by RobertCummins | Sep 8, 2015 | 36. Ordinary
Ordinary – Isaiah 53:1-6
Isaiah begins with a question;
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Then he provides a most unlikely description of the coming Messiah. If Peter had been there, he might have said, “No Isaiah, this won’t do, he must have stately form and majesty!” I shouldn’t be so hard on Peter. I too wish Jesus would present himself to the world in extraordinary ways.
Yet God ignored human wisdom, coming to us as an ordinary man. He was so ordinary there was nothing distinguishing in his appearance. It is noteworthy those with preconceived notions about him were not those who believed the message nor to whom the arm of the Lord was revealed.
Long after Isaiah recorded his prophecy, we learn something of God’s reasoning. Being an ordinary man positioned him so that the stroke of God’s judgement would fall upon him. I am surprised more do not believe based simply on the sheer impossibility that humans could invent such a bizarre story!
Those who have believed the message have embraced the Son of Man whose life, for 30 years, was ordinary. That Jesus did not posture himself as an elite reveals a surprising aspect of divine royalty, it is approachable. It is humble and does not seek to lord authority over people. Even though he is a king he prefers to draw us by way of invitation rather than control us with mandates.
We do have a robed King with a scepter but he loves us and desires we find Him accessible not aloof. We think of Jesus as being God’s disguise. Perhaps it was no disguise at all. Perhaps Jesus is the exact representation of the Father just as the book of Hebrews tells us.
Father, we have believed your message and your strong arm has been revealed to us in the wisdom of Your gospel. That you are our friend and not our dictator is tremendously good news. As common as Jesus may have appeared, you did extraordinary things through him that drew men to You. May we too, whatever our appearance, be vessels of honor overflowing with the surprising Life of God to all those You permit us to serve. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 7, 2015 | 36. Ordinary
Ordinary – Psalm 96:7-13
Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
Worship the Lord in holy attire; tremble before Him, all the earth.
My attire consisted of layers of clothing designed to keep me warm and dry while motoring about a remote Canadian lake hunting Walleye, the prized catch of those waters. For me, this was worship.
Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; bring an offering and come into His courts.
All my activities, both work and play, are worship since there is no place God is not; therefore his courts are everywhere my feet trod. Living intentionally with this in mind is worship. Worship reaches unique heights when his splendor and majesty are on display in the unspoiled wilds of remote forests and streams, where his strength and beauty are being revealed in the mountains and the lakes.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord…..
As I attempted to grasp the pristine nature of all that was touching my five senses something even deeper was stirring. It was that part of me that remembers its shared origin with creation. In the wilderness deep calls unto deep, awakening the spirit in unique ways. This was the worship being prompted by the unsullied majesty of the Canadian outback.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
The earth might not be moved but in Ontario it has been shoved around considerably. The massive lake we were bobbing around on was only one of thousands like it created by glaciers from an ancient and icy era. From the Otter float plane serving as our ferry, we beheld this spectacle as far as the eye could see in every direction. It all spoke of the Ancient of Days. This was holy ground.
There is an odd feature to Psalm 96. It’s composer has woven the theme of judgement into his song.
…. for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness…. He will judge the peoples with equity.
I think I understand why judgement is on this singer’s mind; it is our heart’s disorientation to God also know as idolatry.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols
This ancient expanse of wilderness sang its song with an advantage over me. Being innocent of idolatry, it sang beautifully. Sadly, while nature is not culpable in man’s rebellion it still pays a price…..
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for ouradoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:19-25
Teaming with aquatic life, the lake’s hidden depths hinted of the existing and ever-expanding kingdom of God. I can’t always see the Kingdom as clearly as I would like but the spirit in me celebrates and eagerly awaits it nevertheless. The wilderness, freer from corruption than I, reminds me of what I was and what I am becoming in Christ.
For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
Oh Father, to finally be free from selfish motives that obscure my vision! Thank you for the sudden shakings that change us as well as the powerful glacial action of your Spirit which is making us into reservoirs of living water. Establish us in perseverance that we might both experience and eagerly await this glorious consequence of belonging to you. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 7, 2014 | 36. Ordinary
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Transformation begins when a seed is planted in a safe space such as the soil, a womb or a heart. From there on its all miraculous. Seeds germinate and poke through the earth, hungry for light and moisture, ultimately yielding fruit. Cells multiply within the woman becoming a fetus and eventually emerging as a fearfully and wonderfully created human being, hungry for food, love and stimulation. If the child is nurtured it too will ultimately bear much fruit. In the fruit are more seeds making the plant or human capable of reproduction. Such is the natural order of creation. But what about the heart? Its growth too follows a natural order. This digression into biology was necessary as a backdrop to discuss the heart, the spiritual dimension of our lives which Paul is admonishing us to stimulate and encourage (care for) within each other as the day is drawing near.
Regarding the heart though, what seed is to be planted in it? How can that seed be nurtured? What would its fruit look like when it matures? I hope the following thoughts will help answer these questions.
From God’s perspective, we are the soil for the eternal seed of His Son. We receive the word implanted into our hearts and the miracle of spiritual transformation begins. Jesus called this being born anew (or born again). LIke the child, this living seed too emerges with incredible reproductive possibilities. And like the child, it is dependent on those around it to be nurtured. It needs specific things to reach maturity which is God’s will on earth as it is in heaven.
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11
Yesterday I proposed that the maturing process of the Church has been interrupted. I suggested that we (and we are all in this together by the way) are like frogs in a pot being marginalized and slowly being destroyed. You may or may not buy this idea but if you do not, I ask you to at least compare the reproductive success of the western church compared to the early church which seemed to multiply more in harmony with the natural order of wheat and other living organisms. I also recommended that a strategy to escape the cultural soup we are stewing in would be to heed the examples of those who are jumping out of the pot. I want to introduce you to a couple of them today. One is Bob Goff (BG). The other is Jen Hatmaker (JH). Let’s talk about Bob first.
When I met him this past week, Bob had me at “Hello, I’m Bob Goff, (saying essentially in a hundred ways) What’s a kettle?” It just got better, the more I listened to him speak and the more I read his book, Love Does. When he shared his core values I knew I was yoked together with him as a co-laborer with Christ. We share this core value that our mission is to “watch over each other’s hearts” from Proverbs 4:23. Why? Because; from them flow the springs of life. He is saying that guarding and nurturing the reality of Christ’s life within each other is our universal calling as God’s family because everything starts there. I think this is the same thing that Paul is saying when he says we must stimulate and encourage one another.
In the 31 chapters of Love Does, Bob presents love-driven kingdom values by saying in each chapter’s by-line, “I used to think this or that, but now I know that ……” Here is an example from Chapter 2 Sniper Fire…
I used to think I had to act a certain way to follow God, but now I know God doesn’t want us to be typical.
People ask this best selling author regularly about his religion (the kettle) and he will answer,
“You probably shouldn’t be talking to me because I don’t validate my faith with a church attendance score card. I think of church as a vibrant community of people consisting of two or more of varied backgrounds gathering around Jesus. Sometimes they are at a place that might have a steeple or auditorium seating. But it’s just as likely that church happens elsewhere, like coffee shops or on the edge of a glacier or in the bush of Uganda. All of these places work just fine, I suppose. When it’s a matter of the heart, the place doesn’t matter. For me, it’s Jesus plus nothing – not even a building.”
Just by being Bob, BG casts a legitimate vision of the Church. His “I used to think but now I know” represents the transformation of the mind (and repentence) that Paul tells us will lead us to God’s perfect will. Church to Bob is his vibrant anywhere anytime meetings. (which if you know him are more likely to be spontaneous than scheduled.) How similar to Jesus’ words, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.” Thanks Bob for saying these things in you own words giving them the authority and power that can only come by making them your own. Now let me introduce you to Jen Hatmaker. She is the author of Interrupted – When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity
While Bob makes no mention of a specific church group, JH and her husband do and are endeavoring to employ the same values BG lives by inside a denominational church they planted in the south part of Austin Texas. While BG spoke of transformation indirectly, JM tackles it head on as she proposes that it is the natural byproduct of missional living. JM states that living on mission where you’ve been sent transforms your faith journey. This other-oriented intentionality toward community is what JH believes love does. To those raising the questions in their hearts about the water temperature in their kettle. JH offers….
If an endless array of Bible studies, programs, church events an sermons (Honestly, the last thing we need is another sermon.) have left you dry, please hear this: living on mission will transform your faith journey. At the risk of oversimplifying it, I’ve seen missional living cure apathy better than any sermon, promote healing quicker than counseling, deepen discipleship more than Bible studies, and create converts more effectively than events……There is no formula to living on mission.
JM won me as a pioneer in the ways of the kingdom of God. The Hatmakers came to understand the kettle for what it was. She notes…
What we see becomes our reality…..Church influence if followed exclusively distorts our perception of real life and our role in it.
In other words, if they go unchallenged, we can easily fall victim to the dangerous paradigms of our religious cultures which we and our tradition hold sacred (and normal). We know that Jesus came to preach good news to the captives with a view to setting them free. We know he has called us (as His disciples) to do the same. JM quotes Isaiah 56:6 her in chapter titled Mission Possible….
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
She comments….
Responsibility for each other is the first description of the fast God requires: an abstinence from selfishness, greed, and egotism. Discipleship is not a personal journey with a few links to community; it exists for us to spur (encourage?) one another on toward liberation and execute justice for those too trapped to free themselves. It is a lifestyle obsessed with the broken members of our human tribe: those living next to us, in our families, and everywhere someone is devalued. We have a mandate to liberate our fellow man, in every context. We are in this life together, we belong to one another.
I know now more than ever that an organized church is simply a loose structure to hold us together; people are truly the church. They are its life and breath and strength. It is you. It is me. The kingdom advances in our small neighborhoods and small acts of love and small moments of faithfulness and small feats of courage. It is not encapsulated in programs and top-down structures but activated through the body of Christ daring to be faithful everywhere we’ve been planted.
Dear and precious brothers and sisters, we are being transformed into the image of Christ by way of the seed that was implanted in us and the natural transformational processes within community and discipleship. Christ in us is the treasure that transcends all the accumulated wealth of this world. Our culture looks enviably at Gates and Buffet. They are but paupers without Christ. As we watch over (encourage) this life within each other we invest in the only kind of wealth that will survive our mortal existence – His Life. If we are patient and we will persevere in the trials of this process we will be getting prepared as the glorious Bride of Christ and one day, not so far off, we will inherit an even fuller glory in bodies living in an environment where moth and rust will no longer have a say.
To expand His kingdom God is raising up networks of saints who are grasping that the kingdom within must be expressed outside of ourselves. In other words, having missional expression. its not just about having a peaceful easy feeling about ourselves and our lives with God. Its not an inner refined sense of holiness that brings order, efficiency and certainty to our daily lives. If anything its a holy mess where we are becoming aware of each other’s burdens and needs and discovering ways to shoulder them together.
This tribe of saints is grasping the reality of Christ in them by simply getting over themselves (as impossible hindrances to God in their flesh) leaning instead completely on what He has done as our great high priest, making a safe place (a new and living place) for us (through His sacrificial life and death) where we can confidently relate to God and others with full assurance and great confidence. Please note that this is no way secured or improved upon by seminary, bible study, title, pedigree, race, gender, age, IQ or anything else. We cannot sanctify our selves sufficiently to qualify for inheritance. It is a pure gift. Any other approach to God is a type of religion that denies the life within the Seed. If we are attempting to follow Christ without this type of rest we will be swimming in the religious cauldron from which Christ died to liberate us from.
The kingdom of God is not dependent on the pastor or the sermon or the building or the programs. As it has always been, the kingdom rests on its unshakable foundation, Jesus Christ. And so it is Christ in you and in I on which the future of glorified Church and Bride of Christ depends. What an incredible adventure!
Father, please awaken us from any wordily spell that has enchanted us, binding us to things destined to perish. Help us to rest sufficiently in You that we could attract others into this rest. Grant that we would find our tribe, those you have called us to walk alongside to reach into the highways and the byways where your banquet invitations are now being sent. Enable us to lay hold of the creative ways You have given us to discover and stimulate each other in our respective callings. Help us to bond together in communities that create safe spaces for your word to grow and return to you with the fruit You anticipate. Show us how to watch over each other’s hearts for the sake of Your Name. Help us, by just being ourselves, to cast a vision that is compatible with the one on Your heart. Wreck us if need be.
by RobertCummins | Sep 6, 2014 | 36. Ordinary
Luke 5:1-25
After reading this passage you might define “ordinary” as what life looked like before Jesus shows up. Or perhaps you may conclude that Jesus, as the first born of a new race and as our example was introducing to us what His new definition of “ordinary” is . Here is how people responded to the new ordinary.
…they were all seized with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.
In the previous chapter, we see the likely origin of all the excitement. Jesus stood up in the congregation and said,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.
You have to admit, the action in this passage is more than most of us are accustomed to. Our contrasting experience begs for explanation. When I read the scriptures I look for possible explanations. As I surveyed the passage, I looked for things that stood out as unique and noteworthy.
1) None of these awe-inspiring events took place in a synagogue.
2) At Jesus’ bidding a business owner complied and experienced a radical and unexpected return on his investment; so much so it caused him to acknowledge his own sinfulness (which Jesus seemed to ignore)
3) There were changed vocations (kind of). His followers will still be fisherman, but going forward, men will be their catch instead of fish.
4) We find Jesus favorably disposed to heal. He was willing. It was now the favorable year (season) for this.
5) The abundant outflow of Life expressed in; a) His teaching and; b) “the miraculous” were the only ministry strategy in play.
6) a structure (roof) was dismantled to get to Jesus.
7) He heals as easy as He forgives.
If, one day, you were to give a group of born again believers the task of going out and just start “being” the Church and none of them had the knowledge or benefit of how we have been taught to do church, they would be left only with accounts such as the miracle-laden passage we are reading today as a reference point for what is “ordinary” and how to calibrate their expectations. So I speculate; one possible explanation for the contrast between then and now is that we have not yet become, (in our current traditions, customs and paradigms), the fullest expression of the Church that Jesus ultimately intends.
More likely, we are like frogs in the kettle who have been (and are being) slowly and incrementally desensitized to their circumstances (having lost track of temperature a ways back somewhere). There is a built-in danger to the status quo in assuming the water temperature (our existing paradigms) are actually safe. This is one possible explanation of why so many of us live in this season so contentedly un-astonished with the unremarkable.
In this account, there were two groups converging upon Jesus; 1) the poor, downtrodden captives and; 2) the scribes and teachers who were reasoning incorrectly in their hearts. (Major problem! These were the ones who controlled the water temperature!) But; there was a Kingdom representative present. He was the first-born a of a new race of kingdom persons whose duty it was to redefine and exemplify “normal”. It says that “the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.
Note: In the previous verse we learn that “He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness to pray”. So, I speculate that another possible explanation for the power differential between the “first-born” and us “later born” ones may be the shortage of those who “slip away” – those who continually respond to Jesus invitation “to come to Him”, who in their “coming and staying” in His presence, learn to enjoy the intimate terms between themselves and the Father that are established “in Christ”, enabling them in maintaining the focus on this “favorable season of the Lord” where the ordinary becomes extra-orinary.
For our mental equilibrium it would be far easier to adopt the idea that this is now and that was then and all is as it should be. This is one of the paradoxes that face thinking Christians; carrying the burden of reconciling that God is sovereign; that things are on track (which I believe) and yet things are not yet as they can be (which I also believe). There is an apparent contradiction between these two propositions. If left to just pure reasoning, we would be driven toward one or the other of these options and forced to discard one of the positions (which we had previously found valid). Living with paradoxes can be troublesome. Then I see Jesus making an interesting statement;
But Jesus, aware of their reasoning (perhaps similar to mine above), answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
Perhaps it would not be far off to paraphrase Jesus question as, “Why are you limiting Me to Your human reasoning, allowing apparent contradictions to push you into one position or the other?”. Has it ever dawned on us how obscenely arrogant it is for us to assume that God would be confined by our definitions of “normal” or “ordinary” which we have derived in our froggy conditioned human reasoning?
I think we are deficient in “the remarkable” because most of us have done much “reasoning in our hearts” in the context of the invalid reference points of “our own experience” which is unfortunately the benchmark most of use for “ordinary” or “normal”. Using our own contemporary experience as “normal” would be like recalibrating our thermometers – replacing 198.6 for 98.6 degrees. The outcome of the false reference point is tragic.
This line of thinking has challenged my understanding of certain prayers I have prayed, such as; “Search me Oh God and know my heart and see if there be any hurtful (inferior benchmark) way in me and lead me in the everlasting way (His new benchmarks). It has challenged my understanding of certain verses I have held dear; “And do not be conformed to this world (heeding false bench marks) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (heeding His new benchmarks), that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good acceptable and perfect.” It has truly jolted my understanding of how Jesus taught us to pray….that, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven“.
The roof of my understanding is being removed and it is not all that comfortable. In my adjusting I have experienced some intellectual and emotional loss of equilibrium. I have experienced some tensions between my brothers and sisters in Christ as our benchmarks are being reordered and redefined. The fruit however has more than justified this modest expense. It has given more room in my expectations for God to be and to do exceedingly and abundantly and beyond my expectations – a very biblical proposition.
Lord, lead us into Your life. Awaken our hunger and thirst for Your kingdom values. May Truth prevail over every lie and half-truth which have become the sacred pillars of our current paradigm. Deliver us from evil Lord that we may be the light of the world – accurate reference points for those you have called us to shine before. Amen.
A final thought. One way we to break the status quo is to acquaint ourselves with those who have jumped out of the kettle. I am thinking of Puddleglum, the Marshewiggle who sticks his foot in the fire just to break the witch’s evil enchantment (which was becoming his community’s ordinary. (Check Out The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis.) Lewis uses the timeless vehicle of fantasy to convey kingdom reality but we have contemporary examples. Here are just a few reads that shine the spotlight on a whole new set of kingdom reference points. Love Does by Bob Goff. Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker. I will likely have more to say about these two tomorrow as we look at Hebrews 10:19-25 with a focus on verse 24….
Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.
by RobertCummins | Sep 5, 2014 | 36. Ordinary
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
In the early part of 2 Corinthians, the “we” and the “our” he uses refers to himself and his apostolic team. By chapter 5, those same words refer to “all” believers. The shift takes place within our passage in verse 16. But, since the theme of “glory in earthen vessels” carries through from verse 7 through 18, I don’t think Paul would object if we acknowledge the process and rich content described in verses 7-11 as applicable to ourselves. However, after you read it, you may prefer to pass.
For God who said, “light shall shine out of darkness”, is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Cor 4:6
The next verse reveals a core truth about God’s sovereign plan of revealing this light of His glory in the context of a dark world. I believe it is also a truth that distinguishes Christianity as unique among the world’s religions.
But we have this treasure in earthen (seemingly ordinary) vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.
What “treasure” is Paul referring to? I believe 1 Corinthians 3:16 answers this question.
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
God’s plan of revealing Himself to the world after His ascension involved you and I. The Light of the World is His Spirit and He resides in us. So, what is it that releases this light? What is it that is going to “produce for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison“? Here is the rough news, it may require some “momentary light affliction“. You may be asking, “How light?”. Paul’s response,
We are afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and struck down and our outer man is decaying.
It would be natural to ask, “How could these circumstances (which register as negatives) possibly produce any light? Where is the victory in this negative testimony?” If Paul has any credibility with you, listen to his answer;
(Even though) we are afflicted in every way, we are not crushed. Even though we are perplexed, we aren’t despairing about it. Even though we are persecuted, we are not forsaken. Even though we are struck down we are not destroyed. And, even though our bodies are deteriorating, our spirits are being renewed every day.
Paul goes on to explain some of the mystery of suffering that may have even been part of what perplexed him;
We are always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life (light) of Jesus also may be manifested in our body, for we are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life (light) of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal bodies.
It is as though Paul knows this is going to be tough to understand, so he goes on to explain;
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
As best as I can understand Paul, it is our responses to life’s challenging circumstances that are (at least at times) going to produce the light that shines out of darkness and gives God glory. While it may not be in keeping with western culture’s personal success gospel, scripture makes a case that God is glorified as much (if not more) through endurance as He is through deliverance.
Knowing now what will likely be involved in glorifying the Lord and becoming the light of the world, do you prefer to pass or are you still attracted to that eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison?
Father, each of us has circumstances that are less than ideal. You know better than we that some of them are heartbreaking. As to the “why” behind our circumstances, we are perplexed and even knocked down. Help us to see, like Paul, with an eternal perspective, so that we may reckon our afflictions (whatever they are) as light and momentary in view of the reward. Help us to focus on those eternal things that cannot be seen. Help us to shine in the midst of our particular darkness. May our lives provide the surprising context for Your incomparable and compelling glory. Amen.
by RobertCummins | Sep 4, 2014 | 36. Ordinary
Exodus 3:1-14
This is the story of the burning bush that was not consumed. It served to distract Moses from the task at hand so that God could reveal to Him that He was standing on holy ground. The larger context of this encounter is that Egypt, from which Moses has fled as a fugitive, had enslaved God’s chosen ones and they were groaning beneath their yoke of slavery. Their cry had arisen to God and He had taken account. Moses will be God’s instrument to liberate and lead God’s chosen ones to a land of promise.
Is the ground that you and I are standing on holy? Perhaps you are saying, “Of course not. I haven’t seen any burning bushes; I haven’t been drawn away from my responsibilities and heard any commissioning words from the great I AM”. So, was it the heat or the light radiating from the fire that made that ancient ground holy or was it simply the presence of God? I believe it was God’s presence that made Moses aware that the ordinary ground he was standing on was holy. If we have eyes to see and ears to hear, I believe we will discover it is God’s presence that makes this apparently ordinary ground we stand on holy.
Where is the Holy Spirit right now in relationship to us? If space permitted it, a strong case would be made that the circumstances of our lives are even now holy – bursting with potential because God is present. You might be saying, “I would still prefer a burning bush experience, an external stimulus to inspire and direct me; then I would be elevated above the common and the ordinary; then I would have purpose”.
Since the birth of the Church, we Gentiles are being invited into the kingdom of God through a new and different covenant than the one ancient Israel had. We are living by faith in God’s administration of grace. In this season, authentic born again saints have the Holy Spirit in them as an internal stimulus enabling them to embrace a kingdom that is not yet fully visible.
Isn’t the context really the same between this old testament story and the one we are living in right now? Isn’t God still listening to the cries of His chosen ones along with the whole of creation for the liberation of the sons of God? I have a dream of seeing the Church embrace by faith the Holy ground she walks on, where we discover that in-Christ our circumstances (however messy) are always the optimum situation for us to grow progressively free and alive and become agents of deliverance (as was Moses) to those around us who we are called to love and invest in.
Father, I think if we were to see aright and we were to grasp that it is in You that we live and move and have our being, we would conclude that the word “ordinary” must be redefined -insuring that Your presence is included in it’s meaning. Kindle our imagination and vision! Awaken our faith! Grant us intentionality and endurance that we might discover our new identities as saints, as brothers and sisters of Jesus, as students of the Holy Spirit, as kings and priests, as sons and friends of God. You Oh Lord are our burning bush. Burn brightly in us. Amen.
Earth’s crammed with heaven, from….
And every common bush afire with God; Elizabeth Barrett Browning,
And only he who sees takes off his shoes; Aurora Leigh (1856), Book VII.
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
