OUT OF MY AM-NESS

“And Jesus charged them to tell no one…” (Mark 7:36).  “And Jesus sighed deeply in his spirit and said, ‘Why does this generation seek a sign?”(Mark 8:12).  These verses remind me of Carrie Newcomer’s song, Geodes.  “And when my life on earth is through, it’s what I AM not what I DO.” 

God wants a simple loving relationship with his children.  That is what I was created for.  It’s not the healing, the casting out of unclean spirits, or the answered prayers.  It’s HIM and me IN HIM that is the desire of God’s heart and is also my desire.  I try so hard at doing what I think I need to do and yet always seem to fall short.  It just doesn’t work that way. When I give up the obsession to be the best Christian, the best example of Jesus to the world, then I am. Out of that ‘am-ness’ I do what needs to be done out of a simple and pure love of him.  And I believe that is where he wants me.

Relationship is a response, not a fulfilling of requirements.  It is a response to an incredible love.  A loving response will fulfill the requirements in the spirit they were meant to be fulfilled. So simple!  It’s that way with people too. The more I simply respond, the less I try, the more I do.

CONNECTED TO ETERNITY

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

When I was living down here before, the ocean was my focus of attention.  Everyday I would watch the waves, sometimes high white caps and sometimes gentle and almost invisible.  This year it has been the sky that has captured my attention.  It is simply stunning.  It is dynamic in the morning when the night clouds are broken through by the sun’s rays.  Then in the evening the moon and stars make their appearance in various phases and shapes.  Then there are the storm clouds that appear at will, anytime, moving quickly with purpose, to bring the rain or the snow to keep the vegetation on land well watered.

It is the movement and the expansiveness of both the ocean and the sky that moves me to ponder them.  The energy so prevalent in both pulsates in my soul and takes me out of the physical boundaries of my body.  My body is old and weighed down by aches and pains, and limitations.  But my soul is free to ride the waves of the ocean, or soar on the wind currents in the sky.  It is the expansiveness of God that surrounds and envelopes me.  I feel freed from the pettiness of my mind and the painfulness of my body.  The expansiveness is immeasurable and unteathered; it is holy and it is sacred; and when I sit in its Presence, immersed in its energy, I know that it is God who surrounds me and connects me to eternity. 

'Right Over the Horizon'

Life itself is rhythm and seasons, ebbs and flow, consistent yet

ever changing.

The ocean is everyday the same, yet everyday different; as is the sky.

Life isn’t a painting, stationary in time.

It’s easy to freeze moments in time and then frame them in our mind,

Then label them ‘the good ole days’.

But each of those ‘good ole days’ had their moments of

happiness and hardships.

When all is said and done, they were days just like these days;

No better, no worse.

So find the present rhythm, the present flow

And ride it to its fullest.

The next one is right over the horizon making its way to you.

"The Invisible Child Who Leaves No Trace"

The invisible child
Who leaves no trace
But fruit pops up
From place to place.

No one saw
And no one knew
But fruit popped up
Without a clue.

No mighty words
No amazing show
Just a catching glance
And then they know.

Their spirits clicked
The Presence known
They were aware
The seed was sown.

And it will grow
At first the root
But in due time
Will come the fruit.

The invisible child
Who leaves no trace
Except the fruit
From place to place.


“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people, in order to be seen by them…Your giving should be in secret, pray to your Father who is in secret, fast only seen by your Father…
And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6

THE POWER OF HIS PRESENCE

Jesus was his ministry. He was God and wherever he was his Presence was there, full of the energy of light, life, and love. As I read about the events of Good Friday I am aware of his suffering and wonder what he must have felt. Here he is, going through feeling abandoned by is disciples, being misunderstood by the people he considered his, being mocked, spit upon, and beaten. Yet, in the wake of his abuse, a man who had his ear cut off is healed, Herod and Pilate end the enmity between them and become friends, a criminal on a cross next to him is redeemed and promised Paradise, and a centurion ended up acknowledging and praising God.

The Presence of God is powerful and is full of life energy. That energy is now made available to those who believe in the Presence and the power. Unfortunately, I am often like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. I know the facts and events of my faith, try and share those facts and events with others, but somehow come up empty because I am oblivious to his Presence right along side of me. I get heady and religious in my walk, distracted by situations around me. For the two disciples it was the events of the crucifixion; for me it’s issues like abortion, religious freedom, or the absence of God in the affairs of our country and our world today. But when my day is spent and I sit at table with him, break bread with him, my eyes are open and I recognize who he is; my heart is stirred as he talks with me through the scriptures; and I know the power of his Presence through the resurrection of his body. That power, that Presence, brings peace to me, no matter what the circumstances are that surround me.

My response to his declaration of “Peace to me” is not to be frightened, troubled, or have doubts in my heart. All has been fulfilled and finished in him. My mission is to witness that truth and proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sin, in his name, to all.

Keep me ever focused on you, in the simple breaking of the bread and keep my heart stirred as you speak to me through the scriptures, in nature, and through others who hear your voice and live your life. Amen!

GOD INHABITS A HUMBLE ESTATE

The contrast between pride and humility is seen in many of the stories in Luke; the Pharisee and the tax collector, the rich ruler and the blind man, the rich ruler and Zacchaeus, and throughout the book in the Pharisees and Jesus. Humility is not a gift of the Spirit. It is an attitude that I am responsible for developing and cultivating in my life. Pride is easy to come by and it must be weeded out frequently.

Confession of my falling short of how God wants me to be is a way to keep me in a place of humility. It gives me awareness, not condemnation or self loathing, when I get off track or out of alignment. I don’t like the dark sides of me. But if I don’t pay attention to them, or keep them hidden deep inside, the darkness will overcome me.

The practice of daily examination and confession brings light to the little things that become bigger and often unmanageable things. I like the fact that God truly forgives my imperfections and that causes me to love him even more, which causes me to sin even less.

I like Mary’s description of her ‘humble estate’. There is something freeing about living in humility. Pride produces pressure to maintain it. Humility frees me of that pressure and keeps me close to the Presence. “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)”

NO ROOM FOR FINGER POINTING

There is no room for finger pointing when it comes to sin and repentance. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). In the political debate this year, one would think that sex and homosexuality were the only sins, the only things that God finds offensive. Paul, in Galatians 5:19-23 lists sexual immorality among the works of the flesh that keep us separated from God. “Now the works of the flesh are evident; sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality…” But there are more things listed; ones that don’t get mentioned because they have become accepted in our daily lives. Things like, “Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like this.” All fall short of the life God has planned for us; a life of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.”

It’s easy to point fingers at those who are living a sexually permissive life, either gay or straight. That’s when we hear the comparison to Sodom and Gomorrah, cities God destroyed because of their sin. But Ezekiel 16: 49, 50
Reveal something else as to what displeased God. “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom; she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them when I saw it.” That kind of puts things in perspective. All fall short…

Repentance means a change of heart, mind, and actions. We become children of God and we do things that are pleasing to God. John the Baptist explains what the fruit of repentance is in Luke 3:10-14. “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise; tax collectors are to collect no more than you are authorized to do; soldiers are not to extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusations, and be content with your wages.” God is concerned with sexual immorality to be sure. But he is equally, if not more concerned with economic fairness and social justice. Once again, all fall short…

I remember when I was 9 or 10, going to a church service on the naval base we were living on. The preacher pointed his finger at the congregation and said, “Remember, when you are pointing your finger at someone, there are three fingers in your hand pointing back at you.” I have never forgotten that message.

We all fall short of God’s standard, so there is no room for finger pointing. A more fruitful and productive action would be to lift our hands in repentance to God, and then join hands with one another and work to bring the principles of economic fairness, social justice, and love, peace, and joy of the kingdom of God to earth. “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”