Missional Living

I got up early to pack for our annual staff retreat this week. Before heading out the door, I had a few (quiet) minutes to read and ‘be still’ (thank you, jimmie). I had pretty much decided to discontinue regular QM posts, but ran across this from Piper’s Life as A Vapor :

"When a person speaks of writes or sings or paints about breathtaking truth in a boring way, it is probably a sin."

And, imo, perhaps one of the greatest sins of our age. When students (and adults!) complain that ‘church is boring’, we act like it’s their duty (penance?) to  suck it up and endure it.

We settle for lukewarm worship music.

We become accustomed to milquetoast  ‘Christian Living’ books.

We consume a diet of art that only expresses God through some frosty lens of a deer drinking from a mountain stream next to a ricktey cabin in the woods.

[yawn.]

Where are the expressions of ‘breathtaking truth’ that leave us breathless? That leave us in silence, grasping for words to express how our hearts have been consumed? Where is the lyricless music that so enraptures us that it brings tears to our eyes without a single voice?

We need the beautiful. And the spectacular.

I’m a closet word freak.

There, I’ve said it. Words have always fascinated me. Meanings. Nuances. Detailed, cross-hair descriptiveness like a sniper’s scope.

Did you ever realize that Britney Spears is an anagram for Presbyterian? Or that Pepsi Cola is an anagram for Episcopal?

Lately, I’ve been hung up on the question ‘Do geese see God?’, which is the same sentence when spelled backwards. (Much like the fact that ’stressed’ is ‘desserts’ spelled backwards…)

So, because I’m such a word freak, it’s become of utmost importance that we use the right words in our worship of God. Describing his character. His majesty. His glory.

As i was out jogging this morning, I got caught in a rain shower. (love it!). Funny thing is that I had just been reading and meditating on Psalm 29: "The God of glory thunders…his voice thunders over the mighty sea. His voice is lightning…People gather in the Temple and shout ‘glory’!".

It goes on to say that he bends and twists the oak and cedar trees…how cool is it that God’s glory is much like a hurricane that sweeps through the land in such a manner that everything in it’s path must bend to his power???

What metaphors have you found in Scripture that have special meaning to you? What pictures of God’s glory, mercy, protection, restoration, etc., have ministered to you?

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that we were on vacation last week. Not a stay-cation like we sometimes do, either. We bolted out of town ASAP with hotel confirmations in all kinds of touristy tickets in hand with the full intent of heading to Galveston for a few days and then letting the SpiritWind lead us after that. I was excited about just ‘going where the wind blows’ for a week. The last time I did that, I wound up in New Orleans watching B.B. King perform in at a local dive. Yes, it was amazing.

The winds definitely blew last week. His name was Edouard. He hit land not far from where we were headed, so we drifted in another direction. San Antonio for a few days. Shamu. The Riverwalk. The Rainforest Cafe. And by the time ol’ Eddie fizzled out, we took a couple of days to hit Galveston, as well spend some short-but-fabulous time with family in Baytown.

When we got back in town over the weekend, I brought home a nasty little virus that wiped out half of the family. Nice.

But I wouldn’t trade the week for anything in the world.

I’ve been reminded of several things that are priceless. My boys laughing in the water parkl. My youngest one getting owned by ‘a gnarly wave’ on his boogieboard. Holding my wife’s hand over a fabulous hot dog dinner at my niece’s birthday party. The fierce loyalty of family.

Oh, and how easy it is to plead to God in prayer when you’re trapped by a nasty intestinal virus.

It’s good to be back home, ready to get back in the blog routine and discuss the redemption and restoration going on around us.

It’s good to be in One Peace.