The First Gleam of Dawn

 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and who ever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? (Jesus, John 11:25)

Live

even though you are dying.

Live

in the twilight hours

between two ages.

 

Some say

"Life is not a dress rehearsal."

But it is!

In life we can get busy living

or we can get busy dying.

Practice makes perfect.

Is it sunrise

or sunset?

Will you embrace

the coming darkness

or the coming dawn?

Die.

Let it go.

Die

to whatever keeps you from life.

Die

even as you embrace life

in the One who lives.

His words to you

will speak you through

all manner of death

into resurrection.

His breath

to fill your lungs

and his belief

to keep your heart beating.

Always.

And forever.

 

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day. (Proverbs 4:18)

 

 

Now Is the Time

We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 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 6:1-2)

Implore. Urge. Now is the time. Is there a better time? What could keep us waiting? It is clear that God has not changed. His heart has always been for each of us and all of us. So what are we waiting for?

Maybe all we want is forgiveness. All we want is to be let off the hook. Really at the heart of that "forgiveness" is the desire to be rid of God, just to get him off our backs. The forgiveness that God offers is for reconciliation. It is to make things right between us. As a lexicon puts it: "to reestablish proper friendly interpersonal relations after these have been disrupted or broken." God does not want to just make us right and merely obedient; he wants to live with each and every one of us in a paradise where we can work and walk with him in the "cool of the day," just like old times.

This reconciliation goes even further. God would have us become his very own righteousness. He wants to re-form us into all that is so right and so good about God: becoming like Christ, full of love, joy, peace, hope, and faith. He wants to be with us and in us so that we might enter into "an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands," be "clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." (2 Corinthians 5:1,4) We will become all that we are supposed to be.

The day of salvation is today, not only after we leave these bodies ("tents"). Eternal life is a conversational relationship with the only true God and with Jesus Christ whom he sent. (John 17:3) Eternal life is the same thing as the abundant life promised by Jesus (John 10:10). Eternal life can start now and continue on forever. . . or not. Salvation is not merely an experience, but a whole string of experiences stretching into eternity. Salvation is a life or it is nothing at all.

What is it like to receive something in vain? It would be like taking a gift that someone gave you and putting it into permanent storage or even throwing it away. It would be like receiving an education and forgetting all that you learned or even undermining it in all you do. It would be like finding a treasure and keeping safe, but never investing or spending it. Is it possible for God's reconciliation to be shelved, forgotten, and left unspent? Tragically, it happens all the time.

Put simply, we may just not really want God or a relationship with him. We may want his favor and his gifts, but what Jesus really came to give was reconciliation. A relationship put right. Those who work with God try to make this opportunity known, as God has always been doing, holding open his arms, holding out his hands. He calls out to you, "Come home from that distant land. Follow me and learn me. Be filled with the kind of Spirit and life I have." "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) What are you waiting for?

New Birth for the World

We were with child, we writhed in pain,

  but we gave birth to wind.

We have not brought salvation to the earth,

  we have not given birth to people of the world. (Isaiah 26:18)

Going through pain and suffering only to find out that it was all for nothing is a terrifying prospect. I can see why it would make some people determined above all else to avoid pain. The picture of giving birth to wind - nothing. The struggle to conceive, anticipation during pregnancy, and the endurance of the pain of birth is all for the life to be born. The new life that comes out of the struggle is what brings meaning to the struggle. This is redemption.

Redeeming is buying back the years of toil and slavery. It is the deliverance from slavery to a promised land. It is the joy of comfort after abuse. It is the laughter of relief when we realize that the war is over. It is freedom, a birth of a life with God.

The opposite of redemption is judgment. It is realizing that the only way to deal with pain is with fear or denial. It is constantly ducking the blows of neglect and abuse. It is realizing that there is no relief, but only worry about when the next war begins. It is enslavement, the emptiness of a life without God.

What if the good news of the followers of Jesus falls on deaf ears because we live more under judgment rather than redemption? We give birth to wind in our own lives and are surprised that other people do not want to share in such a salvation with us. Of course the best is yet to come, but that does not mean that we need to live the worst way now.

Here's the thing: what if eternal life starts today? What if what changes primarily at the death of our bodies is just our setting, but not the kind of life we live? If all that is self-centered, fearful, worried, angry, and suffering gets burned away when we move on into the next life, what will be left of us? What if we are starting to build the home we will always live in right now?

I have had moments of fear about this, but the God I know is not trying to keep anyone out of the place he dwells, but trying to help each of us find our place there. The most obvious, glorious, and desirable thing about heaven is God himself. If we are interested in him, wanting to know him, or wanting to spend time with him now, what makes us think that the death of our bodies will change that? He will take whatever spark of interest we have and fan it into a fire to warm us and a light to guide us, but he will not run over us.

The salvation of new birth and new life is something we need to hear about, no doubt. But even more, it is something we need to see and hear and feel and believe. Even in an immature form, it is the light of the world. This life of redemption is simply this: The opportunity is here. Let go of whatever you think brings you life and trust this good news instead: God is working in you and on your world for good and he is as close as the air you breath. (Mark 1:15, paraphrase)

The Nature of Abundant, Eternal Life

Looking upon Evangelist very carefully, [Christian] said, "Whither must I fly?"  

Then said Evangelist, pointing with his finger over a very wide field, "Do you see yonder wicket-gate?" 

The man said, "No." 

Then said the other, "Do you see yonder shining light?"  

He said, "I think I do." 

Then said Evangelist, "Keep that light in your eye, and go up directly thereto: so shalt thou see the gate; at which, when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shalt do." 

So I saw in my dream that the man began to run. . . .  The man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying, "Life! life! eternal life!"  So he looked not behind him, but fled towards the middle of the plain.  

Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim's Progress

As we journey into the light (or run as Christian did), we will find the gate to life before us.  We may not fully or even partly understand at first, but the light of God's revelation leads us to that life.  The gate is Christ himself.

Christian meets Interpreter later, who communicates some of the nature of eternal, abundant life.  On Monday, I realized a few things about the nature of that life as I went through some readings the The Path to Life prayer book from Renovare.

First, I remembered the substance of that life.  Jesus Christ is the path to life.  John reports this from Jesus' prayer: "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."  (John 17:3)  This is what this additional life given to us is made of.

Now some of the attributes of that life are explained in the book.  Where abundant, eternal life is, these attributes will be found:

• a prayer-filled life, in which we enjoy the intimacy of our Father's presence;
• a virtuous life, in which our every act and word becomes more expressive of God's love;
• a Spirit-empowered life, in which we offer our spiritual gifts for the common good;
• a compassionate life, in which we seek the peace and love of God in community;
• a Word-centered life, in which we are immersed in the fathomless depths of Scripture; and
• a sacramental life, in which we discover the everyday world around us to be infused with God.

The substance of the "fleshly," carnal, earthly, or merely natural life would be in opposition to the abundant life Jesus promised.  So the substance of it is that self-gratification is the path to life.  "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things."  (Philippians 3:19)  The attributes of such a life might be as follows:

• a prayer-less life, in which God is distant and only fear of his wrath is experienced;
• a life of self-indulgence, in which our every act and word becomes more expressive of how much we value ourselves and our pleasures;
• a flesh-empowered life, in which we count on our own abilities and ingenuity to get us through life;
• a life in the rat race, in which we seek to come out on top whatever the cost;
• a mind-darkened life, in which our minds are ruled by our desires and we cannot fathom what the truth might be; and
• a  meaningless life, in which we discover the everyday world around us to be merely an accident going nowhere.

Of course, you can fill in the blanks yourself.  I think it may be a good exercise in counting the cost.  We need to count the cost of following Christ, but we also need to count the cost of not following Christ.

Also, meditating on aspects of the abundant, eternal life can lead to the question, "Is this really what I want?"  If not, we need not panic, but we do have to come to a place where we want to want it.  Then Jesus can step in and help us, as he must.

We cannot have both.  Being still before God and waiting on him requires that we in some sense turn ourselves over to him as our King and Master.  We cannot have two masters.

So we gather to honor King Jesus.  We honor him most by seeking his kingdom, his rule, his oversight in our lives and minding him, setting him always before us.  We begin with fits and starts, but he leads us onward by his power and kindness.  What we cannot do is stay where we are now.  The life is a pilgrimage, not a tour.  But that can be a relief because don't we actually want to get somewhere?

May the Lord lead you kindly this week from life into life and out of darkness.

(A letter to our Spiritual Formation group)

Small Steps in Discipleship to Jesus: Living Life, the Outcome of God's Love

With your life.  When I trust someone with my life, I might say, "My life is in your hands."  I might say this to a doctor or an airplane pilot.  For some time, they have a lot of say about my life continuing or not.  I am frightened when I find out they might not be trustworthy.  When my life does not matter much to them, I am worried.

Certainly my trust of Jesus extends at least this far.  I believe in him, so that I "would not perish, but have eternal life."  I trust that he will care about my life.  The truth is that Jesus cares a good deal more about my life than I do.

I am notoriously self-destructive, like all other people.  I tend to care a whole lot more about what I want than how I live.  Perhaps I am "health-conscious" and watch over my body.  Well and good.  Do I watch over my soul?  More often than not, my soul is left to "fend for itself" and I hope that it will be okay.

Eternal life has to do more with my soul than my body.  It is not that I do not include my body as I trust Jesus with my life, but I realize that this is not enough.  If I watch over my soul, my body will receive the care it needs.  If I merely watch over my body, my soul will wither, since it includes so much more.  My soul interacts with my mind and my heart (spirit) as well.  My soul is my life on its most basic, inclusive level.

In a less abstract way of thinking, eternal life is about living my whole life.  I trust Jesus with my life as I might trust a doctor.  I also trust him with my life as I might say to my wife, "I will love you with my life."  Now my life is not only the object that I entrust to Jesus, but also the agency with which I trust Jesus.  I trust him with my life like I might hit a ball with a bat.  I find that Jesus came as more than an insurance salesman, but a teacher and counselor who would instruct me on how life is best lived.  Life as it is best lived is eternal life.

The fact that this life with Jesus does not end is wonderful, but not without this life also being wonderful in itself. Eternal life begins today and stretches into eternity.  There is no use waiting for it.  It grows (as life does), but is not merely is a "savings account" for later.  Jesus explains this clearly in John 17:3: "Now this is eternal life: that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."  Knowing Jesus and living with him is what it means to trust him with my life.

Eternal life is a life lived for love, God's love.  This is the most fundamental reality about life.  Each thing that exists owes its presence and reality to God's love and generosity.  Eternal life is a life lived coming to know Jesus.  His roles as Savior, Teacher, Lord, and Friend only scratch the surface of his relationship to each person.  Knowing him is so much more than knowing about him.  Eternal life is a life lived trusting Jesus.  This trust is how I accept this Jesus I know as my life.  Life rightly lived is no more than life lived in trust of Jesus who we are coming to know because of a God who loves us so deeply.

What parts of your life do you find difficult to entrust to Jesus?  Usually fear surrounds these spots.  Can you start to give one of these things away to him?

Bucket Life or Wading Deeper

If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. (John 4:10)

The [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Our family pondered John 4 the other day. Bethany, my youngest, said that she sensed the waters of baptism washing over her (vv. 1-2), and then sensed the living water running cool and refreshing inside her. What a beautiful picture of baptism! Not just a bath or sprinkle, but a reminder of the true baptism: rivers of living water flowing from Christ through us. (John 7:38)

I heard God say, "If you knew the gift of God, you would not be so amazed at my love for people." What is this gift? Living water. Eternal life with Jesus. God giving himself. The gift of God is not mere forgiveness, but life with him, having a home with the Father, Son, and Spirit. It is flowing and moving like a river, not locked in a well.

Eternal life without a conversational relationship with God is like having that bucket and drawing out water from a well. I come to the well when I am thirsty. I dabble in the spiritual here and there when it suits me. I keep it in the bucket of my religion or "faith." It is mine to enjoy or dispense of as I see fit. This is "bucket life."

When eternal life is eternal living, when the presence and power of God influence my life each day, even each moment, then I find that I am afloat in living waters. They come from within and surround me. I am immersed in a different life. I cannot hold it in a bucket, but find I am flowing along with God in a life.

The bucket can seem appealing when the life of God sweeps me away from my desires and my demands. I sometimes find I want the bucket and the feeling of control over my life. I want to be able to put it down and pick it up when it suits me.

But life is not like that. I have been told that the world doesn't just stop when I need a break - life goes on. Of course, that image is more sinister in that the world runs over people; God doesn't. But eternal life is not subject to my control. I cannot hold a river in a bucket.

I have found more and more that eternal living is a cooperative project between myself and God. We are working on it together. God doesn't just tell me what to do - that's "bucket life." "He walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am his own." He wants my input and my involvement. Eternal life moves and changes and grows.

Although my choices are essential, eternal living in union with Christ is about him. The living water is his gift to give and mine to receive. He wants me to receive it cheerfully, not under compulsion, so we talk things through and work together. Most often, the choice I have is whether I will jump in and wade deeper or stay on the banks with my bucket.

Lord, your life goes on. Let it not be without me. I want to know the your gift and be immersed in your family, your presence, your life. Amen.