AWE-ful!
Have you ever gone on a silent retreat?
Committed a day to be with God - to listen for his voice?
To pray without ceasing?
I've always wanted to do this, and finally committed to do it this month.
October's autumn has always been a season (my favorite) when it's easy for me to sense God.
The brilliant blue of sky, the woodsy smells, the wrapping up of green in a redgoldorange blaze of glory -- moving on into browns and greys and whites.
It invigorates me.
My retreat took place at a Jesuit center nearby with fifty or so other women.*
I was thrilled to run into friends there and to catch up over a healthy brunch.
Then the call to 4 hours of silence.
We hungrily walked over the grounds to land in a quiet spot and seek our Father....each in our own way.
Nature oozes God.
Getting away from home and work and traffic and noise distractions is soul food.
No words necessary. Just being. To be. Be.
I took a full hour beside a river and its sensory offering to quiet down. Finally, I asked God, "What's on your mind for me?" and opened up my Bible.
"Stand in awe of God."
Stand in awe. . .a command. An act of obedience.
Remember what he has done. Worship him. He is faithful. He provides. He loves me. He heals me. He calls me into partnership with him. He gives me authority. He prepares a path. He imparts himself into me. He expresses himself through me.
He is able!
Stand in awe. . .a promise.
More is coming.
Anticipate.
Awe: "profound reverence and respect for God, tempered with fear that makes us want to please and obey Him. . . solemn wonder mingled with dread. . ."
The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
The history of the word awe started with "fright; terror" (1200's) and morphed into "awe inspiring" (1300's). By the 1600's awe was applied to God in the sense of overwhelming reverence or fear (respect).
This is more the tone of the Bible reference I had opened to read and meditate upon.
The reference is Ecclesiastes 5:7. The prophet is confronting God's people for being lax in fulfilling their promises to God. "He has no pleasure in fools...."4b
We so easily offer words of love and commitment to God and each other and so often fail to follow through. Better not to promise at all.
God is not pleased. Destruction results.
Meaningless.
In our culture not following through on our word has become permissable. Excusable. Even acceptable. "That's just the way s/he is." "Take what s/he says with a grain of salt."
We don't expect much from each other.
God is not pleased.
Awe-ful also means to me that God does not condone the "whatever" mindset of today.
It lacks respect -- for him -- for others -- for ourselves.
Bottom line, if we promise and then don't do it, we have lied.
God is then misrepresented. His reputation is smudged because of his people.
Let us be standing in praise and anticipation.
Let us mean what we say and say what we mean.
Let us recover "solemn wonder and dread."
Let us know in our inmost being that you are, indeed, an Aweful God!
*For silent retreat info in Cincinnati, contact Judy Haag, timeofrefreshment@gmail.com
Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Wolf vs. Happily Ever After
God makes me laugh.
In last night's prayer ingathering at EMI, we took time to listen to God and seek His voice. Then we prayed. [Twice monthly; it's open to anyone who wants to gather before the Lord...]
The first word that came to my mind was "wolf."
"What does that mean Lord. Is that from you? Tell me more."
The next thought that came was, "The wolf is at the door."
"OK....what are we suppose to do about the wolf at the door?"
The next thought was, "Don't open the door."
It made me laugh.
Such an obvious answer, but also with that bit of humor from a Daddy who knows his kids are just a little dense.
"What is the wolf?"
"...temptation....fear...."
That was just the beginning of a night of seeking understanding.
As we talked through scriptures we felt lead to read (below), here's what I believe the gist of it is. . .and I know it's a message for me.
Maybe it is for you, too.
The heart of the night's understanding for me is to let go of my idol of happily-ever after. My relationship with God is strongly based on the supposition that God will make everything turn out right and good.
I believe God is showing me this is an idol I have been worshiping.
I must let go of it and replace it with the truth. . .no matter what happens, God will be with me in the midst of it. I may not always see or experience my definition of "good" -- that does not mean my Father is not present and active.
I sense this is important because I'm vulnerable to a favorite wolf-inspired temptation... disappointment and discouragement. Ultimately these move me into fear. Fear immobilizes.
God needs his people to be free to mobilize into obedience.
God is showing me that I'm vulnerable to disappointment in this God I created, and ultimately what follows is disillusionment. I shudder at the thought of ever hearing Jesus saying to me what he said to the twelve: "Do you want to leave me too?" John 6:67
The thought of drinking Jesus blood and eating Jesus flesh was too much for many disciples to accept. They assumed he was talking about cannibalism. Many turned back and no longer followed him. Jesus was speaking of spiritual truth and life that they could not understand. Their lack of understanding anchored their lack of belief. They quit.
Why didn't Jesus try harder to convince those who did not believe?
He explained the truth and left them to their decision. If he had argued them into accepting what he said, wouldn't they still run up against their lack of faith at some point?
Why didn't he encourage them to stay with him even tho they did not believe in him at that point? They might have changed their minds.
...But wouldn't they also cause disunity? Perhaps resort to gossip and grumbling and ultimately poison the pool and cause "bitter roots" to grow throughout the team?
For me, this is Jesus modeling the importance of letting go.
As Christians we have a tendency to believe the "good" thing is to stay in community no matter what. Love bears all things, right?
But Jesus shows us that love also lets go. It is not possible to serve in unity if some of us persist in anger & bitterness or are fighting a foundational teaching or goal of the group.
I believe we will see the Church undergo more "splitting."
This has become a dirty word in the faith community.
If I'm hearing God clearly here, there comes a time to say goodbye to those we cannot fellowship deeply with....
cannot speak honestly & directly for fear of hurt or a negative reaction....
cannot openly share our pain & burdens for fear of rejection or judgment...
cannot move forward into obedience because we're looking back & reaching for someone who is pulling in a different direction.
In some cases. . .
it's truly not a matter of who is right and who is wrong.
Our enemy will gladly tear us apart and mortally wound the church if we let him.
The church is being sifted.
A wolf is at the door.
Don't open the door to your temptations of idol worship and fear.
Trust the Lord.
He is in our midst.
Scriptures that surfaced included:
Psalm 114 + 115 +112
Isaiah 2: 1-4 + Isaiah 1; 27-31
These passages hooked my attention:
'Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear. . ." Ps 112: 4-8a
"Tremble , O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water." Ps 114: 7-8
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say, 'Where is their God?' Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. . .
O house of Israel, trust in the Lord-- he is their help and shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord -- he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the Lord -- he is their help and shield...The Lord remembers us and will bless us...he will bless those who fear the Lord--small and great alike." Ps 115:1-13
In last night's prayer ingathering at EMI, we took time to listen to God and seek His voice. Then we prayed. [Twice monthly; it's open to anyone who wants to gather before the Lord...]
The first word that came to my mind was "wolf."
"What does that mean Lord. Is that from you? Tell me more."
The next thought that came was, "The wolf is at the door."
"OK....what are we suppose to do about the wolf at the door?"
The next thought was, "Don't open the door."
It made me laugh.
Such an obvious answer, but also with that bit of humor from a Daddy who knows his kids are just a little dense.
"What is the wolf?"
"...temptation....fear...."
That was just the beginning of a night of seeking understanding.
As we talked through scriptures we felt lead to read (below), here's what I believe the gist of it is. . .and I know it's a message for me.
Maybe it is for you, too.
The heart of the night's understanding for me is to let go of my idol of happily-ever after. My relationship with God is strongly based on the supposition that God will make everything turn out right and good.
I believe God is showing me this is an idol I have been worshiping.
I must let go of it and replace it with the truth. . .no matter what happens, God will be with me in the midst of it. I may not always see or experience my definition of "good" -- that does not mean my Father is not present and active.
I sense this is important because I'm vulnerable to a favorite wolf-inspired temptation... disappointment and discouragement. Ultimately these move me into fear. Fear immobilizes.
God needs his people to be free to mobilize into obedience.
God is showing me that I'm vulnerable to disappointment in this God I created, and ultimately what follows is disillusionment. I shudder at the thought of ever hearing Jesus saying to me what he said to the twelve: "Do you want to leave me too?" John 6:67
The thought of drinking Jesus blood and eating Jesus flesh was too much for many disciples to accept. They assumed he was talking about cannibalism. Many turned back and no longer followed him. Jesus was speaking of spiritual truth and life that they could not understand. Their lack of understanding anchored their lack of belief. They quit.
Why didn't Jesus try harder to convince those who did not believe?
He explained the truth and left them to their decision. If he had argued them into accepting what he said, wouldn't they still run up against their lack of faith at some point?
Why didn't he encourage them to stay with him even tho they did not believe in him at that point? They might have changed their minds.
...But wouldn't they also cause disunity? Perhaps resort to gossip and grumbling and ultimately poison the pool and cause "bitter roots" to grow throughout the team?
For me, this is Jesus modeling the importance of letting go.
As Christians we have a tendency to believe the "good" thing is to stay in community no matter what. Love bears all things, right?
But Jesus shows us that love also lets go. It is not possible to serve in unity if some of us persist in anger & bitterness or are fighting a foundational teaching or goal of the group.
I believe we will see the Church undergo more "splitting."
This has become a dirty word in the faith community.
If I'm hearing God clearly here, there comes a time to say goodbye to those we cannot fellowship deeply with....
cannot speak honestly & directly for fear of hurt or a negative reaction....
cannot openly share our pain & burdens for fear of rejection or judgment...
cannot move forward into obedience because we're looking back & reaching for someone who is pulling in a different direction.
In some cases. . .
it's truly not a matter of who is right and who is wrong.
Our enemy will gladly tear us apart and mortally wound the church if we let him.
The church is being sifted.
A wolf is at the door.
Don't open the door to your temptations of idol worship and fear.
Trust the Lord.
He is in our midst.
Scriptures that surfaced included:
Psalm 114 + 115 +112
Isaiah 2: 1-4 + Isaiah 1; 27-31
These passages hooked my attention:
'Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear. . ." Ps 112: 4-8a
"Tremble , O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water." Ps 114: 7-8
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say, 'Where is their God?' Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. . .
O house of Israel, trust in the Lord-- he is their help and shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord -- he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the Lord -- he is their help and shield...The Lord remembers us and will bless us...he will bless those who fear the Lord--small and great alike." Ps 115:1-13
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