lest we forget

Today I was thinking...
I know - scary -
but I was given a solid minute,
a minute to remember
to ponder
to think...
For some who have little to think on, this minute stretches to eternity...
And yet for those who have history drenched with memories, faces, battlefields -
that minute hardly does justice to each thread of thought.


And as I looked around at the swarm of poppy pinned people:
the young
the old
the veteran
the standing
the wheel chaired
the strollered...
I saw the dwindling generation, steeped with sacrifice
feebly holding out their history
for the thankful
the curious.
I saw parents teaching their children of legacy
and respect
while the background was a buzz with those who cared little
and remembered nothing.
I saw the next generation standing at attention,
without the experience of the sacrifice they were standing at attention for.
I saw the indifferent keep walking,
talking,
too busy for one silent moment
or an anthem of freedom.

And I wondered
at how we remember.
What we remember.
Do we remember?
Do we understand the gift that we've been given?
Will we be able to pass along the stories to the next generation
when the frail are silenced by the grave they eluded so many ears ago,
and their names fade from memory?
Do we care?


Because today we honour...
today we show respect...
Tomorrow we'll curse them for driving slow on the highway.
We'll roll our eyes as they take their time fumbling to get exact change from their wallets in the express lane.
We'll sigh dramatically when they begin to tell us that story for a hundredth time...
but today - today we'll remember.
We'll remember what they gave us.
We'll remember respect.
We'll remember where we've come from.
We will remember...if only for one minute.

barefoot in snow...

Soooo...I've been having a nite -
alone in my room...
Pondering life.
Pondering death.
Pursuing purpose.

I'm tired.
I'm congested.
I'm not ready for snow.


It's October.
It's supposed to be fall.
I was expecting a season in between summer and winter -
And yet it lies - a fluffy white blanket - over my world.
Cold.
Kissing the few lingering threads of life with the reality of death.
Reminding me of my mortality.
Of my love of warmth.
Seeding within me the hope for spring.

Life is like that.
Unexpected.
Chilling.

And in the face of that - I'm listening to some new music on my itunes...

Dance With Me
Behold You have come
Over the hills upon the mountain
To me, You will run.
My Beloved, You've captured my heart

Won't You dance with me,
Oh Lover of my soul,
to the song of all songs?

With You, I will go
You are my Love
You are my Fair One
The winter has passed and the springtime has come

Won't You dance with me,
Oh Lover of my soul,
to the song of all songs?
Romance me,
Oh Lover of my soul
to the song of all songs.


How I need those moments...of quiet intimacy with my Creator.
When my heart flutters...
When it breaks...
Through smiles forming...
the tears falling.
When life deals us the unseen.
When we can't grasp what is unknown.
To be held in the arms of God...
romanced despite our circumstances -
Held in his strength
By his strength...
To be seeded with new hope
that passes through early winters
into new life.

Hallelujah! It's a good thing to sing praise to our God;
praise is beautiful, praise is fitting.

God's the one who rebuilds Jerusalem,
who regathers Israel's scattered exiles.
He heals the heartbroken
and bandages their wounds.
He counts the stars
and assigns each a name.
Our Lord is great, with limitless strength;
we'll never comprehend what he knows and does.
God puts the fallen on their feet again
and pushes the wicked into the ditch.

Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn,
play music on your instruments to God,
Who fills the sky with clouds,
preparing rain for the earth,
Then turning the mountains green with grass,
feeding both cattle and crows.
He's not impressed with horsepower;
the size of our muscles means little to him.
Those who fear God get God's attention;
they can depend on his strength.

Jerusalem, worship God!
Zion, praise your God!
He made your city secure,
he blessed your children among you.
He keeps the peace at your borders,
he puts the best bread on your tables.
He launches his promises earthward—
how swift and sure they come!
He spreads snow like a white fleece,
he scatters frost like ashes,
He broadcasts hail like birdseed—
who can survive his winter?
Then he gives the command and it all melts;
he breathes on winter—suddenly it's spring!"

To those walking through winter,
may you learn what it is to dance on snow...
each step seeded with spring.

the 1000th time's a charm...

There are so many things in life that we feel are givens.
Things that we've figured out.
We're sure about.
We know the quick answer.
We're ready to respond.
We know the truth.
We're ready to execute justice.


Do you ever have it where you've read something 999 times, and the thousandth time around you see something different? Something that's been there all along, but you've been too focused on other things, other points of view, that you've passed over the obvious?

I had that the other day when I was chatting with a friend about the the adulterous woman, cast before Jesus by the religious leaders.
The truth was obvious.
She was caught.
Guilty.
No discussion needed.
No defense offered.
Deserving death under their current Jewish law.

And we all know how Jesus responded.
He drew in the dirt.
He gave the leaders a show-stopping one liner:
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
And they dropped their stones.
They left.
One by one.
Guilty.
They knew the truth.

But this is when it dawned on me...
"Let he who is without sin..."

There was one person who remained with the woman...
He was without sin.
He had a collection of stones ready at hand.
He could have used them to execute justice.
He met the requirements of a sinless judge.

But instead of exercising His right for justice,
He exercised His way of mercy.
Grace.
And in doing so, He was committing Himself to the cross,
to carry her guilt instead of making her pay the penalty.
He knew the truth...
Because He was the truth
and the light.
But He was also the way...
the only way back to a right relationship with God
and eternal life.

And I thought about the body of believers..
and how often we can be quick stone-throwers...
especially when the truth is obvious.
May we learn the way of executing grace
and be quick to see not just the sinner,
but the eternal destiny of their soul.

the rose ceremony

Life can be a series of open doors, calculated decisions, and blind leaps of faith that twist and turn our choices into journeys, destinations, discovery. Not just to unveil where we're going or why we're here...but who we are. Who God created us to be.

I am a question person...I am the whiny kid in the back seat wondering "Are we there yet?" The tug at the pant leg that questions "What are you doing?" The inquisitive brow that wrinkles with a "Why?" On the rare occasion I ask out loud...but most of my inquiries remain locked inside a private conversation continuously dialoguing in my head.

Over the past couple of months I've been wrestling with a lot of questions...my future...my giftings...where am I going? What am I doing? Where will I be in the fall?...It has been a constant dialogue with my Creator, wrestling back and forth. Waiting for something to trigger a direction.

This whole process has morphed into a similiar dilemna of the final rose ceremony...two equally attractive prospects standing before me - my heart torn in both directions, and my time to make a decision breathing down my neck...


And after much deliberation, a fair share of tempting offers, and the feeling of cement shoes on my feet that constantly remind me of a circle of friends and family that love and care about me - I made a decision. There wasn't a green arrow pointing to a single door. There were multiple doors...all open...all inviting...all sharing in the balance of pros and cons. Each one holding people that I love and do life with. It was a wrestling match of epic proportion, weeks consumed with thought and prayer in actually choosing one.

And the rose goes to...


And so, for the next few months anyway, I remain separated from some amazing family and friends in Ontario to continue life's adventure in Alberta. I am excited to see what God has in store for me here. Had you told me a year ago I would CHOOSE to live in a city that reaches 40 below, I would have laughed in your face...in a nice way of course!

I guess God does have a sense of humour...

risk

Those who risk it all do so with the anticipation of something greater than their expectation being shadowed with the possibilty of losing big.

There's nothing like a good piece of reality tv to set the buzz amongst conversations. By unfortunate chance I happened to catch the "After the Final Rose" episode of the Bachelorette. Now there's quality television for you! Amidst broken hearts and sob stories, there was one sucker who got rejected on an earlier episode and "risked it all" to return to the show in hopes of winning the girl, only to be rejected a second time around...

And although I have little to no respect or sympathy for people who attempt to find true love in front of cameras and nations, there was something about this risk and rejection that set my thinking cogs in motion...
He thought he had it in the bag.
He gambled big
and ended up empty-handed at the end.
Was it worth it?
If he could go back, would he do it again?

I always thought the phrase "calculated risk" was a bit of an oxymoron. Risk involves unknown variables that cannot always be seen. There is nothing that we can possibly prepare for, guarantee, or reduce to an equation when true risk is involved.

But how many of us really risk in our lives?
Do we even know what it is anymore?
We have so much securing and insuring in our lives. Absorbed in our fast-process society, we tend to take the path of less resistance...why risk when you don't have to? The average person will stay in a job they hate because it guarantees a paycheck. They will enter into relationships that involve little pursuit because it entails a lesser chance of heartbreak. They will make the safe choices that surround them with a sense of security, lowering their aim from the stars to the things within reach.

The fear of failure.
The fear of struggling.
The fear of rejection.
The fear of vulnerability keeps us from experiencing the thrill of greater things.

But settling will never fully satisfy.
and the thought of "what if..." will haunt us on the opportune risks we let pass us by...
The risk of leaving the security of an unfulfilling job to find work that connects all of our passions.
The risk of possibly losing a friendship to unite soul mates.
The risk of being honest...
with thoughts.
feelings.
convictions.
In the life-altering.
In the miniscule.
Daring to dream.
Daring to pursue.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not advocating throwing yourself mindessly wherever the wind may take you! Risk still involves strategy...


But the bottom line the question will remain before us:
Will we place our trust in the seen? or the unseen?
At the edge of whatever chasm you are standing on, are you willing to risk the solid ground beneath you for the thrill of jumping into the unknown?
You just never know that on one of those risks of shooting for the stars, you might actually get one...

of strengths and weaknesses...

A childhood song was replaying in my head this morning on the way to church...

"the joy of the Lord is my strength..."

This simple phrase has usually been translated to mean that our physical strength comes from knowing God. That living in Him, we can overcome anything.
But this morning I began mulling over it in the light of the concept of strengths and weaknesses...
Is the joy of the Lord my strength? my strongpoint as a Christian?

There is a saying that has always brought some level of perspective in my life...
"Preach at all times, and when necessary, use words."
It constantly challenges me to look at my own life and contemplate what message I am daily sending of my relationship with Christ if words were not an option.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see when two people are enjoying their marriage and when a couple is merely co-occupating space or going through the motions.
The same is true in our relationship with God.
We've all met the honeymooners.
The seasoned couple, still going for walks and holding hands.
But we've also hung out with the ones on the rocks.
Those who are unhappily "sticking it out" because they know it's the "right" thing to do.
The posers.
I've lost count of how many services I've sat in where the participants look like they'd rather be getting their teeth pulled than sing another song, or the sullen Christians I have met who know all the answers, yet lack the freedom to truly enjoy God.
Because apparently that is our chief end...to glorify God and enjoy him forever...

Sometime, somewhere, someone equated a monotone, composed reverence to the epitome of holiness.
And through the years we've adopted this attitude, this controlled response...and forgotten how to express joy in our relationship with God in a natural way that honours and glorifies Him.
We get overwhelmed by the weight of sin.
The physical cost of sacrifice.
The drudgery of everyday life.
We harbour the fear that too much emotion will lead to mindless worship.

And it brought me back to the context of the passage in Nehemiah where that childhood song originated from...to a time when the people were hearing God's word, and were weeping at it's reality.
The reality of their sin.
The reality of truth.
And Nehemiah responds by telling them to feast!
They were commanded to enjoy choice foods and sweet drinks...
When's the last time you went to church, well aware of your shortcomings, and someone told you to party?

A wise man once commented on this passage..."These are the means which the Spirit of God crowns with success, in bringing the hearts of sinners to tremble and to become humbled before God. But these are enemies to their own growth in holiness, who always indulge sorrow, even for sin, and put away from them the consolations tendered by the word and Spirit of God."

Because, you see, joy is not always a smile...
but it finds its balance in seeing that God is holy...
that the reality of sin is overcome by the reality of a Saviour.

And so these questions have been stirring in my spirit...
What does enjoying God practically look like? here? now?
Am I truly enjoying my relationship with Him?
Is it the joy that others see and desire?
Is it my strength?

being ONE

In the last couple of weeks of trying to figure out what the next step of my life will be, I will admit to moments of exasperation, frustration and indifference in my prayer life. As the days draw me closer to making a decision, and the friendly suggestions increase, I hardly know anymore if I'm coming or going!

It's been in this season of long, drawn-out decision making that God has sent "gentle" reminders to me of where my focus needs to lie. There's a book that has been a constant bedside companion throughout the years, and on the random occasion I pick it up, I always have to laugh that what it has to say is exactly what I need (but not always want) to hear...

"If we are in fellowship and oneness with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, then we will no longer strive to find out what His purposes are. As we grow in the Christian life, it becomes simpler to us, because we are less inclined to say, "I wonder why God allowed this or that?" And we begin to see that the compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose. A Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God, not in his own abilities. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God.

"Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him." (Matt.6:8) Then why should we ask? The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God. We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not always come in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God's grace.

It is definitely a journey to be forged into a trophy of God's grace, and although the seasons of being shaped into His purposes may seem long and drawn out, they will be but a breath in the glimpse of eternity when God will greet us...

"Well done, good and faithful servant..."

the hills are alive with the sound of...silence...

Soooo...as many of you are aware, I took a whirlwind trip to BC this weekend. As many of you are also aware, I am a music FIEND...there's always something on my ipod, in my cd player, downloading from itunes. I love music. I love discovering new sounds and artists. I am often found chilling, coffee in hand, to some genre.Needless to say, I have a plethora on my playlist that would long outlive a 12-hour trek through the mountains. A road trip is NEVER complete without the classic mixes for the journey! Except for this trip...this was going to be different. A conversation with a friend challenged me to perhaps branch out into unchartered territory, so as I set out on my lone adventure, I decided I would try to make it all the way to my BC homeland without the companion of music. That's right folks...a little bit of quiet time with me, myself, and I...and God. This was a trip where I wanted to be intentional about hearing what He had to say...

I never realized how uncomfortable I am with silence. The first couple hours were spent fidgeting my way through the miles with only the sound of wind whipping through my open windows or the impatient drumming of my fingers on the steering wheel. Hmmm...10 more hours to go...

Somewhere between departure and destination I began dialoguing with God.

"Ok...so what do you want me to do?"

This has been a question of interest to most people who take up conversation with me...what will you be doing in the fall? More importantly, WHERE will you be? Of which I have been evasive and non-commital in my response.

"What do YOU want to do?"

This response kind of halted me in my thinking tracks. It wasn't the ping pong question that usually accompanies bad, indecisive dates. It was the reminder of the simple truth that God is interested in our thoughts. Our desires. He created us that way...

I think sometimes we get caught up in the thought that to live for God involves sacrificing ALL of our desires. That we will be asked to do the jobs no one else wants to do in places no one else wants to go. That to live abandoned to our Creator, we will have to surrender what may seem like selfish pursuits.

I'll admit, it took me a while to answer the question. It's been so long since someone asked me what I wanted to do...instead of what I felt I should do. Where I felt pressured to be.

It was incredibly liberating as I unveiled my deeply rooted "wish list" to the One who already knew my thoughts.

Because, you see, He desires dialogue over dictatorship. He wants to partner with you...to see His will and that of His creation join with tandem vision. There are desires placed on our hearts that find their origin in Him. But sometimes it takes the step of faith in voicing them that engages the pursuit.

And so, for a time, my answers may continue to be evasive - but I am pursuing...and I will not rest until I rest in Him.

the becomings of an anthropologist...

It's been interesting starting my new job @ Anthropologie. Not only am I surrounded by uniquely beautiful things, but a mosaic of humanity. People from all walks, cultures, styles, orientations, religions. Needless to say, conversations have been more than interesting...I find amusement in the irony that "Anthropology" in translation means the study of human beings, everywhere and throughout time. And as I transition into finding my place in my new working family, the endeavor to consistently live out my faith in a secular environment is constantly before me. Up to my elbows In the midst of stacks of inventory, I was processing today how religion has offended countless of the lost, broken, searching...not for it's simple truths, but for the "believers" who get caught up in seeking to be right, and forget to seek first the kingdom...
And it dawned on me...the only people that Jesus offended in his lifestyle ministry were religious people.
Rule bound.
Book bent.
Leaders.
History makers.
Desperately wanting to be right...
to the point of taking down whatever stood in their way.

Now hot water is something God has never been afraid of encountering.
WITH PURPOSE.
Jesus healed on the Sabbath.
He associated with the rich and famous,
and the down and out.
He influenced world leaders,
and changed the lives of prostitutes.
He showed compassion
without compromising truth.
He showed grace
without compromising justice.
He didn't seek to prove his point of view...
but he was always ready to share it.
His life drew people,
not by force
but with a force that was impacting,
Influencing,
Life altering.
Eternity changing.

Because his purpose was not to win an argument,
but to see the thieves at the end of the day
receiving paradise, and the love of an amazing God.

how do I love thee?

"If what we call love doesn't take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love."

Ouch!

I read this phrase, penned by Oswald Chambers, and cannot stop threading it through all parts of my brain.

The parts that ponder God.
The parts that hold my family.
The parts that hold my friends.
Even the parts that still hold a mystery...

and I wondered at my capacity to love.
Truly love.
Surrendered.
Sacrificially.
Completely.

excerpts from my journal...

A mild form of amusement for me is to reread my journals. I get a good laugh over the things that gave my head a spin, the gong shows that I have walked through, and the journey of life and growth I am always a traveler of.

Last nite I found something written across the pages that exposed a disturbing part of my warped mind...

"I am either caught in the desperate thought of wanting something WAY beyond possible reach, or the disappointment that I am destined to look but never have. They sound similar, but the first reflects fragile hope, while the second is a miscalculation of thought that God is punishing me. The reality of both is that I still wake up and go to bed alone."

Maybe this connects with the singles of the crowd.
Perhaps some of the married.
There is an element of truth that connects to all of us.
What we are hoping for could be anything...

A job.
A house.
An acceptance letter.
A relationship.
A child.
Healing.
Reconciliation.
One more chance.

And in not receiving our elusive desires, we can sometimes slip into the land of deferred hope, left with the sinking feeling that we will be the last ones in the class picked for the team. Either there's something wrong with us, or something wrong with God.

I asked really nicely...
I followed all the rules...
Why?
What are we waiting for?

Because we, of all people, should know what is best for us.
And the time it is best in.

And yet I have prime examples in my life where what I thought was a "perfect opportunity...missed..." in the long run has proved to be an "opportunity...perfectly missed"...

I don't always understand God's timing.
I don't always "get" the big picture.
I don't pretend to know why some people get all the breaks, while others score the "character building journeys"...
But what I have been learning is what trust looks like...
not blind, but eyes wide open to the tangible
with a heart expectant in the unseen.For now that means crawling into an empty bed...
but recognizing I am not alone.

on the outside of the circle

This is what my inner circle tends to look like...a closed environment of a hand-select few I enjoy spending my time with,
sharing life with,
being open with.
They are the ones I am comfortable with...
can say almost anything to
and accept me for who I am.
I am not afraid of being seen beside them in the street.
I pick up their phone calls.
reply to their emails.
and unlock my door when they come down my driveway.

God's been convicting me of something as of late...the internals of circles.
The unspoken membership requirements.
The unwritten rules of admittance.
And I had to wonder,
would Jesus get an invite in?
If he was socially awkward?
Tucked his shirts into his shorts and hiked up his socks?
Dropped corny pick up lines?
Or told dry jokes?
Sure...we'd tolerate him in public, and extend a civil sympathetic conversation,
but would we invite him to our social outings?
our house parties?
Christmas dinner?

"...there was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected...
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised and we did not care." (Isaiah 53)

This is where we have to turn off our human perceptions and ask God to crank up our spiritual discernment. We naturally gravitate to people who are similar to us...but we need to come to the realization that this is what God's circle looks like...one that sees the spiritually awkward, and is not ashamed to call them not just his friends, but his children.
One that nailed social protocol to a cross and hung in our place.
One that calls us to see past our own comfort zones and into a place that recognizes each soul as a being created in the image of God.

living in uncertainty...

I like to have a game plan. Know where I'm going. Visualize my target.
That hasn't been the reality of my life the past couple months.
And as much as I'd like to know...I don't.
As much as I want answers..they're not there.
I am not in control...It took Oswald to give me a little perspective last nite...

Our natural inclination is to be so precise— trying always to forecast accurately what will happen next— that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We think that we must reach some predetermined goal, but that is not the nature of the spiritual life. The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty. Consequently, we do not put down roots. Our common sense says, "Well, what if I were in that circumstance?" We cannot presume to see ourselves in any circumstance in which we have never been.

Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life— gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises. When we become simply a promoter or a defender of a particular belief, something within us dies. That is not believing God — it is only believing our belief about Him. Jesus said, ". . . unless you . . . become as little children . . ." (Matthew 18:3 ). The spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what He is going to do next. If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled. But when we have the right relationship with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, ". . . believe also in Me" (John 14:1 ), not, "Believe certain things about Me". Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in— but you can be certain that He will come. Remain faithful to Him.

turning point

Sitting in the back room @ school, waiting for a laminator to heat up, I felt the urgency of squeezing in some morning devos, so I hauled out the camo and opened up in the psalms. Hoping for something to divert me from my present personal frustration, seeking direction, and craving connection, I flipped to Chapter 13...

"O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?"

Hahahaha....talk about connecting to my headspace in the opening verse!
Hello?!!!
Remember me down here?!!!
Relocated to the arctic wastelands of Fort Saskatchewan?!!
My whole "visitation" to the western world was inspired by the need to seek God. To quiet down my life and listen. To get some answers...some direction - without feeling the pressures of being pushed and pulled in every direction by well-meaning people in my life.

And so far I've got nothing.
Nothing but silence.
And silence is something I'm not usually comfortable with.

You see, I have a problem relaxing...I'm a bit of a workaholic actually. I want to make sure I am maximizing my potential.
I want to live with purpose.
I want to be intentional in every area of my life.
And now it's God's turn to be intentional.
Intentionally silent.
Because His silence is forcing me to stop.
To be patient.
To rest in Him.
To restore my weary spirit.
To rebuild the broken.
To lay burdens down.
To learn to trust.
To exhale.

If He gives me direction, I must go.
If He speaks, I must be obedient in response.
But if he is silent, I must be still and wait on him.
Because, you see, sometimes God's silence is not punishment...
it is a blessing of rest to lives grown weary.
And although we could probably push out another mile,
he gives us what we need in season...
Because he loves us.
Because he is good.

"Restore the sparkle to my eyes...
I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me."

In six short verses, David brings us full circle from the pit of despair, to the reminder of the hope that lives within us...the God who loves us.
And so I wait in silence, knowing the sparkle days will come...

permanent residence at the zoo...

The past few weeks of trying to find a church to intentionally sow into while I live in Alberta has felt like an old game played on first nites of camp. Everyone would get a piece of paper with the name of an animal on it. At the flick of the light switch, you would walk around the room, giving your best impression of the animal in attempts to locate like-sounding suckers.

So the lights have been shut off, and I'm bleating like a sheep, wondering why I can't hang out with the horses for a while...
The church is a phenomenon of the modern age...a walking paradox of beliefs, understandings, practices, experiences, convictions, externals. I find it fascinating that ONE body unified by ONE God can host such extremes! The funny thing (and scary thing at times) is that there is no stereotype for Christians. We are not bound by a limited demographic, class, gender, or style. We bear the artistic brush of a unique God using different mediums to paint a portrait of His bride that lies beyond human definition.

I have walked through the doors of countless buildings, all perfectly content with the thought that the way they "do church" is "the way" church is done. And as they sit comfortably in the pews of their understanding, they often can get caught up with thanking the Lord they are not one of "those people"...

The ones that sing only psalms.
Hymns.
Choruses.

"Those people"
The ones that stand poker straight.
Raise their hands.
Fall on the floor.

"Those people"
The theology driven.
The emotionally experienced.
The emergent.

"Those people"
Old-fashioned.
Trendsetting.
Modern.

But if we will only open our eyes a little wider, we will realize we all fall under the category of "those people"...

We have tidy labels that try to define "us" from "those" people...
Charismatic.
Baptist.
Reformed.
Alliance.
Pentecostal.
Lutheran.
Countless threads of differences, all claiming to follow ONE risen God.

As I've sat in the back rows of churches I am a physical stranger to, I wonder at what God's thoughts would be of today's church. What He thinks of the lines that divide us...the styles that separate us. I often wrestle with the reality of what the body of Christ looks like...
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ..."

We have all been baptized into ONE body by ONE Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit...

but our bodies have have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part..." I Cor. 12:12ff

Thankfully there are those who long to see the body of Christ function as a whole.
But there are those who amputate body parts that are not like them.
There are those who are ignorant of any part but their own.
There are those who don't care for anything outside the lines they've drawn in the sand.

There are those within the body that are so tightly laced, they cut off circulation - not only to the rest of the body...but to their soul. On the flip there are those so loose in their beliefs, they are tolerant to anything and everything crawling into bed with them. Being a part of the body means celebrating the mosaic of differences, while maintaining the truth that has set us free.

Being a Christian involves an action on our part: an intentional connection - not just to Christ, but to His body. His bride.

And what a bride she is!
The honeymoon is definitely over...and waking up beside her has been a little bit scary at times...
and yet I need to see her and love her as Christ does.

And so I find myself in places I may not necessarily have chosen for myself,
but I'm growing. I'm learning. I'm sowing...
I'm hanging out with another species, appreciating the differences, and recognizing we are all a part of the same zoo!

Anybody wanna hang out with the chimps next?!!