We need…truth that iS aLIVE. Words that become flesh. Hearts soft to be transformed; love real enough to split open our heart; to fill the room; to send light into the darkest cave of despair; we need strength humble enough to endure the lashings of a culture filled with pain; we need eyes acute enough to see into the depths of the soul; and most of all…fixed on the train of God’s splendorous robe. May He provide us with all that is necessary to serve Him with all that we are
Active Inspiration
Being a musician has taught me a lot about a life in Christ. As I was running along the Mississippi yesterday, gazing over the valley at the greens, yellows, and reds of the fall leaves, I was thinking about a new song that I’m working on. The funny thing is that this whole song started with a simple line that began to shift into something much more complex. As I kept going along, I needed to search deeper and dig more and more for more creative parts, new lines, and more interactive harmonies. And as I was running along, thinking, the reality of my situation hit me: If I treated my music writing as a passive process of inspiration, I could just keep writing the same song over and over, disguising it all in a simple different exterior. We all know that this happens in the music industry. But aside from the music, it happens even more grievously in our own lives, to the Gospel of Christ, which awakens not only our ears to listen, but our whole soul to engage the reality around us. I am realizing how my thoughts about inspiration have everything to do with this life which we live.
I think that we may all agree that the deepest level of transformation comes not from without, but from within the heart. This is how God delights to move: in our desires, our passions, what we yearn to have and that of which we long to let go. It is not an easy process because our person is a web of complexity; making an adjustment in one part often means another round of adjustments somewhere else. Fortunately, we aren’t robots. God does work at a deeper level than cause-and-effect. He works on us in our entirety. Ever tried to do it on your own? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. It’s horrible trying to be your own mechanic. But this is where the rubber hits the road with the Christian life and inspiration: God wants to inspire you every single day, drawing you deeper into this inner transformation to be more like Christ. But this isn’t a passive process. Get out. Breathe the air. Admire the stars. Have coffee with a friend. Admit your sadness. Weep for the lonely. Grieve with the sorrowful and make sure to fall in love with God’s handiwork. And let me say: It won’t just fall on our doorstep. If we believe that inspiration is exclusively passive, we will miss out on a great deal of the journey of Faith.
I’ll finish my song…eventually. But it won’t finish itself. Fortunately I have an endless world of inspiration to draw from. Be actively inspired today.
Trial and Temptation
In living in vice and virtue…in hope and despair…through internal peace and internal war…in the death of sin and in the life of Christ…in desperation and in calm…in love and in hate…in needing nothing and in wanting everything…in moments and in years…in discipline and in laziness…in loneliness and in the company of angels…in tranquility and in anger…in fortitude and in fear…in trials and in temptations…
I have learned something that has revolutionized my life and will forever change the way I approach my walk with God. It wasn’t until I could slow myself down, hear my breathing, measure the heartbeat of my soul, take my pulse, see my fallen desires, climb to the tops of mountains and descend into deep valleys, and listen to the wind of the Holy Spirit that I could discern and hear this paradox of life: It is in the times of much, of plenty, and forgetting our dependence that our soul is in the most danger. It is precisely when we have nothing, we are destitute, feeling desolate, and dependent on God’s grace for this very day that we reside at the foot of the cross. But then something happens…we begin to see things differently. We find the value in discipline, lest we forget in times of much where He brought us in times of little. We stop relying on our feelings, lest we think that He was not truly there when we needed Him most. Our joys become real joys and our sorrow becomes the Divine Sculptor, shaping us into holy vessels. Both joy and sorrow have their place. If we continually work to repel the work of sorrow – of difficulty and groaning – in our lives, we will soon find ourselves on an island, not only unable to identify with others but with Christ Himself. ”He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” -Isaiah 53:3. It is eternally consoling to know that Jesus Himself identifies with us in our suffering, not only in empathy, but in having lived a life where it was so familiar to Him. ”Remember the time of hunger in the time of plenty, poverty and want in the day of wealth.” -Sirach 18:25 These truths run deep. They are not to be read lightly, lest we think that God would have us sorrowful all the days of our life. They teach us that in the seasons of our life, God is ever present. He understands. He moves with us. They also teach us the inherent dangers of being lazy and forgetting our daily need for Him. Even our very biology, our hunger and thirst, reveal to us the spiritual realities of our hunger and thirst for God. Let each season have it’s perfect work, for “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.” -Psalm 30:11-12
The One we serve…
He treads on the path of the sun. He carves the valleys of the earth and lifts the mountains to their peaks. He wrought the depths of the oceans and blinked the moon into existence. The stars adorn his face and his hands are decorated with the jewels of the galaxy. Nothing can measure his knowledge. There is no system to surmount His wisdom. There is no heart greater than His; no love can surpass His love; the oceans could not hold His mercy; even by the stars we couldn’t count His good deeds; nothing outshines Him; no one exceeds Him; death cannot overshadow Him; Satan will never eclipse Him; time will never trump Him……even the train of His robe would be enough.
And this is the King we serve. Not simply the King of this world, but of all ages, all time, all existence. Do you know? He would move all Heaven and earth for your good. Do not be afraid.
This King offers us an audience with Him in His courts every time we breathe. How difficult is it to receive an audience with an earthly king? We have the Alpha and Omega extending His hand as an invitation to His great love daily. Do respond. Meet with the greatest figure in history. Meet with the author of your life. Meet with the holder of your future. Meet with the One who understands your entire being. And remember, this King has adopted you into His family. You are now an heir and a child of His. Remember that it pleases Him to invite you here.
So have an audience with your King and Father today. Remember who you serve and remember who gave His life to serve you. He washed your feet. He cleansed your soul. Once you were dead but now you are……
Alive
Keep Your Friends Close…Keep Death Even Closer
There is something about our limited time here on earth that we should never forget. I remember walking through a cemetery near the Stone Circle in Winona wondering if each of those gravestones marked the life of someone who, if asked how they used their time, would respond “For the glory of the Lord.” How many would wish they had more? Either way, they would all say that their time is limited. None of them had one extra second past their death to tie loose ends, ask for forgiveness, or to be reconciled to someone they care about. The great thing about free will is that it allows us the ultimate capacity to love. We were not coerced or forced, we were not pushed or shoved. But the other thing about free will is that it’s incredibly terrifying…because we, somewhere deep down, have the fear that we could abuse it. Or maybe we question how close God really is. How secure are we? Until we realize this one thing: God made us a promise that He would always be with us. He proved to Israel in the Old Testament time and time again that even though she was an adulterous nation, He would remain faithful to her (this is the greatest testament for the indissolubility of marriage, as a little side note). And in that is our security.
In the midst of all of our living and goings-on, then, we cannot forget that our lives are just a breath. We realize this most clearly when we are broken and in need. Don’t spend your life evading death. Visit the dying so that you never forget who you really are. ”For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” -2 Corinthians 6:2
I once heard a great speech to a huge crowd by a retired football coach:
“I remember one day, I came back from working out – mind you, I worked out 5 times a week – and this pain in my chest wouldn’t go away. I felt cold and I kept sweating as well. When I got home, my wife took one look at me and said, ‘Get in the car! We’re taking you to the hospital.’ I got in the car and she rushed me on in and the doc looked at me on the table and said, ‘You’re having a heart attack, do you have any questions?’ I thought, ‘HAV”ing,” did you catch that? Not ‘HAD’ or ‘MAY HAVE’ but you’re ‘HAVING’ a heart attack. I thought to myself, ‘Shoot, doc, this isn’t the time for questions!’ I remember laying down on that table in the ER and thinking about Jesus. I remember thinking, ‘Lord, if you want to take me now, I’m alright with that.’ And this incredible peace and calm flowed over me.” He lifted his hand up right in front of his face and shouted, “Death was RIGHT THERE! Right there staring me in the face! I was this close! Now I’d like to ask you one question…”
And he ended his message, his being the last talk of the entire conference, with this question:
“What would you do if it was you laying on the table?”
Remember, most importantly, that you don’t have your whole life in front of you….you have today.
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” – 1 Corinthians 15:55
Yesterday’s Tomorrow Leaves Us With Only One Thing….
When I opened my eyes I could see
Through the smoke and the dust; don’t you know it’s my greatest desire…to be found?
On the edge of a cliff looking down; over the straight and narrow
I know it’s hard when you’re walking without your shoes
But take heart; ‘Cause I’m leading you back to the start
You’re ready to go; I can’t take your hand if you go off and run ahead
So let’s go and take a peek; we’ll run to the edge and see if it’s worth it, I know it will take your breath
Let’s Dive In
Head for the hills and make it worth it
We’re gonna run for our lives, with the sunset in our eye
And make a victory lap back home
Back home
When I’m looking back to the shore
I could see there was more than we could have imagined back then
So take heart and let your feet run
They will hurt when we’re done but at least we can look back and say that we were alive
Let’s Dive In
Head for the hills and make it worth it
We’re gonna run for our lives, with the sunset in our eye
And make a victory lap back home
And from North to South, East to West we’ll run
With the devil on our heels but a fire on our tongue
With the last breath we breath we’ll proclaim we believe
That nothing held us back on our way into the sunset sky
The sunset sky
Yeah, we ran for our lives like we knew all along what to do but we made it
Yeah, we made it
Back home…
To Have Faith…
-”I want to have that.”
-”Have what?”
-”Whatever you have. Faith, or whatever. I want to have faith, but I don’t know how and I just don’t get it.”
Faith is…..
Not primarily theology
Not primarily a philosophy
Not primarily a feeling
Not primarily a worldview
Not primarily a science
Not primarily fully understanding
Not primarily getting all the facts
Not primarily having all, or even a few, of the answers
Not primarily having it all together
Not primarily wishing for the best
Not primarily knowing your next step
Faith is primarily….surrender – Answering the call of Jesus to follow Him.
Who I am…is more about who He is
Oh, Lord, who else can move the mountains and craft the designs of the flowers? Who else can call the strength of the wind and whisper through the starry night sky?
When I awake, Your strength to lead me. When I walk, Your eyes to guide me. When I am weak, Your arms to lift me. When I am strong, Your voice to humble me. And in all things, Your heart to reveal to me who I am, but even more, Lord, who You are.
The Paradox of Love
John and Cindy Hudson walked into the Pastoral Center for their local parish on this crisp May afternoon. Cindy had just finished feeding their two-year-old lunch and John was glad to be done with his office work. Jacob bounced on Cindy’s lap as John flipped through the Catechism sitting next to the receptionist desk. They were waiting to meet with Father Pierce.
He appeared at the door and greeted them both. ”Good afternoon John and Cindy,” he said with a smile. ”Cindy, there is child care in the adjacent building if you’d like. I’d like to speak with John for a few moments first if you wouldn’t mind.”
“Sure, that’s fine. I have a book with me. Take as long as you’d like!” replied Cindy.
John walked into the pastor’s office and sat down in a comfortable leather chair next to the window. Father Pierce sat across from him.
“How long has it been, John?”
“Four years, Father. Four years. How time flies.”
“Yes, it truly does, doesn’t it? I never realized the power of time until I was at least 25. Everything changed then. I wanted to talk to you first because you had called me. Your wife will join you shortly, but everything you tell me now will be repeated once she enters, I want you to know that.”
“Yes, Father Pierce, that’s fine.” He paused, then spoke. ”Things are starting to happen that I never thought would. And it’s only been 4 years…” Father Pierce leaned back, listening intently to John’s words. ”It’s just not like it was and our connection isn’t growing. It only seems to be growing more frustrating. I can’t get things done at work with some of Cindy’s demands and it seems like even the smallest things become a huge deal between us.” John paused to regain his composure.
Father Pierce looked at him and his face broke into the slightest smile. ”John, what is marriage?”
John was a bit confused by the question, but answered honestly. ”Well, I’ve always thought about marriage as a sacred agreement. Two people agree that they want to spend the rest of their lives together through any circumstance.”
“Okay, that is true. But I didn’t ask what marriage is to you. I asked what marriage is. You see, John, this is where you and I are very similar.” John was a bit shocked at the priest’s response.
“What? You swore celibacy for the rest of your life. In all due respect, Father, how can you say that?”
“John it precisely in marriage that I can identify with you. Frankly, John, you need to discover exactly what marriage really is. Jesus Christ tells us in the gospels that in losing our lives, we truly find them. This isn’t just singular in scope. We first lose our lives to the Lord, in whom we find our entire purpose as humans. The vocation of marriage is another ‘dying call.’ In my becoming a priest, I agreed to take the hand of the very bride that Christ Himself died for, His Church. I agreed to lay myself down for His service on this earth, not looking to my needs, but Hers first. Couples also need to understand this dying when they approach the alter. John, you’re holding onto your life. You have not yet laid it down entirely for the good of Cindy. You have been entrusted with the distinct and singular responsibility of bringing another eternal soul to Heaven’s gates, and she has been entrusted with the same. What a gift! John, this marriage isn’t about you. You have had 4 years to bring Cindy all the more close to Jesus’ feet, to seeing Him face-to-face someday. And when you discover it’s not about you, you will find something you never thought possible.”
John sat back quietly and wept. ”Thank you, Father. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like a few moments with my wife before she comes in. Hopefully it won’t be necessary.”
“You take all the time you’d like, John. I’ve got a good book.”
