We made it! We were delayed out of New York so our 9.5 hour flight turned into a 12 hour flight while they fixed the airplane while we were seated. That made us miss our connection in Istanbul so we waited 6 hours in Istanbul for our flight to Kayseri which was over an hour late so it was really 7 hours. That means we were traveling for about 32-34 hours before arriving at our hotel.
Today we went to Cappadocia. It is an area known for its rock formations and cave dwellings. It is an important site for Christians because St. Basil the Great lived among the caves in the area. He is one of the early fathers of the Church, especially for the monastic life. He emphasized community life and a community rule among other things. He battled the Arian heresy that said Christ was not fully human or divine, he was somewhere in the middle.
The orthodox (right teaching) is that Christ is both fully human and fully divine (which is important on many levels). The Nicene Creed (which was from the Council of Nicea, here in Turkey) states that Christ "is one being with the Father". So today we were at the home of one of the most influencial leaders in the early Church. We saw the caves they lived in and the churches that they worshipped in. The frescos (think paintings) dated from the 9th century and some from the 13th century. Pretty amazing stuff. We also toured the countryside and saw the unique topography which draws tourists from all over the world.
The weather is good, not too hot and not too windy. I am feeling pretty good considering all the events and I am very thankful for that. For those of you who are praying for me it is working so keep it up!! Also this year I brought my father-in-law's camera (which is better than mine) and I am delighted with the shots (210 today).
To see a small sample click here
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
99.5
I was asked recently how much or what part do we play in our transformation by the Spirit. Some would say none, it is all God and while the sentiment is good it is not totally accurate. Yes it is God who calls us and woos us but we still have a part. If we had no part then all people would be transformed since God desires that all people be transformed.
I like to think of it as 99.5% God and 50% us. I know that the math doesn't add up but let me explain. The overwhelming work of transformation is done by Christ through the Holy Spirit. I also believe that God wants us to be participants in our transformation, we must desire to be transformed. Desire and intent are the keys that unlock the door to spiritual growth.
Desire and intent shape our lives and if we begin to desire God and intend to follow Christ then we will begin to be open to the Spirit and to spend our time in ways that help us encounter God. Our desire may be weak but is a start and our intention may wain but it is a start. We must ask ourselves the question do we desire to grow closer to Christ? If so what do we intend to do about it? Desire and intent are the 50% because at first it seems like we are choosing and acting in order to know Christ and once we get started we realize that almost all of the work is done by God.
After a while when the rapid growth stalls and we are in a holding place with God then desire and intent resurface because it is easy to grow complacent in our relationship with God and to be satisfied with a little knowledge and a little experience and not dive into to the deep ocean and rapid current that is God. We get scared and hold back in the shallow water, we say "we are saved and know Christ". Yet brothers and sisters there is more waiting, there is an endless abyss of God. Desire surfaces again and so does intent, this is what I call the second desire and second intent and this is again the 50% participation.
This second intention and desire is what helps us grow to the next place in our life with God. Fear is our great enemy at this point and many Christians hold back because of fear and never experience a fuller and more intimate relationship with God.
I like to think of it as 99.5% God and 50% us. I know that the math doesn't add up but let me explain. The overwhelming work of transformation is done by Christ through the Holy Spirit. I also believe that God wants us to be participants in our transformation, we must desire to be transformed. Desire and intent are the keys that unlock the door to spiritual growth.
Desire and intent shape our lives and if we begin to desire God and intend to follow Christ then we will begin to be open to the Spirit and to spend our time in ways that help us encounter God. Our desire may be weak but is a start and our intention may wain but it is a start. We must ask ourselves the question do we desire to grow closer to Christ? If so what do we intend to do about it? Desire and intent are the 50% because at first it seems like we are choosing and acting in order to know Christ and once we get started we realize that almost all of the work is done by God.
After a while when the rapid growth stalls and we are in a holding place with God then desire and intent resurface because it is easy to grow complacent in our relationship with God and to be satisfied with a little knowledge and a little experience and not dive into to the deep ocean and rapid current that is God. We get scared and hold back in the shallow water, we say "we are saved and know Christ". Yet brothers and sisters there is more waiting, there is an endless abyss of God. Desire surfaces again and so does intent, this is what I call the second desire and second intent and this is again the 50% participation.
This second intention and desire is what helps us grow to the next place in our life with God. Fear is our great enemy at this point and many Christians hold back because of fear and never experience a fuller and more intimate relationship with God.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Aware
The other day I had the chance to go hunting. While I was out in the woods glassing clear-cuts I had the experience of God's presence gently coming over me like a wave. In these moments I feel so whole and well. So often living with chronic illness I can feel broken and I am so thankful for the opportunity to be fed and nourished by the gentle and loving ministry of the Holy Spirit.
In those moments I also realized again how thankful I am for all the people who come around and alongside me in my life. I was especially thankful for my wife who does so much for me and for our family. I was mindful of family and friends who support. As my church community came to mind I was again filled with gratitude for the many people who help me in life and ministry.
God has this way of ministering to us in just the ways we need. So often this ministry is right before our eyes and it takes a little space from the ordinary to be able to see God's blessing in the ordinary and also we need to be away from the ordinary to receive God's blessing that comes from those times as well.
In those moments I also realized again how thankful I am for all the people who come around and alongside me in my life. I was especially thankful for my wife who does so much for me and for our family. I was mindful of family and friends who support. As my church community came to mind I was again filled with gratitude for the many people who help me in life and ministry.
God has this way of ministering to us in just the ways we need. So often this ministry is right before our eyes and it takes a little space from the ordinary to be able to see God's blessing in the ordinary and also we need to be away from the ordinary to receive God's blessing that comes from those times as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
