“See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you.” Isaiah 42:9, NIV
The way of faith is not static. Belief moves. God’s call, God’s song unfolds dynamically over time. It’s not a puzzle we solve. It is unfrozen.
Humans were not made for stasis; even our brains function best when we’re in motion. Scientist and author, John Medina, explains this phenomenon in his new book, Brain Rules.
Exercise increases oxygen flow into the brain, which reduces brain-bound free radicals. One of the most interesting findings of the past few decades is that an increase in oxygen is always accompanied by an uptick in mental sharpness.
Exercise acts directly on the molecular machinery of the brain itself. It increases neurons’ creation, survival, and resistance to damage and stress. http://www.brainrules.net/
Clearly, the interplay between physical and mental vitality is profound. I suggest spiritual vigor is integral to the same equation. Our place in creation isn’t merely decorative! We’re made to be played, saxophone-like, resonating with the Creator’s breath.
God reaches toward us from our not-yet and invites us to lean into his all-things-work-together-for-good. This is what it means to follow Jesus. This is why we aren’t interested in religion as usual. This is how we find ourselves flourishing at the edge of brand new things.
“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
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
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
