Lately I've been running around a crowd of friends who are talking about disciplines, being disciples, liturgies, and asking questions like, "What are we really supposed to do in church?" ... which is one of the more loaded questions of our day.
Being a conflict avoider and a pastoral counselor I try desperately to hear each voice without bias. After wrestling through the thoughts of my friends who have differing, non-compatible answers I read a book by Philip Yancey entitled, "The Bible Jesus Read". In it he spells out how differently the lives of Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, David, Jeremiah, Hosea, et.al., looked in their individual relationships with God; different eras, cultures, oppressors, benefits, personalities, on and on.
Then it dawned on me. There is but one Way to God, but many ways with God. There are some who swear by serving the poor or spending hours per week on their knees in prayer. Or those who say we must be 'in the Word' everyday to maintain a vibrant life with Jesus. The list is long and meaningful. But to say, "This is the way" is tantamount to telling Isaiah he must follow exactly the spiritual disciplines and habits of Moses or it simply won't work out.
To me the question becomes, 'Tell me how you remain deeply intimate with God?' If you can't answer that question, learn from others, try for a good long time classic Spiritual Disciplines, read, experiment. Put yourself under the submission of someone who is older in the faith; but who is intimate with Christ. And do what they tell you. In time you will make your own path. Christ's voice will become clearer and louder ... and so will your song to Him.
Intimacy with God is your supreme concern. From it is the wellspring of life. Only then will you be confident the fruit you bear has any meaning and effectiveness.
There is but one Way to God, Jesus Christ; and that is sure. But there are many ways with Him.
Go therefore and be intimate with Him. And I pray that if you are not there yet, that one day you will call Him, "My Intimate".
3 comments:
I like you Betty. These are some deep thoughts that resonate clearly within me. It is invigorating as well as mysterious to think about all of the new facets I am going to discover about my relationship with Jesus as I experiment, explore, learn, change, and grow. Thanks for sharing!
Wal-Mart rejects 'racy' worship CD
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ANAHEIM — The latest Vineyard Music worship CD, "Intimacy, vol. 2," has raced to the top of the Christian sales charts, but Wal-Mart is refusing to stock the album without slapping on a parental warning sticker. The ground-breaking — some say risqué — album includes edgy worship songs such as "My Lover, My God," "Touch Me All Over," "Naked Before You," "I'll Do Anything You Want," "Deeper" and "You Make Me Hot with Desire."
"We've had concerns about previous Vineyard CD's, but this time they went overboard in their suggestive imagery depicting the church's love affair with Christ," said a Wal-Mart spokesman. "It would be irresponsible to sell this to 13-year-old kids."
A Vineyard Music Group (VMG) spokesman defended the album.
"We felt this was the next logical step in furthering people's intimacy with the Lord, as the title implies," said Sam Haverley, director of VMG public relations. "People aren't content with yesterday's level of closeness. They want something more. We feel this album gives them that."
Wal-Mart represents a third of all CD sales, which has forced VMG to try to negotiate a deal. VMG proposed adding a heart-shaped warning sticker rather than the black-and-white label more often seen on raunchy rap albums, but Wal-Mart refused. VMG is considering issuing a censored version of the album.
"If Christians want to make R- or X-rated music, that's up to them," said a Wal-Mart spokesman, "but we don't have to carry it." •
Paul is the guy in Scripture who is a real "mile marker" for me. As I grow in faith, time after time the light bulb goes off and things he said suddenly make sense; things I thought I had understood for years. I realize now that I was wrong when I thought I understood what he meant when he said, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" I still don't get it when it comes to my sin. I am so sick that I actually take pride in admitting my depravity! I too am surrounded by casual Christianity, but at this particular moment I don't so strongly desire to go to heaven to get away from them, but to leave my own body of sin. I am not suffering from condemnation, because I trust and believe God when He tells me there is none coming from Him. However, at this time I am not well. I know it is Jesus who will, "...rescue me from this body of death..." but it sure feels like it will take my literal/physical death. I don't feel condemned - I guess I would say I feel disqualified. With our understanding of the phrase I believe it would be accurate to say I am "further along in my faith" than many others, and therefore have things to share with them and speak into their lives. But with this knowledge comes the additional enlightenment that I am not living out what I am teaching. There is absolutely no solace in believing I am better comparatively. I am only called to compare myself to Jesus Christ, and this morning I can't think of anything I would rather do than throw dust on myself and weep; not because I finally understand what a wretched man that I am, but because I finally understand that I don't get it yet."
Le (dry and parched) Bear
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