Visible Faith

"Anything which claims space is visible. Hence the Body of Christ can only be a visible body, or else it is not a Body at all." - Deitrich Bonhoeffer ("The Cost of Discipleship")

An internal and personal faith is important, but only if it moves us to externally transformed lives. It isn't about a showy or false "look at how good I can be" existence, but rather a faith that allows us to do what is right even when noone esle would care. (though God always cares) An invisible faith lived out, is visible and measurable. It shouts when justice, mercy and righteousness are called for, and it is quiet when it needs to be. But in everything it is indisputably there, reaching, teaching, and healing.

Hope to SEE you tomorrow! 

Chris 

Wisdom Comes From Worship

Psalm 73: 13 - 17 - NKJV

13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning. 15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. 16 When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me— 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end. (Italics added)

My great-grandfather only had an eighth grade education that I know of.  He was a carpenter by trade, and a farmer by necessity.  And though he was neither wealthy, nor “well educated”, he was a wise man.  I remember as a 10 year old boy full of pride telling him that I had figured out that I didn’t have to bow to pray, because God could hear me from a standing position just fine.  Pappaw took me by the hand and led me out the back door to survey the corn rows he had planted on the land behind his house and taught me a lesson that I have never forgotten.  “You see those stalks over there?  The ones up top that are standing straight up?  They’re empty.  But the ones that are full and have good ears bow under the weight.  Son, if God’s filling you up, you’re gonna naturally bow down.”  I don’t know if Pappaw came up with that gem, or if someone had taught it to him and now he was passing it on to me… but it had an impact on me that has lasted.

Thoughts on Ice...

Luke 24: 32- 33

“They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ ³³ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.”

Written on January 15, 2013

     As I was out walking the dog in the midst of the 1^st ice storm of 2013, I was feeling hugely mopey and miserable as I looked at the trees glistening with the frozen precipitation covering their bare branches.  Man everything is just so cold and gray and gloomy.  Then I began to realize something… the ice that is hanging from just about everything around my house has a lesson in it.