Closer
I love zoe. Not like the little benevolent feeling of a young child running after a puppy, but something close I suppose. The conference was amazing! There is nothing like exhausting worship, listening to gifted speakers, and contemplating new ideas for worship back at home. I even lost self-control and bought all of the Zoe songs and song books. What can I say? I'm a sucker.
Jeff Wallin has always been a spiritual hero for me. My earliest encounter with him was back in my pre-pubescent years in Bible class. I use to watch him in plays on the CTV videos and was captivated by his unconventional teaching methods. This past weekend, I couldn't even turn my eyes to the clock to see what time it was. I didn't want it to be over. To listen to Jeff explain our role as Christians is like hearing about Christ all over again.
His series began addressing our desire and hunger of drawing closer to God. We try to find methods and excercises that create a fresh connection only to be disappointed or lose the spark that will lead us to finding other ways to encounter God. "You proabably even came to this conference in hopes that God will be drawn closer to you," he said. He was right. He reminded me that God had been riding with me the whole 11 hours to Lubbock for my encounter with God. God is always there, but he only is acknowledged when we are ready to acknowledge him.
If the whole Bible could be summarized into one, reader's digest word it would be "closer." Starting with the garden of Eden itself, man has always yearned to be closer to God... even to the point of being God-like. That was the temptation wasn't it? Eat this and you will be like God. They were literally in paradise, but they were pulled in to the temptation of coming to God on a new level. Why did Adam and eve do it? They were in perfection. They didn't have to worry about food. There were no job interviews to prepare for or stress over. Clothing selections were already taken care of. Adam didn't have to worry if he married the right women or not. There's only one! They were in the prescence of God. He walked by them almost daily. They still wanted to be closer.
We overviewed other stories. Just after the flood, the people were commanded by God to spread out and populate the earth, but instead they gathered closer together and plotted a device that would raise them closer to God. It took years and lots of planning, but a tower was in development. God come closer, but not the way the people had hoped. He gave them the gift of tongues. One man said pass me the hammer and the other said "no habla espanol." Utter confusion. Ultimately, God got what he wanted and scattered them himself.
Jeff's randition of the Israelites is the best. Here are a people who were suckered into capitivity and spent years complaining and whining and eventually got what they wanted. God said "You are my people, let's go." They said "How will we get there?" God said "Follow my cloud." They said but what about at night, we can't see it. "Then I will give you a pillar of fire." "Are we there yet?" "No, just a little longer." "We're hungry" "Ok I will throw manna from the sky, that way all you have to do is fall down face first and chew it." "But we want meat." "Ok. then I will send Quail through the camp and all you have to do is open your tent flap and they will run in until you close it again -Israelite hunting!" You see now why they are called "the children of Israel"
At the mountain of Sinai, God called Moses to the top of the mountain and said no one should some much as touch the mountain during the meeting or it will die. What was it that God had to tell Moses on top of the mountain? "Well there was thou shalt not kill, no other gods..." NO NO NO. There was something more. Someone new is moving into the neighborhood... and it was God. God was going to come down to the very center of the community. His Spirit was to confine itself into one room contained by veils that only one man can enter one day a year. Women and children would pass by the temple daily telling themselves that they would NEVER have the priviledge of seeing or entering behind the veil that the community surrounded. But little did they know that was not true and that the veil would come down and the Spirit would drive itself even closer than the veiled room.
I didn't have the opportunity to listen to all of Jeff's lessons, but the last one I heard was one that captivated me more than any lesson heard before. The story began with a man and a women who were having twins. One named "Heal" and the other named "Red", nicknamed "Hairy." During their birth Hairy was breeching the womb, the Heal grabbed the heal of first born and yanked him back into the womb so that he could make his grand entrance first. Unfortunately for the Heal, his parents already wrapped a string around Hairy's wrist to mark him as the true first born. As the two grew up together, the Heal lusted after Hairy's status as the first. You see, the Heal liked to be in control. He like having things go his way when he wants to happen. The Heal appearantly was a really good cook and used that trait to his advantage. One day, after Hairy spent a long day of hunting, the Heal went into action and offered a meal to his older brother. "Hey hairy! Hungry?" Hairy wasn't the brightest bulb of the christmas light string. He perhaps was even one fry short of a happy meal. Hairy smelled the food and wanted it baaad. "You can have till your fills content... oh yeah, for the measley cost of your birthright." You can see the hampster wheel falling from its hinges. "Uhhhhh. OK." That verabl agreement wasn't enough though. The Heal had to ensure the blessing that he wanted, so with his mother's help, he had to get...well, hairy, and trick his father into giving him the blessing. That very deception earned the Heal over 20 years of anguish and what seemed to be non-blessing. The Heal fear Hairy and ran fast and far.
That's when Heal met Laban the used car dealer. *cue jewish accent "Ahhhh, I've got a deal for you! You can get this beautiful model for just 7 years of payment." However, on the wedding night, Heal musta mad a LOT o' wine and woke up beside Leah... which in Hebrew means "weak in the eyes." Actually, if you ask a Rabbi, it would be better translated as "hard on the eyes." Heal married a dog, baby. Laban simply offered the best solution that suited him. Work another seven years and get what you want.
Is was just a few years after Heal's marriage to the 14year prize that he knew he needed to face the music and return to Hariy and make things right. Upon his return, he got cold feet. It was suddenly a good idea to send grovelers ahead of him, so he sent servants. Next, he sent his people. Next his family. He was working it man, everyone he sent would say "please don't kill 'im, he's incredibly sorry." Finally, there was one night after he sent his family ahead to Hairy, he stood alone at night... and was jumped. Heal was jumped, and not by just anyone, but God himself. Interestingly enough, Heal didn't know it at the time but he wasn't giving up on the biggest Smackdown session in history. He actually evenly matched the stranger and would not let go. It come to the point where the stranger had to cripple Heal's hip before he could overtake Heal. How a man could ever take on God is beyond any man.
Heal struggled with God and would not let go. He clutched to God and had one of the hardest fights of his life, but would not let go. He did not let go. Because Heal did not let go, EVERYTHING changed, even his name. He became Israel. Heal walked away from that night a totally changed man, but not unscathed. You see, Heal survived the night a new man, but he limped away. I always thought that Heal was healed from that hip displacement. But this was an injury that would serve as a reminder for a lifetime. Each time a pain shot up from his gimp hip, he be reminded of that night.
A man who walked away with a limp. Kinda lies in the face of some popular Christian beliefs right? Why did God have to communicate this point to Heal this way? Why couldn't God simply and gently send a copy of "footprints" floating down for Heal to read and reflective over. God wasn't concerned about footprints in the sand but he certainly gave Heal buttprints in the dirt. If we expect an enounter with God, we invite a smackdown event.
Jeff Wallin has always been a spiritual hero for me. My earliest encounter with him was back in my pre-pubescent years in Bible class. I use to watch him in plays on the CTV videos and was captivated by his unconventional teaching methods. This past weekend, I couldn't even turn my eyes to the clock to see what time it was. I didn't want it to be over. To listen to Jeff explain our role as Christians is like hearing about Christ all over again.
His series began addressing our desire and hunger of drawing closer to God. We try to find methods and excercises that create a fresh connection only to be disappointed or lose the spark that will lead us to finding other ways to encounter God. "You proabably even came to this conference in hopes that God will be drawn closer to you," he said. He was right. He reminded me that God had been riding with me the whole 11 hours to Lubbock for my encounter with God. God is always there, but he only is acknowledged when we are ready to acknowledge him.
If the whole Bible could be summarized into one, reader's digest word it would be "closer." Starting with the garden of Eden itself, man has always yearned to be closer to God... even to the point of being God-like. That was the temptation wasn't it? Eat this and you will be like God. They were literally in paradise, but they were pulled in to the temptation of coming to God on a new level. Why did Adam and eve do it? They were in perfection. They didn't have to worry about food. There were no job interviews to prepare for or stress over. Clothing selections were already taken care of. Adam didn't have to worry if he married the right women or not. There's only one! They were in the prescence of God. He walked by them almost daily. They still wanted to be closer.
We overviewed other stories. Just after the flood, the people were commanded by God to spread out and populate the earth, but instead they gathered closer together and plotted a device that would raise them closer to God. It took years and lots of planning, but a tower was in development. God come closer, but not the way the people had hoped. He gave them the gift of tongues. One man said pass me the hammer and the other said "no habla espanol." Utter confusion. Ultimately, God got what he wanted and scattered them himself.
Jeff's randition of the Israelites is the best. Here are a people who were suckered into capitivity and spent years complaining and whining and eventually got what they wanted. God said "You are my people, let's go." They said "How will we get there?" God said "Follow my cloud." They said but what about at night, we can't see it. "Then I will give you a pillar of fire." "Are we there yet?" "No, just a little longer." "We're hungry" "Ok I will throw manna from the sky, that way all you have to do is fall down face first and chew it." "But we want meat." "Ok. then I will send Quail through the camp and all you have to do is open your tent flap and they will run in until you close it again -Israelite hunting!" You see now why they are called "the children of Israel"
At the mountain of Sinai, God called Moses to the top of the mountain and said no one should some much as touch the mountain during the meeting or it will die. What was it that God had to tell Moses on top of the mountain? "Well there was thou shalt not kill, no other gods..." NO NO NO. There was something more. Someone new is moving into the neighborhood... and it was God. God was going to come down to the very center of the community. His Spirit was to confine itself into one room contained by veils that only one man can enter one day a year. Women and children would pass by the temple daily telling themselves that they would NEVER have the priviledge of seeing or entering behind the veil that the community surrounded. But little did they know that was not true and that the veil would come down and the Spirit would drive itself even closer than the veiled room.
I didn't have the opportunity to listen to all of Jeff's lessons, but the last one I heard was one that captivated me more than any lesson heard before. The story began with a man and a women who were having twins. One named "Heal" and the other named "Red", nicknamed "Hairy." During their birth Hairy was breeching the womb, the Heal grabbed the heal of first born and yanked him back into the womb so that he could make his grand entrance first. Unfortunately for the Heal, his parents already wrapped a string around Hairy's wrist to mark him as the true first born. As the two grew up together, the Heal lusted after Hairy's status as the first. You see, the Heal liked to be in control. He like having things go his way when he wants to happen. The Heal appearantly was a really good cook and used that trait to his advantage. One day, after Hairy spent a long day of hunting, the Heal went into action and offered a meal to his older brother. "Hey hairy! Hungry?" Hairy wasn't the brightest bulb of the christmas light string. He perhaps was even one fry short of a happy meal. Hairy smelled the food and wanted it baaad. "You can have till your fills content... oh yeah, for the measley cost of your birthright." You can see the hampster wheel falling from its hinges. "Uhhhhh. OK." That verabl agreement wasn't enough though. The Heal had to ensure the blessing that he wanted, so with his mother's help, he had to get...well, hairy, and trick his father into giving him the blessing. That very deception earned the Heal over 20 years of anguish and what seemed to be non-blessing. The Heal fear Hairy and ran fast and far.
That's when Heal met Laban the used car dealer. *cue jewish accent "Ahhhh, I've got a deal for you! You can get this beautiful model for just 7 years of payment." However, on the wedding night, Heal musta mad a LOT o' wine and woke up beside Leah... which in Hebrew means "weak in the eyes." Actually, if you ask a Rabbi, it would be better translated as "hard on the eyes." Heal married a dog, baby. Laban simply offered the best solution that suited him. Work another seven years and get what you want.
Is was just a few years after Heal's marriage to the 14year prize that he knew he needed to face the music and return to Hariy and make things right. Upon his return, he got cold feet. It was suddenly a good idea to send grovelers ahead of him, so he sent servants. Next, he sent his people. Next his family. He was working it man, everyone he sent would say "please don't kill 'im, he's incredibly sorry." Finally, there was one night after he sent his family ahead to Hairy, he stood alone at night... and was jumped. Heal was jumped, and not by just anyone, but God himself. Interestingly enough, Heal didn't know it at the time but he wasn't giving up on the biggest Smackdown session in history. He actually evenly matched the stranger and would not let go. It come to the point where the stranger had to cripple Heal's hip before he could overtake Heal. How a man could ever take on God is beyond any man.
Heal struggled with God and would not let go. He clutched to God and had one of the hardest fights of his life, but would not let go. He did not let go. Because Heal did not let go, EVERYTHING changed, even his name. He became Israel. Heal walked away from that night a totally changed man, but not unscathed. You see, Heal survived the night a new man, but he limped away. I always thought that Heal was healed from that hip displacement. But this was an injury that would serve as a reminder for a lifetime. Each time a pain shot up from his gimp hip, he be reminded of that night.
A man who walked away with a limp. Kinda lies in the face of some popular Christian beliefs right? Why did God have to communicate this point to Heal this way? Why couldn't God simply and gently send a copy of "footprints" floating down for Heal to read and reflective over. God wasn't concerned about footprints in the sand but he certainly gave Heal buttprints in the dirt. If we expect an enounter with God, we invite a smackdown event.
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