Mountain Gazing

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2, NLT

I’ve been staring at a lot of mountains lately; some of them I’ll only have to look at, some I’ll have to climb.  The mighty hand of God is moving in directions I never dreamed he would move.  All this movement has left me with a lot of questions and more importantly a lot of decisions.

I have to evaluate priorities, needs, wants and desires.  I have to consider other people’s lives more so than I have ever done before.  I have to weigh the losses against the gains; the pros against the cons.

With all of this going on what do I do?

I stare at mountains.

I first came into full contact with this psalm at my Grandmother’s funeral so many decades ago; it spoke to me as it had spoken to her and I committed it to memory.  Throughout my life, both the faithful and unfaithful times, it swirled in my head because it had been planted lovingly deep in my heart.

I grew up with mountains off in the distance; mighty mountains that rose 12000 ft plus above the desert floor.  Those mountains were to me the home of God.  I live a long way from those mountains now but I am still reminded of their majesty when I need God to see me through situations.

It’s time to start climbing.  The questions swirl, the uncertainty mounts, the issues rise and all I can do is stare at the mountains and know that at the right time, in the right way God’s answer will come and once again I will know peace.

 

Join the Dance and Give Praise

I witnessed a dance between bees and butterflies.  Flower to flower they change partners seeking the sweetness that is offered there then on to the next partner that promises a new fresh taste; never staying long enough to drink deep or fully of what is there, of what is freely offered.  This dance, orchestrated by God, has its purpose: nature cannot survive without this dance.

First Step

Second Step

Third Step

Fourth Step

Fifth Step

Could we also be dancing the same dance; church to church seeking truth?  A tidbit here, a sweet taste there.  We are touched by and we leave behind our touch.  Jew to Catholic to Protestant (Baptist to Presbyterian to Methodist to Pentecostal to Anglican to Lutheran to Mennonite and on and on and on) to Muslim.  Cross pollination of belief and understandings until the day truth is fully revealed as the Church Militant on earth to the Church Triumphant; the bride of the lamb.

We no longer pretend it doesn’t happen.  It is real.  There will come a time when all Christians sit down for one supper; all accepted at table without the verbiage to confuse and divide but the love and heart to join.  We will all one day sit together Jew, Muslim and Christian on the Holy Mountain and recognize our universal God.

So I dance.  The music of old rings in my head and my heart sings praise.  I bow, I raise my hands, I sit, I kneel and/or I prostrate, but I dance.  I rehearse my whole life long that I will be found worthy to dance the finale. And so I praise: Jehovah be praised, Allah be praised, Jesus be praised, God be praised.

 

The Chair: Sentinel of the Gate

For weeks now this chair has haunted me.  I first encountered it towards the end of a short walk and found my mind contemplating the idea of the ancient throne of God come down to earth.  A recent news report had shown that Christianity in America was on the decline and so my mind conjured up the idea that God was abandoning his kingdom on Earth, at least the part of it on American soil. That thought would explain its rusted appearance and plant life attempting to overtake it. 

The next day I again encountered this chair at the beginning and ending of a long walk.  Early on my mind still played with the idea that it was the throne of God but it had become a beautiful thing.  It beckoned me to come into a glorious day of bright sunshine, crisp morning air and the beginnings of spring.  Yes, the throne of God is truly a place of hope and renewal and I began my walk with the hope of finding that very reality of kingdom living.

As I approached this same chair at the end of my long walk I began to reflect on how that walk had been a metaphor for my life; the joy along with the pain and suffering.  The chair now reflected a dual presence; one holy the other sinister.  It became a visual reminder that there are gates to hell as well as heaven and I began to see the chair as a sentinel to both.  We must chose our path well for scripture reminds us that the path of the world is well traveled and smooth but the path to heaven is hard and cannot be traveled without struggle and perseverance.

Matthew 7:13-14

You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.  But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

 

 

 

 

Even Nature Bows Before God

Luke 19:36-40

As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”

 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

We can learn much from nature.  An early morning school drop off allowed me to remember an important aspect of spiritual life:  we should begin our day in prayer before our creator and lift our face in praise and thanksgiving throughout the day. 

As I returned to the house from dropping my daughter off at school I glanced at the front of the house only to discover that the tulips bowed in the early morning.  

 

I couldn’t resist the picture; raindrops had left their residue and there they were in all their glory.  Later in the day when I looked at the same flowers they were standing at their full height, open. 

I will be the first to admit I don’t know much about flowers and I can’t tell you if this is normal.  I know that in the morning they were 

bowed and later they were erect.  This led me to reflect on the idea that they bow before God in the morning and then lift themselves to praise God stretching toward heaven as they glory in the light and warmth they receive.

All through nature we see aspects of God; in the plants and animals, in the formations, even in the clouds.  If we would just take a few moments each day to meditate on what we see before our eyes we would find more of God exists than we every realized. 

 

The Unfinished Symphony

Genesis 1:3-5

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”  

 

John 1:4-5

The Word gave life to everything that was created,

      and his life brought light to everyone.
 The light shines in the darkness,
      and the darkness can never extinguish it.

In anticipation, as if calling and beckoning, the creatures of the earth begin to stir and call out.  Only the dimmest of light has begun and the voices of the earth call.  They hunger; they hunger for all that the creator has to give them.  A symphony of sounds rises throughout creation.  Each creatures add its own voice to blend melody and harmony.

The sun begins to kiss the morning sky and darkness retreats into itself.  A new light is entering the world and the earth and all its creatures are awake to greet it.

My own soul hears the silent cry:  ”Come into the light.  Come and bask in its glory.  Come and feel the warm kiss upon your flesh.  Come and experience the love of the creator.”

Slowly my mind comprehends what the creatures of the earth already know.  Slowly my mind listens to what my heart has been screaming.  Slowly my mind relinquishes to my soul and the spirit within me rejoices in the coming light.  My voice joins the creatures of the earth and adds unique notes to the symphony; notes only it can play.

The unfinished symphony continues its journey through the world and through time.  The composer invites new voices to join in.  On and on it goes til all voices have been invited and given the chance to be heard.

 

Everything Given…Everything Received

      Tiny lights flicker at your feet,

          the flames of sheol, hungry hoping for a meal.

     Surrounded by the masses of people;

          taunting, jeering, insulting, mesmerized.

     Your blood, trickling down your face from tiny thorns;

          the crown meant to mock you, torture and humiliate.

     Your blood, dripping to the ground;

          from hands and feet nailed into place.

You took your place;

     lovingingly stretched out your arms,

          the whole world to embrace.

You knew it was coming,

     you knew how bad it would be,

          you took the lashes, the beating

               you took the nails.

You took it all for me.

I do not deserve this,

     You did not deserve that.

The thorns of my frivolity pierced your brow.

The lashes of my ambivalence tore at your back.

The nails of my sins hammered into your flesh.

You did all that for me; for me.

I do not understand this love; the depths of where it comes from.

I do not understand why or how you could love me.

I only know that you do; I see the cross and I know.

You gave up everthing so that I might receive everything.

There on the cross you handed it all to me;

     all mine to have just by opening my heart.

 

In God’s Hand

There is a song that I learned as a child that rings in my head periodically.  A song of simple words but deep truth.  ”He’s got the whole world in his hands”.  From the beginning as recorded in the first book of the Bible it is evident that God has the whole world in his hands.

Even on the darkest day God holds us, He never leaves us, never stops loving us.  A day never passes that God does not hold us, not just in his hand but close to his heart.

On that hill far away where His only begotten son hung on a cross, even there, God’s hand extended to hold His child.  While all the sins, past, present and future, of the world God had created were finding their way to the body of Jesus God held him.  God felt the pain His son felt, He knew the sorrow and anguish that His son experienced but in His hand he also held the sinners; he held the thieves beside his son, the Pharisees, the Roman soldiers, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, he held all that had ever been born or would be and yes He held you and me.  On the day His son lovingly spread out his arms to embrace the whole world God held the lives of the ones that Jesus died for.

God holds his creation with hands that create and do not destroy.  He knows us well because we are as close to Him as His hands.  He watches our every move with great interest and lovingly calls us each by name to come closer, closer, closer still.  We are not an experiment we are an object of love; loved into existence by the one who holds us in His hands and never lets go of us.

 

It Is Finished…

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors ¹³ took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,

   “Praise God!  Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!   Hail to the King of Israel!”  – John 12:12-13 (NLT)

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”  A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips.  When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.  – John 19:28-30 (NLT)

Palm/Passion Sunday has arrived and is for the next several hours traveling time zone by time zone around the world.  In many places there will be delightful celebrations to remember the triumpant arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Children will joyfully parade in sanctuaries where they normally do not appear with palm branches waving celebrating a joyous occasion that they don’t really understand.  For some congregations this is what the Sunday before Easter will be all about — celebrating.

For some churches there will be a shift in the service that will lead the worshippers from a joyous beginning to a painful remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice.  From revelry to tradgedy in about an hours time; from joy to sorrow the range of emotions will be present.

But what is it we should remember?  Is it the celebration of the people as Jesus entered Jerusalem?  Perhaps it is the darker reality.  What would it be if Jesus had not come to Jerusalem to die on the cross?  

What if he had made peace with the Jewish leaders of the day?  What if he had compromised his values and beliefs?  What if he had decided we were not worth it?  What if he had looked into the future and was unable to see any worth in us?  What if he had left Jerusalem in the dark of night and gone into a foreign land and lived out his days in solitude?  What if he had turned a deaf ear to the hurting people of the world and left them to their own devices?  What if he had never touched anyone with his healing hand?  What if he had chosen to never come to earth?  What if the son didn’t have the compassion for God’s creation that the father had?  What if, like the older brother in the parable of “The Prodigal Son”, he didn’t feel that we should be forgiven?  What if he decided to forget us?  What if he decided that the pain and disgrace was too much?  What if he had been like so many of us and chosen the riches of the world over us?  What if he had?  We will never know what if because he didn’t.  He saw the future as well as the past and the present and knew that we were worth dying for and so he did.  He took all our sin, our shame, our faults and our weaknesses upon himself so that we might have life; so that we might live eternally with the father.

 He came to earth with a passion for the people.  He came to save and to serve.  He came to die a thiefs death.  He came thinking of his greatest desire.  He came to die for our sins and become the bridge that would bring us back into relationship with his father.  He declared it on the cross in his own words; right before his death he announced that his mission was done.  He spoke the words that echo through eternity “it is finished”.  So it is.  We do not have to fear the sinners death.  We do not have to fear the emptiness of the grave.  We do not have to fear the lonliness of the separated and outcast.  We are God’s beloved and have been redeemed  by the broken body and spilt blood of Jesus the Christ, God’s own son.

 

Fed by the Bread of Life

 

Jesus said I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven.  The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.  

- John 6:32-35, NLT

I was hungry and you fed me. 

                The desert was my refuge,

                                but there was no food.

I wandered in the wilderness

                seeking, seeking for that

                                which I did not know.

I was hungry;

                a hunger that food

                                would not fill.

I wandered in the world

                tasting of the delicacies

                                laid before me.

I was hungry;

                a hunger that was

                                but was not of this world.

I wandered to the mountain looking,

looking for depth;

                                there I found rock.

I was hungry;

                starved for love

                                that only true love could fill.

I wandered.

                I wandered up the mountain

                                only to find a cross.

I was hungry

                and you fed me;

                                fed me bread of your own flesh.

I wandered into the holy place.

                There in your holy presence

                                I found a new peace.

I hunger.

                I hunger for more.

                                I hunger for all you have to give.

I wander into the promise,

                the promise of eternity,

                                the place I will hunger no more.

 

Even the Trees Dance

 

“Let them praise His name with the dance;
         Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.”  - Psalm 149:3 (NLT)

 

“Come, come and dance with us.”

The trees beckon me to join them in their worship.

Hands held high swaying side to side, they praise their maker.

Bodies shaped by God alone they seem almost human.

They move to a distant tune sung by angels.

Oh, can I dance?  Can I dance to praise my creator?

Where is the music?  I can’t hear the music.

Oh, God open my ears to hear the heavenly tune.

I want to dance in praise; where is the rhythm?

I stand, not moving, barely breathing.

 

One step and then another.

Slowly I sway and move.

The music, a distant sweet sound.

Lord, you are my creator.

You send music on the wind.

Your creation dances.

It dances in praise of you.

I dance in praise of you.

Surrounded by the majestic trees;

I join their dance of worship.

Hands held high sway to the heavens in time with a distant tune.

Hands held high reaching for my creator.