To Walk Out Of God's Will Is To Walk Into Nowhere.

The title of this blogpost is a C.S. Lewis quote from Perelandra. I found it on Pinterest (I know . . . really, dude???) actually, and was grabbed by it. Because I don't know the context of his sentence, I'm not sure what larger theme he was exploring.

Be that as it may, I think the sentence itself has all sorts of realities to ponder.

Here are some off the top of my head:

I.

1. God's will is the SOMEWHERE of all somewheres worthy of  my full effort to" live and move and have our being" therein.

2. God's will is the REALITY creating, animating and sustaining all of life. "Let there be" begins it all; without it, there is no some-anything.

3. God's will is expressed most fully by a relentless, creative love which has no boundary unless he wills one; love infuses his will.

4. God's will is full of God's counsel and God's provision; wisdom finds and knows its course by God's will.

5. God's will reflects his Lordship over all being animate and inanimate, time and space, seen and unseen, that which is, was, and will be for eternity, before time, and after time, beyond time.

6. God's will is subject only to how he chooses to direct it, as he chooses to direct it, where he chooses to direct it, whenever he chooses to direct it.

7. God's will is true life, genuine liberty and ultimate completion for all who yield their wills to embrace and follow it.We become truly human under its tutelage.

II.

1. Walking out of God's will and walking into nowhere is tragic blindness.

2. Walking out of God's will and walking into nowhere is a fool's errand masquerading as free self-determination.

3. Walking out of God's will and walking into nowhere is trusting the present, immediate or future to one's perception and understanding of what is and what will turn out, i.e., naive faith in chance, being in control, or being a good person so good things must happen.

4. Walking out of God's will and walking into nowhere is cutting oneself from a parachute and assuming you'll figure out how to fly in due time.

5. Walking out of God's will and walking into nowhere is following enticing delusion which ultimately kills the ability for true being.

6. Walking out of God's will and walking into nowhere is much ado about nothing or no ado toward what matters most.

7. Walking out of God's will and walking into nowhere can never satisfy the deepest longings of the heart, the noble quest for what yields enduring significance, or the intended meaning for why a person lived at all.

8. Walking out of God's will and walking into nowhere becomes a slow, imperceptible death leading to existential and final NOWHERE.

Sometimes I just Wish Kingdom Would Come.

I wish there was less hatred these days. Vitriol burns and scars the heart.

I wish there was less bitterness these days. Acid never heals a wound.

I wish there was less jealousy these days. Humility is a gift.

I wish killing wasn't an increasing option for working out hard problems. Murder kills 8 year-olds just waiting for their dads to finish the race, turning young men into pariahs.

I wish people thought more deeply and were less influenced by self-absorbed political posturing, and inane partisan punditry. Those who know what it cost others for them to live free are not easily taken in by sound bites and vacuous celebrity.

I wish people thought more about what actually has substance - the deep and enduring ideas which make us human, even wise and loving. Minds left to wither becomes easily lured and controlled by lies.

I wish having a good time, getting wasted, and seeing how much sex you can have with as many people as possible wasn't such a civil religion. Where did real life go, the kind that honors, cherishes and protects the other?

I wish the Church (you and me) cared more for people wandering in the dark toward death than filling Sunday Worship with a kickin' band and amazing speakers. Picking up our crosses, dying deep to self, and following Jesus no matter the cost doesn't glitter very much.

I wish bombing the innocent was not seen as act of heroism anywhere in the world. Honorable bravery for a just cause never kills the weak and small.

I wish civility returned to our national discourse and everyday interchanges. Kind words heal and generous words build bridges. Wise words win a hearing. Listening well creates relationships.

I wish the pursuit of wealth was also a pursuit of helping others overcome their obstacles and make a life as well. Helping the least of Christ's brethren opens us to the heart of the Gospel and Kingdom.

I wish religious hatred withered because people reached across the table and began to really talk about what faith means to them and why. Learning to listen to the hearts of others seeking after God is a noble thing and an opening.

I wish those working to create division between races and cultures would see their blindness and be ashamed. There is a common humanity beating in the hearts of all people God has made.

I wish my children and grandchildren could live in a world where people turned their swords into plowshares and celebrated war no more. Peace on earth and good will toward all people ...

I wish for the day when all the crying eyes will have their tears dried, all broken hearts will be healed, everything will be set to right, and love annihilates hatred and death.

I wish the deceived young bomber who will not give himself up in Watertown right now will be spared find a Savior full of forgiveness, grace and mercy.

Amen.

We're a "New Agey" Church...Really?

You ever wonder how people come to the conclusions they do, and be so far off from what the reality is? I bet I've done it many times, and I know others have as well.

Well, recently one of the imagine gang told me a person they knew from another church wanted to know why he and his family were going to a "new agey" church? Apparently, in their minds we were not a true Christian church, but some sort of  counterfeit spiritual group. Or at least, we did not match what the person understood to be the hallmarks of a true Christian church. The person asking the question had never been to imagine from what I understand.

So, I got to thinking about what the term actually described when I was first exposed to it in the 60's, in contrast to what we actually believe at imagine/Northampton (BTW: our core beliefs are all on our website: www.imaginenorthampton.org; click on the "imagine doc" link in the column to the right of the page. I also have written about them throughout my blog.).

So what are the tenets of New Age spirituality? According to Wikipedia:

The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational psychology, holistic health, parapsychology, consciousness research and quantum physics".^[2] The term New Age refers to the coming astrological Age of Aquarius.^[1]

The New Age aims to create "a spirituality without borders or confining dogmas" that is inclusive and pluralistic.^[3] It holds to "a holistic worldview",^[4] emphasizing that the Mind, Body and Spirit are interrelated^[1] and that there is a form of monism and unity throughout the universe.^[5] It attempts to create "a worldview that includes both science and spirituality"^[6] and embraces a number of forms of mainstream science as well as other forms of science that are considered fringe.

The New Age movement includes elements of older spiritual and religious traditions ranging from Monotheism through Pantheism, Pandeism, Panentheism, and Polytheism combined with Science and Gaia philosophy; particularly Archaeoastronomy, Astronomy, Ecology, Environmentalism, the Gaia hypothesis, UFO religions, Psychology, and Physics.

New Age practices and philosophies sometimes draw inspiration from major world religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Chinese folk religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Sufism, Judaism (especially Kabbalah), Sikhism; with strong influences from East Asian religions, Esotericism, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Idealism, Neopaganism, New Thought, Spiritualism, Theosophy, Universalism, and Wisdom tradition.^[9]

 Nothing we practice or believe draws on "both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions," nor do we work to "create a spirituality without borders or confining dogmas that is inclusive and pluralistic."

In short, if you were to hang around us for a while you would hear us talk much about Jesus as Savior, Lord and Friend. There ar no other gods above him.You'd come to know we have a high view of the Christian Scriptures, the astounding miracle of the Cross and Resurrection, substitutionary atonement, salvation by grace through faith, not works; forgiveness and healing, freedom in Christ , the missional Kingdom of God with its call to a sacrificial life of love and service toward everyone in the name of Christ, including those who don't know him or are viewed as outcasts; the vivifying presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the disciple; spiritual intimacy with Christ, the spiritual gifts, the spiritual disciplines of prayer (listening, talking to God, interceding), worship as a way of life, biblical and theological study, and faith- borne acts of kindness, compassion, and care.

Of course, you'd see how much we value creativity, the arts, and human expression which tells the truth about the human condition. We see creativity and art as a profound gift of God. So we have the imagineGALLERY. It's a way we connect with Northampton, breaking down barriers and working to build relationships with folks who are wary of Christians. We also encourage creative expression in our worship to open hearts and minds to the breathtaking wonder of the Gospel and Creation. Some of the greatest works of art ever created over the centuries were acts of devotion by followers of Christ. We want to ignite that.

Our Sunday morning gatherings for worship are relaxed and welcoming on purpose. We pray and testify to God's goodness. We sing together, and listen to songs which reflect reality. We give people time to talk publicly about the goodness of God to build our faith and acknowledge his beauty, faithfulness and love. We hear teaching that is Scripturally sound, and aimed toward helping people drop their guard, know God, spiritually mature, and follow him well in the life he has called them to live. Our teaching is full of grace and truth. We want people to move away from what limits their wholeheartedness toward Christ, but opens them to the courageous freedom of living a life full of love, service and grace. We share communion, pray and hang out with each other in and out of the church.

While our liturgy may look bit different, it is centered in the reality of the Gospel and Christ's call to worship with the whole of the person;s time, talents and resources through the week.

Therefore, to be honest, I'm not sure what the person is talking about when thinking we are "new agey." I suspect he or she has jumped to conclusions with no first-hand experience or evidence beyond hearsay. We all do it. But in this case, I bet this person might be quite embarrassed ti know how wrong he or she is when it comes to imagine/Northampton.

Monday Morning Reflection, April 12, 2010: Hebrews 3:13,17-8.

"Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in meekness of wisdom."

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

Interesting how the writer tethers wisdom to good conduct and works. Such wisdom is characterized by purity, a peaceful bearing, gentleness, reasonableness, mercy, impartiality and sincerity. It produces good fruits in abundance and a harvest of righteousness is the yield because wisdom makes peace.

So wisdom is not merely intellectual acuity or prowess. Being smart or an analytical thinker may or may not produce wisdom. Wisdom as characterized here has little commerce with pride. Winning the argument or demonstrating superiority is the antithesis of this wisdom. It does not puff up or seek to humiliate others. Rather it seeks produce a life characterized by true understanding which leads to righteousness and good fruits.

Wisdom doesn't pursue contention and strife for their own sakes. Riling up people is not its greatest pleasure. True wisdom seeks to be peaceable because it is impartial and open to reason, sound judgment, playing fair and be willing to listen in earnest and humility. Wisdom desires truth which frees people and demonstrates the greatness of God. It listens with respect, then explains with care and diligence, seeking to be understood even if not agreed with. It does not force its way for the sake of being right. It wants conversations which build bridges and tear down division or emnity.

Biblical wisdom always reflects the heart and mind of God. It signifies his nature and ways, summoning people to truth and a life of love. Impartiality, gentleness and mercy characterize the way of godly wisdom. Good conduct can result as we yield to the wisdom God invites us to. He trains us in this way as we struggle to surrender our hearts and learn to follow him.

In this way, orthodoxy does lead to orthopraxy:  right thinking (humbly reflecting unto wisdom) does produce right practice (living unto God and reflecting his nature to the world). Ultimately, I think, our understanding then should produce servant hearts in us. We yield to wisdom; we do not manufacture it.

But I wonder how hungry we are for God's wisdom? Are we desperate enough for the understanding which sows a harvest of righteousness in peace. Or do we tire of the struggle to be "good?" And how many of us see true wisdom as largely unattainable, the enterprise of scholars, teachers, pastors and "really smart people?"

Nevertheless, may you yield this moment to God's call to live from a place of such goodness that increasingly good conduct shows your works in "meekness of wisdom." I know only grace can accomplish this in you and me, but pray that such "meekness of wisdom" would more and more reflect your life.

Addressing Some Concerns from Our Second Evening of Conversations

Last Friday evening after a challenging conversation around how we would do worship, it became readily apparent to me that we needed to clarify a few essentials. In this process of helping people locate themselves in the church we are launching in Northampton, we realized that the burden was on us to explain further issues that surfaced so that I will do.

The Centrality of Jesus:

Everyone on the imagine/northampton team is a Christ-follower. We know he is the way, the truth and the life, the Father is found only through him. The main reason we are in Northampton is to make him known through unexpected love and service to people far from him. Without Jesus and his completed work of salvation and redemption, we have nothing to offer anyone. Spiritual formation will be central to our life together, especially as it ignites our ability to love Jesus and people who do not yet know him. Therefore, those who join our missional community will be challenged in grace to know Jesus and surrender wholeheartedly to him, learning intimacy with God as a way of life.

He will be the sine qua non of everything we do.

The Scriptures Ground and Guide Us:

All of us on the Launch Team hold to the view that the Scriptures are uniquely foundational to the formation and life of all Christ-followers: inerrant, authoritative, and complete for salvation and sanctification. The Bible will be read, studied, preached and lived in the life of imagine/northampton. They and the vivifying Holy Spirit are our daily vitality. They focus, guide, chasten, inspire, and motivate us. Without the Scriptures in our hearts and minds we are impotent toward the Kingdom and the world. Therefore, those who join our missional community will have all sorts of opportunities to learn and live the Scriptures individually and together.

Truth and Love:

We believe that all truth comes from God. Most importantly, revealed truth from God gives all of life meaning. Without God's truth we are blind, deluded, and lame. We also believe that the truth is best lived and most expresses God's heart through sacrificial love to one another and to everyone/anyone who crosses our paths and lives in our lives. Imagine/northampton will work to exist within the revealed truth of God and manifest that truth through loving service.

Truth and love anchor us.

Truth and love guide us.

Truth and love tether us.

Truth and love free us.

Therefore, those who join our missional community will be invited constantly to think about the truth so that love rules their thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and actions with increasing maturity.

The Arts have a Unique Role in Revealing Truth and Beauty that Provokes the Mind and Captivates the Heart:

We believe the arts have an unmatched ability to see deep into the reality and mystery of life, people and God. Through the imagination, doors into the ineffable and the real are possible. Art and story open truth that can be felt and understood. We will use the arts in worship, teaching and outreach to express the heart of the Gospel and capture the exquisite joys and crushing sorrows of the human condition in a fallen but beautiful world. The cries of the heart, the play of the imagination and the searching of the mind for truth will find an ally through the arts at imagine.

Therefore, those who join our missional community will have ample opportunity to know and be artists in service of Jesus and Northampton.

We Will be a Missional Church:

One of our deepest desires in imagine is to love and serve the community of Northampton. We believe the best way forward is to incarnate the Kingdom through relationship building, loving and helping. We want to do so in a way that will be unexpected, outrageous for the context, out of the ordinary. We want to challenge the antagonism that people have toward Christ-followers by doing what they least expect and doing it selflessly.

So our life together will be about reaching "those guys out there." It will be in our DNA, at the core, a focus of our reason for being. On the other hand, don't misunderstand that we will care little for the community of Christ-followers within imagine/northampton. We will care much for people God sends us, but not as the sole end of the church. If we are going to be Christ-followers we think it means following him in the Kingdom work he is doing in Northampton. Helping each other heal, grow, strengthen and be freed will be in order to follow him with abandon outside our walls, not merely to enhance our imagine's community.

We are here for them out there....

Therefore, those who join our missional community will be cared for well so that they might take every opportunity to follow Jesus and love those he loves who are far from him.

Creativity:

Christ-followers we admire and respect believe that where there is creativity in the church there is the Spirit. The Scripture says that where there is freedom there is the Spirit also. Creativity thrives in freedom. Therefore imagine/northampton will be a welcoming, freeing estuary of creativity, imagination and innovation that glorifies God and enlivens people. We are not afraid of change that comes when creativity challenges our human traditions, best-laid plans security, presuppositions or sacred cows. As long as it seeks to tell the truth, ennoble people and point, however nuanced, toward the wonder and unparalleled magnificence of Jesus, we will strive to catalyze it in ourselves and others.

Therefore, those who join our missional community will be exposed to creativity, be challenged to create and encouraged to unleash creativity in others.

So....we love Jesus, period.

We stand on the Scriptures in their entirety, period.

We are humbly fierce for the truth and will try to express it through love as God helps us.

We will use the arts repeatedly toward truth and beauty.

We will be outwardly missional to the core.

We will invite creativity everywhere.

While I know there is much more to say on the ideas above and other equally important subjects, I hope what I have written helps people locate imagine/northampton's heart a little bit easier and perhaps themselves within it. If not, tell me. We'll talk.