Advent 2015

Zechariah 2:3
"Then I said, 'where are you going?' and he said to me, 'to measure Jerusalem to see what is it width and what is its length.' And behold the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him and said to him, "Run, say to that young man, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord and I will be the glory in her midst."

Such glorious promise. The heavenly city shall not be one of feet and inches. It's not about how big a city God builds, or how tall its building. "Jerusalem shall be inhabited by villages without walls"  The primary element of a village is it's villages. Not it's commerce, not it's university, not it's military capability, just it's people. We are privileged to serve a God who values us as more then our utility. To Him we are creations destined to live in His company, not slaves destined to serve His whims.

What shall the Almighty be to us in that day. Shall He be a vindictive ruler? by no means. Will he be a heavenly cuddle buddy like some modern churchmen would have us believe? Not if we believe the scriptures who proclaim Him as one to be feared and loved, not used for personal pleasure. In wisdom and in truth He will protect us. He will be, indeed He is, a living, wall of flame. The function of flame is three. To provide light, to provide warmth, to provide protection. What better defense could be ours then the Living God. With Him as our God, we can rest easy. Under the shadow His wings is perfect peace. Let us not give in to fear but have courage.

Pax Vobiscum until later. 

Advent 2015

Jeremiah 3:2
Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see! Where have you not been ravished? By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers like an Arab in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom.

How insightful is the Word of God. How the plight of Israel and Judah so perfectly foreshadow the personal and collective problems of Christianity today. Where have we not wandered astray? Where have we not floundered in self-indulgence or pride. Lift up your eyes to the heights and see where have we not been ravished? What have we not polluted? With our eyes we have looked with lust and greed.  Our hands hold stolen goods. With our feet we pursue the way of the wicked.  With our mind's we plan evil. We have lent out our bodies to sin, as the Israelite lent theirs to idol worship.
Our sin is not just our own. We have polluted the land. The consequences and effects of sin spread far from their source into the people, places and ideas that surround them.

Forgive us Lord for we have sinned. Our waywardness has caused hurt to your world and disorder among your creation. In mercy and grace refine us. Equip us to clean up our mess. Teach us to take responsibility for our past mistakes and prepare for the future.

Pax Vobiscum until tomorrow

Advent 2015 To Do Nothing

In art exists balance and rhythm. It's eternal power is a result of its ability to resonate with the harmony that inhabits the universe. A necessary component of this harmony is silence. Silence is a powerful tool of music. the power before the base drop is a calm that gives meaning to the storm. The white space in the canvas that accents the color only makes the painting more satisfying. In quiet much can be said that words fail express.

From the artists we can be taught some wisdom. We must learn from the musician who will intentionally not play and the painter who will leave some canvas empty. To a people who attempt to  carve our names in the foundations of the universe, be wary. We also must let the hammer and chisel fall with which we shape our future and learn to watch our destinies be shaped for us. Find the balance between what we can do to shape our futures and what is not our concern. As much as we strive for total control it lives just beyond our grasp.  The art of nothing is the cultivation of a peace that will accept what happens without needing to govern the outcomes. Meditation, quiet, silence, contemplation and self control all remedies for the same need. The need to control, which we covet, often at the expense of the need to do our best and never give up.

I do not write here of simple rest and relaxation for these are intentional activities which equip us for other intentional activities. Even these must sometimes be put aside. To do nothing is to watch to listen, to observe the world as it passes by. Realize that the world does not need us and be humbled. God does not need us for His kingdom to come. Find your place in the universe for there is peace.

The Prince of Peace whose birth we celebrate built for us a place in His universe. There He is and there He calls us to be with Him. It's not in position, accomplishment, control or power in which we shall find our fulfillment. Only in the company of our Maker shall our potential be realized and our perfection accomplished. To Him let us go, in this season let us bow before His throne and allow Him to live and move and empower us for His good purposes that the world would be made right and our futures made certain.