Training Journal – 2/29/12:

• Current plan: 12K Training
  
• Today’s session: 4 Mile Easy Run
  
• Comments: Same as yesterday: Did a 6.2 instead – though a tempo run vs. a negative split test.  On the outbound leg of the out-and-back, I ran up on a skunk – which resulted in a 100 yard dash being incorporated into the tempo run!

I was prepping for Sunday School this evening (Francis Chan’s Crazy Love), and two things hit me smack dab between the eyes:

First, in watching the Crazy Love Study DVD, Chan says (paraphrased for this post):

Can you imagine if the early church, having seen the Son of God tortured, die on a cross, and rise again, decided to simply to get together once a week and have services, where one of them would preach and they would have really cool music, and then they would go back to life as usual?

Wow – I quickly tweeted a paraphrase:

“Imagine if the early church only got tgthr once a week for services & then went back 2 life as usual? -F Chan / wld I be writing ths? -me”

The second, was a tweet that hit my TweetDeck at 6:15 (five minutes after the tweet above).

The tweet was a link to a blog post at shaungroves.com about a pastor in India who is doing church “wrong.”  I won’t lift any of the post…you need to read it yourself and absorb the pictures to get the whole effect.

The upshot is that we (American churches) have predominantly got it wrong – as the pastor eloquently says, “Our witness is our service.”  At times, I think we get lost in the programs, the “sound”, decor, and image at the expense of our witness.  Of course, we should do everything well for the Lord, but if we don’t have the Gospel at the heart of it all, well…

OK, I’m Listening God…may Your Holy Spirit work in and on me!

Every time I hear the song Awe – it reminds me of what my posture should be when I pray, read, think about/to GOD – flat…out…AWE. To be completely honest, it isn’t always that way (forgive me Lord).  I think sometimes it is easy to get too comfortable with Him being my friend or my “Abba, Father” that I forget He is at the same time Holy, Sovereign, and unlike any other person with whom I have a relationship. It is the challenge of balancing intimacy with reverence – something that, in most of our lives, is unique to God.  We can respect, even fear people; but, when you boil it down, no man or woman is holy, sovereign, or worthy of awe when compared with God.

I am thankful for His grace, mercy, and kindness – even my unfocused, stumbling effort to have an AWE of Him is made perfect through HIM.  In the words of David from Psalm 145 (who, BTW stumbled himself):

¹I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.

² Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

³ Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

. . .

¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

¹⁴ The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down

I heard this quote sometime ago and jotted it down – although I can’t recall where or by whom:

My we not become so “FAMILIAR” with God that he becomes COMMON to us.  Are we in awe of God and does that impact our life on a day-to-day, moment-by-moment basis?

I know I undeservingly enjoy intimacy with God (through no effort or action on my part…solely at the price of Jesus’ death on the cross).  I pray that the gift of that intimacy would not overshadow the awe that is deserved for that same God and Savior.

x

AWE

Daylight breaks I’m back again
There are no secrets here
Take Your place
Here I stand In perfect fear

I will be holding out my hands
I will be holding out my hands

Surrounding, the weight of Your name
So astounding, the strength of Your arms
Spirit falling
Speaking again, I am listening

I stand in awe
I stand in awe
The Spirit in this place
Your presence so amazing
I stand in awe

Surrounding, the weight of Your name
So astounding, the strength of Your arms
Spirit falling
Move me again, I am listening

I stand in awe, I stand in awe

Music- Phil Joel, Phillip LaRue / Lyrics- Phil Joel,Heather Joel

Remembering the Future…that seems like an odd and confusing statement.  But it is exactly what those who have accepted Christ as their personal Savior can say about today.

Today is known by several names: Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday, or Great and Holy Thursday.  It is the day that four things took place in the final days of Christ’s life on earth: the washing of the Disciples’ feet by Jesus, the creation of Communion at the Last Supper, the agony of Jesus in the garden, and the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.

Focusing on the second:

In Matthew 26:26-29, we read:

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”  Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.  This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.  I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Christ initiated an aspect of worship for the Disciples (and for us) to remember His death – then promised that we would someday feast again with Him. 

In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Paul writes:

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Paul reminded the Corinthian church that observing Communion was a remembrance that would someday end when Christ returns.

In Revelation 19:9, John writes:

Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

John writes in Revelation about the wedding feast to come with Christ and His bride (the church).

Communion.  The Lord’s Table.  Whatever you call this Christ-ordained act of worship – it is a time to remember the future to come.

Maranatha!

Jesus Christ – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

His Coronation:

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11

Our Invitation:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. -Ephesians 3:12

Especially with this week being what is commonly called Holy Week (Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday) and  Easter next Sunday, I am humbled and rejoice in the fact that through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, you and I (as followers of Christ) have free and unlimited access at anytime and any place of our choosing to the Sovereign, Almighty, and Glorious God of the universe!

He is the God who came close (John 3:16-17, Philippians 2:6-11)…and longs for closeness with us (through a personal relationship…not just empty, ritualistic religion).  May we savor and cherish that approachability this week as we remember the events that purposely took place so long ago.

Hallelujah!