What is the defining moment of your life?
What event most impacted the course of your life? Was it a personal encounter? Was it a life-changing experience? Is there a “watershed moment” you remember and can point to as that moment when your life began to be what it is today? Can you identify that distinct point to which all the streams of your life flowed and from which much that you experience now flows: that place on your life’s timeline where significant experiences culminated and new ones commenced?
To listen to many “Extreme Makeover” subjects this was their “defining moment." Repeatedly I hear them say, “It’s everything I ever dreamed of!” “I’ll never be the same again!”
Christians believe that Christmas is humanity’s defining moment. (Saying this I’m assuming the inseparable connection between Christmas and Easter.) There are many places in the Bible where you can find this belief expressed. One of them is in a letter St. Paul wrote to Christians in the Roman Province of Galatia. He states, “When the time had fully come, God sent his Son … .” (See Galatians 4:4.)
“When the time had fully come … .” What does that mean? Was there a specific time God declared to be the exact moment when he would send his Son? What would distinguish that moment from all others? Would it be that point in time when a certain number of people had been created? Did something have to take place first? Would deteriorating conditions sound the alarm? Could it be that the period in history known as the “PAX ROMANA,” – the “Roman Peace” during which, in fact, Jesus was born, when Rome ruled a vast Empire with previously unparalleled efficiency - really was the moment of greatest opportunity? Or was it simply a strategic moment in the history of God’s chosen people the Jews? Certainly there are reasons to believe that one or another or several of these conditions could have played a part in the determining of that “moment.” But finally, simply, this “time” became “humanity’s defining moment” because it was “God’s time.” To speculate about what else could made this moment distinct is futile. “When the time had fully come, GOD … .” The “eternal” – timeless – God stepped into time and everything was changed forever. It was a “watershed moment.” We would quickly learn that all the event streams of the past flowed into this moment. And we are learning that the significant future emanates largely from that Divine act. Always, when God defines a moment by “Divine Fiat,” – sovereign action – it is monumental. It is a “defining moment;” a moment in which some things culminate and other things commence. His “timelessness,” interfacing with “time,” is in itself, iconoclastic. The very essence of our environment is turned right side up. The phrase, “when the time had fully come,” could, quite accurately be translated, “when time was completed,” or “when time was finished.” When God sent his Divine Son into time the eternal and the temporal clashed. So Jesus could very seriously suggest that we not “worry about tomorrow,” (Matthew 6:34) In his “eternal – i.e. – timeless - kingdom,” today and tomorrow are one and the same. God is “Alpha and Omega,” he is “the beginning and the end” and everything in between. On one occasion, when Jesus met demon-possessed men, their reaction was most telling. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” These devils did not know the future. What they did know was that their time was relative; that it was, at best, doomed to come to an end. They further knew that the “Son of God,” was the one who would determine the time of their end.
Repeatedly throughout the Bible the impact of God’s timeless Kingdom on the time/space world is recognized. What goes on in the “Kingdom of Heaven,” has major significance here. During the rule of Hezekiah King of Judah, the prophet Isaiah was sent with a message to Sennacherib, a powerful and pompous Assyrian king, who had conquered all the cities of Judah and was threatening Jerusalem. This was the message.
“Have you not heard?
Long ago I ordained it.
In days of old I planned it;
now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities
into piles of stone.”
(Isaiah 37:26)
God’s sovereignty is never in jeopardy. The power of kings, even evil tyrants, exists only because God determines they should have it. Furthermore, all the grand schemes and strategies they devise have been “ordained – decreed” by God “long ago,” “planned” “in days of old.” The timeless kingdom determines what takes place in the “kingdoms of this world” of time and space. In the thirteenth chapter of Revelation, verse eight Jesus is referred to as “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” His friend Peter says, of him, “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.” (1 Peter 11:20) St. Paul picks up this theme twice. He’s writing to his protégé Titus. In the letter he speaks about his mission. He describes it as being “for … a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time … .” (Titus 1:1 & 2) To another protégé he writes, “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus … .” (2 Timothy 1:9) Peter remembers a day when he, James, and John saw Jesus in his Divine splendor: “… we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.” (2 Peter 1:16 – 18) He and his colleagues saw the eternal and time/space intersect. If you read Luke’s account of the event you’ll see that two men, Moses, and Elijah, now living in the real, unseen, eternal kingdom, appeared and talked with Jesus about the completion of his work in Jerusalem as if it were a present reality.
The “Kingdom of God;” “the Kingdom of the heavens;” has come among us in Jesus and time is forever altered. For those who receive Him as their King their time/space life is increasingly drawn up into the timeless; into the “range of God’s effective will.;” “where what he wants done is done.” (This process is extensively discussed in Dallas Willard’s, The Divine Conspiracy.) Before the creation of the world, before the beginning of time this moment we’re contemplating was and now, by an act of the Supreme Sovereign, is – is forever – the “defining moment” for all humanity.
Christmas is our defining moment. When Jesus was born the “sacrifice” - the “lamb slain before the creation of the world,” the consummate “lamb” that gave merit to all other lambs offered for the sin of God’s people - was made. The Christmas manger would become Friday’s cross. All that separated us from the timeless Kingdom, for which we’d been destined from the beginning, would be atoned for. The redeemer, that was chosen before time, was revealed “for our sake” that first Christmas night. The “Eternal life” God intended for us was provided then. “Grace,” that astonishing and immeasurable favor God extends to us, is revealed in the manger, in Bethlehem. Later glimpses of Jesus’ “splendor,” and “majesty,” are glimpses of what we are destined to become. The “voice” of God from the “Majestic Glory,” is an awe-inspiring encounter with an infinite grandeur. It is, at the same time, an endearing glimpse of the profound intimacy that exists between Father and Son. We know, because we’ve seen it, that this is the environment which we are destined to live in forever. Humans, who’ve become celestial beings, conversing about events, which are yet to be in the time/space world, as if they were present realities, remind us that decisions which really matter are being made in a “self-sufficing community of unspeakably magnificent personal beings of boundless love, knowledge, and power.” Dallas Willard writes about this “self-sufficing community” in which we live and move and have our being, in The Divine Conspiracy. I recently wrote about the growing impact of this idea on my understanding of God’s influence in my own life. (See LifeLog – 11.27.05 – Thanksgiving.) Now we’re considering a new, expanded dimension. Humans, who’ve become celestial beings, are insiders in this Community. Jesus taught it would be this way. He said that when the Holy Spirit was given to us he would be “with us,” even “in us.” He said that those who love him will passionately pursue a relationship with him that empowers them to live their lives “as he would if he were them.” And he promised that he and the Father would respond by coming to “make (their) home” with them. Jesus taught these things to his followers. One of his followers, St. Paul, wrote about them. He said that this intimate Divine/Human partnership is part of the timeless plan for us. We are, he said, “being built together to become a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” This is “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed.” What is that mystery? It is “Christ in us;” now and since before time, “the hope of glory.” God's purpose, which he has always known, is to bring us into himself so that, as Jesus prayed, “we may be one” as he and the Father are one, and that we “may be one” in them. (The biblical references to Jesus teaching on this Divine/Human union, which I have used here, are John 14:17, 14:23, 17:21; Ephesians 2:22; and Colossians 1:26 & 27.)We know all of these things because Jesus was born. It’s “everything we ever dreamed of; more than we ever dreamed of; beyond what we’d have ever even thought of dreaming!” “We will never be the same again!” This is our watershed moment. All that has taken place, in time and beyond, flows to this point. All that will ever be flows from here. The culmination of the human event is reached in Christ. With the new birth which he inaugurates, a radically new, timeless existence begins. WE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
LifeLog - 11.27.05 - Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Weekend, 2005 …
What am I thankful for?
Thanksgiving Day our oldest Grandchild, Marissa, easily composed a rather long list, mostly of people she is thankful for. The list was impressively extensive. She included her Parents; both sets of Grandparents; the ones in America, and Norway; siblings; Jesus; Friends. She included her bed. I was especially pleased to see that she’d included books. More impressive, to me, than the list was the skill with which she wrote. For a first-grader the composition and penmanship was quite advanced. Very possibly among the finest pieces of writing ever created by a Child her age. But then what should I expect from Shirley’s and my Granddaughter?! I haven’t gotten the patent yet but the bumper sticker will catch on. I’m sure. “My Granddaughter is a budding Pulitzer Prize recipient.”
All kidding aside: I thank God for the foundations that are being laid by our Children for their Kids! This is one of many reasons I have to be thankful this year.
Now, I do not want to be disingenuous. There have been many difficult adjustments for us in recent years and more have come this year. Some days we are not sure whether the material stuff of our lives will survive ‘til sunset. Still there’s a lot of evidence that our Lord has not lost sight of us. He has certainly not removed all the props and provisions he’s promised.
Above all that we’ve enjoyed this year stands the birth of our seventh Grandchild. Kaleb Josiah Denison, the third Son of our eldest Jim, and his Wife Korenne, was born on September 21, 2005. Shirley and I were privileged to be in England, when he was born; and share the euphoria that accompanies so great a miracle! There is more about our days in England in LifeLog – 10.12.05 – Family Time. There are recent pictures of Kaleb at
http://jimandshirley67.photosite.com/JimDenisonJrFamily/
Remembering Kaleb’s birth got me reminiscing about the other six. Marissa, our first, is now six years old. Her Mom and Dad are Ingvild and Jason, our youngest Son. She is bright and very observant. She loves to read and can carry on an adult conversation. She’s a bit shy when you first meet her but will talk your ear off once she’s comfortable with you. She’s lovely. She’s athletic despite the developmental awkwardness that sometimes goes with being a six year old. She is very sensitive; definitely a surrogate Mom to her Sister and Brother. Speaking of her Sister, Madeleine: this little girl is a most social and complex four year old. She is quite gregarious. She’ll tell you elaborately plotted stories; sing you songs she composes as she sings; and draw you into a web of emotion that is really quite endearing despite its fragility. Her Father and Mother will, occasionally, describe life with Maddie as “drama.” She will sometimes describe herself, in her fantasies, as a Princess. For me she is just that! On the other hand, her Brother is the diametrical opposite. Ethan is just over a year and a half old. He is blond, with an olive complexion and the look of a true “California Boy.” I can even see him on the cover of some surfing magazine in 14 or 15 years. He’s an accident waiting to happen. There appears to be nothing he won’t try. And frequently, already, he has been rushed to “Emergency” because of what he’s tried. This Thanksgiving Weekend – Friday – he was playing the drums and took a nose dive into the rim of one of them ending up with a plethora of stitches over his eye. His Mom assures us that life with him is a completely different experience from that with his Sisters. So much for gender neutrality. Kaleb’s Brothers are no exception. Samuel, four, is active, gregarious, very opinionated and runs with endless energy. He too is very sensitive and is forever trying to take on the care – and the cares – of his Younger Brother. Samuel is so expressive. Like Marissa he will carry on an adult conversation drawing you in with facial expressions, gestures, even tonal inflections. I walked with him to School several times while in their home and found the conversation and play so much fun! I learned about his friends. I discovered what “conkers” were and enjoyed helping him build a collection for autumn. His Brother, Evan, is a sturdy two year old almost as big as his older Brother. Evan is the “strong silent type.” He’s a bit like Ethan with an adventurous streak. He’s a climber. And he’s a whiz at puzzles. Shirley and I were amazed at the level of skill he demonstrated working with numbers of pieces way above his “age level.” He loves to cuddle especially with Mommy. Jonah is Jon’s and Larina’s 17 month old Son. He’s a little dynamo. Always on the go. We worried about Jonah when he was young. His digestive system seemed a bit delicate. But he appears to have outgrown those problems. His Dad assured me recently that he’s eating well now as long as there isn’t something more important to do. He loves the water and has all but mastered swimming. His smile, enhanced by pronounced dimples, envelops his entire person. It is so engaging. We love these kids. We’re proud of every one of them.
Obviously we are proud of our Sons and thankful for all three of them. We are proud of the men they’re becoming and grateful for the place our Lord has been given in their lives!
We are equally proud of the women who have come into their lives and become their companions and best friends on the journey. These women are highly intelligent, beautiful people. They are passionately devoted to Jesus. Their love for our Sons and the Children they share is distinctly defined by the Divine in it. Each of them have deliberately made the making of a home for their Husbands and Children their first career priority. This is most certainly not that they have no other options. Korenne, Jim’s Wife, is a beautiful woman who had begun a career in Broadcast Journalism when she chose to marry him. We saw her doing a Sportscast for Sky Sports in England on one occasion. She’s as skilled as any woman I’ve seen. And the camera loves her. That voice with its elegant English nuances and warm, rich tones is so winsome. Since their marriage she has continued in radio but always with the proviso that she will be with her boys first. She has been so in demand that special arrangements have been made, on occasion, for the boys to accompany her or for recording at home. Larina, Jon’s Wife, is a premier Pilates Instructor. While they lived in California she was sought after for her unusual skills by clientele who could afford the best. She continues to pursue this profession but as an avocation to her role as Mother and Wife. Ingvild’s degree is in the Behavioral Sciences but she has tailored her Counseling and Mentoring of Young People to the demands of being the Mother of Marissa, Maddie, and Ethan, as well as the Wife of a very busy Worship Pastor. These women are great Mothers. They are firm. They are tender. They are exceptionally patient. They can read a story for the 10 hundredth time with the feeling and excitement of a first reading. And their Children are most content when they are with them. They complement our Sons exquisitely. Jim is not by nature a tender guy. Korenne is a deeply feeling person. She has tempered him and caringly softened some of his edges. Jason is a deeply reflective artist. At times he can get lost in his musings. Ingvild is a strong, proactive individual who knows how to get those practical things done that we dreamers can find mundane. Together they are a delightful blend of creativity and stability. Jon is a Professional Bicyclist and Sports Events Director. He is on the road a great deal. Larina patiently supports him in his racing often traveling considerable distances to watch his and hundreds of other bikes go round and round or wait along a desolate roadside while the racers travel over mountains or across long point-to-point courses where spectators may only see them once after hours of waiting. Sometimes, especially when he’s directing events, she’ll be home alone for a Weekend or more. But she enthusiastically supports him in his profession. She is a deeply spiritual support to him in a career that is largely without the kind of faith strengthening influences that his Brothers, both Pastors, enjoy. Together Jon and Larina have a relationship with Jesus that the people they work and play with readily speak of whenever Shirley and I attend his races or events.
Our Family is at the top of our list of things we are thankful for this Weekend as well as day-after-day.
Above all else, though, is the Lord who has given us “life and breath” and these wonderful people we get to share our life with.
Personally I am most grateful for the mentors our Lord has brought into my life. For the most part these are writers whose works have become the source of most of what I am learning. I am especially grateful for the work of Dallas Willard. So much of what he writes has been instrumental in my growing intimacy with our Lord. One thing in particular stands out among my recollections. Writing about the Trinity he says, “… the advantage of believing in the Trinity is that we then live as if the Trinity is real: as if the cosmos environing us actually is beyond all else, a self-sufficing community of unspeakably magnificent personal beings of boundless love, knowledge, and power … And our lives are then enmeshed in the true world of God.” As I read and re-read this I realize how vastly profound and unique its implications are for us. Most anyone would agree that where “love” is present, and fully experienced, life flourishes. To realize that our God is one, not as “monad,” but in “unity,” is to discover that he really is “love.” Unified in his oneness, yet distinct in his persons, his perfection is that love he has declared to be his defining characteristic. And so, the “cosmos,” our immeasurable environment, is permeated with the love of this “community” of “persons” which is our God. To envision this is most meaningful to me when I am faced with hardship and pure trouble; things that just don’t make sense; that leave me feeling vulnerable and helpless. I begin to see that if, in fact, I am “enmeshed” in a world permeated by such “love” then whatever happens to me is defined by that “love.” The more I contemplate this the more I believe it is what Jesus and his early witnesses meant by “faith.” The writer of the New Testament letter originally written to Hebrew Christians in the first Century says, “anyone who comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” He names this “belief,” “faith.” Faith sees God as someone who “rewards” people who pursue; who “seek him.” Do we really believe that? Maybe when things are going in a direction we consider to be “good.” But do we believe it when things are going “badly”? The larger question is whether or not we’re qualified to define what is “good” and what is “bad” for us. I am coming to believe we do not. Willard’s teaching on “Trinity” is further convincing me that because God is “love” (which necessitates “unity” as opposed to “monism”) then what goes on in his world will be “loving.” Painful? It may be. Mysterious? Certainly. Harmful? No! It is just such “faith” that Jesus taught would dramatically change the way we look at mountains. Merely a “mustard seed” sized portion of it would result in our ability to move them around as needed. While I don’t have time to pursue the nature of “mountains” in the conversations of Jesus, I must re-affirm this. Jesus largest mountain was “Calvary.” And he was able to turn that ignominious “place of the skull” into a sacred symbol of hope because he trusted in his Father, God “who raises the dead.” I am learning to share this conviction and I thank God for a Teacher like Dallas Willard.
Shirley, is, next to this God of love, the most important person in my life. She has been loyal and loving to me for almost 38 years. She is today. Her tireless devotion is a constant for me even though the unknown is a much larger part of our lives than it has ever been and at times painful for her. Her gentle grace continues to teach me the value of a more tender heart. Her practicality brings me back to earth when I’m inclined to pursue, or presume on, fictional dreams. She is a student of culture and media and has helped me to keep at least one foot in the world where our Lord has put me, continually reminding me that he taught us to be “in” the world “not of it,” rather than “out of it.” She prays so consistently and with such simple faith. Recently we met with a friend for whom she’s prayed since High School. That friend, a most unlikely prospect for follower of Jesus, has become just that. It was a thrill to talk with this woman about our Lord and his love for her and the goodness he intends for her.
As you can clearly see I can genuinely affirm that I am, to quote a Preacher I heard last Fall, “wonderfully well, and blessed, and highly favored of the Lord!”
Godspeed to anyone who is willing to believe that he offers this favor to “whomever” simply, upon penitent request …
Jim
What am I thankful for?
Thanksgiving Day our oldest Grandchild, Marissa, easily composed a rather long list, mostly of people she is thankful for. The list was impressively extensive. She included her Parents; both sets of Grandparents; the ones in America, and Norway; siblings; Jesus; Friends. She included her bed. I was especially pleased to see that she’d included books. More impressive, to me, than the list was the skill with which she wrote. For a first-grader the composition and penmanship was quite advanced. Very possibly among the finest pieces of writing ever created by a Child her age. But then what should I expect from Shirley’s and my Granddaughter?! I haven’t gotten the patent yet but the bumper sticker will catch on. I’m sure. “My Granddaughter is a budding Pulitzer Prize recipient.”
All kidding aside: I thank God for the foundations that are being laid by our Children for their Kids! This is one of many reasons I have to be thankful this year.
Now, I do not want to be disingenuous. There have been many difficult adjustments for us in recent years and more have come this year. Some days we are not sure whether the material stuff of our lives will survive ‘til sunset. Still there’s a lot of evidence that our Lord has not lost sight of us. He has certainly not removed all the props and provisions he’s promised.
Above all that we’ve enjoyed this year stands the birth of our seventh Grandchild. Kaleb Josiah Denison, the third Son of our eldest Jim, and his Wife Korenne, was born on September 21, 2005. Shirley and I were privileged to be in England, when he was born; and share the euphoria that accompanies so great a miracle! There is more about our days in England in LifeLog – 10.12.05 – Family Time. There are recent pictures of Kaleb at
http://jimandshirley67.photosite.com/JimDenisonJrFamily/
Remembering Kaleb’s birth got me reminiscing about the other six. Marissa, our first, is now six years old. Her Mom and Dad are Ingvild and Jason, our youngest Son. She is bright and very observant. She loves to read and can carry on an adult conversation. She’s a bit shy when you first meet her but will talk your ear off once she’s comfortable with you. She’s lovely. She’s athletic despite the developmental awkwardness that sometimes goes with being a six year old. She is very sensitive; definitely a surrogate Mom to her Sister and Brother. Speaking of her Sister, Madeleine: this little girl is a most social and complex four year old. She is quite gregarious. She’ll tell you elaborately plotted stories; sing you songs she composes as she sings; and draw you into a web of emotion that is really quite endearing despite its fragility. Her Father and Mother will, occasionally, describe life with Maddie as “drama.” She will sometimes describe herself, in her fantasies, as a Princess. For me she is just that! On the other hand, her Brother is the diametrical opposite. Ethan is just over a year and a half old. He is blond, with an olive complexion and the look of a true “California Boy.” I can even see him on the cover of some surfing magazine in 14 or 15 years. He’s an accident waiting to happen. There appears to be nothing he won’t try. And frequently, already, he has been rushed to “Emergency” because of what he’s tried. This Thanksgiving Weekend – Friday – he was playing the drums and took a nose dive into the rim of one of them ending up with a plethora of stitches over his eye. His Mom assures us that life with him is a completely different experience from that with his Sisters. So much for gender neutrality. Kaleb’s Brothers are no exception. Samuel, four, is active, gregarious, very opinionated and runs with endless energy. He too is very sensitive and is forever trying to take on the care – and the cares – of his Younger Brother. Samuel is so expressive. Like Marissa he will carry on an adult conversation drawing you in with facial expressions, gestures, even tonal inflections. I walked with him to School several times while in their home and found the conversation and play so much fun! I learned about his friends. I discovered what “conkers” were and enjoyed helping him build a collection for autumn. His Brother, Evan, is a sturdy two year old almost as big as his older Brother. Evan is the “strong silent type.” He’s a bit like Ethan with an adventurous streak. He’s a climber. And he’s a whiz at puzzles. Shirley and I were amazed at the level of skill he demonstrated working with numbers of pieces way above his “age level.” He loves to cuddle especially with Mommy. Jonah is Jon’s and Larina’s 17 month old Son. He’s a little dynamo. Always on the go. We worried about Jonah when he was young. His digestive system seemed a bit delicate. But he appears to have outgrown those problems. His Dad assured me recently that he’s eating well now as long as there isn’t something more important to do. He loves the water and has all but mastered swimming. His smile, enhanced by pronounced dimples, envelops his entire person. It is so engaging. We love these kids. We’re proud of every one of them.
Obviously we are proud of our Sons and thankful for all three of them. We are proud of the men they’re becoming and grateful for the place our Lord has been given in their lives!
We are equally proud of the women who have come into their lives and become their companions and best friends on the journey. These women are highly intelligent, beautiful people. They are passionately devoted to Jesus. Their love for our Sons and the Children they share is distinctly defined by the Divine in it. Each of them have deliberately made the making of a home for their Husbands and Children their first career priority. This is most certainly not that they have no other options. Korenne, Jim’s Wife, is a beautiful woman who had begun a career in Broadcast Journalism when she chose to marry him. We saw her doing a Sportscast for Sky Sports in England on one occasion. She’s as skilled as any woman I’ve seen. And the camera loves her. That voice with its elegant English nuances and warm, rich tones is so winsome. Since their marriage she has continued in radio but always with the proviso that she will be with her boys first. She has been so in demand that special arrangements have been made, on occasion, for the boys to accompany her or for recording at home. Larina, Jon’s Wife, is a premier Pilates Instructor. While they lived in California she was sought after for her unusual skills by clientele who could afford the best. She continues to pursue this profession but as an avocation to her role as Mother and Wife. Ingvild’s degree is in the Behavioral Sciences but she has tailored her Counseling and Mentoring of Young People to the demands of being the Mother of Marissa, Maddie, and Ethan, as well as the Wife of a very busy Worship Pastor. These women are great Mothers. They are firm. They are tender. They are exceptionally patient. They can read a story for the 10 hundredth time with the feeling and excitement of a first reading. And their Children are most content when they are with them. They complement our Sons exquisitely. Jim is not by nature a tender guy. Korenne is a deeply feeling person. She has tempered him and caringly softened some of his edges. Jason is a deeply reflective artist. At times he can get lost in his musings. Ingvild is a strong, proactive individual who knows how to get those practical things done that we dreamers can find mundane. Together they are a delightful blend of creativity and stability. Jon is a Professional Bicyclist and Sports Events Director. He is on the road a great deal. Larina patiently supports him in his racing often traveling considerable distances to watch his and hundreds of other bikes go round and round or wait along a desolate roadside while the racers travel over mountains or across long point-to-point courses where spectators may only see them once after hours of waiting. Sometimes, especially when he’s directing events, she’ll be home alone for a Weekend or more. But she enthusiastically supports him in his profession. She is a deeply spiritual support to him in a career that is largely without the kind of faith strengthening influences that his Brothers, both Pastors, enjoy. Together Jon and Larina have a relationship with Jesus that the people they work and play with readily speak of whenever Shirley and I attend his races or events.
Our Family is at the top of our list of things we are thankful for this Weekend as well as day-after-day.
Above all else, though, is the Lord who has given us “life and breath” and these wonderful people we get to share our life with.
Personally I am most grateful for the mentors our Lord has brought into my life. For the most part these are writers whose works have become the source of most of what I am learning. I am especially grateful for the work of Dallas Willard. So much of what he writes has been instrumental in my growing intimacy with our Lord. One thing in particular stands out among my recollections. Writing about the Trinity he says, “… the advantage of believing in the Trinity is that we then live as if the Trinity is real: as if the cosmos environing us actually is beyond all else, a self-sufficing community of unspeakably magnificent personal beings of boundless love, knowledge, and power … And our lives are then enmeshed in the true world of God.” As I read and re-read this I realize how vastly profound and unique its implications are for us. Most anyone would agree that where “love” is present, and fully experienced, life flourishes. To realize that our God is one, not as “monad,” but in “unity,” is to discover that he really is “love.” Unified in his oneness, yet distinct in his persons, his perfection is that love he has declared to be his defining characteristic. And so, the “cosmos,” our immeasurable environment, is permeated with the love of this “community” of “persons” which is our God. To envision this is most meaningful to me when I am faced with hardship and pure trouble; things that just don’t make sense; that leave me feeling vulnerable and helpless. I begin to see that if, in fact, I am “enmeshed” in a world permeated by such “love” then whatever happens to me is defined by that “love.” The more I contemplate this the more I believe it is what Jesus and his early witnesses meant by “faith.” The writer of the New Testament letter originally written to Hebrew Christians in the first Century says, “anyone who comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” He names this “belief,” “faith.” Faith sees God as someone who “rewards” people who pursue; who “seek him.” Do we really believe that? Maybe when things are going in a direction we consider to be “good.” But do we believe it when things are going “badly”? The larger question is whether or not we’re qualified to define what is “good” and what is “bad” for us. I am coming to believe we do not. Willard’s teaching on “Trinity” is further convincing me that because God is “love” (which necessitates “unity” as opposed to “monism”) then what goes on in his world will be “loving.” Painful? It may be. Mysterious? Certainly. Harmful? No! It is just such “faith” that Jesus taught would dramatically change the way we look at mountains. Merely a “mustard seed” sized portion of it would result in our ability to move them around as needed. While I don’t have time to pursue the nature of “mountains” in the conversations of Jesus, I must re-affirm this. Jesus largest mountain was “Calvary.” And he was able to turn that ignominious “place of the skull” into a sacred symbol of hope because he trusted in his Father, God “who raises the dead.” I am learning to share this conviction and I thank God for a Teacher like Dallas Willard.
Shirley, is, next to this God of love, the most important person in my life. She has been loyal and loving to me for almost 38 years. She is today. Her tireless devotion is a constant for me even though the unknown is a much larger part of our lives than it has ever been and at times painful for her. Her gentle grace continues to teach me the value of a more tender heart. Her practicality brings me back to earth when I’m inclined to pursue, or presume on, fictional dreams. She is a student of culture and media and has helped me to keep at least one foot in the world where our Lord has put me, continually reminding me that he taught us to be “in” the world “not of it,” rather than “out of it.” She prays so consistently and with such simple faith. Recently we met with a friend for whom she’s prayed since High School. That friend, a most unlikely prospect for follower of Jesus, has become just that. It was a thrill to talk with this woman about our Lord and his love for her and the goodness he intends for her.
As you can clearly see I can genuinely affirm that I am, to quote a Preacher I heard last Fall, “wonderfully well, and blessed, and highly favored of the Lord!”
Godspeed to anyone who is willing to believe that he offers this favor to “whomever” simply, upon penitent request …
Jim
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