Qualification - this will NOT be a neat, concise summary of something I've learned but rather a mixed-up, messy scribble of what I'm trying hard to grasp. And it's being written in the midst of puny-ness, so that factors in as well. Yep -I caught the bug, dang it!
Anyhow, some thoughts meandering around in my head include wilderness, desert, tower of babel, scattering, The Church vs. my church, war, battles, hunger, thirst, provision.
Wilderness/desert - place where those who've chosen to leave Egypt walk when they've been given the vision of the Promised Land. Translation: within the church, those who've had their eyes open to a land of freedom from slavery and who have been willing to step onto a path are in a barren place.
Tower of babel - the thing built up when man rejected God's mandate to fill all the earth and instead held together and tried to build something that would "reach God". Translation: within the church there are many who are insistant upon building up "spiritualitly" through programs and rules and regulations who aren't willing to be "scattered" into the world. Death grips on tradition and the world's ways - business endeavors to try to "reach the masses".
Scattering - What happened at the tower of babel when people refused to do what was asked. And what happened again after Jesus came. Jesus said "Go" and He died - and He came back - yet they didn't truly go. They didn't do what He'd said. The way they "went" happened through severe persecution and THEN they were scattered. Translation - thinking we can somehow do what we are "supposed" to do is futile.
The Church vs my church - The Church is comprised of anyone who believes that God loved us enough to reconcile us to Him via Jesus on the Cross. Period. The Church is NOT the Roman Catholic church - is not Baptist or Pentecostal or Methodist or 'insert any denomination here'. My church can be any of those things but the key is "my" and insinuates an elitist attitude. I believe ALL those things are PART OF The Church and it takes all parts! Yeah, even the parts that look like the tower of babel to me - dang!
War/battles - we are in one spiritually. Period. It never ends. There are retreats and quiet times but the war never ends.
Hunger/thirst/provision - back to the desert. There is no "natural" provision, yet when the Israelites wandered they had manna - God provided. There was water from the rocks - God provided. But it's clear that they were still hungry - despite having their "needs" met. translation: Just a guess but maybe we have to stay hungry for something else in order to not plop our butts down in the desert and stay! UGH!
Conclusion: WHY do we have to have this spiritual war raging around us? Why did God show me the Promised Land but land me in the middle of the desert with provision but not satisfaction? Why can I not sit still when an argument ensues about church and retreats back to Egypt? Why, in the midst of this desert do I want to scream for people to join me out here when I'm not satisfied?!?!?! Misery loves company - is that it?! I don't think so but still... Ugh!
Yeah - these questions are rhetorical. Just my messiness spilled out on a screen for later sorting.
Anyhow, some thoughts meandering around in my head include wilderness, desert, tower of babel, scattering, The Church vs. my church, war, battles, hunger, thirst, provision.
Wilderness/desert - place where those who've chosen to leave Egypt walk when they've been given the vision of the Promised Land. Translation: within the church, those who've had their eyes open to a land of freedom from slavery and who have been willing to step onto a path are in a barren place.
Tower of babel - the thing built up when man rejected God's mandate to fill all the earth and instead held together and tried to build something that would "reach God". Translation: within the church there are many who are insistant upon building up "spiritualitly" through programs and rules and regulations who aren't willing to be "scattered" into the world. Death grips on tradition and the world's ways - business endeavors to try to "reach the masses".
Scattering - What happened at the tower of babel when people refused to do what was asked. And what happened again after Jesus came. Jesus said "Go" and He died - and He came back - yet they didn't truly go. They didn't do what He'd said. The way they "went" happened through severe persecution and THEN they were scattered. Translation - thinking we can somehow do what we are "supposed" to do is futile.
The Church vs my church - The Church is comprised of anyone who believes that God loved us enough to reconcile us to Him via Jesus on the Cross. Period. The Church is NOT the Roman Catholic church - is not Baptist or Pentecostal or Methodist or 'insert any denomination here'. My church can be any of those things but the key is "my" and insinuates an elitist attitude. I believe ALL those things are PART OF The Church and it takes all parts! Yeah, even the parts that look like the tower of babel to me - dang!
War/battles - we are in one spiritually. Period. It never ends. There are retreats and quiet times but the war never ends.
Hunger/thirst/provision - back to the desert. There is no "natural" provision, yet when the Israelites wandered they had manna - God provided. There was water from the rocks - God provided. But it's clear that they were still hungry - despite having their "needs" met. translation: Just a guess but maybe we have to stay hungry for something else in order to not plop our butts down in the desert and stay! UGH!
Conclusion: WHY do we have to have this spiritual war raging around us? Why did God show me the Promised Land but land me in the middle of the desert with provision but not satisfaction? Why can I not sit still when an argument ensues about church and retreats back to Egypt? Why, in the midst of this desert do I want to scream for people to join me out here when I'm not satisfied?!?!?! Misery loves company - is that it?! I don't think so but still... Ugh!
Yeah - these questions are rhetorical. Just my messiness spilled out on a screen for later sorting.
posted by walkietalkiegg | 1:04 PM
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