What to do in an outage
As many friends and family members face Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hermine back home, I too was without power here. So what do you do in an outage?
Well, there are a few options. You could play checkers, or stock up on beer (a florida hurricane tradition, I'm told), you could say many heartfelt prayers of thanks to God that your house has a stand alone gas stove (✔), you could make candlelight s'mores with friends , or...apparently, I can let my really strange brain be alone with itself a little too long and come to some weird...places? Thoughts? Conclusions?
I don't really know what to call it, but I wrote it down, so now you too can be privy to the weirdness--unedited--as it occurred in the moment.
"In the course of mission, there is one word I've found to reoccur more than any other: Uncomfortable.
Mission cannot be something that leaves us wholly fulfilled, content, satiated, feeling as though we have successfully checked a box on our spiritual to-do list.
For the mission placed on each of us is to work to be in right relationship with God and with each other. This is a 4 dimensional mission that spans the heights, width, and depth of all creation, but also operates in the 4th dimension: time. And as a 4 dimensional mission, it is inherently evolving and calling us to draw ever closer to the perfection demonstrated for us in the life of Jesus Christ.
Except for the tiny fact that God, in the trinity, has demonstrated unequivocally time and time again, that our 4 dimensional reality is entirely insufficient for the full expression of divinity to be realized.
Bottom line: we are 4 dimensional creatures, striving for 5th or 6th, or 90th, or a millionth dimensional divine likeness. It is a task both impossible and worthy, daunting and mandated, incomprehensible and undeniable: Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.
And as it pertains to mission, it makes clear there can be no point at which one feels comfortable amid the injustices of human, 4 dimensional, reality.
In mission, you will be uncomfortable (and scared) when you go. You will be uncomfortable while you adapt to the unfamiliar. You will be uncomfortable when you are asked to go beyond what you planned and embrace something you never really expected or wanted, but that is needed. And you will be uncomfortable when you return, easily beholding the different, but no less overlooked, injustices you had left behind and forgotten. You will be active in mission, and therefore uncomfortable, all the remaining days of your life, but for one simple reason:
You do not belong here.
You are not a 4 dimensional form with a soul.
You are a creation of the one of infinite mystery, a soul, longing to reunite to that mystery, yet trapped in a 4 dimensional form, given a purpose, but also free will, alongside billions of the same, all struggling with the disastrous outcome of that same freewill and the various reactions to their separation from fulfillment in the creator. Some react in faith and love, but often, they--we-- react in fear, anger, doubt, denial, hatred, greed, spite, or apathy. And the result is evident to us all: a broken, unjust world, through which is entwined our call to mission: the gold filigree wending through and binding together untold layers of mortal refuse and filth, to hold together what was always intended to be one, adding that glimmer in the midst of destitution we know as hope, as faith, as love. Making a precious jewel of the despicableness we've created of ourselves. Squeezing our abundance of misguidedness, like carbon, forcing us to be uncomfortable enough to realign into something that seems to glow from within, but that, in all actuality, is merely a tool to demonstrate how brilliant the light truly is as it shines through us. And thus we become the jewelry befitting of a bride, on the day the bridegroom will come to claim, love, and unite with this missional church.
So, let us all go, in peace, to love, serve, and be uncomfortable for our Lord!
"No poder do Espírito Santo!""
*Side note: that last bit is the final response of the congregation at the end of the service In English, we say "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God. [Alleluias dependent on liturgical season, forgetfulness, and enthusiastic little kids]" But here in Brazil, the response actually translates to "In the power of the Holy Spirit." which just seems better to me.
Well, there are a few options. You could play checkers, or stock up on beer (a florida hurricane tradition, I'm told), you could say many heartfelt prayers of thanks to God that your house has a stand alone gas stove (✔), you could make candlelight s'mores with friends , or...apparently, I can let my really strange brain be alone with itself a little too long and come to some weird...places? Thoughts? Conclusions?I don't really know what to call it, but I wrote it down, so now you too can be privy to the weirdness--unedited--as it occurred in the moment.
"In the course of mission, there is one word I've found to reoccur more than any other: Uncomfortable.
Mission cannot be something that leaves us wholly fulfilled, content, satiated, feeling as though we have successfully checked a box on our spiritual to-do list.
For the mission placed on each of us is to work to be in right relationship with God and with each other. This is a 4 dimensional mission that spans the heights, width, and depth of all creation, but also operates in the 4th dimension: time. And as a 4 dimensional mission, it is inherently evolving and calling us to draw ever closer to the perfection demonstrated for us in the life of Jesus Christ.
Except for the tiny fact that God, in the trinity, has demonstrated unequivocally time and time again, that our 4 dimensional reality is entirely insufficient for the full expression of divinity to be realized.
Bottom line: we are 4 dimensional creatures, striving for 5th or 6th, or 90th, or a millionth dimensional divine likeness. It is a task both impossible and worthy, daunting and mandated, incomprehensible and undeniable: Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.
And as it pertains to mission, it makes clear there can be no point at which one feels comfortable amid the injustices of human, 4 dimensional, reality.
In mission, you will be uncomfortable (and scared) when you go. You will be uncomfortable while you adapt to the unfamiliar. You will be uncomfortable when you are asked to go beyond what you planned and embrace something you never really expected or wanted, but that is needed. And you will be uncomfortable when you return, easily beholding the different, but no less overlooked, injustices you had left behind and forgotten. You will be active in mission, and therefore uncomfortable, all the remaining days of your life, but for one simple reason:
You do not belong here.
You are not a 4 dimensional form with a soul.
You are a creation of the one of infinite mystery, a soul, longing to reunite to that mystery, yet trapped in a 4 dimensional form, given a purpose, but also free will, alongside billions of the same, all struggling with the disastrous outcome of that same freewill and the various reactions to their separation from fulfillment in the creator. Some react in faith and love, but often, they--we-- react in fear, anger, doubt, denial, hatred, greed, spite, or apathy. And the result is evident to us all: a broken, unjust world, through which is entwined our call to mission: the gold filigree wending through and binding together untold layers of mortal refuse and filth, to hold together what was always intended to be one, adding that glimmer in the midst of destitution we know as hope, as faith, as love. Making a precious jewel of the despicableness we've created of ourselves. Squeezing our abundance of misguidedness, like carbon, forcing us to be uncomfortable enough to realign into something that seems to glow from within, but that, in all actuality, is merely a tool to demonstrate how brilliant the light truly is as it shines through us. And thus we become the jewelry befitting of a bride, on the day the bridegroom will come to claim, love, and unite with this missional church.
So, let us all go, in peace, to love, serve, and be uncomfortable for our Lord!
"No poder do Espírito Santo!""
*Side note: that last bit is the final response of the congregation at the end of the service In English, we say "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God. [Alleluias dependent on liturgical season, forgetfulness, and enthusiastic little kids]" But here in Brazil, the response actually translates to "In the power of the Holy Spirit." which just seems better to me.
Comments
Post a Comment