Saturday, November 21, 2015

Too Small- God in a Box

Sometimes I feel God tugging at me to write, but I have no idea what I'm supposed to write about.  Such was the case this morning.  I have so much on my prayer list right now.  Friends who are hurting.  Kids who are hurting.  A husband who is hurting.  I am hurting.  A good bulk of the people around me are hurting in some way right now.  The more I purposefully pray, the more I see the hurt.....

But God.......

What do I know of Holy?  What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?  Of God who gave life it's name....  What do I know of Holy?

In just a few short days we will enter the season of Advent.  Not all denominations celebrate Advent, and the different denominations may celebrate in different ways, even different churches celebrate differently, so I'll tell you what it means to me.  Advent is the beginning of the Church year.  A period of waiting.  In our church calendar we go through different "seasons" meant to guide us through prayerful consideration of the different aspects of Christ.  Advent is the season where we reflect on the dark time before Christ came into the world.  We reflect on what He means to us, and what he has done for us.  And, we reflect on His second coming.

Advent is often overtaken by the busyness of the Christmas season, and the beauty of what Advent is about gets missed.

As I was thinking about what to write, and the many things swirling in my head, and the song "What do I know of Holy" came on my Pandora.  I was reminded that in the midst of all of this pain that surrounds me God is still Holy.  In the midst of the infighting between the different religions of the world, God is still Holy.  In the midst of unexplainable circumstances that leave a little girl broken beyond what seems repairable, God is still Holy.  In the midst of children who have lost their way and forgotten how deep a parent's love really is for them, God is still Holy.  In the midst of the different church buildings and worship styles that we find ourselves in on Sundays, God is still Holy.  In the midst of the many different colors we all come in God is still Holy.  In the midst of broken relationship, God is still Holy.

What do we know of Holy?  As humans, it seems we often put God in the box of our circumstances, and forget that he is God.  It's not that we mean to forget.  It's that in our human-ness we can't see what He sees.  And by what we see, we don't see a solution, we only see the pain.  But, what do we know of Holy?  Holy supersedes our human box of reality.

So, as we prepare for Lent, take some time to think about just what Christ means to you.  Think about how He is omnipresent.  Think about how when we can't see a human solution, that is when we are actually able to see the God solution.

Things often do not go how we want them to.  But when you have your eyes focused on Him the pain of the world, the shortcomings of people begin to fade away, and the Holiness of God becomes clearer.



What do I know of Holy?

I made You promises a thousand times
I've tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all, No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
So what do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
But those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

(CHORUS)
So what do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
So what do I know? What do I know of Holy?

(CHORUS 2)
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life it's name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

(CHORUS)
So what do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
Lord what do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?


What do I know of this Love....?.... I know that it is greater, deeper, more than I can humanly fathom.  I know that it follows me wherever I go, whatever I do.  I know that His love is much more. 
 
~~~Love Semalee