And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way (Ephesians 1:23).
The world is hungry
empty
hollow
barren
vain
pointless
purposeless
desolate
But it doesn’t have to be.
You know the One who filled the void
in the cosmos
and in your heart
with light.
And you are his hands and his feet in the world today.
You are full, Beloved.
Spill a little.
Happy Monday
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body… (Ephesians 1:23)
We are his body.
So, that’s weird.
We are his physical presence here on Planet Earth. He acts and moves through his church, which is, you know, you and me.
Us
No pressure…
Teresa of Avila–you know, the prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite nun and Counter Reformation author–
Which Teresa of Avila did you think I was talking about?
Anyway, Teresa wrote a poem that is compelling and frightening and hopeful all at once. Here ‘tis:
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
What will you do with that today, Beloved?
Happy Friday
Oh, Yeah, life goes on
Long after the thrill of living is gone…
A singularly depressing and unwholesome song, yet possessing a kernel of truth.
I’ve rambled on before about how theater is kind of a metaphor for life. I think of this again as I prepare for the last weekend of Seussical. It happens at some point in every show. Call time may be 1:00 p.m., but it will be 1:10…1:20…1:25 before all of us have dragged our sorry bones into the seats. There is often a pervasive sense of…blah. I’m sorry—blah is a technical term. It means ennui, or lassitude. In any case, it will take some doing for us to rise to the occasion.
They tell me this is common in the theater. You go through the work of rehearsal, building a show piece by piece. The tension and excitement increase as you get closer and closer to opening. Finally, there is the pure adrenalin rush of opening night. This rush takes you through the Saturday evening show and the Sunday matinee.
Then you go home.
For five days.
When the next week rolls around, and the next, and the next, you can find that, in part, the idea of performing has moved from the category of “get to” into “have to.”
It’s not new anymore.
But the audience deserves a show—the very best you have in you. They paid for it, after all, and you promised it.
So you pray, you dig deep, and you go through the motions of setting props, getting into costumes, checking mics. And somewhere in the process, you rediscover the joy that brought you here in the first place.
See the multitudinous connections?
Hmm…marriage. Most marriages—even Christian marriages—end in divorce. Why? Because the fun wears off, the adrenalin rush passes, and we get…blah. But your spouse deserves the best you have in you. They paid for it, after all, and you promised it. So you pray, you dig deep, and keep loving, and serving, and being together. And somewhere in the process, you rediscover the love that brought you here in the first place.
Let’s see…what about jobs? Friendships? Goals? Plans? Desires? Dreams? The pattern fits.
What about your walk with Christ?
Sometimes the joy is there, vibrant, thrumming through me like a power chord.
Sometimes not.
Sometimes, by the time my metaphorical Friday rolls around, I’m tired, drained, and flat out not in the mood. Jesus has told me to abide in him. To remain in him. But—to be truthful—sometimes I’m just not into it. I get bored. What kind of idiot gets bored with the God of the Universe?
My kind.
Sometimes I feel like it’s all a show, and I’m just not up for it.
But I have an audience, and He deserves the very best that is in me.
He paid for it.
I promised it.
So I pray, I dig deep, and yes, sometimes I go through the motions. I set the props, I put on the costume, I check my mic. And somewhere in the process, I rediscover the powerful, sustaining love that brought me here in the first place.
Places, everyone.
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church…(Ephesians 1:22)
It’s not just that he’s in charge of us.
He’s in charge for us.
God placed his only Son over his most precious creation,
to guard us
and guide us
and bring us home to the Father.
Imagine if the Father had gone a different direction. I mean, he could have put me in charge. I guarantee you, that would have resulted in a lot less grace, and a lot more lightning.
Probably better not to imagine, after all.
Happy Thursday, Beloved
And God placed all things under his feet…(Ephesians 1:22)
All of it
Even the–
Yep, even that.
I tell you, on a day like today, when I have a million things to do and no time to do them and I kinda feel like bleaugh and I have to go to work anyway…
I really need that reminder.
And I’m thinking you probably do, too.
So consider yourself reminded, Beloved.
Happy Wednesday
That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come (Ephesians 1:19-21).
That power
the power that raised Christ
and destroyed death
forever
is the same power
that is at work
in you
today.
Now…that oughta kickstart your workday.
Happy Tuesday, Beloved
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:18-19).
Your heart awake
your hope alive
your future secure
all because of
His power
at work
in you
for you
through you.
How can you not rejoice today?
Happy Monday, Beloved.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe(Ephesians 1:19).
You really can’t imagine how much power God has.
You wanna try? Fine.
Ready….go!
Yeah, well, he’s got more than that.
Which is a really good thing, because you’re weak.
It’s OK, Beloved. I’m weak, too. As a matter of fact, when it comes to spiritual matters I’m kind of pathetic. I try to be strong, and on occasion I pull off a good imitation of strength, but in my heart I know the truth. I just don’t have the power to be the man I know God has called me to be.
Sound familiar? No? You’ve got life perfectly well handled on your own?
Oh, well…then I just feel silly.
Fortunately for me, God does not require me to supply the go-juice for my spiritual walk, any more than I had to redeem myself or find God on my own. His is the power to get me where he wants me to go.
He has made us many promises, Beloved.
And he has the power to back them up.
Happy Friday
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…(Ephesians 1:18)
You know, there’s this thing about an inheritance—you don’t earn it.
Oh, maybe you’re thinking about all the holidays over the years when you’ve driven 100 miles just to eat petrified turkey with your freakshow of a family and you’re saying to yourself, “You bet I’m earning it, Baby. Every dime!”
But you aren’t, really.
An inheritance is a gift that comes to you but was earned by another. If you earned it yourself, it would be wages.
When it comes to dealing with God, you don’t want your wages, trust me.
You want the gift.
Paul understood this, and he was totally cool with it. He didn’t stake his claim; he didn’t demand his rights. He rested in the provision of God and trusted in the One who knew him best and loved him most.
So how about it, Beloved? Do you trust in God to provide you with an inheritance?
I hear it’s a pretty good one.
Happy Thursday, Beloved.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you…(Ephesians 1:18)
There’s the Someday hope, of course.
That’s the hope of eternity, when we stand before Him, sin and sorrow and shame completely behind us, finally and forever whole and holy as we take our place in his kingdom.
That there’s a good hope, the Someday hope.
But he’s also called us to the Today hope.
Wednesday hope
That’s the hope that comes from knowing that he is ours and we are his and he is working in us and we are hidden in him and somehow this whole messy mess will work for good because we love him and are called…
Yeah, the Today hope is pretty awesome, too.
Walk in hope today, Beloved. He’s given you a lot of it to walk in.
Happy Wednesday.