“Life”

In the last Grain of Truth I ruminated a bit with you over thoughts on “life”. Being springtime and all, I wanted to draw our attention to all the symbolism of the time – renewal, light, color, buds, birds, etc. Well, spring has sprung as they say, and, summer is here. How can I encourage you in your busy lives as you anticipate yet more days of summer daze? I’d like to take a two-prong approach. First, to update you to “life” in this body, and two, to urge you to focus on Jesus who is our Life. First Free Happenings . . . - Basketball Camp, Aug.4-7. Right now, I have only 4 returned sheets indicating interest in helping with camp. This is not so good! I need a sheet from you, even if you verbally told me you would help. The reality of this year’s camp will of necessity be trimmed down from previous years camps. That’s okay, but in order to pull camp off, I do need more response from you. - Adult Education “Brainstorming” sessions on July 13 and 20. These two weeks will be the culmination of a six-week focus on ministry, maturity, and leadership. I want/need each of you who read this, to be there (9 a.m.) for at least one of these Sunday sessions. Of course many other things are taking place this summer, most notably planning for the Fall. “Ministry” often gears up more come September, as most of us are through with our Summer plans and meanderings. Will you please pray for me and your new board, as we look to decide on how best to serve you, and, to help you serve one another as we follow Christ together? As you know, changes may indeed be taking place with facilities and such. While at this writing, only God knows the time frame and reality of what will or will not take place, we need your prayers for wisdom, and, for listening to God for all our needs. Next, helps for focusing on Jesus for Life . . . In Colossians 3:1-4 we read, “So, if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is doing on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life – even though invisible to spectators – is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up too – the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.” (MSG) What can we glean from such a passage? I suggest . . . - First, in the best sense, Jesus doesn’t “give” us life, as much as He gives us Himself. He is our Life. This means that “life” cannot be fully experienced apart from walking with Him, worshipping Him, submitting to Him, as Life. So, don’t ask for or expect a better life or the “good life” if you are not interested in Jesus. - Second, responding to Jesus in us is what makes “real” (experienced) His Life through us. But this takes a conscious deliberation, a “setting our minds on things above”. We must act like we’re serious about our new resurrection life. We can’t just talk about it, sing about it, or hear sermons about it. We must pursue Christ. We can’t, as Peterson paraphrased it, merely shuffle along. - Third, to stop our “shuffling’, we must ask God for the grace to not get so absorbed with our problems, joys, work, family, etc. By that I mean that while “life” (“little l”) is legitimately made up of the daily-ness of all these things, they in and of themselves are not our Life. Jesus is our Life (“Big L”). If we look at Him in this way, all of the things of “life” (“little l”) become expressions/indicators/anticipators of Life (“Big L”). The false dichotomy between the “secular” (“little l”) and the sacred (“Big L”) is forever obliterated. All of life becomes part of our Life on Christ! I hope that doesn’t sound too weird or confusing! When I live this way, all of life/Life becomes invigorating, whether God is giving or taking away, whether I am experiencing “good” or “bad” from God. So, as your summer gears-up and then winds-down, enjoy every aspect of it, the waking, the sleeping, eating, vacationing, reading, playing, walking, running, blogging, pains, and pleasures of it. If you are making a conscious effort to set your mind on Jesus, to actually act like you are serious about living His resurrection life, well, then Life becomes better, if not outright good! I urge us all onto this kind of Life!