On the Sixth Day of Christmas, My TRUE LOVE Gave to Me...

Today is December 30th- Happy "Sixth Day of Christmas"!

Today we think about the “Six Geese A-laying” which represent the six days of creation that confess God as Creator and Sustainer of the world (Genesis 1).

Today, we think of the Six Geese and the Six Days of Creation and we think of: PROCESS...

God's Act of Creation was not a one-time deal...it unfolded over a period of time... and it is sustained and nurtured by Him to this very day...additionally, we know that it will continue into some point in the the future, and eventually restored/replaced/redeemed (we don't quite know how) Revelation 21:1...

Such is our salvation...far from a one-time act, our salvation may have begun with a prayer, but it's effects unfold over time, and we must nourish it and encourage it's unfolding and continued growth. This is what: "...He that began a good work in us will carry it on to completion..." (Philippians 1:6 -New International Version, ©2010) is talking about.

We are a work in progress- begun, but not complete; and that work is being carried on by God. But we are not passive recipients of this work; we work with God in this process- as we clearly see in the following chapter of Philippians (2:12-13) where Paul instructs us to: "...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." (Philippians 2:12-13 -New International Version, ©2010)

Our salvation involves assent, then cooperation, and finally- perseverance, for as James writes: "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

"Not lacking anything..." I like that!

What this means, then, is that we cannot merely expect to recite the equivalent of an incantation with the expectation of an eternal reward. God's work in and through us is much too complex, mysterious, and beautiful to be reduced to such an understanding.

This is what it means to be "A New Creation" (II Corinthians 5:17) or Born Anew (John 3:3-7)…birth is the beginning of a lifelong process- not merely and end unto itself!

So today, as we think about the "Six Geese A-laying" which represent the Six Days of Creation, we contemplate how we are New Creations when we begin to follow Jesus, and that our walk with God is a process that requires active participation, cooperation, and perseverance over the course of a lifetime. Because of this we realize that when we accept God's gracious gift of salvation, we become not simply beneficiaries of God’s redemptive work in the world, but we are also called and expected to become ambassadors and co-creators with God…agents of continual restoration and redemption of God’s New Creation in the world.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for being Our TRUE LOVE!

Thank You for beginning a good work in us.

Thank You for carrying it on unto completion-

(often despite our efforts to the contrary).

Thank You for acting in our lives to fulfill Your Good Purpose for the world.

Help us to be active participants in the process.

Help us to persevere.

We ask this not so we can get something from you-

(supernatural self-improvement)

but so that we can have the honor of

participating with You in the redemption of the world.

~Amen~

Formation Friday

In studying the Psalms for a seminary class, I was once again struck with the vivid and often vitriolic character of the imprecatory laments (mournful petitions). The petitions can be shockingly horrifying (e.g. Psalm 109 and Psalm 137). In these songs, the Hebrew people ask God to vindicate them by triumphing over their enemies in often graphic and disturbing ways. On the face of it, one wonders how anyone had the “nerve” to articulate such seemingly vindictive thoughts to God, let alone allow such words to be recorded. But the laments have an essential and marvelous function: by offering them up to God, we have the capacity to see our odious meditations and desperate thoughts transformed into something acceptable (Ps. 19:14), and because we are able to express our feelings toward The Counselor, we are provided with an alternative to outwardly expressing them through either words or actions toward our enemies. As we ventilate our feelings and process them through the filters provided by the Holy Spirit, he searches, tries, sees, and leads us (Psalm 139:23-24) toward healing. Practicing lament is not often though of as a productive or acceptable way of processing our thoughts and feelings, but I would suggest that it is a powerfully effective spiritual practice and an essential component of spiritual formation. Moreover, it is a way to truly step forward in faith and trust toward God, for we are trusting Him with our most filthy ugliness in the knowledge that He will love us nonetheless.

Here are some examples of modern day laments:

Here's one by Barlow Girl. It's very beautiful, and touching. Here is an entire album of laments by Michael Card and a page at Calvin Institute for Worship's website about lament and Card's work (both written and recorded) on lament for worship. Finally, I have to include this a haunting 'cover' of "On the Willows" (from Godspell) it is so agonally beautiful…

Grace and Peace~

Tracy