the fear of being found out ...

"Don't live in the shadows because you always live fearful of being discovered."- Gary Nelson

living in the fear of being found out for mistakes made or premeditations of sin, is a crippling state that we find ourselves trapped in ... all to avoid discovery.

desiring freedom, to live weightless, guiltless ... trapped in shame.

as long as we live the lie, in the shadows, fear grows and becomes a very real paralysis.  it robs us of our joy, freedom and ability to build genuine authentic relations with those who desire to be close to us.

and the problem is not just affecting the people around us ... but obviously us, our very being and will to live as well.

listen to how this author puts it so clearly ... you can equate the word 'addictions' with 'shadows'.

“As long as we live within the world's delusions, our addictions condemn us to futile quests in "the distant country," leaving us to face an endless series of disillusionments while our sense of self remains unfulfilled. In these days of increasing addictions, we have wandered far away from our Father's home. The addicted life can aptly be designated a life lived in "a distant country." It is from there that our cry for deliverance rises up.” 

― Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming

'the distant country' ... how long have some of us lived in this place?  

'a worlds delusion' ... so true that we have come to believe that there is no one who could stomach or have the grace to help us walk through a journey of recovery.  this is a great delusion.  

i believe we take this delusion to God as well.  

“For most of my life I have struggled to find God, to know God, to love God. I have tried hard to follow the guidelines of the spiritual life—pray always, work for others, read the Scriptures—and to avoid the many temptations to dissipate myself. I have failed many times but always tried again, even when I was close to despair.
Now I wonder whether I have sufficiently realized that during all this time God has been trying to find me, to know me, and to love me. The question is not “How am I to find God?” but “How am I to let myself be found by him?” The question is not “How am I to know God?” but “How am I to let myself be known by God?” And, finally, the question is not “How am I to love God?” but “How am I to let myself be loved by God?” God is looking into the distance for me, trying to find me, and longing to bring me home.” 

― Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming

and that is the 'Gospel', the good news of God.  accepting this good news is allowing God to love us.  i absolutely love God for this!!!

He desires us to be reconciled to Himself.   

    to give us breath again.  

        to have us see again. 

              to live openly without shame and self-loathing. 

                     to be fresh air and light to a shadowed world.
                            to live and show others that there is another way to live.

                           

he desires to free us from the trap we set for ourselves ... shadowy deception ... believing that it ok to live in the shadows of our hidden failures & faults & sin.  

so let your cry of deliverance ring out.  join in on the anthem of victory.  be known, be loved,  be found by the One who created you for more than hiding.

love much, live more

shane

Vampire Christians, the Gospel and fighting over semantics.

Vampire Christians ... what is that?

In his book The Great Omission, author Dallas Willard says this about our views on salvation. check it out.

The gospel of sin management produces vampire Christians who want Jesus for his blood and little else... At the heart of right-wing theology is the individual forgiveness of sins. On the left it is the removal of social or structural evils. The current gospel then becomes a gospel of sin management. Transformation of heart and character is no part of the redemptive message. Moment to moment human reality is not the arena of faith and eternal living. What right and left have in common is neither a coherent framework of knowledge and practical direction adequate to personal transformation toward the abundance and the obedience emphasized in the New Testament.

essentially you want the blood of Christ and nothing else.  


which leads us to seek a better understanding of what the Gospel is.  and 'what the Gospel is?' is a question that will not go away and that's a good thing!

the Gospel is the biography of Jesus.  
in fact we have been given 4 gospels - interestingly enough they all start by saying this is the Gospel of Jesus.  or this book is about the good news story of Jesus Christ ... as in the whole book.

this Gospel story is a free gift that costs you everything - Jesus said it this way, 'pick up your cross', a death tool, and 'follow me' - that is, where Jesus went and all he did.  He asked it of His disciples as He does us as well.  its a narrative of redemption yet it requires complete surrender and sacrifice.  again God works in the paradox.

this narrative calls individuals to a community life which submits to Jesus as Lord - salvation is part of the package.

NOW ... we can fight over words OR we can lay down terminology and small thinking and work together to understand this great narrative that is about the restoration of all creation ... you and me included.  2 tim. 2:14 is pretty clear when it says to stop fighting over words.  the point being i believe, that there is a much bigger thing going on in God's sovereign universe than you or i having to be right.

the world is waiting and creation cries out for this.

awesome - thanks


shane

rescuing 'Worship'. what's your part? Comment please!

Many people accuse today's worship music of being pretty predictable. On the radio, it's the same chords and sentiments over and over. In many church services, worship means four or five of the biggest hits, thematically separate from the sermon to come. But what if worship music wasn't about the sound bite, but the story? How does or should today's worship sessions fit into the narrative of the Gospel? What is helpful for the Worship leader to know? What isn't helpful in worship? Love to hear what you think.  Really i would. grace and love Shane