Today, Wednesday, March 28 at 10.48 hrs. Johann Sebastian Bach’s prelude of his cello suite No.2 in D minor/d Moll BWV1008 expresses sort of what I think the church is: there’s a ferocious beauty about it; a softness and aggression blended nicely together and resulting in a big D-minor statement in its last seconds.
The church is cause for great excitement and worry. It’s all in one. It’s the total package. A bunch of ragamuffins that try to stay on the narrow road together. I wonder what is the bigger challenge; the narrow road or the walking together.
If you keep on listening you will get the Allemande and than the Courante. The latter makes for a good, lively dialogue between however many. I see people arguing there case, trusting that with reason and emotion the other can be won.
There’s sadness and reflection in the Sarabande. No winners. The menuet leads to the resolve in the last part “Gigue” where there’s dancing and singing.
Sometimes music is by far the best conveyer of feelings and moods. I don’t think Bach saw the same picture that I see listening to this piece of music. But that’s the beauty of music.
It’s little things that can get people into a defensive mode. It’s the small things that get us on our feet. These arouse deep needs, defences, trauma’s and wounds, and we respond to them, which causes others to response in return.
Who wins? The one that obeys Christ and follows His example in the all overpowering love and grace awakening!
I see this as one of the most desperate needs in the church today. We love. Yes, we do. We draw the line somewhere. Everybody stops loving others somewhere and starts loving himself more. We all have a breaking point.
Unless God perpetually pours out grace and love we will not be able to stay and walk together; we will wander off and need to be found again. The messed-up-ness of the church is overwhelming. Yet God keeps on loving her, using her, changing her.
I am committed to the church because God is.
And He will turn her into a D major. Listen to the Gigue in suite No. 6 in D-major. There’s joy and laughter!
I can’t wait.
28 March 2007
06 March 2007
Questions...
I grew up having many questions. Then, I found Jesus, the Answer. Any question? The answer is Jesus. At least, that's what I thought Christians believed and were supposed to uphold as the truth.
Asking questions, especially the more existential ones, were, and often still considered equal to doubting your faith in Christ.
Why then did Jesus ask questions all the time? Of cource He spoke profound truth but often asked questions without providing the "questionee" with an answer. He triggered some heavy soulsearching; "Who do say I am". Just this one questions forces one to "freeze" and seriously think about it. Who do I think Jesus is? If He is the truth, why do I still believe and follow lies? If He is the life, why do I often still choose death? If he is the way, why do I often prefer my way?
The world is full of lies. Lies about relationships, dignity, health, power, money, sex, family, friendship, etc....
And it seems to me that, instead of trying to find answers to the real questions, many Christians spend their time embracing the lies of this world. We welcome the media into our lives, spend hours a day lauging about the lies of the world. "It's just entertainment", we make ourselves and others believe yet don't realise how our valuesystem is infected and reshaped by lies.
How is this possible? Because Jesus is the answer. Apparently I can enjoy the pleasures of this world, embrace and live a couple of lies and "the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin".
And this is the cheapest version of grace that I've found; using Jesus to legitimise my giving in to carnal desires. May God forgive me and my brothers and sisters for watering down the power of transformed lives through real, die hard faith and a commitment to deeper holiness.
How to get there? Face and ask the real questions. God, through His grace will either help us to see the answer or strengthen us to live with the reality of an unanswered question. When in doubt, don't give in to the world but hang in there, pursuing holiness, out of reverence for God.
Asking questions, especially the more existential ones, were, and often still considered equal to doubting your faith in Christ.
Why then did Jesus ask questions all the time? Of cource He spoke profound truth but often asked questions without providing the "questionee" with an answer. He triggered some heavy soulsearching; "Who do say I am". Just this one questions forces one to "freeze" and seriously think about it. Who do I think Jesus is? If He is the truth, why do I still believe and follow lies? If He is the life, why do I often still choose death? If he is the way, why do I often prefer my way?
The world is full of lies. Lies about relationships, dignity, health, power, money, sex, family, friendship, etc....
And it seems to me that, instead of trying to find answers to the real questions, many Christians spend their time embracing the lies of this world. We welcome the media into our lives, spend hours a day lauging about the lies of the world. "It's just entertainment", we make ourselves and others believe yet don't realise how our valuesystem is infected and reshaped by lies.
How is this possible? Because Jesus is the answer. Apparently I can enjoy the pleasures of this world, embrace and live a couple of lies and "the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin".
And this is the cheapest version of grace that I've found; using Jesus to legitimise my giving in to carnal desires. May God forgive me and my brothers and sisters for watering down the power of transformed lives through real, die hard faith and a commitment to deeper holiness.
How to get there? Face and ask the real questions. God, through His grace will either help us to see the answer or strengthen us to live with the reality of an unanswered question. When in doubt, don't give in to the world but hang in there, pursuing holiness, out of reverence for God.
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