I've said this before, but I need to own this thought - not that it's mine exclusively, but I need to identify with it. Writing seems to help me do that. It's sort of a public declaration. I have no clever or smooth introduction, so I suppose I'll just say it (correct me if I'm wrong):
One cannot love God without also loving others. To put it another way, if you don't love others, you don't love God.
I stood in the parking lot of the church with a friend two nights ago and we discussed theology until the wee hours of the morning. It was so refreshing - edifying - restorative.
I brought up John 3:16:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." He reminded me that the response (and therefore purpose) of this verse is the glorification of Christ. Agreed. However, look at the reason for God sending His Son - it's out of His love for the world - for His creation.
John 3:17 continues, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
God's purpose was one of redemption - a restoration of relationship of us to Him. His glory was revealed out of love. You sacrifice for the things that you care about. And God sacrificed the most.
Loving God brings you into a closer relationship with Him. As hearts become closer, they become more unified. They become one. I think it's like this in our human relationships, too. Couples care about the interests of their beloved. As they come together, she might find out that she enjoys soccer and he might discover that going to tea is actually fun. This is a poor example because it's a flawed shadow of what our relationship with God is like, but I think it points in the right direction.
As we grow in our relationship with Christ, our hearts become more and more like His through the continuing process of sanctification. Thus, if we say that we love God we should also be loving people.
But what does that look like? Love is not just a feeling. In acting classes that I took during college we were told, "acting is not feeling something, it's doing. You have to show it." Love is an action. It's a choice. It's something we decide to do even when we don't feel like doing it. It's putting the needs and wants of another before our own (John 15:12-13). It's sacrifice.
It's risky. It's reckless. It means calling out for justice in a mindset of mercy (look at Micah). It's done through community. Love requires relationship, so it's not something that you can do alone.
The Church provides that community of love. But let's be honest - the Church is far from perfect. And how could it be? It's comprised of a bunch of broken, flawed people. But that's the way it was designed to be. The Church is like a hospital - you don't go there expecting to see a bunch of healthy people. Yet, those in the hospital have realized their need for help, their inability to heal themselves. The purpose of a hospital is to bring about the restoration of health. Similarly, the purpose of Church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is to help bring about the restoration of relationship - to God and to one another. That's not to say that the hospital (or Church) should be chaotic. Mentally unstable people are not let out of the psych ward to go wandering about at free will. Similarly, there is discipline and boundaries within the Church.
Peoples' lives rub up against one another creating friction, revealing our rough spots that still need working out. And that's what community does. But out of love, we realize that we are all fallen. We are all sick. We are all rough. And so we love eachother. But we don't love out of our own power. There is nothing about you or about me that is so great that it deserves to be unconditionally loved. But God's love transforms our hearts so that we can grow to love others as He loved us - unconditionally.
And those are my thoughts. Loving God produces a love for others. It has to.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Fish Song
First off, I'd just like to say that I love working at my dad's house. I get to be with people whom I love, I get to do activities that allow my mind to wander, I get to rest while working hard, and I've been listening to my Pandora station of The Three Tenors (although currently I'm visiting the Coldplay Station). It's beautiful here. And I get to do a lot of processing...
So today as I was scrubbing paint over spray off of the kickboard in the bathroom with Krud Kutter and a toothbrush, I started thinking about salmon. I have no idea where the thought came from. I wasn't even listening to music to put the idea into my head, but it invited itself nonetheless.
Here's what impresses me about salmon:
~ They are born in freshwater, live in saltwater, and then return to the freshwater to spawn.
~ When spawning, they return to the same place that they were hatched - sometimes/often swimming upstream against currents of force to get to the location.
~ They generally die within a few days of spawning.
These fish are amazing.
The last fact has always caught my attention. While my initial response may be some cynical joke along the lines of, "and that's why we say 'no' to kids," I realized something kind of beautiful today. Scriptures say that it's a picture of Christ.
The whole purpose of these fishes' lives is to give life. And while I can't exactly say that these fish are motivated by love, I cannot help but notice that collectively, an individual dies so that others may live. This isn't a passive decision. This isn't just bad luck - a "well, you got picked in the lottery, so sucks to be you" kind of sacrifice. It's active - something brought about by the fish's actions to bring about life.
That's really neat.
So, if the whole purpose of a fish's life is as such (evidenced by what they die for), then how much more amazing does that make the actions of Christ?
While fish may act out of instinct, that beautiful component of love is central to the divine love story found in the cross.
So today as I was scrubbing paint over spray off of the kickboard in the bathroom with Krud Kutter and a toothbrush, I started thinking about salmon. I have no idea where the thought came from. I wasn't even listening to music to put the idea into my head, but it invited itself nonetheless.
Here's what impresses me about salmon:
~ They are born in freshwater, live in saltwater, and then return to the freshwater to spawn.
~ When spawning, they return to the same place that they were hatched - sometimes/often swimming upstream against currents of force to get to the location.
~ They generally die within a few days of spawning.
These fish are amazing.
The last fact has always caught my attention. While my initial response may be some cynical joke along the lines of, "and that's why we say 'no' to kids," I realized something kind of beautiful today. Scriptures say that it's a picture of Christ.
The whole purpose of these fishes' lives is to give life. And while I can't exactly say that these fish are motivated by love, I cannot help but notice that collectively, an individual dies so that others may live. This isn't a passive decision. This isn't just bad luck - a "well, you got picked in the lottery, so sucks to be you" kind of sacrifice. It's active - something brought about by the fish's actions to bring about life.
That's really neat.
So, if the whole purpose of a fish's life is as such (evidenced by what they die for), then how much more amazing does that make the actions of Christ?
While fish may act out of instinct, that beautiful component of love is central to the divine love story found in the cross.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Monshers of Reckless Abandon
Here's how working in the garden went for me yesterday (well, two days ago now):
A wonderful little two-and-a-half year old came running at me from across the yard, blonde hair flying and hazel eyes full of joy. I was either half bent over in a rose bush, trying to cut out a sucker...or I was completely squatting under the plant (it's hard to remember exactly because this happened a coupe of times).
"Beppa Boo!" she cheered as she came to a stop and gripped her hands into either my back pockets or into the top of my jeans - whichever suited her fancy on the various trips she took to see me during her flight around the yard.
With the back of my jeans firmly in her grasp, my favorite little person then brought her teeth down over one of my back pockets and "bit" me. "Beppa Boo, I a monsher and I eating you!" she informed me.
"Oh...yep!" was about all I could say each time as I stood there with a pair of clippers in one hand and a very large rose branch in the other - doing my best to focus on breathing deeply so that I wouldn't betray how much she was tickling me or how ridiculously cute I thought she was. Also, if I squirmed, I was likely to wind up face-first in a rose bush. To say the least, the experience was super cute, very funny, and tickled like crazy but I couldn't let onto that because to wiggle out of her grasp and laugh would only encourage the behavior.
And let's be realistic: although having a two year old grab you by your jeans and bite your butt while informing you that she's a monster that's eating you is really funny and charming when you're in the backyard, that sort of behavior isn't typically embraced too much in public. As children age and come to "know better" this sort of behavior is also discouraged. So, I treasure it for now.
I love watching young children because they are free from many of the constraints that society has placed on them. They are free to laugh, explore, be silly, play, and love without further thought. They don't feel the pressure of not fitting in. If they understand that they are loved, then that's all that matters. Everything else in life follows for them to pursue with every ounce of energy in their little bodies.
I think maybe that's what Jesus meant when he said that we were to become like little children. We are called to a relationship with him where we wants us to understand how unreservedly he loves us - unconditionally, no exceptions. And in the depth and security of that love we are free to live our lives as passionately as little children who just saw a butterfly for the first time. We are free to marvel, to love extravagantly, and to take bold risks - to loosen the shackles of our insecurities, and to live in the knowledge that we are being watched over by One who has the power to protect us even in the face of real "monshers." We can experience wild, reckless abandonment to joy.
A wonderful little two-and-a-half year old came running at me from across the yard, blonde hair flying and hazel eyes full of joy. I was either half bent over in a rose bush, trying to cut out a sucker...or I was completely squatting under the plant (it's hard to remember exactly because this happened a coupe of times).
"Beppa Boo!" she cheered as she came to a stop and gripped her hands into either my back pockets or into the top of my jeans - whichever suited her fancy on the various trips she took to see me during her flight around the yard.
With the back of my jeans firmly in her grasp, my favorite little person then brought her teeth down over one of my back pockets and "bit" me. "Beppa Boo, I a monsher and I eating you!" she informed me.
"Oh...yep!" was about all I could say each time as I stood there with a pair of clippers in one hand and a very large rose branch in the other - doing my best to focus on breathing deeply so that I wouldn't betray how much she was tickling me or how ridiculously cute I thought she was. Also, if I squirmed, I was likely to wind up face-first in a rose bush. To say the least, the experience was super cute, very funny, and tickled like crazy but I couldn't let onto that because to wiggle out of her grasp and laugh would only encourage the behavior.
And let's be realistic: although having a two year old grab you by your jeans and bite your butt while informing you that she's a monster that's eating you is really funny and charming when you're in the backyard, that sort of behavior isn't typically embraced too much in public. As children age and come to "know better" this sort of behavior is also discouraged. So, I treasure it for now.
I love watching young children because they are free from many of the constraints that society has placed on them. They are free to laugh, explore, be silly, play, and love without further thought. They don't feel the pressure of not fitting in. If they understand that they are loved, then that's all that matters. Everything else in life follows for them to pursue with every ounce of energy in their little bodies.
I think maybe that's what Jesus meant when he said that we were to become like little children. We are called to a relationship with him where we wants us to understand how unreservedly he loves us - unconditionally, no exceptions. And in the depth and security of that love we are free to live our lives as passionately as little children who just saw a butterfly for the first time. We are free to marvel, to love extravagantly, and to take bold risks - to loosen the shackles of our insecurities, and to live in the knowledge that we are being watched over by One who has the power to protect us even in the face of real "monshers." We can experience wild, reckless abandonment to joy.
Kathryn conquers the "dinoshwawr".
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Good.
So, I dunno...I graduated, what - about two and a half weeks ago?
I'm still writing thank you letters. It's a good thing to do.
I moved home. It's a good place to be. My brother came home about a week after I graduated, and it's really nice to see him. Today I went out to lunch with a friend and then came home and just sat with him as he changed the oil in his car.
The whole point of me writing right now is because as I'm sitting outside writing my thank you notes with the intention of keeping him company while he washes his car, my cat decided that my lap would be a good place for her to occupy.
She circled around the legs of the plastic lawn chair, looking for a good entry. She settled on her target and jumped.
It was really funny. There wasn't much room for her and she ended up sitting on my keyboard (the list of people to thank are on my computer). Although my leg is now slightly scratched, I thought it was pretty funny, and for some reason, leaving a little, silly, inconsequential blog seemed like a good thing to do.
I'm in the process of pursuing some really exciting dreams of mine with a few dear friends.
And it's good.
I'm still writing thank you letters. It's a good thing to do.
I moved home. It's a good place to be. My brother came home about a week after I graduated, and it's really nice to see him. Today I went out to lunch with a friend and then came home and just sat with him as he changed the oil in his car.
The whole point of me writing right now is because as I'm sitting outside writing my thank you notes with the intention of keeping him company while he washes his car, my cat decided that my lap would be a good place for her to occupy.
She circled around the legs of the plastic lawn chair, looking for a good entry. She settled on her target and jumped.
It was really funny. There wasn't much room for her and she ended up sitting on my keyboard (the list of people to thank are on my computer). Although my leg is now slightly scratched, I thought it was pretty funny, and for some reason, leaving a little, silly, inconsequential blog seemed like a good thing to do.
I'm in the process of pursuing some really exciting dreams of mine with a few dear friends.
And it's good.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Mr. Bumble
Okay, this is not to trivialize my last post or anything, but this makes my heart smile, so I thought I'd share it. (Call me nostalgic, if you will.)
Here's another blog post I found the other day:
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Mr. Bumble and me
Current mood: hopeful
"I love my Mr. Bumble. I brought him home with me from Singapor. Although some ignorant people may say that he is a monkey, I happen to know that he is a Bumble-Bee-Dog. Be informed."
Here's another blog post I found the other day:
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Mr. Bumble and me
Current mood: hopeful
"I love my Mr. Bumble. I brought him home with me from Singapor. Although some ignorant people may say that he is a monkey, I happen to know that he is a Bumble-Bee-Dog. Be informed."
here's why Mr. Bumble is great:
1. he says that going to Vanguard will be great and exciting and that he's going to go with me just to make sure.
2. he's good at cuddling.
3. he has amazing fashion sense.
4. everybody knows that dogs are extremely loyal.
5. i can tell him my secrets and he doesn't tell them to others.
6. he likes hugs.
7. he's squishy. (not just anyone can be squishy and not gross simultaneosly.)
8. he makes me smile.
*say that he's a monkey and i will end you!
hahaha - no, but seriously though...
Back to today:
Mr. Bumble has come to school with me every year. Although he's lived in a drawer in my desk all this year, the 8 reasons above still apply. Add one more: he loves me even though I'm graduating as a spinster. So, many thanks to Mr. Bumble for his steadfastness and loyalty all these years at Vanguard.
Bumble, this one's for you.
Final.ly
So, I just took my last final. Granted, I still have make-up forum posts to do for my English 466 class (freaking elective - who does that!?), but still...
I just took my last final. Ever.
It's funny - I don't know that I've ever had a week of finals that was so busy and full of challenges. And yet, I think I've handled them really, really well...all things considered. So, now that I've had a moment to breathe...
Wow, this is it. I'm done with school. How many years of my life have gone into this? Let's see, starting with pre-school, kindergarten, grades 1-12, five years of college...19 years. Wow, I've spent 19 years of my life in school.
And I loved it.
So, this is bitter sweet. I'm really going to miss school. I've loved learning. I walked out of my final today, got on my bike and rode around a campus that I'm saying goodbye to. It felt like one of those beautiful days in summer camp where part of the beauty of the day came from its transitory nature. It's fleeting. And in that, there's a subtle, quiet, peaceful, slightly melancholic beauty. I can feel God with me. I can see Him in His creation, and I can feel Him whispering to my gently grieving heart. The sun is warm, the air is soft, a butterfly jigs across my vision. I'm grieving the passing of something I knew, but I'm celebrating a race well run.
And now there's the future. It's unknown. I don't know what I'm going to do with my life, but I'm excited about it. I have a passion for beauty, for art, for people, for emotion, for God...and for the church. I want to do something that involves all of it.
It's a beautiful day.
So, I'm thinking about seminary. It's a thought that's been there as of last night, but I'm thinking about it. Fuller Seminary offers an MA in Worship Theology and the Arts. Maybe Here?
It's a beautiful day, it's a beautiful day. And hello, and goodbye, and it's a beautiful life. Thank you.
I just took my last final. Ever.
It's funny - I don't know that I've ever had a week of finals that was so busy and full of challenges. And yet, I think I've handled them really, really well...all things considered. So, now that I've had a moment to breathe...
Wow, this is it. I'm done with school. How many years of my life have gone into this? Let's see, starting with pre-school, kindergarten, grades 1-12, five years of college...19 years. Wow, I've spent 19 years of my life in school.
And I loved it.
So, this is bitter sweet. I'm really going to miss school. I've loved learning. I walked out of my final today, got on my bike and rode around a campus that I'm saying goodbye to. It felt like one of those beautiful days in summer camp where part of the beauty of the day came from its transitory nature. It's fleeting. And in that, there's a subtle, quiet, peaceful, slightly melancholic beauty. I can feel God with me. I can see Him in His creation, and I can feel Him whispering to my gently grieving heart. The sun is warm, the air is soft, a butterfly jigs across my vision. I'm grieving the passing of something I knew, but I'm celebrating a race well run.
And now there's the future. It's unknown. I don't know what I'm going to do with my life, but I'm excited about it. I have a passion for beauty, for art, for people, for emotion, for God...and for the church. I want to do something that involves all of it.
It's a beautiful day.
So, I'm thinking about seminary. It's a thought that's been there as of last night, but I'm thinking about it. Fuller Seminary offers an MA in Worship Theology and the Arts. Maybe Here?
It's a beautiful day, it's a beautiful day. And hello, and goodbye, and it's a beautiful life. Thank you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
