Thanksgiving 2010

I am thankful to be learning the ways of the Spirit of Christ

Facing life standing on the Revelation of Jesus Christ,

All in all He is enough.

Imagining the wonders of God,

Thanksgiving and supplication in all requests of Him,

Hope is a continual state.

Facing inward to the In-Dwelling Holy Spirit,

Always at rest in the power of heaven's love

Intent on becoming the fullness of His purpose for me,

Trusting in all tribulations that His goodness is supreme,

Hindrances of the soul's burden cast on Him -- I embrace spirit

Facing upward into the grace of the Father,

Altogether the Family of God holds onto one another,

Independence of will to choose His righteous leading,

Turning away fears in confidence that He holds my family and me,

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!

Hallelujah Chorus - Rejoicing among Common Folks!!

Paul Instructs

Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Read in context here.

a reflection on a recent evening

in deeply colored curls

lie her age

unsuccessfully

curling smoke from cured tobacco has fogged her lungs for forty plus

and drawn a permanent pink curl about

her eyes crying age

lovely, heavy topaz and diamond wrap her neck

an insist

on adoration of her wealth

dainty hands, too, carry a burden of beautiful stones

glinting lavishly even in the softened light of three mindless globes above dinner

she sips the poor wine we serve without complaint

the sister in her, the earthly blood we share

living itself out in gracious acceptance of table fare common to her refined taste

a prong of conversation turns to our two brothers she and I complete

as all that’s left from growing up in family

in brevity that protects ourselves, we abandon another listing of being jailed and distant

I comment...we all make choices that limit the depths of life

it is an invite into the depths of God

she balks on these words

and the spit of fire I have always known in her erupts defiantly

a flash across the leftover olive and onions

she decries her independence

gained by her strength

her grasp of responsibility

squandered by those now ceased from loving

she takes a sip of wine and settles back to more casual stances

she does not grasp

what I wanted her heart to hear

from my love of her

from sight within heart

no pique in her interest, her intellect, her grasping hole

the subject changes behind those dulling aged eyes

her point exposed

finished

nothing else to say or ponder beyond the limits in which she rests

but can you rest, my sister, in your self-made

world as your only god

The Last Two Weeks

Congratulations to my daughter and new son-in-law on their marriage, November 6, 2010.

A whirlwind of activity fairly describes the last two weeks preparing for that one day, yet my wife and I experienced a continual joy in the to-do list.

May they know together an ever-deepening love governed by the wisdom which flows from the Holy Spirit as they build a life together.

Thought for Today:

If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Ben Franklin and Bette Midler, Soul Mates in Another Life? Boxed God Conclusion

Here's why:

Ben Franklin once wrote that he could not imagine that a "Supremely Perfect" God cares a whit for "such an inconsiderable Nothing as Man."*

A late Twentieth Century pop culture icon, Bette Midler, lamented the world's woes in a hit single, From A Distance in which the refrain is, "God is watching us, God is watching us, God is watching us from a distance."

The "Distant God" view* is nothing new or old. It is a common response by some to the question of whether or not God is there for humanity. To acknowledge His existence based on the wonder of creation, then intellectually push Him afar--way off into heaven--but allowing that He quietly watches our shenanigans on earth is a convenience for the fallen nature. We can comfort ourselves with sentimental songs and endlessly debate the strife of mankind, while not needing to take personal responsibility for individual sin. We may, in this view, appear both loving and law-abiding in song and quips, while our hearts play fast and loose with all prurient interests and the greed of life.

True enough, directions to "heaven" cannot be found with MapQuest and is thus imagined to be an unimaginable distance away. Hence, the Lord of Earth on the throne there may be conceptualized as distant. However, such a view alone, though technically holding some truth, undermines the fullness of viewing God as He has described Himself in His scriptural revelations:

John 17: 20-21 I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Hebrews 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU..."

Jesus Christ is only distant within the perspective of the believer who lives life not in the spirit but identifying with the fallen nature and desires to be attached to earthly wealth.

I like what my second eldest son wrote as a comment three or so posts back, "I think many people limit their view of God to being 'outside' their box...if you let God in your little box, and do what you can with your knowledge and (the)means God has given you, then He can take your action in your own little world and do enormous things outside your box you didn't know were possible."

My conclusions:

Since God is not distant from me but rather awesomely close in the reality of His in-dwelling Presence, I may submit fully to His authority through the righteousness of Christ; thus, I experience His deep love and express His authority through an authentic loving of others. I am comforted that this life and its injustice shall pass, and the government of Earth will rest upon the Truth and Purity of Jesus one day. In all things in the mean time, I know His Kingdom has come to Earth in my heart and share in the fruit of that wonderful state with and among my brethren fellow believers.

*God Views. Pompa and Merrill. usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-10-07-1Agod07_CV_N.htm

Boxed God, Part III

The four views of God identified by Bader and Froese help us understand the many divisions within Christianity. The labeling of the views is necessary for communication, but individuals rarely recognize the limits created by identification as a believer in God as Authority or God as Benevolent. Rather we tend to identify ourselves as "Christian" first then some cultural extension labeled through association with a historical denomination, or in growing numbers, as non-denominational. (number of denominations and discussion of church authority here)

However, running through the flavor of the teachings we often hear are leanings toward one of those labels or views of God. Why? The answer is simple and angers some: we have mixed the Truth of God with the meager understanding of men.

The "authority" view of God stands on the idea of man's destiny to build societal structures governing humans, which reflect goodness, fairness and justice. As such, these frameworks must have authority to control the actions of all and in particular the lawless. Therefore, an ability to reference God will garner support from different factions of the electorate. More narrowly within the realm of the believing community, a view of God as authority supports the rule of an authority structure. Our need for authority shapes our view of Who God fundamentally is. The mixture occurring in this view is our basic sin of the pride of life. We want to be responsible for building a good world for which we will receive affirmation and glory.

The "benevolent" view of God is based on our human need for meaning. This view recognizes the frailty of man's ability to create justice and holds forth love itself as justice. Herein, the Christian experience is defined not by its authority structures (though interestingly, that high place is not always dismantled) but in its social activism. The problem here is that we begin to express a tolerance for sin in the name of a love. We strive here to reveal the love of God but end up loving ourselves for our own sakes and not for His glory. This is mixture with the lust of the eyes.

The "critical" view of God is often held by populations of the world who have been the downtrodden and exploited, or perhaps, those who have felt a need for revenge but know they cannot act on such raw feeling. The focus on the need for justice becomes an assurance that it will come at the end of time. Certainly it is true that God has told us there will be a judgment of all men for all deeds, but the limits of this view are the limits of the earthly conflicts that exist over who will control wealth, beauty, and power. By focusing on the judgment due those who make seeking such control the meaning of their lives, we play out our own greed in masked sublimation. This is mixture with the lust of the flesh. (more careful discussion of the basic sins of life found here.)

Thoughts on the "Distant God" and my conclusions are the next path in the Wild Wood.