irreplaceable water

Water is a beautiful thing and it has a story to share. It is something irreplaceable and at the foundation of all life. It is weaved in the very fabric of our physical being and through water and The Word we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and given new life.

One of my first posts on this blog is entitled, "Living Water." In it I talk about a plant given to me on my first day at Christus Victor. Now two years later the plant is still living. It has slowly become a spiritual discipline to water this plant. As I water it I take a moment to think of the ways that I am fed, watered, and nourished spiritually.

The truth is there is no new source of water - every drop that exists today was in existence at the earth's creation. No wonder why my soul has been disturbed by the oil spill due to our dependence and love of oil. No wonder why most people love to be on the shore of an ocean, lake, river, or creek. Water has the power to connect us to the earth, the creatures of the earth, and one another. The story and life of Jesus is even revealed in the use of water.

The following video reminds us of the power of water and that we get to live a new life through Christ.

Church (Thrift) Shopping

by Johanna Johnson

I would say that literally three quarters of my wardrobe comes from thrift shops. I’d like to think you’d never be able to tell; I frequently get compliments on what I wear.

It wasn’t always this way. In fact, I used to hate thrift shops. I hated walking in and being overwhelmed by the vast variety of articles, nothing the same as the next, no way to simply find what I wanted in a different size. I hated that I usually couldn’t walk in and immediately find something I liked, that finding anything worthwhile required effort and patience and sometimes more work than I wanted to put in. I hated that so many things seemed so old fashioned, too old for me, too worn out. Shopping should be easy, right?

How many of us have felt that way about church? That there are too many people or practices there we can’t relate to, that we can’t simply exchange one person or practice for something that fits us better. That we sometimes go to church and can’t find something we immediately like, and leave feeling like nothing really struck our fancy. That worship feels old fashioned, or worn out. Church should be easy, right?

I have certainly felt this way. But as it turns out, faith isn’t easy. Like a thrift shop, it requires a bit of effort. Like a thrift shop, if you are willing to put a bit of effort into it, and not sit back and just wait for it to come to you, you will inevitably find something wonderful. Sometimes I walk into a thrift shop and immediately see something I like; sometimes this happens in church, too. But more often than not, God isn’t speaking in ways immediately apparent to us. Hearing God’s Word requires some patience, some effort, and the willingness to be open-hearted. With this attitude, you are much more likely to find that treasure that God has in store for you.

Overwhelming Peace

Currently, my heart cries for the families who have lost a love one due to the oil rig explosion. My heart cries for all the living creatures of our ocean dyeing because of our love and dependence on oil. My heart cries for the victims of the China and Haiti earthquakes. My heart cries for those dyeing of AIDS and Malaria in Africa. My heart cries for the tension in Thailand. What’s even scarier is that this list goes on and on and on...

Honestly, all of this is OVERWHELMING and Exhausting. After all there is not much we can personally do about it. I know that I’ve often wanted to crawl in a corner and ignore it.

And sometimes we do. We have the choice to turn off the TV. Build a strip mall around the run down trailer park that has poverty written all over it. We can bury things and pretend they are not there.

I imagine the 12 guys hiding in the upper room – realizing what happened when Jesus died. Not knowing the next move. So, naturally they locked the door and hid in fear.

So what does Jesus do? He meets them where they are at and says, “Peace be with you.” Then Jesus shows the disciples his wounds and again says, “Peace be with you.” Friends in Christ, this is not a greeting. It’s a gift. Jesus gave them peace. Jesus gave them the breath of the Spirit.
Even before the disciples were locked behind doors with fear. Jesus was offering peace.

Jesus knows that our hearts are easily troubled. Jesus knows that the ways of this world are overwhelming and that is why we can grasp at the words, “I do not give to you as the world gives.” Jesus even on the way to the cross was assuring us peace over and over again. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Don’t let your hearts be troubled, do not be afraid.

How many more times do we need to hear it?

It’s like a child that has been injured. Imagine a child bumps his head or scrapes her knee what do they run? They run into arms of a mother or father and just want to be embraced. A child knows that the parent cannot actually take away the pain. But there is renewed life found in the embrace of the parents comforting arms.

This world is fallen. We fall. We may not be able to physically run into the arms of God our father, our mother – but we sure can embrace our gift. A gift of peace. A gift of the Spirit.

Instead, of being overwhelmed by this world - we get to experience overwhelming peace.

Lord today we again cry for your peace.

Slithery Serpents

Take away the serpents
© 2009 John A. Clausen
ref: Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:14-21

Lord, take away the serpents.
The bite is cruelly sharp.
The poison, now injected,
speeds quickly to my heart.
The venom of the reptile,
which courses through my veins,
gives pause to longer living
the poison, dark sin, stains.
Lord, take away the serpents;
I’ll take away my pride.
Lord, listen, answer truly,
lest the poison stay inside.

The serpents’ deadly pestilence
remains despite my prayer.
Yet lifted high above me
new life is fix’ed there.
You didn’t take the serpents,
but in answer to my plea,
you gave a means of living
as you died upon the tree.
You didn’t take the serpents;
you took, though, all my sin
and placed its fearful poison
in your life, mine to win.

So, when the serpents slither,
give now your gift of grace;
forgive my constant failings
my sins, by love, erase.