What's been up?
Hey all, some sabbatical from blogging, but I'm back as a result of reading some of my friends' blogs and the desire to share some my thoughts with y'all.
So what's happening?
Lisa and I are about to have our second child any day now. In fact, we took a trip to the hospital yesterday on a false alarm, but it was good to spend some time with the wife just talking and laughing. I am so blessed by her love. We were probably disturbing other triage patients with our laughs and commotion. I am really grateful for our kind of laid back approach to the whole thing.
Second, I had a really blessed time of prayer with my buddy and brother in Christ, Lew Ross. God has given me a gift in that guy. Two things about our time that struck me, well maybe three. The first thing is always a given. I think real healing takes place in the body when a radical home pastor and an authentically catholic youth minister get together to pray in His name, rejoicing with one another, sharing struggles, praising His name in song (yes, even in the Spirit) and breaking open the scriptures. Yes, real and visible healing.
So in prayer yesterday with Lewman I get this hardcore image of the prodigal son and hits me again, the recklessness of our God. The father leaves the home to meet the son while he is still yet far off. None of that "where you been?" none of that "man he smells, or he is dirty" Nope, not even a little. Just to remind you, the story is that of a well to do landowner who isn't thinking about how he looks, or what should happen to his son. The father sees his son, breaks out running after him and before the son says a word the father has him in his arms, wraps him with a mantle, puts a ring on his finger, and is making plans for a banquet. Sorry to all the disappointed folks who wanted him to be punished or have some Jerry Springer-type scene. Not even a hint. I know, its not just, its unfair, and it is totally reckless. What's that father doing? Doesn't he know that his son needs to learn a lesson. I say to that, "Don't you remember he was tending swine (bad jewish move) and eating their food? Don't you remember that he couldn't fill the emptiness in his heart with prostitutes?" Yep, just shameful the way that father just welcomed him back in. Shame on God for letting us back in so easily. All I had to do was to waste my life to a point of desperation and ask for His help. Do not be confused, I am not talking about life being all rosy forever and always after. I am not talking about some medicine I got for my problem. I am talking about a cure! So as in the beginning, if I would stop with the "he is dirty","he needs punishment", "he should be cut-off" and start with the "oh man, he is back, he needs food, he needs cleaned up, he needs love, he needs discipleship" So there it is, A reckless father and a dirty kid. Here I am, adopted son of a Reckless Father.
So, that hit me pretty hard as you can read. The next thing was that we were in the middle of an amazing song, you know the one, it goes " Give us clean hands, give us pure hearts...Oh God of Jacob" It was awesome, and lew breaks some strings, two to be exact and keeps jamming a bit and we were authoritatively disrupted by his son's need for some play-dough assistance. And it hits me again, broken strings that get to go help with play-dough. If you don't get it, that's o.k. because you will. He will meet ya, while you still might be yet far off. He does it with me all the time. My first time I met Him and every time since.
Hey all, some sabbatical from blogging, but I'm back as a result of reading some of my friends' blogs and the desire to share some my thoughts with y'all.
So what's happening?
Lisa and I are about to have our second child any day now. In fact, we took a trip to the hospital yesterday on a false alarm, but it was good to spend some time with the wife just talking and laughing. I am so blessed by her love. We were probably disturbing other triage patients with our laughs and commotion. I am really grateful for our kind of laid back approach to the whole thing.
Second, I had a really blessed time of prayer with my buddy and brother in Christ, Lew Ross. God has given me a gift in that guy. Two things about our time that struck me, well maybe three. The first thing is always a given. I think real healing takes place in the body when a radical home pastor and an authentically catholic youth minister get together to pray in His name, rejoicing with one another, sharing struggles, praising His name in song (yes, even in the Spirit) and breaking open the scriptures. Yes, real and visible healing.
So in prayer yesterday with Lewman I get this hardcore image of the prodigal son and hits me again, the recklessness of our God. The father leaves the home to meet the son while he is still yet far off. None of that "where you been?" none of that "man he smells, or he is dirty" Nope, not even a little. Just to remind you, the story is that of a well to do landowner who isn't thinking about how he looks, or what should happen to his son. The father sees his son, breaks out running after him and before the son says a word the father has him in his arms, wraps him with a mantle, puts a ring on his finger, and is making plans for a banquet. Sorry to all the disappointed folks who wanted him to be punished or have some Jerry Springer-type scene. Not even a hint. I know, its not just, its unfair, and it is totally reckless. What's that father doing? Doesn't he know that his son needs to learn a lesson. I say to that, "Don't you remember he was tending swine (bad jewish move) and eating their food? Don't you remember that he couldn't fill the emptiness in his heart with prostitutes?" Yep, just shameful the way that father just welcomed him back in. Shame on God for letting us back in so easily. All I had to do was to waste my life to a point of desperation and ask for His help. Do not be confused, I am not talking about life being all rosy forever and always after. I am not talking about some medicine I got for my problem. I am talking about a cure! So as in the beginning, if I would stop with the "he is dirty","he needs punishment", "he should be cut-off" and start with the "oh man, he is back, he needs food, he needs cleaned up, he needs love, he needs discipleship" So there it is, A reckless father and a dirty kid. Here I am, adopted son of a Reckless Father.
So, that hit me pretty hard as you can read. The next thing was that we were in the middle of an amazing song, you know the one, it goes " Give us clean hands, give us pure hearts...Oh God of Jacob" It was awesome, and lew breaks some strings, two to be exact and keeps jamming a bit and we were authoritatively disrupted by his son's need for some play-dough assistance. And it hits me again, broken strings that get to go help with play-dough. If you don't get it, that's o.k. because you will. He will meet ya, while you still might be yet far off. He does it with me all the time. My first time I met Him and every time since.
posted by toJesusthruMary at 2:19 PM
1 comments
