"First, I say, love must needs be miserable and full of trouble and disquietude, when there is not worth and excellency enough in the object to answer the vastness of its capacity: so eager and violent a passion can not but fret and torment the spirit, when it finds not wherewith to satisfy its cravings: and, indeed, so large and unbounded is its nature, that it must be extremely pinched and straitened, when confined to any creature: nothing below an infinite good can afford it room to stretch itself, and exert its vigor and activity. What is a little skin-deep beauty, or some small degrees of goodness, to match or satisfy a passion which was made for God; designed to embrace an infinite God? No wonder lovers do so hardly suffer any rival, and do not desire that others should approve their passions by imitating it: they know the scantiness and narrowness of the good which they love, that it cannot suffice two, being in effect too little for one. Hence love, 'which is strong as death', occasioneth 'jealousy, which is cruel as the grave'; the coals whereof are coals of fire which hath a most violent flame."
"But divine love hath no mixture of this gall; when once the soul is fixed on that supreme and all-sufficent good, it finds so much perfection and goodness as doth not only answer and satisfy its affections, but master and overpower it too: it finds all its love to be too faint and languid for such a noble object, and is only sorry that it can command no more. It wisheth for the flames of a seraph, and longs for the time when it shall be wholly melted and dissolved into love: and because it can do so little itself, it desires the assistance of the whole creation, that angels and men would concur with it in the admiration and love of those infinite perfections." (Scougal, Henry. The Life of God in the Soul of Man. pp 74-75)
Side note:
I wish we talked and wrote like this now.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Observations of a New Pastor pt.5: Alone
I thought it was a stupid statement, one that had neither credence nor truth behind it. I thought this statement was used by men in ministry as a cop-out from portraying what they really felt. But, oh God, it is more true than I ever knew, and shame on me for ever believing otherwise.
“Leadership is a lonely place.”
Though you are surrounded be many people, and though your phone is constantly a buzz, and though your words are looked at with a sense of finality, leadership is a lonely place. The party can be jamming around you and people are flocking to meet you but your heart feels no different than when you’re in an empty silent room.
There is no buffer it’s just you and God, and, quite frankly, some days He’s not great company. Some of you might think that last sentence was awful blasphemy thinking, “Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.” Let me be the cynic who bursts your bubble. It’s not. Every day is not sweeter than the day before. Every day you grow more aware of the sinfulness of your heart and everyday you wake up to fight tooth and nail against an enemy who knows he’s beat so he fights all the harder. Your eyes open on your pillow and your intentions are already tainted by your sin. You walk the 10-20 feet to the bathroom and you’ve already placed your hope in an idol. You sit-down to eat your breakfast and you’ve already thought impurely of someone.
But here’s the beautiful part, the sweet and sweeter part. Jesus knows (Heb. 4:14-16). So as a pastor who feels this sense of complete aloneness I can cling more tightly to my Savior because he can, and does, sympathize with me in my solitude.
So, I suppose, the ‘lonely place’ is a place where it’s just you and the Triune God. Though He is the one who spurns you he is also the one who comforts you. Though he is the one who disciplines you he is also the wing under which you take shelter. Though his hand is the hand that breaks you, as it does so you reach to kiss the hand that saved you. Thus the quote changes to a question, “Can you stand to be alone with God?” I wouldn’t answer it too quickly either.
“Leadership is a lonely place.”
Though you are surrounded be many people, and though your phone is constantly a buzz, and though your words are looked at with a sense of finality, leadership is a lonely place. The party can be jamming around you and people are flocking to meet you but your heart feels no different than when you’re in an empty silent room.
There is no buffer it’s just you and God, and, quite frankly, some days He’s not great company. Some of you might think that last sentence was awful blasphemy thinking, “Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.” Let me be the cynic who bursts your bubble. It’s not. Every day is not sweeter than the day before. Every day you grow more aware of the sinfulness of your heart and everyday you wake up to fight tooth and nail against an enemy who knows he’s beat so he fights all the harder. Your eyes open on your pillow and your intentions are already tainted by your sin. You walk the 10-20 feet to the bathroom and you’ve already placed your hope in an idol. You sit-down to eat your breakfast and you’ve already thought impurely of someone.
But here’s the beautiful part, the sweet and sweeter part. Jesus knows (Heb. 4:14-16). So as a pastor who feels this sense of complete aloneness I can cling more tightly to my Savior because he can, and does, sympathize with me in my solitude.
So, I suppose, the ‘lonely place’ is a place where it’s just you and the Triune God. Though He is the one who spurns you he is also the one who comforts you. Though he is the one who disciplines you he is also the wing under which you take shelter. Though his hand is the hand that breaks you, as it does so you reach to kiss the hand that saved you. Thus the quote changes to a question, “Can you stand to be alone with God?” I wouldn’t answer it too quickly either.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Monday Reflecting Sunday
Yesterday was Journey the Way’s first baptism service. It was incredible! I was privileged to help a dear friend identify with Christ in baptism, a father baptized his twin sons, a fiancé baptized his fiancé and all shared how God through the grace purchased by Jesus in the Gospel radically redeemed sinners from their just deserts.
Needless to say it was a gorgeous Sunday, neither because the sun was shinning nor because the cool fall breeze gently welcomed you outside, but because God saw it fit to show his redeeming power through saved sinners speaking into a microphone. The baptismal waters were churning they were not still.
But it was not at our typical Murdock Theatre. Friday morning there was a fire. Though the building itself still stands the inside is covered, every inch, with ash and soot. The reek of fire envelopes you as you walk in and your hands are stained black from the simplest touch of an object. Thus we were forced to search for a new location.
We soon came to the Abode Venue who welcomed us (indeed bent over backwards for us) enthusiastically.
While watching people share their testimonies and eyes that were formerly dry begin to well with tears I realized, “We are in a building that is not yet open (it’s still under construction) sitting on chairs that are not yet ours, watching people be publically welcomed into the family of God with time that is not ours, nor eyes ours, nor ears ours.”
‘Worship’ that is the word that will ever describe that Sunday. Not because of the fantastic music, but because God caused hearts to sing and souls to come alive because of Jesus. Life was breathed into formerly dead souls! Right there in a venue we never thought we’d be in life was granted to the called. What more could you ask for?!?
Dead hearts were awakened and saw the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and came running to him their Father! “It’s like a dimmer switch. It didn’t happen all at once, but now I want it like I’ve never wanted anything in my life.”
Journey the Way is where she is and who she is because of the sheer grace of God, and by that same grace he will continue to shape her into who he has called her to be. The Gospel must be heralded to the dead.
Needless to say it was a gorgeous Sunday, neither because the sun was shinning nor because the cool fall breeze gently welcomed you outside, but because God saw it fit to show his redeeming power through saved sinners speaking into a microphone. The baptismal waters were churning they were not still.
But it was not at our typical Murdock Theatre. Friday morning there was a fire. Though the building itself still stands the inside is covered, every inch, with ash and soot. The reek of fire envelopes you as you walk in and your hands are stained black from the simplest touch of an object. Thus we were forced to search for a new location.
We soon came to the Abode Venue who welcomed us (indeed bent over backwards for us) enthusiastically.
While watching people share their testimonies and eyes that were formerly dry begin to well with tears I realized, “We are in a building that is not yet open (it’s still under construction) sitting on chairs that are not yet ours, watching people be publically welcomed into the family of God with time that is not ours, nor eyes ours, nor ears ours.”
‘Worship’ that is the word that will ever describe that Sunday. Not because of the fantastic music, but because God caused hearts to sing and souls to come alive because of Jesus. Life was breathed into formerly dead souls! Right there in a venue we never thought we’d be in life was granted to the called. What more could you ask for?!?
Dead hearts were awakened and saw the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and came running to him their Father! “It’s like a dimmer switch. It didn’t happen all at once, but now I want it like I’ve never wanted anything in my life.”
Journey the Way is where she is and who she is because of the sheer grace of God, and by that same grace he will continue to shape her into who he has called her to be. The Gospel must be heralded to the dead.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)