Living Into Reality :: Balance | Harmony (Part 2)

The danger in asking God to usher in reality is that He takes our request much more seriously than we do. There is a romantic ere to living "missionaly" that captures my heart, but as I seek to embrace this lifestyle I realize this is not a game. To live in harmony requires finding the rhythm and then yielding to its influence. The rhythm driving creation's song is the heart of the creator himself. God is present and active, and He cares about the way we live not just what we say.

"What God is after is a man so yielded to him, so completely surrendered, that his heart is easily moved by the Spirit of God to the purposes of God."

- John Eldredge

The quest for harmony starts with surrender. God must lead. Our agenda, no matter how noble, is not the point. The invitation is to join with God, not for Him to join with us. So harmony begins with yielding, then leads to integration. The way I love and lead my family matter as much as the way I love and lead the church. The two are inseparable...missional living must integrate home and work as well as heart and head. One of the effects the pursuit of balance has had in my life is the separation of the secular and sacred. I am convinced more than ever this is an unbiblical concept. Harmony says life is sacred...period. All it's components meant to be joined together in a single expression of worship.

Harmony is a choice. A decision for my life to be a verse in God's song of redemption. May we all hear the song clearly, and live intentionally.

The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)

Living Into Reality :: Balance | Harmony (Part 1)

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

- Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride

Balance

"Live a well-balanced life." This encouragement has brought me more bondage than freedom. I understand the heart behind it, yet balance eludes me and its pursuit leaves me uninspired. I am not interested in a life of chaos or gluttony, but is balance really the alternative? Here is the definition of balance from Webster...

Balance - stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side of the vertical axis; equipoise between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements; equality between the totals of the two sides of an account.

Feeling inspired? The concept of balance has application in life, but is a deficient model for life. I am a husband, father, friend, and pastor, but never those things in isolation. To pursue balance can put them at odds with each other.

There are also life experiences to consider; highs and lows, ups and downs, mountains and valleys. As I survey my life I am stirred by a longing for meaning that transcends balance. There is more going on.

Harmony

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

"Seasons", not working against each other, but with each other. Diverse elements woven together to create a divine unity. There is a beautiful interdependency, a harmony to creation that glorifies its creator. Through this lens, life takes on richer colors and deeper meaning. Look at Webster's definition of harmony:

Harmony - the combination of simultaneous musical notes in a chord; the structure of music with respect to the composition and progression of chords; the science of the structure, relation, and progression of chords; pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts; correspondence, accord; internal calm

Now listen to the words of Jesus as translated in the message...

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

- Matthew 11:28-30

"Unforced rhythms of grace"...that is inspiring. That speaks peace and encouragement to a heart bored, frustrated, and tired with trying to keep all the plates spinning. Harmony points me to a higher calling; alludes to something larger than me. Not an impersonal force, but a loving, intimate Father shining meaning and purpose on the dissonant moments in life.

My soul now asks...So how does this take shape in daily life?

Words Matter

"Followers of Jesus regularly have to relearn the meaning of words corrupted by our culture and debased by our sin. Jesus is the dictionary in which we look up the meaning of words."

"Jesus is our access to creation as the time and place to believe. ... Jesus draws us into a pervasive awareness of Spirit, training us as 'detectives of divinity' to interpret the signs and understand the sayings as evidence of the unseen yet unmistakable presence of God."

- Eugene Peterson, Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places

I read this just this morning and am all the more excited about pushing through the illusions to embrace the allusions (see previous post) of the divine that are all around us.

May your day be ablaze with the slivers of glory that illuminate the eternal in the ordinary...

Living Into Reality

"In worship we live into the reality that the first and best thing in life is nothing less than a transforming relationship with the God who made us, named us and called us into being."

- Adele Calhoun

Living into reality is difficult; especially when seeking to live missionaly. It demands intention, commitment, and clarity.

What do I mean by “living into reality”? Simply a way of life that views and experiences life as it is defined by God (the creator of reality) versus through the lens of my experience and understanding. Much of what we perceive is simply that…our “perception” that may or may not be accurate. Past hurts, the resulting wounds, and a broken world partner together to lead us down dead end paths overgrown with frustration and defeat. Freedom is seeing as Jesus sees; vision that pulls us into reality (John 18:37) and then sends us as ambassadors of restoration. A world where everything alludes to a greater story and the truth that we play a part.

I’ve identified 8 “illusions” (false beliefs or misrepresentations) that hinder my experience of life’s “allusions” (slivers of glory) to God that are all around me. They are (illusion - allusion):

• Balance - Harmony
• Safety - Clarity
• Religion - Relationship
• Success - Significance
• Entitlement - Responsibility
• Control - Empowerment/Stewardship
• Objectivity - Perspective
• Independence - Interdependence

To live in the fullest experience of God’s story, personified in both the life and mission of Christ, illusion must give way to a heightened sensitivity to allusion. It can be said that the most dynamic experience of life is found in “disillusionment”; the tearing down of views of life built on wounds and brokenness that lead to half-truths and misdirection of life’s precious time and energy.

As I’m walking through this I would like to share it here and hear your stories, ideas, and experiences. The ultimate hope and prayer is to move from talking about “missional living” to actually living it!

the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

1 John 2:6