Monday, January 31, 2011

Awe in the Arboretum

 The wind was gently blowing through the wooded hollows as we made our way around the bend. It was such a beautiful day Saturday, and we went walking in the Arboretum. A good walk clears the cobwebs, cements relationships and provides an experience of walking with God. As Nancy and I came around the bend in the path, a dozen or more eastern bluebirds were dancing from limb to limb and hovering in mid-air. With the shafts of piercing sunlight bouncing off of their beautiful blue wings, it was a moment to take your breath away. We also saw yellow warblers, which I thought it was too early in the year for them. But we just stood in reverent silence, watching these aviary antics. An overwhelming sense of being privileged at that moment to experience God’s creation permeated our very being. Together we sang in response “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.”

This has caused me to pause and take inventory of the daily gifts of blessings that God provides. It is easy to lose the ability to be “awed.” The dictionary definition of “awe” is…an emotion experienced,  tied to a wondering reverence tinged with fear inspired by the sublime. That just about sums up our sanctified strolling in the Arboretum!

Awe…what is it that inspires this in us on a daily basis? In the NIV 53 times the word “awe/awesome” is used. I like the reference in Deuteronomy 10:21, “He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.”   This is in the context of Israel receiving the law on two tablets of stone the second time. And Israel is reminded of their recent past where they witnessed the might acts of God that demonstrated His ways and His will among them.

My challenge for all of us today is to keep our eyes open to marvelous wonders of God. It may be something extraordinary in His creation. It may be something extraordinary as an answer to a prayer. It may be a direct discipline that we receive from God to help us mature. It may be a transformation in a relationship we once thought was long gone and over. It may a million different ways that God’s marvelous wonders are shown. Let us never lose the childlike faith and the reverent awe that stands dumbfounded before God. May the God of heaven and earth continue daily to inspire within us a deep and profound sense of awe with His simplest gifts!

In Christian love, Curtis

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Glorious Light - Welcome!


“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of the darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”(2 Corinthians 4:6).

It is intentional that the dominant metaphor for my new blog is “light.” This passage of Scripture from the pen of the apostle Paul has guided my ministry for 37 years. The reason it is so powerful is because it points to the Godhead as the source and shining forth of dazzling light (glory). It will be my purpose in this blog to constantly focus on the following things:
     
  1. The majesty of the presence and power of God.

  2. The light of Jesus shining in a dark world.

  3. The light of God’s Holy Spirit shining in our hearts.

As a result, we want to place our lamp on a stand so that it will give light to everyone in the house (Matthew 5:15). This intentional commitment to being light in a dark world will have its practical and missional impact: “…Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”(Matthew 5:16).

Accordingly, I will be writing about: things I am reading, my own personal experiences, journal entries, theological reflections, Books I am reading, current Scriptures that are impacting my life, pictures and responses to events, reactions to current cultural trends, delving into Classics of Christian devotion, poetry, art and faith, science and faith,  conversations on the way, insights and suggestions about Christian servant-leadership, comments on brotherhood events, stories and vignettes of God’s presence and work, reflections on history, addressing contemporary burning questions, politics and the Christian faith, workplace issues, family issues, money issues, moral issues, and fundamentally representing the Christian worldview.

Dominus Illuminatus mea. This Latin phrase is on the crest of Oxford University. It means “The Lord is my light.” Being exposed to another culture gave me insights into the ways in which people in the past have sought the light of Lord. Some ways were incredible, other ways seemed to hide the light of the Lord under a bushel basket! I am thinking of how my own conviction about the Lord being my light has in the past, and most certainly will in the future, guide my own calling to ministry.

Please feel free to add your comments after every posting. This is an exciting way to interact and share our thoughts in Jesus. Fellowship in the body of Christ is en-“light”-ened and enriched when we take time to interact in this way. May God make His face to shine up us and bless us!

In Christian love, Curtis