T h e C u r i n g

"The final outcome will be a return to the very first condition,
and the pure, unblemished resurrection,
will be the pure, undestroyed Creation". Man & the Incarnation.

"Behold, I make all things new". Jesus.

It never ceases to amaze me.

When we look at contemporary interpretations of our origins, our teetering continuing existence, and the probable ends of our species meager existence, life all becomes somewhat bleak, gloomy and, if we're honest, all pretty pointless. We can quickly compound that realism if we begin to then unpack the many woes and trails most of us face in our daily hunger to escape the pain often defined as 'the norm' of our short time here,
so, one would hope, when it comes to unpacking the marvel of Christian redemption and rescue,
surely we will find something truly wonderful - a rescue so profound that the trauma of this present agony becomes meaningful, even insignificant, in the light of that marvel.

Apparently not.

For some time now, I've wondered why, in the light of the clear teaching in Romans chapter 8, Christians are not deeply animated regarding the glorious work God is soon to bring about within creation in general.

Genesis begins with the astonishing account of the forming of the heavens and the earth, but this is but the prelude to the masterpiece which is going to appear amongst that order on the day when the full 'glory' (significance) of God's work here begins to become evident on the day of renewal, when the creature (humanity) is raised from the curse of death and creation is freed from its bondage to corruption to share in the new realm of liberation.
Well, I now know why many Christians have no spring in their step about this.
In complete concord with that venomous strain of Gnostic evil which has soured God's living word since Eden, the "way" to read such words is allegorically, not really relating to anything but perhaps some form of final 'spiritual' renewal for the few elect that make it into the distant realm of some ethereal bliss...!

I really wonder if such 'interpretations' take anything spelt out in scripture seriously.
As I've noted several times on my entries here and elsewhere, the only thing which taints and corrupts the goodness of God's handiwork in Creation is the invasion of the malady of sin, and that has truly been remedied by the precious, redeeming work of the bodily death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, so if the only impediment to Creation being 'good' again is removed, why are so many 'teachers' so ready to still expel of it entirely, seeing it as only fit for total destruction?

The only reason for such belief is that the material is inherently seen as entirely at odds with the eternal, but this is certainly untrue. The birth and life of the Lord Himself tells us how much God loves His creation, and the whole work of redemption stems from that unceasing love. It is this work which the book of Romans teaches us bears the most glorious fruit - an order truly rescued from futility and restored to forever glorify its Maker and Savior.

So, the next time you hear 'teaching' which wants to make you look far, far away for some vague, dis-embodied hope of some possibility of rescue, come back to the firm promises of God, made sure in the precious gift of His eternal Son.

In times of need...

"If the Ten Commandments were not impossible enough, the preaching of Christian behavior, of Christian ethics, of Christian living, can drive a Christian into despairing unbelief. Not happy unbelief. Tragic, despairing, sad unbelief. (It is not unlike the [unhappy] Christian equivalent of “Jack Mormons” – those who finally admit to themselves and others that they can’t live up to the demands of this non-Christian cult’s laws, and excuse themselves from the whole sheebang.) A diet of this stuff from pulpit, from curriculum, from a Christian reading list, can do a work on a Christian that is (at least over the long haul) “faith destroying.”

Dr Rod Rosenbladt - The Gospel for those broken by the Church.

I have been sorely reminded of late just how much we poor souls are in need of the balm of God's unmerited grace in our lives, especially in the context of the 'judgment' (teaching and practice) by those who are no doubt seeking to do good, but actually snuffing out the flax and breaking the reeds.
It is with such a context in mind that I am truly delighted to supply this wonderful link to all who, like me, need the richness of God's abundant grace in Christ alone for their aid...

Dr. Rod Rosenbladt on "The Gospel For Those Broken By The Church" from Faith Lutheran Church on Vimeo.

For All Saints Day...

With thanks for the Reformation.

Intoxication

"Don't be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit".
Paul to the Ephesians.

A few weeks ago, I found myself calmly and yet eagerly encountering the diversity of a new culture whilst on holiday in Portugal. It's wonderful to have opportunities like that - to truly 'soak up' something of the richness of a place and a people - it truly can help to make you healthy in the sense of discovering more (and thereby affirming the 'rightness') of natural human life. There were plenty of moments - feeling a mild breeze in a glade of village willow trees or the freshness of a day whilst upon a golden beach - when that sense of good indulgence, of vital and healthy interaction struck me, and that has continued to be the case since my return home. Walking into work, for example, this morning amidst some gloriously late mild autumn weather and delighting in the blue skies and the rich layers of colour and texture in the season's splendor once more made me aware of just how good many aspects of our world can be. So often, of course, it's not the natural world that is at fault - it is our abuse of it, or our neglect to 'read' what it is saying to us. We do this on so many levels, particularly with regards to our own bodies, but if we use such gifts well, then life can become a store house of good things.

There is, no doubt, an element of this in what Paul is writing to the Ephesians. Drunkenness is a total folly, because it dis-connects us from the warmth and true value of good wine - we appreciate the deeper value of the world far better when we can employ the good gifts we have been given to properly unwrap and enjoy (and thereby genuinely edify) ourselves and others.
When that inter-action truly begins to arise, then you naturally begin to see the true value, the deep marvel of life, and as you grant it that worth, you cannot help but be thankful to the Lord who gives so many riches.

The new blog...

On occasion, I've used an entry here to touch upon or discuss the ramifications of redemption with regards to the body and art. Whilst such reflections, no doubt, will still arise in my postings here from time to time, I'm delighted to announce my new blog, especially for that purpose, which you can visit here:
http://nuditusnaturalis.blogspot.com/

The aim is of the new blog is as stated in the heading: Seeking to express something of the splendor of God's handiwork in the human form through art and words.
So this clearly will include examining aspects of art and life which may be deemed taboo by some.
The aim here is not to shock or dwell upon the sensational, but to soberly reflect upon the marvels of God's work and to delight in this - to truly gain insights into the value of this realm, so I hope you drop by, enjoy the material posted there, and perhaps leave a comment or an insight that will assist us in the project.

The Value of it all

It's my 50th birthday today, and following a week's leave in Portugal, where I've had opportunity to reflect on reaching my half century, on both the frailty and the wonder of life, I wanted to share something to enrich and encourage,
so here's a link to a piece I wrote some time ago that you may find interesting.

A r r i v a l

"And then, (God's) kingdom will appear in His whole creation,
And then, the devil will have an end,
and sorrow will be lead away with him".

Testament of Moses 10.1

It's no doubt true that much can be said about a generation of people by its aspirations - it's driving "inner" imperatives, displayed in what becomes key to its present and future expression. Listening to the daily reports of the news, it's pretty clear at the present time that one of these key concerns is what might be deemed 'security', not only with regards to living in a 'safe' society, somehow shielded from the bomb and the bullet, but far more immediately, regarding work, home, health and all those daily needs which amount to 'normal' life.
It's pretty clear that whereas those 'external' dangers are still as acute as in my youth (the IRA bombings in London when I worked there spring to mind) these daily matters are fast becoming the realm of greater nightmares.
When government begins speaking quite frankly about a deeper and general impoverishment of not only the present, but the livelihood of future generations (in terms of their lifestyles being less 'comfortable' than our own), then you realize that a serious change is beginning to occur in the world around you, so where is the resolution, the remedy, to such a painful reality - a glowingly insecure world - to be found?

The quote above is from a fictional work dating from the 1st century AD.
In a world filled with many trails, the author, drawing no doubt from the roots of the promises of the ancient faith of his people, pens a passage that would indeed become apt to his times and generation... the appearing of something much greater, much better, than the present tottering 'system'. In that very time came the one, Jesus Christ, who would herald the first 'day', the first true moment of the entry of the Kingdom of God into a world ruined by evil.

Some 2,000 years later, the beginning of that dawning finds us in a strange world, where value is so often placed only in the immediate, and yet, people are often hungry for something deeper - life beyond the hurt and blur of what our present culture can provide.

The day is approaching when God's 'life' will once again become profound and evident in all of His creation, when true liberty, true living can begin - when the suffering, the evil, the insecurity will be over.

Are we living towards that day, finding a mercy, a care in our lives, which marries us to the greatest purpose - to know and share His eternal love?

The longing expressed all those centuries ago still rings deep and true.
A better day is coming, and we can be part of it.