Thursday, March 04, 2010
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
comfort taken.
"Yet despite my generally optimistic attitude and outlook, there are times when I am overwhelmed by sadness. It may be a growing storm of weary longing or a tide of bitterness that sweeps over me, drowning me with a dolor that submerges my hope. Sometimes it occurs when I think about the aging process and our hopeless fight against it. Sometimes it occurs when I am in the grocery line, looking at the baggers and clerks who wonder if this is all they will ever do for work. Oftentimes, it occurs when I cannot see the good through all the violence and evil that oppresses our world and its people. I grieve for those who are forgotten by our society—the last, the least, and the lost among us—and wonder who is there to help and to save them from drowning.
It is in these times that I befriend lament. And I take great comfort in the loud cries and mourning that have echoed throughout time and history as captured in the poems, songs, and statements of lament. Indeed, a great portion of the Hebrew Scriptures comes in the form of lament, both individual and communal lament. The Psalms, as the hymnal of Israel, record the deepest cries of agony, anger, confusion, disorientation, sorrow, grief, and protest. In so doing, they express faith in the God who would listen and respond to these emotional outpourings.(1) The prophets of Israel, as well, present some of the most heart-wrenching cries to God in times of deep sorrow and distress. One can hear the anguish in Jeremiah’s cry, “Why has my pain been perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will God indeed be to me like a deceptive stream with water that is unreliable?” (Jeremiah 15:18) In addition, Jeremiah cries out on behalf of the people of Judah: “Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored? (Jeremiah 8:20-22).
As I listen to Jeremiah’s cries, I recognize that they arise out of a deep love for the very people he often had to speak against. As Abraham Joshua Heschel notes, “[Jeremiah] was a person overwhelmed by sympathy for God and sympathy for man. Standing before the people he pleaded for God. Standing before God he pleaded for his people.”(2) Oftentimes, my own overwhelming sadness arises when I look out upon a world that seems to love evil more than good, darkness more than light. I grieve over self-imposed predicaments, bad choices, and selfish indulgences. And I recognize my place in this world of predicament, darkness, and selfishness. Longingly, Jesus said amidst tears about the people in his own day, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace” (Luke 19:42). It is more than appropriate for us to weep and lament over the sins of the world—the sin that we, too, participate in and condone.
But beyond this, there are simply some realities in life that at times are overwhelming: the inevitability of ageing, death, and loss, poverty, hunger, homelessness, relational disruption, and many others. I grieve over those who find themselves on the losing end of things, who through no fault of their own always find themselves in last place or left behind. Lament arises from the despair of looking honestly at these realities for what they are, and wishing for something else. It is the despair that arises from not knowing what can be done or how to overcome.
Yet it has been said that “the cry of pain is our deepest acknowledgment that we are not home.” The author continues, “We are divided from our own body; our own deepest desires; our dearest relationships. We are separated and long for utter restoration. It is the cry of pain that initiates the search to ask God, ‘What are you doing?’ It is this element of a lament that has the potential to change the heart.”(3) If this is true, then sometimes my overwhelming sorrow, my feelings of bitterness over some of the harsh or inevitable realities of life are, in fact, the crucible for real change. The same waters of despair that seek to drown and overwhelm are the waters of cleansing. So indeed, let the tears flow, “for if [the LORD] causes grief, then He will have compassion according to his abundant lovingkindness.”(4) As one who desires to walk with the "man of sorrows" who was "acquainted with grief," may lament have its way of bittersweet transformation. "
Margaret Manning, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
"Yet despite my generally optimistic attitude and outlook, there are times when I am overwhelmed by sadness. It may be a growing storm of weary longing or a tide of bitterness that sweeps over me, drowning me with a dolor that submerges my hope. Sometimes it occurs when I think about the aging process and our hopeless fight against it. Sometimes it occurs when I am in the grocery line, looking at the baggers and clerks who wonder if this is all they will ever do for work. Oftentimes, it occurs when I cannot see the good through all the violence and evil that oppresses our world and its people. I grieve for those who are forgotten by our society—the last, the least, and the lost among us—and wonder who is there to help and to save them from drowning.
It is in these times that I befriend lament. And I take great comfort in the loud cries and mourning that have echoed throughout time and history as captured in the poems, songs, and statements of lament. Indeed, a great portion of the Hebrew Scriptures comes in the form of lament, both individual and communal lament. The Psalms, as the hymnal of Israel, record the deepest cries of agony, anger, confusion, disorientation, sorrow, grief, and protest. In so doing, they express faith in the God who would listen and respond to these emotional outpourings.(1) The prophets of Israel, as well, present some of the most heart-wrenching cries to God in times of deep sorrow and distress. One can hear the anguish in Jeremiah’s cry, “Why has my pain been perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will God indeed be to me like a deceptive stream with water that is unreliable?” (Jeremiah 15:18) In addition, Jeremiah cries out on behalf of the people of Judah: “Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored? (Jeremiah 8:20-22).
As I listen to Jeremiah’s cries, I recognize that they arise out of a deep love for the very people he often had to speak against. As Abraham Joshua Heschel notes, “[Jeremiah] was a person overwhelmed by sympathy for God and sympathy for man. Standing before the people he pleaded for God. Standing before God he pleaded for his people.”(2) Oftentimes, my own overwhelming sadness arises when I look out upon a world that seems to love evil more than good, darkness more than light. I grieve over self-imposed predicaments, bad choices, and selfish indulgences. And I recognize my place in this world of predicament, darkness, and selfishness. Longingly, Jesus said amidst tears about the people in his own day, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace” (Luke 19:42). It is more than appropriate for us to weep and lament over the sins of the world—the sin that we, too, participate in and condone.
But beyond this, there are simply some realities in life that at times are overwhelming: the inevitability of ageing, death, and loss, poverty, hunger, homelessness, relational disruption, and many others. I grieve over those who find themselves on the losing end of things, who through no fault of their own always find themselves in last place or left behind. Lament arises from the despair of looking honestly at these realities for what they are, and wishing for something else. It is the despair that arises from not knowing what can be done or how to overcome.
Yet it has been said that “the cry of pain is our deepest acknowledgment that we are not home.” The author continues, “We are divided from our own body; our own deepest desires; our dearest relationships. We are separated and long for utter restoration. It is the cry of pain that initiates the search to ask God, ‘What are you doing?’ It is this element of a lament that has the potential to change the heart.”(3) If this is true, then sometimes my overwhelming sorrow, my feelings of bitterness over some of the harsh or inevitable realities of life are, in fact, the crucible for real change. The same waters of despair that seek to drown and overwhelm are the waters of cleansing. So indeed, let the tears flow, “for if [the LORD] causes grief, then He will have compassion according to his abundant lovingkindness.”(4) As one who desires to walk with the "man of sorrows" who was "acquainted with grief," may lament have its way of bittersweet transformation. "
Margaret Manning, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
Saturday, February 20, 2010
snappily-
1. " What is wrong with sex before marriage? How about: 'What is wrong with anything?' "
2. 'If I become a Christian, do I have to stop sleeping with my boyfriend?'
re-phrased: 'If I become a Christian, do I have to give up the one thing in my life which brings me happiness?'
drudgery?-
Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery— washing fishermen’s feet. He then says to them, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet" (John 13:14 ). The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some cases the way a person does a task makes that work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common everyday task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it. Our Lord takes our human flesh and transforms it, and now every believer’s body has become "the temple of the Holy Spirit"
Owsald, but you knew that already.
1. " What is wrong with sex before marriage? How about: 'What is wrong with anything?' "
2. 'If I become a Christian, do I have to stop sleeping with my boyfriend?'
re-phrased: 'If I become a Christian, do I have to give up the one thing in my life which brings me happiness?'
drudgery?-
Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery— washing fishermen’s feet. He then says to them, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet" (John 13:14 ). The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some cases the way a person does a task makes that work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common everyday task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it. Our Lord takes our human flesh and transforms it, and now every believer’s body has become "the temple of the Holy Spirit"
Owsald, but you knew that already.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
"He's going to ask, did we know each other?"
2 thoughts from today's qt-
: failure is to be successful at the things at don't matter. (as gotten from a little old woman at a funeral)
: the question is- the degree to which i see success in my life as having Christ as central to my life as a ball is to a game
: failure is to be successful at the things at don't matter. (as gotten from a little old woman at a funeral)
: the question is- the degree to which i see success in my life as having Christ as central to my life as a ball is to a game
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
the magnitude of the hope we have in Christ Jesus
It is an injustice to say that Jesus Christ labored in redemption to make me a saint. Jesus Christ labored in redemption to redeem the whole world and to place it perfectly whole and restored before the throne of God. The fact that we can experience redemption illustrates the power of its reality, but that experience is a byproduct and not the goal of redemption. If God were human, how sick and tired He would be of the constant requests we make for our salvation and for our sanctification. We burden His energies from morning till night asking for things for ourselves or for something from which we want to be delivered!
Oswald Chambers
Monday, February 01, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
talking about eating humble pie; just swallowed my first one
engaging with prof and his povs of God is an exercise in difficulty, i find myself hardened with stock answers and thickened christian skin. in my struggle to reply i probably gave no response he hasn't heard before and the entire process was painful.
God give me authenticity.
engaging with prof and his povs of God is an exercise in difficulty, i find myself hardened with stock answers and thickened christian skin. in my struggle to reply i probably gave no response he hasn't heard before and the entire process was painful.
God give me authenticity.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
and i can only pray
received mongolia gifts today.
they were each precious in their own way, from bayarmaa's news about the encroaching winter over there (although it would be spring by now) to photos that i am dealing very detachedly with at the moment; i can't afford to relieve memories still. i smiled especially at the newsletter, imagining shagai and barnabas working on the language. but realising one of the testimonies was written by chemee suddenly made the whole thing awfully personal.
many times i wish we kept in touch better, that language isn't a barrier. and by keeping in touch i mean that i wish there was some way to hear their voice, and see their selves; tall chemee and amaraa, bayarmaa and bujee, luunda- luunda and his mischiveous fellowship, dorka, dulu, iceman (enke?), uugna- to see them, hear their laughter, to run and play with them;
often its just jumbled voices and unexpressed longings in my head, pictures and still frames my mind still keeps and sometimes animates. and the memories are almost always green. such is the beauty of mongolia
how do we manage to wrap ourselves with dough layers between who we are and our memories, the soft barrier that keeps reality from cutting us too deeply. reality is the distance away from me and mongolia, fatality is how i don't miss new zealand anymore. we all learn to cope eventually, and die a little elsewhere. who i have been most immediately is emptied of mongolia.
and in so doing i have forsaken myself.
they were each precious in their own way, from bayarmaa's news about the encroaching winter over there (although it would be spring by now) to photos that i am dealing very detachedly with at the moment; i can't afford to relieve memories still. i smiled especially at the newsletter, imagining shagai and barnabas working on the language. but realising one of the testimonies was written by chemee suddenly made the whole thing awfully personal.
many times i wish we kept in touch better, that language isn't a barrier. and by keeping in touch i mean that i wish there was some way to hear their voice, and see their selves; tall chemee and amaraa, bayarmaa and bujee, luunda- luunda and his mischiveous fellowship, dorka, dulu, iceman (enke?), uugna- to see them, hear their laughter, to run and play with them;
often its just jumbled voices and unexpressed longings in my head, pictures and still frames my mind still keeps and sometimes animates. and the memories are almost always green. such is the beauty of mongolia
how do we manage to wrap ourselves with dough layers between who we are and our memories, the soft barrier that keeps reality from cutting us too deeply. reality is the distance away from me and mongolia, fatality is how i don't miss new zealand anymore. we all learn to cope eventually, and die a little elsewhere. who i have been most immediately is emptied of mongolia.
and in so doing i have forsaken myself.
Friday, January 22, 2010
- the more i talk with godly people around me the more i see how unfit i am to be leading ifgbs. still, as gina said today, wisdom comes from making mistakes. i concede that at least sometimes it does. shall prepare myself to be eating much humble pie this sem then; already i have been. vcf is filled with people who silence me with their love, for God and for others.
- many things have been happening recently, am excited. especially over today; seeing gina and spending an afternoon with her was a very, very special treat and blessing from God. i shall count it as my birthday present from Him. :)
- there are things to do, and there are things to think about. the former are often about God, related stuff, funky ism. the latter have these days been about broken.ness; who i am, and the memories i have.
- many things have been happening recently, am excited. especially over today; seeing gina and spending an afternoon with her was a very, very special treat and blessing from God. i shall count it as my birthday present from Him. :)
- there are things to do, and there are things to think about. the former are often about God, related stuff, funky ism. the latter have these days been about broken.ness; who i am, and the memories i have.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
times unchanging
hidden in a room in eh, rain's started freefalling freewheeling;
wind comes through softly
a duvet around me
the tabletop glows
wind comes through softly
a duvet around me
the tabletop glows
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ’Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ’Here am I! Send me’ —Isaiah 6:8
God did not direct His call to Isaiah— Isaiah overheard God saying, ". . . who will go for Us?". Also that the call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude. "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14). That is, few prove that they are the chosen ones. The chosen ones are those who have come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and have had their spiritual condition changed and their ears opened. Then they hear "the voice of the Lord" continually asking, ". . . who will go for Us?" However, God doesn’t single out someone and say, "Now, you go." He did not force His will on Isaiah. Isaiah was in the presence of God, and he overheard the call. His response, performed in complete freedom, could only be to say, "Here am I! Send me."
Remove the thought from your mind of expecting God to come to force you or to plead with you. When our Lord called His disciples, He did it without irresistible pressure from the outside. The quiet, yet passionate, insistence of His "Follow Me" was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive (Matthew 4:19). If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we too will hear what Isaiah heard-"the voice of the Lord." In perfect freedom we too will say, "Here am I! Send me."
My Utmost for His Highest
Remove the thought from your mind of expecting God to come to force you or to plead with you. When our Lord called His disciples, He did it without irresistible pressure from the outside. The quiet, yet passionate, insistence of His "Follow Me" was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive (Matthew 4:19). If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we too will hear what Isaiah heard-"the voice of the Lord." In perfect freedom we too will say, "Here am I! Send me."
My Utmost for His Highest
Monday, January 11, 2010
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
the failure of self-sufficiency
"And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ’Follow Me’ " (John 21:19). Three years earlier Jesus had said, "Follow Me" (Matthew 4:19), and Peter followed with no hesitation. The irresistible attraction of Jesus was upon him and he did not need the Holy Spirit to help him do it. Later he came to the place where he denied Jesus, and his heart broke. Then he received the Holy Spirit and Jesus said again, "Follow Me" (John 21:19). Now no one is in front of Peter except the Lord Jesus Christ. The first "Follow Me" was nothing mysterious; it was an external following. Jesus is now asking for an internal sacrifice and yielding (see John 21:18 ).
Between these two times Peter denied Jesus with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75). But then he came completely to the end of himself and all of his self-sufficiency. There was no part of himself he would ever rely on again. In his state of destitution, he was finally ready to receive all that the risen Lord had for him. ". . . He breathed on them, and said to them, ’Receive the Holy Spirit’ " (John 20:22 ). No matter what changes God has performed in you, never rely on them. Build only on a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, and on the Spirit He gives.
All our promises and resolutions end in denial because we have no power to accomplish them. When we come to the end of ourselves, not just mentally but completely, we are able to "receive the Holy Spirit." "Receive the Holy Spirit "— the idea is that of invasion. There is now only One who directs the course of your life, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Oswald Chambers.
&.
hello, i'm back.
Between these two times Peter denied Jesus with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75). But then he came completely to the end of himself and all of his self-sufficiency. There was no part of himself he would ever rely on again. In his state of destitution, he was finally ready to receive all that the risen Lord had for him. ". . . He breathed on them, and said to them, ’Receive the Holy Spirit’ " (John 20:22 ). No matter what changes God has performed in you, never rely on them. Build only on a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, and on the Spirit He gives.
All our promises and resolutions end in denial because we have no power to accomplish them. When we come to the end of ourselves, not just mentally but completely, we are able to "receive the Holy Spirit." "Receive the Holy Spirit "— the idea is that of invasion. There is now only One who directs the course of your life, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Oswald Chambers.
&.
hello, i'm back.
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