Thursday, November 20, 2008

True Intercession

Man, I've read so many good books this semester that my head is spinning. I think I'm going to take a break for at least a week so I can gather my thoughts and allow me to process what I have been learning. And what better way to gather my thoughts than to blog about something I've read in multiple books!

Prayer is a gift from God that needs to be central in my life and the life of the Church. Now prayer can take on many definitions and can be practiced in many different ways (i.e. meditating on scripture, talking to God, sitting in silence, ext...). However, for the sake of this blog, let's just define prayer as any type of activity where one creates space in their life for God. In Henry Nouwen's book "The Way of the Heart," he explains that only through creating this space can one truly be transformed into the image of God. It's in this space set aside for God that one begins to see his or herself for who they really are. We confront our own sin, guilt, pain, and inadequacies. And therefore, it's here that we have a true encounter with God. We realize we can do nothing apart from God and learn to truth of the cross; that we need to live daily out of God's grace for everything we do. And out of this encounter, God then transforms us to have a heart of compassion. We no longer judge or create this hierarchy of people in our lives because we have a correct view of who we are in relation to Christ, and so we can now minister to people with God's heart.

But, I've also been learning that compassion has a different meaning then what I originally thought. It's not just being nice to people, giving them encouraging words, a quick hug, then wishing them well (though sometimes these things great ways to minister to people). However, in Pete Greig's book "Red Moon Rising," he talks about how true intercession (or compassion) is when we allow ourselves to suffer with the people around us. True ministry is sharing life with those who are hurting. And this makes so much sense! I mean Jesus is God's revelation of God's compassionate heart. God sent God's son into the world so that he would suffer with us so that Jesus would be the ultimate minister of God's love and justice.

It doesn't end there. We are called to suffer with those around us, so that we can pass their suffering along to Christ. A quotation from Frank Carver's book "The Cross and the Spirit: Peter and the Way of the Holy," I think accurately sums up everything I've been talking about. "When we recognize our brokenness and come to Christ for healing, we are ready to share in the suffering of others -- not to carry them alone but to pass them on to Christ. Christ experiences us as we experience the life of the world around us, and thus He experiences the world through us."

So let us pray so that we may be transformed into the image of God, and therefore be able to walk alongside the world in their suffering with a compassionate heart that takes up all of their brokenness and gives it back to the Lord Jesus!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

John 10:14-16

It says, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."

This passage is a perfect example of God's calling for us to participate in the loving relationship of the Trinity. The Trinity (as I understand it...aka not very well) is characterized by relationship and an externally focused love. This can be seen in the dynamic relationship between the Jesus and the Father. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Father are in constant dialogue with each other; so much so that their thoughts and their wills are indistinguishable from one another. In Jesus we see God's mercy, love, grace, and justice. The gospel of John says that we too can participate in this act of knowing and being known. That the goal of Christianity is to reach a point where our will and the will of our Father are indistinguishable. People no longer see us, but our actions cause them to lift their eyes to God. But, this can only be done through dialogue. We must constantly be in prayer in order that we may begin to be transformed into the image of Jesus.

The passage doesn't end there. It then talks about going out and bringing in the sheep that are not in this sheep pen. And then there will be one flock and one shepherd. This shows the externally focused love that is found in the Trinity. God's love is never just for Godself; it is always flowing into humanity and creation (which are the greatest examples of this external love!), drawing people into a relationship with the Triune God. This is the goal of transformation, to draw people into a relationship with their God. So just as the Triune God is three persons in one, so the Church will be many members but ONE body with Christ as its head. The Church is the manifestation and representation of the Triune God here on Earth. How sick is that!

I know this is nothing knew, but it's really cool when stuff you learn in class effects what you read in your devotionals.