans and nature. Lawns, on the other hand, are human creations; nature has only a limited role with them. A proper lawn can’t exist without a lawnmower. Conversely, the thought of mowing a garden is as ludicrous as it is disturbing!
Is the church more like a lawn or a garden? It’s easier to manage a large group of people if their maintenance can be standardized. The same watering regimen, the same fertilizer and the same dose of weed-killer work for everyone. Measuring progress is far less complicated if the target is conformity to one standard.
Sameness isn’t holiness, though. Our challenge is to bring ourselves into alignment with Christ’s image, not conform to someone’s notion of the ideal Christian. It will require a host of believers, each reflecting Christ’s image according to their own unique styles, to even begin to express the vast loveliness of Jesus.
In my opinion, the Creator wants a garden. Jesus interacted with people in all sorts of ways; his approaches were as diverse as the people themselves were. The only group he tended to address in broad, generalized terms was the group that wanted to mow humanity: the religious elite. But it is obvious that his true passion was for individuals. He engaged people creatively and uniquely; he delighted in discovering and illuminating each person’s interior.
A lawn church is fertilized and weeded with a toxic concoction of religion and subculture. Legalism is its lawnmower. It is artificially sustained, separate from both God’s kingdom and the world.
Conversely, the garden church celebrates variety. It is home to assorted humans with assorted needs and qualities. Some are colorful, some muted – some kinetic, some reserved – some produce spiritual fruit continually, while some require seasons of rest after harvests. Some are as fussy as roses; some are as hardy (and occasionally as invasive…) as weeds. Some are as strong as trees, and some cling like vines. Some announce their yield of fruit with showy blossoms, and others bear their fruit invisibly underground. The garden church is a place for wildly diverse expressions of the human faith-journey.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
perfectionism
"Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life..."
Anne Lamott
from Bird By Bird
Anne Lamott
from Bird By Bird
Thursday, March 30, 2006
addictions
It is very interesting, I think, to substitute the word addiction for enemy when meditating on Old Testament passages.
O Lord, my God, I come to you for protection;
rescue me and save me from my addictions,
or else like a lion they will carry me off
where no one can save me,
and there they will tear me to pieces.
Psalm 7:1-2 (TEV modified)
O Lord, my God, I come to you for protection;
rescue me and save me from my addictions,
or else like a lion they will carry me off
where no one can save me,
and there they will tear me to pieces.
Psalm 7:1-2 (TEV modified)
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
mercy
“Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea."
Micah 7:18-19 (NIV)
Right now I can’t imagine a more perfectly poetic description of God’s mercy. I need poetry like that.
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea."
Micah 7:18-19 (NIV)
Right now I can’t imagine a more perfectly poetic description of God’s mercy. I need poetry like that.
Monday, March 27, 2006
eSphere revisited
"Your descendants will spread over the earth in all directions and will become as numerous as the specks of dust. Your family will be a blessing to all people." Genesis 28:14 (CEV)
Those words from the Book of Beginnings (Genesis) articulate God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, et al (in this particular instance being spoken to Jacob, also known as Israel).
all directions - spherical, radiating
specks of dust - multitude of particles
family - relatedness, connectedness... common point of origin (in this case, faith)
I can’t help but see a connection to Particle Theory, which Wikipedia describes as having to do with elementary constituents of matter and radiation, and the interactions between them. It describes the radiative and scattering processes of those particles. Furthermore, these phenomena do not occur under normal circumstances. In other words, an extraordinary interruption is required.
It looks an awful lot like a prefiguring of the eucatastrosphere (eSphere) decribed a few posts ago: a soul-scape shaped in the ripples of divine interruption...
From the beginning, God has challenged people of faith to be his blessing - to everyone, everywhere, all the time... infusing their communities with beauty, strength, generosity, affirmation, health, balance, patience, hope...
Those words from the Book of Beginnings (Genesis) articulate God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, et al (in this particular instance being spoken to Jacob, also known as Israel).
I can’t help but see a connection to Particle Theory, which Wikipedia describes as having to do with elementary constituents of matter and radiation, and the interactions between them. It describes the radiative and scattering processes of those particles. Furthermore, these phenomena do not occur under normal circumstances. In other words, an extraordinary interruption is required.
It looks an awful lot like a prefiguring of the eucatastrosphere (eSphere) decribed a few posts ago: a soul-scape shaped in the ripples of divine interruption...
From the beginning, God has challenged people of faith to be his blessing - to everyone, everywhere, all the time... infusing their communities with beauty, strength, generosity, affirmation, health, balance, patience, hope...
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Unplowed
“Sow for yourselves righteousness’
Reap the fruit of unfailing love,
And break up the unplowed ground;
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Until he comes and showers righteousness on you.”
Hosea 10:12 (NIV)
Unplowed ground is a picture of the lifelessness that comes from being hardened in our ways.
Humility keeps us soft enough for God’s seeds of change to take root in our lives.
Reap the fruit of unfailing love,
And break up the unplowed ground;
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Until he comes and showers righteousness on you.”
Hosea 10:12 (NIV)
Unplowed ground is a picture of the lifelessness that comes from being hardened in our ways.
Humility keeps us soft enough for God’s seeds of change to take root in our lives.
Attentiveness
“One of those who heard us was Lydia from Thyatira, who was a dealer in purple cloth. She was a woman who worshiped God, and the Lord opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying.” Acts 16:14
Attentiveness is a gift we give one another. True communication isn’t something that can be done to someone – only with someone.
Sometimes communication amounts to a minor miracle: Mutual, soul-deep understanding requires the touch of the divine.
Attentiveness is a gift we give one another. True communication isn’t something that can be done to someone – only with someone.
Sometimes communication amounts to a minor miracle: Mutual, soul-deep understanding requires the touch of the divine.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
No Further Burden
“For it has seemed right to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no further burden upon you except what is absolutely essential...” Acts 15:28
The Acts of the Apostles is a great little adventure story; it is pretty-much a sequel to the Gospel narratives (Luke’s account, in particular).
It’s worth noting that the Gospel is simplified each time it takes root in a new community. The religio-cultural framework of the sending-people is stripped down to bare essentials. Barriers to faith are removed; space is made to accommodate symbiotic pieces of the receiving-people’s culture into a localized iteration of Christianity.
Evangelism provides senders with an opportunity to reconsider the essentials of faith, from the vantage point of their intended receivers. Preferences and assumptions can be held up to the light once again; perspectives can be realigned to what the Holy Spirit is conveying.
The Acts of the Apostles is a great little adventure story; it is pretty-much a sequel to the Gospel narratives (Luke’s account, in particular).
It’s worth noting that the Gospel is simplified each time it takes root in a new community. The religio-cultural framework of the sending-people is stripped down to bare essentials. Barriers to faith are removed; space is made to accommodate symbiotic pieces of the receiving-people’s culture into a localized iteration of Christianity.
Evangelism provides senders with an opportunity to reconsider the essentials of faith, from the vantage point of their intended receivers. Preferences and assumptions can be held up to the light once again; perspectives can be realigned to what the Holy Spirit is conveying.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Eucatastrosphere
The twin piercings of humanness are the Incarnation & Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. One interrupts human life; the other, human death.
According to J.R.R. Tolkien,
The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe of Man's history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends in joy.
Tolkien created the term eucatastrophe to fill a hole in the English lexicon. It’s meant to convey the notion that God has planted a seed of infinitely concentrated joy in the soil of human existence. It is a potent goodness, always becoming thinkable, visible, tangible through people saying yes to the Spirit.
The-way-things-ought-to-be exploding redemptively outward into the void of the-way-things-ought-not-to-be like a Big Bang of meaning, beauty, honor, grace...
The space created by this phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the Kingdom of God. Building upon Tolkien’s word, I've started thinking of it as the Eucatastrosphere -- a soul-scape shaped in the ripples of divine interruption...
According to J.R.R. Tolkien,
The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe of Man's history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends in joy.
Tolkien created the term eucatastrophe to fill a hole in the English lexicon. It’s meant to convey the notion that God has planted a seed of infinitely concentrated joy in the soil of human existence. It is a potent goodness, always becoming thinkable, visible, tangible through people saying yes to the Spirit.
The-way-things-ought-to-be exploding redemptively outward into the void of the-way-things-ought-not-to-be like a Big Bang of meaning, beauty, honor, grace...
The space created by this phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the Kingdom of God. Building upon Tolkien’s word, I've started thinking of it as the Eucatastrosphere -- a soul-scape shaped in the ripples of divine interruption...
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Inhabiting Littleness
I can only be this person, in this place, in these relationships...
Finite, temporal, limited...
I have instant access to the most superlative instances on the planet of anything I might attempt in my local sphere. So my efforts will necessarily pale in comparison unless I am the very best in the world.
Frankly, this does not inspire me; it freezes me. It could be because I’ve lost touch with the parameters of my own given context. I have misinterpreted my world as the world, which is far too expansive a playground for me.
Somehow, I have to rediscover the wonder of the littleness of my life. I must inhabit my actual sphere of influence (as opposed to the global sphere visible to me via the 12-inch screen of the iBook I’m using to type these words).
It is another facet of presence: to be here, fully incarnated and engaged within the littleness of my life.
Finite, temporal, limited...
I have instant access to the most superlative instances on the planet of anything I might attempt in my local sphere. So my efforts will necessarily pale in comparison unless I am the very best in the world.
Frankly, this does not inspire me; it freezes me. It could be because I’ve lost touch with the parameters of my own given context. I have misinterpreted my world as the world, which is far too expansive a playground for me.
Somehow, I have to rediscover the wonder of the littleness of my life. I must inhabit my actual sphere of influence (as opposed to the global sphere visible to me via the 12-inch screen of the iBook I’m using to type these words).
It is another facet of presence: to be here, fully incarnated and engaged within the littleness of my life.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Feral
“...no one can tame the human tongue.” James 3:8
I have sometimes thought biting my tongue, so to speak, did no real good because whatever I’d been about to say was already in my mind anyway. But I have come to believe that saying something out loud is like pushing a stone downhill: chances are, it will start rolling once gravity gets a hold of it.
The sense I have is that words spoken create momentum toward another thought, then another remark, which propels toward another thought,etc. Given conducive circumstances and willing conversational partners, the momentum can quickly become strong enough to pull me into attitudes I didn’t mean to visit.
It’s better to train the tongue to set good things in motion: encouragement, affirmation, kindness, provocation toward love and good deeds...
But maybe we need to accept the fact that it is never completely domesticated; it remains at least partly feral.
I have sometimes thought biting my tongue, so to speak, did no real good because whatever I’d been about to say was already in my mind anyway. But I have come to believe that saying something out loud is like pushing a stone downhill: chances are, it will start rolling once gravity gets a hold of it.
The sense I have is that words spoken create momentum toward another thought, then another remark, which propels toward another thought,etc. Given conducive circumstances and willing conversational partners, the momentum can quickly become strong enough to pull me into attitudes I didn’t mean to visit.
It’s better to train the tongue to set good things in motion: encouragement, affirmation, kindness, provocation toward love and good deeds...
But maybe we need to accept the fact that it is never completely domesticated; it remains at least partly feral.
TOE
That's "term of endearment", which is how I feel about Mr. Buzzkill. I am grateful that James' letter made it into the New Testament canon (it was touch and go for a while, you know).
I recently learned (from the intro in my J.B. Phillips Translation) that the Book of James is conceptually linked to the Beatitudes. Of all the NT epistles, it is arguably the one most directly distilled from the words of Jesus.
I recently learned (from the intro in my J.B. Phillips Translation) that the Book of James is conceptually linked to the Beatitudes. Of all the NT epistles, it is arguably the one most directly distilled from the words of Jesus.
Monday, March 13, 2006
James [Mr. Buzzkill] part two
“...man’s temper is never the means of achieving God’s true goodness.” James 1:20
As much as I affirm this statement, it also bums me out. My temper has been a potent energy source over the years, so it costs me something to set it aside.
Quick to listen, slow to employ the tongue... This is what James proposes as an alternate source of energy; essentially, it is the power of story.
If I will hold my tongue long enough to hear where you’re coming from, I will begin to perceive your perspective more dimensionally. Once I’ve taken that step inside your story I might still become angry, but I will probably be less likely to lose my temper.
Another facet: Even if I consider my temper-flash to have yielded a desirable effect, it will not have been “God’s true goodness”. My assessment of the outcome is misaligned with God’s.
As much as I affirm this statement, it also bums me out. My temper has been a potent energy source over the years, so it costs me something to set it aside.
Quick to listen, slow to employ the tongue... This is what James proposes as an alternate source of energy; essentially, it is the power of story.
If I will hold my tongue long enough to hear where you’re coming from, I will begin to perceive your perspective more dimensionally. Once I’ve taken that step inside your story I might still become angry, but I will probably be less likely to lose my temper.
Another facet: Even if I consider my temper-flash to have yielded a desirable effect, it will not have been “God’s true goodness”. My assessment of the outcome is misaligned with God’s.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
James [Mr. Buzzkill] part one
The first paragraph of the Letter from James (New Testament) includes the phrase, “of mature character with the right sort of independence.” [J.B. Phillips Translation]
I want that. I really, really want that. The trouble is that James says it comes as a gift of trials and temptations. (Deng-it!)
James says to trust the process: “...let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed.” If I’m extrapolating correctly, what’s being suggested here is that independence (the right sort, at any rate) depends on patience.
Hmm... Yet another paradox of the faith-venture of following Jesus.
I want that. I really, really want that. The trouble is that James says it comes as a gift of trials and temptations. (Deng-it!)
James says to trust the process: “...let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed.” If I’m extrapolating correctly, what’s being suggested here is that independence (the right sort, at any rate) depends on patience.
Hmm... Yet another paradox of the faith-venture of following Jesus.
Friday, March 10, 2006
the p-word
Is patience a tiresome drudgery to which we subject ourselves only to secure a privilege or payday of some sort?
Is it more or less a chore -- on par with bill-paying, clock-punching, gutter-cleaning, dog-bathing, etc.?
Or is patience, in and of itself, a sweet thing?
Is it a component of personal formation?
Is it a change agent?
[Do you find yourself exercising an inordinate amount of patience just reading through this blog entry?]
Patience seems to be a critical attribute of presence -- the art of being where I am... of feeling the feelings of my life... of becoming present. To me, this is one of the most remarkable things about Jesus. It's a characteristic of his that I long to emulate.
Is it more or less a chore -- on par with bill-paying, clock-punching, gutter-cleaning, dog-bathing, etc.?
Or is patience, in and of itself, a sweet thing?
Is it a component of personal formation?
Is it a change agent?
[Do you find yourself exercising an inordinate amount of patience just reading through this blog entry?]
Patience seems to be a critical attribute of presence -- the art of being where I am... of feeling the feelings of my life... of becoming present. To me, this is one of the most remarkable things about Jesus. It's a characteristic of his that I long to emulate.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Decipher
I currently have a crush on the word decipher because of the fetching poetry of its etymology.
cipher = zero; therefore, decipher = de:zero making nothing into not-nothing un-nothing-ing nothingHere’s the thing: we communicate via symbols and gestures encoded with meanings. Until decoded (deciphered), our symbols and gestures are null and void of meaning. Zero communication occurs.*
The Jesus Story deciphers the Creator-Created relationship (which is arguably at the heart of human meaning).
Maybe the life of faith boils down to inhabiting the deconstruction of meaninglessness.
Go into all the world and decipher...
Enact
Isn’t it powerful when ideas become actions?
Pressing the unseen into the seen...
Translating belief into behavior...
A sacrament is defined as:
“A rite believed to be a means of or visible form of grace…”
(The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Baptism and Communion are central Christian sacraments: bread and wine to taste, cold water to feel... spiritual stuff enacted physically.
The church itself is a sort of sacrament, isn’t it? We are challenged to live out the Gospel -- to express God’s kingdom in our deeds.
“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
James 2:17 (NIV)
“Faith without action is as dead as a body without a soul.”
James 2:26 (Phillips)
Pressing the unseen into the seen...
Translating belief into behavior...
A sacrament is defined as:
“A rite believed to be a means of or visible form of grace…”
(The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Baptism and Communion are central Christian sacraments: bread and wine to taste, cold water to feel... spiritual stuff enacted physically.
The church itself is a sort of sacrament, isn’t it? We are challenged to live out the Gospel -- to express God’s kingdom in our deeds.
“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
James 2:17 (NIV)
“Faith without action is as dead as a body without a soul.”
James 2:26 (Phillips)
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Still More Hardpan [Joshua ch.7]
“All the people then stoned Achan to death; they also stoned and burned his family and all his possessions.”
Man, that’s got to harsh your mellow... (I resort to flippancy because I don’t know how to process the crushing/torching of Achan, his family, livestock, and possessions. It is too tragic, too gruesome.)
One thought: We should look carefully at anything we’ve held onto that we feel compelled to hide. Whatever it is that that we conceal to the detriment of our relationships is worth bringing into the light. Otherwise we won’t overcome the stuff that blocks our full engagement with what we were created to be and do.
Man, that’s got to harsh your mellow... (I resort to flippancy because I don’t know how to process the crushing/torching of Achan, his family, livestock, and possessions. It is too tragic, too gruesome.)
One thought: We should look carefully at anything we’ve held onto that we feel compelled to hide. Whatever it is that that we conceal to the detriment of our relationships is worth bringing into the light. Otherwise we won’t overcome the stuff that blocks our full engagement with what we were created to be and do.
More Hardpan [Joshua ch.6]
Vintage Sunday School -- one of the all-time classics. Joshua fit the battle of Jericho... The sixth chapter is where the story is recorded, trumpets and all.
Here’s the thing: Isn’t it hard to read this drama as anything other than either a) a flannel-graph classic, or b) an R-rated screenplay filled with psyche-blistering violence? Ugh... talk about hardpan! I’m afraid I can’t dig very deeply into this one.
But a question has haunted me for a couple of weeks now since the last time I read it. In verse 2 the Lord is reported to have said,
“I am putting into your hands Jericho, with its king and all its brave soldiers.”
My question is this: If Jericho was in Israel’s hands, could Israel have interceded on their behalf? Instead of obliterating them, could they have negotiated their redemption?
Here’s the thing: Isn’t it hard to read this drama as anything other than either a) a flannel-graph classic, or b) an R-rated screenplay filled with psyche-blistering violence? Ugh... talk about hardpan! I’m afraid I can’t dig very deeply into this one.
But a question has haunted me for a couple of weeks now since the last time I read it. In verse 2 the Lord is reported to have said,
“I am putting into your hands Jericho, with its king and all its brave soldiers.”
My question is this: If Jericho was in Israel’s hands, could Israel have interceded on their behalf? Instead of obliterating them, could they have negotiated their redemption?
Monday, March 06, 2006
Choices, part 5 [Joshua ch.5]
No more manna, no more free bread from heaven
The time comes to live off the fruit of the promise
The time comes to grow up and take responsibility
For finding sustenance within God’s call
Within God’s challenge, within his dare...
[Note: Chapter 5 also contains indisputable proof that the men of Israel trusted Joshua at a visceral level. There can be no doubt in the minds of men who choose to follow a leader who says, "Okay guys, today is the day when we all get circumcised." That takes real conviction! Wow...]
The time comes to live off the fruit of the promise
The time comes to grow up and take responsibility
For finding sustenance within God’s call
Within God’s challenge, within his dare...
[Note: Chapter 5 also contains indisputable proof that the men of Israel trusted Joshua at a visceral level. There can be no doubt in the minds of men who choose to follow a leader who says, "Okay guys, today is the day when we all get circumcised." That takes real conviction! Wow...]
Choices, part 4 [Joshua ch.4]
The burden of blessing... I wonder if that is part of the point of the twelve stones taken from the riverbed. There seems to be a certain weight of responsibility that comes with divine favor.
Of course, the stones also provided material evidence of what God had done. When the people woke up the next morning, no doubt feeling disoriented by grace, the stones might have helped ground them in their new reality.
Of course, the stones also provided material evidence of what God had done. When the people woke up the next morning, no doubt feeling disoriented by grace, the stones might have helped ground them in their new reality.
Choices, part 3 [Joshua ch.3]
The third chapter of Joshua is about the people of Israel crossing the Jordan River (while it was at flood stage, no less!). There are quite a few fun subtleties woven into the story that are easy to miss because they tend to be hidden in the shadow of the gargantuan centerpiece-miracle.
Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, because tomorrow the Lord will perform miracles among you.” (Chapter 3, verse 5)
I think of purifying myself as tuning a guitar. Like, if I were told that B.B. King was on his way over to my house to jam, I would make sure my guitars were in tune. God is at work: get ready.
Here’s a weird thing: Joshua refers to miracles, plural. How many happened? Or was the crossing of the river so mammoth that it was in fact a composite of a plethora of miracles? Maybe a new miracle was needed each time another Israelite stepped off the bank onto the riverbed.
There might be another miracle imbedded in the story: the nation became ready to place their trust in Joshua. They had been holding it in escrow, as it were, since they’d lost Moses. Now they would be faced with the choice of whether or not they would invest that level of honor in their new leader.
Being willing to follow a flesh-and-blood person who says, “C’mon! Let’s go this way -- God is doing something great over there” requires a lot of faith. And it’s worth pointing out that it also requires a long history of seeing that person’s character revealed in a variety of situations.
Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, because tomorrow the Lord will perform miracles among you.” (Chapter 3, verse 5)
I think of purifying myself as tuning a guitar. Like, if I were told that B.B. King was on his way over to my house to jam, I would make sure my guitars were in tune. God is at work: get ready.
Here’s a weird thing: Joshua refers to miracles, plural. How many happened? Or was the crossing of the river so mammoth that it was in fact a composite of a plethora of miracles? Maybe a new miracle was needed each time another Israelite stepped off the bank onto the riverbed.
There might be another miracle imbedded in the story: the nation became ready to place their trust in Joshua. They had been holding it in escrow, as it were, since they’d lost Moses. Now they would be faced with the choice of whether or not they would invest that level of honor in their new leader.
Being willing to follow a flesh-and-blood person who says, “C’mon! Let’s go this way -- God is doing something great over there” requires a lot of faith. And it’s worth pointing out that it also requires a long history of seeing that person’s character revealed in a variety of situations.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Choices, part 2 [Joshua ch.2]
The inaugural post of this blog included the word “Choices” in the title, and yet I never actually referred to choices directly. The idea is there, peeping through from between the lines, but perhaps it’s only fair to make the notion slightly more visible.
A life of faith presupposes choices. A person is asked to choose to believe God enough to be willing to make an unfolding sequence of secondary choices; for instance, choosing courage over fear, choosing to prepare for divine interruptions that seem highly unlikely, and choosing to step into a flow of events that will require God’s miraculous touch to turn out right.
“The Lord your God is God in heaven above and here on earth.” Joshua 2:11b
The God of the Bible is forever dissolving our distinctions between the eternal and the temporal, between spirit and dirt. The choice to believe God’s nearness constellates all other choices.
A life of faith presupposes choices. A person is asked to choose to believe God enough to be willing to make an unfolding sequence of secondary choices; for instance, choosing courage over fear, choosing to prepare for divine interruptions that seem highly unlikely, and choosing to step into a flow of events that will require God’s miraculous touch to turn out right.
“The Lord your God is God in heaven above and here on earth.” Joshua 2:11b
The God of the Bible is forever dissolving our distinctions between the eternal and the temporal, between spirit and dirt. The choice to believe God’s nearness constellates all other choices.
Choices, part 1 [Joshua ch.1]
There is a lot of hardpan in the book of Joshua. Hardpan is what my yard is made out of; it is basically glacial excrement, from what I understand -- clay and gravel compressed together into something that will not be penetrated without determination, sweat, patience and blisters -- and more sweat.
But there are also plenty of beautifully simple ideas about faith-life. “Be strong and courageous...” “Don’t be afraid...” “The Lord your God is with you...” And one of my personal favorites: “Get ready for a miracle, but pack a lunch because it could take a while.”
Okay, that’s just my paraphrase. In the name of full disclosure, let me include a more legit translation:
“Get some food ready, because in three days you are going to cross the Jordan River to occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Joshua 1:11b
It makes me smile when the transcendent and the mundane hold hands like that. And by “mundane” I don’t mean boring, but rather “everyday”, “earthy”, perhaps even “pragmatic”. It underscores the fact that we are crafted of skin and spirit, and that God is happy about that.
But there are also plenty of beautifully simple ideas about faith-life. “Be strong and courageous...” “Don’t be afraid...” “The Lord your God is with you...” And one of my personal favorites: “Get ready for a miracle, but pack a lunch because it could take a while.”
Okay, that’s just my paraphrase. In the name of full disclosure, let me include a more legit translation:
“Get some food ready, because in three days you are going to cross the Jordan River to occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Joshua 1:11b
It makes me smile when the transcendent and the mundane hold hands like that. And by “mundane” I don’t mean boring, but rather “everyday”, “earthy”, perhaps even “pragmatic”. It underscores the fact that we are crafted of skin and spirit, and that God is happy about that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)