Across Church Street
Approaching Greatness
A short poem about approaching God.
I journey His Greatness
to trembling’s door.
There
meet His Goodness greeting:
"Do not fear, my child.
Approach
my throne with confidence.”
My Father is fear extinguished;
Perfect Peace is my reward.
Damp Logs
Staying in Kingdom community keeps the fire from dying out.
Our late Spring vacation in the mountains came with chilly mornings and evenings. It was too late in the season for the Park staff to restock firewood, but temperatures in the low 50s made fires something we looked forward to each day. My only option was to scrounge the few remaining logs that had been sitting around in the damp weather, probably for weeks.
Starting a fire with damp wood was a challenge to be sure. But with some persistence, we soon heard the crackling and popping of a fire that filled our cabin with warmth (and a little smoke).
What I discovered, though, was that I could never leave the fire for long. I had to tend it constantly. If the damp logs separated from one another, the fire would quickly die out.
I think Christians are like damp logs. Most of us don't burn hot alone. Separated and isolated from one another, the flame of our faith will die out too. So, I admire and appreciate people with the gift of connecting people—tending the community. It's a gift that stirs vitality and warmth for us all.
Be thou my vision
Vision unites. Di-vision partitions.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart. (Dallan Forgaill)
So far as I can tell, the words 'vision' and 'division' have no shared root. But these two similar-sounding words say so much about where we place our faith and how we so easily jump the tracks.
Vision is about sight—the kind of sight that orients and drives us; sight that shapes our imaginations and guides our feet. Vision unites. Jesus, Be Thou my Vision.
Division is about partition. It's about organizing around something less than vision.
Jesus and the basics of faith unite believers. Doctrines, opinions, and perceptions separate us into tribes. Like the nation of Israel—for a while, a united nation with God as their King, yet organized into twelve tribes. At one point, division became more important than vision and Israel and Judah lost connection.
Isn't it the same today? Our tribalism—our organization around preferences, favorite doctrines, our opinions, and our perceptions—defines us more than a Uniting Vision: our shared identity and shared citizenship in the Kingdom.
Jesus, Be Thou my Vision.
- love
- friendship
- beauty
- thankful
- attunement
- communion
- discipline
- video
- hope
- hania rani
- holiness
- serving
- seth godin
- dean sherman
- across
- covenant
- music
- eternal life
- justice
- embodiment
- wonder
- gracious
- hesed
- welcome
- poetry
- rest
- image
- brokenness
- disruption
- invitation
- companion mode
- resonance
- steadfast
- observer mode
- framework
- pastoral
- oneness
- caritas
- difference
- shalom
- john stott
- worship
- status
- care
I practice the spiritual discipline of rescuing earthworms on paved surfaces. It's a reminder to me that I can pause what I'm doing, get a little dirty, and help. Also, that I've been given the responsibility to care.