to make brand- new creation.
Not to make people with better morals but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers,
men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within,
who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God,
who would enter into the center of it all,
the very heart and mystery of Christ,
into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy boldness, and extravagant, furious love.
This, my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian."
-Brennan Manning
I have been wondering about this, what it really means to be a Christian.
I have been embarrassed by how vocal my tribe of Christ-followers have been about certain issues and how silent we have been on others.
You would think we have forgotten, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
The loud voices I hear are not shouting freedom, but slavery.
I fear we are becoming slaves ourselves.
Again.
Isaiah said it so beautifully:
"You're the preacher of good news.
Raise your voice! Make it good and loud, Jerusalem.
You're the preacher of good news!
Speak loud and clear. Don't be timid!
Tell the cities of Judah,
'Look! Your God!'
Look at Him! God, the Master, comes in power, ready to go into action.
He is going to pay back His enemies and reward those who have loved Him.
Like a shepherd, He will care for His flock,
gathering lambs in His arms,
Hugging them as He carries them,
leading the nursing ewes to good pasture."
(Isaiah 40:9-11, MSG)
My mother-in-law, a crazy huge blessing in my life, gave me that last verse after I had my first child. One version says, "He gently leads those who have young."
I clung to that verse the first year of motherhood because I had NO CLUE what I was doing.
Still don't, but I have learned to roll with it.
I loved that imagery of God, this great and mighty God who had gone to battle for His people, gathering them into His arms and leading them.
I still do.
I love that He carries justice and tenderness and His people. People who have been forgiven and redeemed and who are proclaiming...?
Are we proclaiming love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control? Our very lives should be declaring this! My words, my steps, my responses, my dailies of life. This is the fruit of abiding with Jesus, the One this whole thing is about. My daughter read to me this morning about the very heavens declaring the glory of God-the skies displaying His handiwork.
I don't do half as good a job as the heavens.
I'm caught up in my corner of the world. Things like laundry and order and disciplining my kids and doing my hair and changing the sheets and getting to the grocery store and making dinner and...life. It makes me complacent when it comes to what really matters and dulls me to the magic and the mystery of this "flame that consumes, purifies and sets everything aglow."
It dulls me to Christ in me and Christ in you and my eyes are blind and my heart is stone and my ears are deaf and I want more than anything to be alive.
To hear and see and live and find my place by His side.
To love you and see you and see your need and see Jesus in your need so I can love Him.
By loving you.
With "peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love."
I fail even within these walls of my home!
The needs brought to me throughout my day are just enough, thank you.
Endless band-aids, hugs, songs and words of comfort given. Teeth brushed, meals made, fun had and at seven o'clock mama clocks out.
Good luck if you need me after that!
Is that "extravagant, furious love"?
If you have ever met me, you probably know there is nothing "bold, extravagant or furious" about me. Someone recently described me as "mousy"- that might be going to far (!!!), but you get the idea.
So when presented with this possibility of being a woman who would "enter into the very center of it all"...I don't know.
Is that where freedom is? Do we have to step away from this swirling chaos or comfortable routin and step into JESUS
-His truth and purity and honesty; His simplicity -
to discover what "life abundant" is all about?
I think so.
It's what the disciples did.
They left their nets where they dropped them.
What do I need to drop to follow Him?
The only way for me to find Him is to seek Him.
The only way for me to be an expression of His love to
this culture,
this space,
this moment
is to step into the very center of it all and beg to see His face.
And even if He only brushes against me, I will have lived.
Oh, God.
Meet me here.
You made me with this set of strengths and weaknesses.
You created this personality and set it in me with purpose.
The desires, the struggles, the holy and the flesh-this is me.
Your creation.
And you know me.
You know what I was created for.
You see me when I am fully alive and You see me weeping and wondering where the meaning is.
You hold me-
"like a shepherd, you will care for your flock,
gathering the lambs in your arms. Hugging and carrying and leading..."
How I love You.
And how I trust You.
You know my questions; my frustrations.
My hesitation to be linked with anything other than just YOU.
You know my tendency to get lost in the mystery, the wonder, the beauty and the poetry
and my reluctance to face the holy in the margins.
Forgive me for not seeing you.
Put a longing in me for justice, mercy and humbleness, then guide me.
If I'm Your hands and feet and expression of love to this generation of people, show me what to do.
If I'm Your hands and feet and expression of love to this house full of people, show me what to do.
I want to do this well.
I want to hear you say, "Well done, little one."
I want to get to You with all my love spent,
all my hope given,
my hands open in generousity and
my heart full.
There is so much need.
And so many opinions.
And so much noise.
Quiet me with Your love. (Zeph. 3:17)
Then awaken me to You.
Daily.
