Transformation - Day 14

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." - Colossians 3:1-4

Sunday today!  Resurrection Day.  The day God's people gather to celebrate what Jesus Christ has done for them and the world.  We've been "raised to new life in Christ!"

And because of this rescue, Paul says our perspective should change, our orientation should change, our thoughts should change. "Think about the things of heaven, not things of earth."

You died to this stuff, this life.  You live differently now.  Christ is your life!  You have a down payment for an eternal deposit.  And when Jesus comes back in glory, you get to shine to!

Does this describe you?  Why or why not?  What needs to change?  What does Christ need to transform?

What Paul is describing here wasn't the exception but the norm.  Life change is not optional.  It is essential.

It's Sunday - start shining!  See you in church where you can connect to the Vine.

Transfromation - Day 11

"You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross." - Colossian 2:13-15

(This is harder than I thought, but keeping me disciplined as well.  Thanks for the accountability although my "deadline" shifts far too much.)

I mean, I'm not perfect, but I'm a pretty decent human being. I don't murder, don't steal, keep lying to a minimum, say please and thank you, rarely cuss, haven't committed adultery, only speed seven miles over the speed limit (did I mention I keep lying to a minimum?), generally get along with everyone, mind my own business, live and let live, go to church, throw some money in the basket, don't drink, don't smoke (what do you do?) . . . Well I could go on, but overall I'm a pretty decent law-abiding citizen.

But Paul says that with or in spite of this goody two-shoes lifestyle, without Christ, I'm dead.

Dead. DEAD.

dead?

Christ made me alive.  Christ makes me alive. His life. His death. His resurrection.  The supremacy of Christ! (read Day 5's text again)

I could spend a lot of time writing about the cultural and universal baggage that pervades our neighborhoods and churches concerning the afterlife and our delusions over who's in and who's out. We do a lot of mental juggling and semi-righteous tumbling to give ourselves passing grades into heaven.  I'll stop here.

But Paul says we are dead without Christ, without the cross.  He's just saying things a little different than how Jesus said it himself. . .

"Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned." - John 15:6

You believe Jesus?  No schizo prophet here.

Dead or alive? Connected or withered?

rest in peace

the local electric company asked permission to take down a grand oak tree in front of our church a few weeks ago. the tree was ancient. five feet thick at the base. last fall it lost a limb in a storm. the limb was bigger than most trees in our area.

so SMECO wanted the tree down because it didn't get along with its power lines and it would just be a matter of time before the tree went on to "tree heaven."

last week, the professional tree movers came in and took it down. it was hard for me to see this magnificent ancient oak being turned into firewood. i don't know how old the tree was (i think the local paper is gonna do a story on the tree and has counted its rings) but part of me was sad to this grand friend go.

yesterday, as i was driving by, i noticed someone had placed flowers and a note on the stump. (kind of appropriate since the tree sits on the edge of a cemetery.)



by the time i got to this picture, the note was gone. so i got to wondering about the person who left the flowers. obviously a tree lover. but what else? was he or she angry that this grand tree was reduced to a stump? grieving? was it a neighbor who had admired the tree for years? a child who walked past it on the way to school? who would take the time to write a note and offer flowers to a tree - a tree that was much older than any other living thing touched by its shade?

i'm reminded of Isaiah's words in Isaiah 40 - words that i read as part of every funeral liturgy that i've officiated . . .

"Shout that people are like the grass.

Their beauty fades as quickly
as the flowers in a field. . . .

The grass withers and the flowers fade,

but the word of our God stands forever.” - Isa 40:6,8 (NLT)

can we? will we have the same respect for the oldest of our species living among us? must we wait until they whither before we honor their memory? will the flowers only show up at the stump? the grave stone?

go visit someone who's lost a limb in a storm, someone weathered and beaten, gnarled and gray.

bring flowers