The Reckless Raging Fury
I thought I'd drop in and post a paragraph or something for any of you out there reading. I'm coming to you from the beautiful (and relentlessly stormy) Estes Park, Colorado, where I've been attending the Gospel Music Association's Academy week-long conference and competition. It's been great, I'm learning so much. It reminds me of living in Nashville, there's something very specific about Nashville that seems very prevelant here, a type of feel, believe it or not.
I just came out of a worship concert with some great artists, including Caedmon's Call, Margaret Becker, Paul Baloche, among others. It was amazing, the music they performed was so that the lyrics pointed to God. It's amazing to see and feel the power of the Holy Spirit working inside us, and to watch God change people's lives, soften hardened hearts, open blind eyes, and heal wounds. This conference has opened the door for the Holy Spirit to impress upon my heart many things that I need to remember. I need to remember that I'm not just another person who lives, eats, works, and dies, I'm a called son of Christ!
Through that, Christ has called me to a higher calling, one that is not temporal, but one that is eternal. I have such an opportunity, such adventure ahead of me, full of darkness, and twisting paths, and refuges and sanctuaries, and dangers and challenges, and deep joy and deep sorrow, but ultimately, one that leads me to the presence of Christ. This is such a reoccuring theme in my life. What a great drama we could live in! What a story the writer could weave, if only we'd yield to Hand to guide us.
It scares me how much I sometimes choose to live in dull safety rather than live in the risky, dangerous life that God has given me the chance to live. It gives me an adrinaline rush just to think of the life I could live. I want to find that abandon, I want to find that release. Of course God never promises safety, in fact, one verse in 2 Timothy says, all who wish to live in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. It shouldn't surprise us when we take that leap, that we get bruises and cuts on the way. When we open our eyes in that way, we also see another overwhelming thing. We are at war. There are legions at battle against us, and so much time has been lost, because so many are blind, but we still have the chance, and the assurance through Christ that we can fight for Him and He will defeat the enemy. There is no promise of security, but that which we find in Christ. That is true security, and if we find our lives in Christ, why should we care about anything else?
I love the way C.S. Lewis paints it in the Chronicles of Narnia, in the discussion between the beavers and the Pevensy children:
'You said he was a lion', one of the children said fearfully.
'Yes indeed,' Mr. Beaver replied, 'the greatest lion of all.'
'But if he is a lion,' Lucy asked hesitantly, 'Is he...a safe lion?'
'No, he is certainly not safe. But he is GOOD.'
I hope and pray for myself and for all of us that we would lose our security, lose our safety, and submit ourselves to what Rich Mullins calls 'the reckless, raging fury that they call the love of God.'
Peace of Christ to all of you, and goodnight!
I just came out of a worship concert with some great artists, including Caedmon's Call, Margaret Becker, Paul Baloche, among others. It was amazing, the music they performed was so that the lyrics pointed to God. It's amazing to see and feel the power of the Holy Spirit working inside us, and to watch God change people's lives, soften hardened hearts, open blind eyes, and heal wounds. This conference has opened the door for the Holy Spirit to impress upon my heart many things that I need to remember. I need to remember that I'm not just another person who lives, eats, works, and dies, I'm a called son of Christ!
Through that, Christ has called me to a higher calling, one that is not temporal, but one that is eternal. I have such an opportunity, such adventure ahead of me, full of darkness, and twisting paths, and refuges and sanctuaries, and dangers and challenges, and deep joy and deep sorrow, but ultimately, one that leads me to the presence of Christ. This is such a reoccuring theme in my life. What a great drama we could live in! What a story the writer could weave, if only we'd yield to Hand to guide us.
It scares me how much I sometimes choose to live in dull safety rather than live in the risky, dangerous life that God has given me the chance to live. It gives me an adrinaline rush just to think of the life I could live. I want to find that abandon, I want to find that release. Of course God never promises safety, in fact, one verse in 2 Timothy says, all who wish to live in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. It shouldn't surprise us when we take that leap, that we get bruises and cuts on the way. When we open our eyes in that way, we also see another overwhelming thing. We are at war. There are legions at battle against us, and so much time has been lost, because so many are blind, but we still have the chance, and the assurance through Christ that we can fight for Him and He will defeat the enemy. There is no promise of security, but that which we find in Christ. That is true security, and if we find our lives in Christ, why should we care about anything else?
I love the way C.S. Lewis paints it in the Chronicles of Narnia, in the discussion between the beavers and the Pevensy children:
'You said he was a lion', one of the children said fearfully.
'Yes indeed,' Mr. Beaver replied, 'the greatest lion of all.'
'But if he is a lion,' Lucy asked hesitantly, 'Is he...a safe lion?'
'No, he is certainly not safe. But he is GOOD.'
I hope and pray for myself and for all of us that we would lose our security, lose our safety, and submit ourselves to what Rich Mullins calls 'the reckless, raging fury that they call the love of God.'
Peace of Christ to all of you, and goodnight!
posted by Eucharisto at 9:24 PM
2 Comments:
Wow, Joel and Penny! I envy you. There was a time in my life when I experienced that feeling of abandon. I lived every day wanting to shout the name of Jesus on the streets and wondering how anyone could possibly live without Him. I continually pray for God to renew that fire within me. I struggle now to find an adventure in every day, and to love in such a way that people want to know why. Thanks for letting your lives be an encouragement.
Very cool post, Eucharstio and what a wonderful conversation that has come from it (aside from the blog fart just above me, I hate those things), it's very neat to see God working in your guys' lives. May God truly meet the deepest desires of all of our hearts (Psalm 27:4). God bless!
Post a Comment
<< Home