May The Words of My Mouth

Having grown up in church, experiencing the ups and downs of church life and being on the hunt for a new church home in our new town, I discovered something really fascinating about myself this morning. I have been traveling a lot with Billy lately and we are with a lot of people who also love the Lord and are in the same life situations that we are in so the talk often turns to churches and ministry. As I was thinking about that this morning I realized that we always talk about CHURCH. That topic encompasses denominations, practices, doctrine, the peculiarities of people of different faiths - including our own - and basically our own desires in a church. But this is what hit me - we never talk about GOD. Church. Denomination. Practice. Religion. Personal preference (which of course includes personal grievances).

It was an epiphany for me. What were we thinking? GULP - what was I thinking?

Church is a bunch of people. Plural. Each one with their own baggage. One may have a duffel bag of church legalism. One may hold a carry-on of charismatic display. Another a make-up case of "put on a pretty face." Still another a briefcase of criticism from a background of pain. Regardless - whenever our focus is the church it's no wonder the conversation turns petty.

I had a wonderful ten years in a church that left me carrying a trunk of comparison. I wanted every church to measure up to that one. Just as stupid!! Because I found myself highlighting the church/people yet again.

I follow the blog of a little baby that has a faulty pathway in his heart that is causing his heart rate to beat at a speed that is dangerous to his life. The doctors are using a laser to try and destroy the bad pathway so his electrical impulses are forced to use the one that is healthy. I asked the Lord to send a coal from the altar this morning to touch my lips. To purge me of talk about the church and to redirect my speech to HIM.

Wouldn't that be radical if we all forced ourselves away from church talk to God talk? To espouse Him and His radical ways - which by the way, includes His over-the-top love for us! To speak of grace that covers our sin - every day. To remind one another that He sees us not as we are but as we will be. To bring up short fears and temptations. To bring to the light the things the enemy shrouds with shadow.

I hope you will join me in redirecting your speech. What a worthy aspiration - to live our lives from this day forward telling of His greatness!!!

Easter, 2009

I have fallen in love with a new song and for once it really is a new one. Usually I finally hear one and like it but this one isn't even out yet. I found it from a blog I follow belonging to another mom who lost a child whose husband happens to be a recording artist. So I really am in on the ground floor for once.

Anyway...the song is called Unredeemed. It is about all the troubles that besiege us as humans on this planet - broken lives, relationships, hurtful words, etc and how none of these will be left unredeemed. Don't you love that thought?

During this Easter week we need to know Jesus as Redeemer. More than redeeming us from death unto life, He will redeem all the consequences of sin upon our world. Everything. The curse will be vanquished. The earth and man will finally be set right. It is finished! The pronouncement has been made - the reality is sure. We await the execution.

That's what we really celebrate at Easter. Redemption. It means to be bought back. We were bought back - from the garden of Eden's fall and its consequences to a perfect state - with the blood of Christ. He paid and paved the way for us to be declared righteous, holy and spotless before a perfect God. What law could not do, the blood of Christ accomplished. That's why the cross is so beautiful to us. That place of intense suffering and death is our ticket home.

He died for YOU! That's how much He loves you. We all need to get hold of that truth. Because once we really believe that about ME, we will live differently. We will live confidently. We will live gratefully. We will live expectantly. And that is all He wants - a life lived abundantly. Believe.

Thank you Jesus!