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Destiny
is a Pandora’s box of meaning for each and every one of us. The Word, destiny alone is the only thing
that is truthfully shared. Before there was the “Body,” every ‘body’ was
planned, created and given a capacity or motivation to build upon a lifetime’s
journey of realizing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in their lives. Your very
existence IS a means of Grace!
We
live in a three dimensional world, but do we think three-dimensionally? Or
better said still—Do we think, feel or operate through a Trinitarian lens in
all that we “Do,” say, Be/become in our lives lived as disciples of Christ?
Operating from this lens opens the eyes of the heart and the mind of the
believer to discover and build upon that very foundation established by God. This very foundation is to live into that
mission commissioned by God: be/become the children of Grace sharing this in
order to transform the face of the earth.
The
account of the creation story shared in this Sunday’s lessons is a visual “love
poem” of God’s creativity at work. This
creativity flowed as light and goodness, crafting the world from nothingness to
purpose, from emptiness to wholeness, all in His measure and capacity of time. Nature is God’s manifestation of love and
Grace. We are of nature, as well, though
we definitely fall away from realizing this humbling fact thanks to the evil
one’s successful work upon us to become “worlds unto ourselves...”
Cursillo
is the Spanish word meaning “short course.”
Life, by no means is a “short course.”
However life shaped by a Loving heavenly Father/parent, redeemed by
Christ Jesus and encouraged, empowered, enlightened and embraced by the Holy
Spirit is a short course relived daily as we grow and go with the Gospel.
Growing
into Going with the Gospel takes a reality check of where you are and who you
are on that mountain top... On that
mountain top looking outward into the peace and beauty of God’s great creation
where the sky is boundless and hopeful.
A sky no human darkness can crush when your heart is built with
tenacious bricks of faith and the mortar is your daily walk with God as
reflection, confession, repentance and renewal.
Living
in the world but not being of the world may have been easy Words for Jesus to
say in just one of many of his instructional moments he gave the disciples to
Go boldly and make disciples of all nations... but in reality, quite difficult
for us to hear deeply, realize deeply and DO.
There
is so much around us, beyond sin.... that oppresses us, clutters our lives away
from God where we avoid that critical spiritual tuck-pointing needed to our own
stability as disciples of Jesus, because it is too costly. The bricks are still there but precariously
rest atop one another, where one could perhaps even pierce straight through to
the vulnerable core of who you are deeply—as only God the Father, creator,
redeemer and advocate knows you ARE.
The
other day I was talking with someone about different cursillo communities
across America—their efforts and movements today. Being man-made retreats of a “short-course”
in Christian leadership; many have fallen prey to either being measuring
stations of “hierarchical leadership” or to frankly being exclusionary “Elk-clubs”
for lay Christians to boast upon their faith and “righteous-accomplishments.”
Patience
and perseverance wins the race... but what race are YOU running? Who is more or less the victor? Satan or
Christ Jesus?! It gets harder and harder
to hear that Gracious, peaceful voice of God firming your foundation and
building your heart with a humble and empowered sense of self... especially
when we allow the world to continually bring us down, tell us we’re not worthy,
we’re not good enough... we’re not the right sex, faith or person. We reign in the darkness upon each other and
ourselves to Satan’s delight.
Now a
few weeks back, I am still spiritually there over looking that mountain-side cliff
seeing nothing but trees, rock and sky...
All of the darkness and its clutter, was for the moment gone. God’s Holy
Spirit pieced the Words flowing from the heart, together affirming, empowering
and bringing glorious light upon me... reminding me of His commission and
mission He Alone has for just my life alone.
This went above and beyond human authorities, municipalities, degrees
and doctrine; It WAS a redemptive moment realizing the totality of God in, with
and through my life as His disciple!
No
one has authority over and above that for it is from GOD Alone as GRACE Alone
through Faith Alone. A faith built by
suffering is the cost of discipleship especially in a world run by Satan—steeped
in darkness, greed and indifference. You
cannot have a “cookie cutter faith” as well as a “cookie-cutter presence” in
the world—this is the death of the Gospel!
You need to LIVE into the lifestyle of Grace fully accountable to the
whole of who you truly ARE, whether or not “it doesn’t fit the mold,” or “makes
someone uncomfortable enough,” to persecute and victimize you.
A
couple of churches ago, the closing doxology performed beyond familiarity
breeds contempt... I confess, that I had a love/ hate relationship with. I really hated “Go Ye there forth and make
disciples...” Every time we would start
to sing it, Pastor D would turn around since he knew my secret and we would
both share a sarcastic smile... It wasn’t
the music minister’s fault it was just an awful tune that became painful after
awhile to sing week after week!
This
is trivia but the big point behind even this little example, is that there are
much greater things in our lives authentically and truthfully shaping our
discipleship journey whether sojourning together or (seemingly) on our
own. We were created for much greater
plans! BUT, these plans need to be realized and built upon—that firm foundation
of the New Nature—the person, child of GRACE God wants you to be/ become.
This
foundation is only penetrated, shaped and transformed by and for God—this is
your union with Him while you grow to go. It is a three-dimensionally-built
vision: Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Whatever
God leads you into to as realizing your very special purpose in the world for
the Glory of His Gospel—you need to be the steward of that foundation.
Living
the faith-filled journey bears its fate in time. It is messy, painful, shaky and at times
profoundly vulnerable but it is God’s destination for His creation—New Creatures—children
of Grace! Children of God who are in the
world but striving to not be of it, being and becoming practitioners of Love
for God and neighbor, as Jesus says: “19Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything
that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of
the age.”
AMEN
Holy Trinity Sunday (1st
Sunday after Pentecost); Father’s Day; Year A; SOLA Lectionary Nicole Collins
Psalm 8; Genesis 1:1-2:4; Acts
2:14, 22-36 & Matthew 28:16-20; (WELS): 2 Corinthians 13:11-14
http://youtu.be/b_VpuwRFOA4
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