i have been reading scripture differently lately. Sort of losing myself in it. An immersion of sorts. What I have found has been quite overwhelming. This scandalous redemptive mystery of the Gospel is a mysterious journey of discovery. It is not an embedding process where we insert ourselves into the organizational life of a church. It IS an immersion; something that saturates EVERY moment and part of life. I find it inspiring that with nothing more than the offer of come 'Follow Me', the disciples dropped everything and walked with Jesus into this Life.
When we choose this kind of journey with HIM, He cuts us loose. Outside all borders, boundaries, and barriers...outside of our constructed comfort zones and fears. It is out in the wild with Him we come to discover that the Kingdom of God is an uncivilized place, or as Erwin McManus writes, its a 'barbarian way'. To often communities of faith struggle to make themselves 'culturally relevant' and in so doing continue to tangle themselves up in a civilized world.
There is no redemption in cultural relevance. What we need is a wild, inherently courageous and uncivilized guide. We need to recognize Jesus walking toward us, beckoning us 'to follow' Him into a world that longs in ignorance for Him.
The Kingdom of God is not a low risk blue chip investment created by the brokers of religion for consumption; an attempt to make life better or for retirement plan at a tropical resort. It can't be calmly considered, and casually digested. THIS Kingdom can not be domesticated, it can't be franchised and placed along side the other proprietors of religious goods. The King of this Kingdom can't be restrained, leashed or muzzled from His continuous challenge of our selfish way of life. He is not willing to settle for less than us being who He made us to be, which often comes at the cost of what we THINK He made us to be(but thats another conversation...).
He is a seeker. A hound, dont be offended by the picture of it. Yes, a hound, on the scent, seeking us out with incredible ferocity.
Have we sanitized Jesus, making him a spiritual guru of sorts selling a success dream? Does He come rather tamely, in a three piece suit, or as cool hipster...to tidy up a few bad habits, make us better people, more prosperous, more cool...sending us back into the world grateful for the self-help? Really? Seriously? Is that the extent of this message of hope?
I think in lots of ways, we have. And this is not the Jesus of scripture. Where the true Lord Jesus is, everything changes. Think of the words: transformed. freedom. redeemed. united. hope. life. alive. force. faith. These are words that hold power and birth movements of change. Isn't it interesting that we have had some level of success at fitting 'christianity' into our culture but trying to fit Him and His way into our normal rhythms of life is like trying to push a camel through the eye of a needle. hmmm, have read that somewhere. It don't work. Or if it does, its really really messy. He doesn't fit into anything that was, He makes all things new. And He does it at the cost of we may see as 'my precious'. And often when 'my precious' is killing me. Maybe thats why we opt for the religion over the person...hmmmm.
The reality is I think we've all caught glimpses of the Kingdom of God, this Kingdom of Jesus. And often it goes unrecognized because it is outside our comfort zones, beyond the barbed wire, warning tape, in the messy places, outside the black and white lines into which we've etched our theologies. You see, out there beyond the walls, its unsettling. Life is not in our control. We miss the 'coming of the Kingdom' because its difficult to understand what's going on. But if we would look but for a minute our hearts would awaken in ways we have secretly longed for. We would discover something so scandalously redemptive that it would shatter our way of life and change our world.
It would be like a man who has discovered a treasure in the midst of the brokenness of life. His shovel digs into the pavement of life and strikes something solid, glittering...it mezzmerizes him. He will sell everything, sell his entire life to have this treasure. He will liquidate all his life's assets just for this treasure. wow. Am I like he? hmmm...heard that somewhere before too.
There is nothing wrong with church, and for the record I am convinced that the big C Church is the hope of the world. BUT often we're in danger of going to church, reading the bible, singing songs, saying prayers, doing good deeds, being baptized, having communion so much so that we risk not making the great discovery. Maybe, we have to look beyond the building we erroneously call church so that we can be startled by discovery.
Discovery?
Uh huh. A discovery that buildings and forms matter not one whit. Its the Kingdom that lies within us that holds such incredible power. We need to stop allowing the gathering place, the building we go to, the church place we tend to hide in, to be an excuse to live the great pretend.
WHAT? yes, the great pretend. Like you don't know what's going on. Like you don't know you have a destiny, a role to play in the PLAN of the King. Like you don't really know there is more than you could possibly imagine for the one who chooses to ask, to knock, to seek...to lay it all on the line for This King.
Listen closely...have you heard the clink of the blade of the shovel against the glittering treasure? Have you?
If you have...oooo...well now the stakes are higher for you. And maybe thats why you are so miserable...because, it's redemptive beauty will haunt you...cuz you have a sense of it's worth, an idea of it's power to transform everything it touches.
Hearts.
Imaginations.
Passions.
Dreams.
The world.
A whole being...ignited by the dream of His Presence here...and the Kingdom of God made known.
oooo, I have a dream.
pj
No comments:
Post a Comment