Friday, May 21, 2010

infinite beauty


he's the image of the invisible God
first born over the created world
he reigns thrones and kingdoms all on the earth
the heavens and everything invisible


beautiful, infinite God
have your way with me
consume and rapture my heart
make my eyes to see


oh your beauty, your beauty
your beauty i must see


he's enthroned in heaven
surrounded in light
with angels and elders on every side
proclaiming the glory, the consuming fire
the reign of a king who's invincible.

(Hope College Worship Band "Beautiful, Infinite God")

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Gray

We are neither |animals| nor |angels|.

animals- fully physical; indulgent in lust
angels- pure spirit; no lustful desires

We live |in the tension| betwixt the two.
If you have not yet read "SexGod" by Rob Bell we would encourage you to do so.


|Black| Gray |White|

Guess what. When it comes to relationships there's a whole lotta gray. We Christians tend to pendulum between two extremes--both hazardous in their own ways. First, as Christians we believe that we cannot simply go around indulging our fleshes' every desire. Fairly elementary (silver ring thing anybody?). The other extreme we tend to swing toward is a quasi-gnosticism (body=bad; spiritual is above and beyond the physical). However, implications of the incarnation, baby (literally) --> the physical world, our physical bodies, made of matter, matter. Oh the irony that we sometimes think matter doesn't matter.

Relationship application: Relationships cannot substantially exist or be built in simply a physical dimension; Nor can the physical be completely ignored if we are to be of any substance. As of now there hasn't yet been discovered some precise line of universally proper physical boundaries for each stage of a relationship. It is much easier if we go on believing there is...somewhere there lies a clear line between black and white, angels and animals...somewhere over the rainbow. Our relationships, at least all of those I've been in or witnessed, do not have precise formulas, spelled out, or clearly defined ways to grow. Rather there's a whole mess of gray--very messy indeed. But that's all part of the adventure. We don't have a map, we've got a guide and general sense of direction, from there we must use our own discernment and discretion.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Mindful

Every day
~I see or hear
~~something
~~~that more or less

kills me
~with delight
~~that leaves me
~~~like a needle

in the haystack
~of light.
~~It is what I was born for--
~~~to look, to listen,

to lose myself
~inside this soft world--
~~to instruct myself
~~~over and over

in joy,
~and acclamation.
~~Nor am I talking
~~~about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,
~the very extravagant--
~~but of the ordinary,
~~~the common, the very drab,

the daily presentations.
~Oh, good scholar,
~~I say to myself,
~~~how can you help

but grow wise
~with such teachings
~~as these---
~~~the untrimmable light

of the world,
~the ocean's shine,
~~the prayers that are made
~~~out of grass?

by Mary Oliver