a new song

he put a new song

in my mouth ~psalm 40:3

what is this new song

you have put in my mouth 

a song of delight and affection

a song of beauty and of life

i have a sneaking suspicion

it's a song about you and not me

help me to sing it well

forgiveness

when i am finally okay

with not being okay

then i am truly free

 

when i’ve received the

forgiveness you offer me

and offer it to others in return

i can finally forgive myself

and not be stuck any longer

in the gravitational pull of

my own faults and blunders

 

i can finally break free

from the chains that bind

and hold me back from

the life i was made for

 

i can soar into the heavens

on the winds of your breath

forgiven and forgiving and free

waiting for the Lord

“Our soul waits for the Lord.” (Psalm 33:20, ESV)

Waiting for the Lord is a key aspect of walking with God.  He is the one who sets the tone, the pace, and the agenda, not us.  Thus, waiting for the Lord teaches us to walk with him and not charge ahead of him. 

Somehow, however, waiting has become synonymous with doing nothing or with nothing happening.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  We don’t wait because nothing is happening; we wait because something is already happening.  God is at work and we are just trying to hold space for him to do what only he can do.

Therefore, waiting is not passive but active.  It requires being fully present and paying careful attention.  It is about trust and openness and yieldedness.  It is about surrendering our will and our ways to him.

Waiting for the Lord is not about disengagement, but about engagement of the highest order.  It is not about disconnection, but deep, intimate connection.  It is not about enduring God’s absence but engaging his presence.   

Waiting is where transformation takes place.  It’s not about trying to transform ourselves, it’s about him forming his very life within us.  Waiting is life in the cocoon, the womb, the tomb, the belly of the whale.  It’s where our life ends and his life within us, among us, and through us begins. 

like a little child

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:14-15)

"One thing you still lack.  Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then, come follow me." (Mark 10:21)

Walking with Jesus is different than we may imagine.  It often leads down, rather than up.  Take the contrast in this passage, for instance.  These two encounters with Jesus come one after the other for a reason.  Mark is very intentional in this way throughout his entire gospel.

The disciples thought the kingdom of God was about power and position, influence and importance.  They wanted to be rulers, while Jesus was trying to teach them to be children.  They wanted to be high and mighty, while Jesus was trying to teach them to be least and lowly.  They wanted to be independent and self-sufficient, while Jesus was trying to teach them the necessity of dependence and desperation.

Enter the children.  They were small, lowly, and innocent.  They were needy, weak, and dependent.  They were unimportant and insignificant, the least of these from a societal perspective.  Yet they were first in the kingdom of God.  They were open and trusting and receptive.  They were the ones Jesus blessed.

The rich young ruler, on the other hand, was the direct opposite.  He was wealthy, successful, powerful, influential, and self-sufficient.  He had no need, just a gnawing feeling inside that there was something he still lacked.  And in response to his question, Jesus looked at him and loved him.  In fact, Jesus loved him enough to tell him the truth: he must give up everything and come follow Jesus.  In essence, Jesus told him he must become like a little child if he wanted to enter the kingdom of God.  But that was too much to ask of this powerful, important man.  So instead of being blessed, he walked away sad.

Where do you find yourself in this story?  Who can you relate to most?  What does becoming like a child look like for you?  Are you willing to do it?

stillness

sit in stillness

don't just talk about it

in stillness is healing

in stillness is life

in stillness is wholeness

in stillness is restoration

in stillness is transformation

in stillness is prayer

be still and know

that I am God

be still and know

"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." ~Psalm 46:10

"You can't control the life in you.  It grows and emerges in its own time.  Be patient and nurture it with all your love and attentiveness.  Be still and cooperate with the mystery God is unfolding in you." ~Sue Monk Kidd

We are born manufacturers.  In the absence of something organically growing within or around us, we will jump right in and try to make it, or force it, to happen on our own.  But the kingdom of God rarely works that way.  The kingdom is about fruitfulness not productivity.  A product is something we produce, but fruitfulness is something only God can bring about.  When Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing," he really meant it.  So why do we keep on trying?

Life with God is much more about waiting than it is about forcing.  It is much more about being still and knowing he is God than it is about running around like chickens with our heads cut off.  It is much more about creating space for the Spirit to speak, move and act, than it is about inserting ourselves and our thoughts, observations, and opinions into situations and conversations.  Getting folks, as well as ourselves, to be still and cooperate with the mystery God is unfolding in them seems like a much more fruitful path than manufacturing, forcing, and exerting. 

Maybe it's time for "Be still and know that I am God" to not just be something we pray, but something we actually do. 

let go

the journey from

clinging to letting go

takes a lot of courage

because it requires

uncurling your grip

finger by finger

the price of refusing

to let go of what you’re

desperately holding onto

costs you the freedom

of open hands

you can’t receive

the new and beautiful

as long as you’re clinging to

the old and familiar

so be strong and take heart

stop clinging and be free

ambivalence

darkness and light

resistance and desire

clinging and letting go

fear and faith

wrestling between

torn

mixed

conflicted

ambivalent

i am them all

Lord, have mercy

submit

"Submit yourselves, then, to God." (James 4:7) 

Walking with God requires a movement from autonomy to submission.  We aren’t the ones in charge, he is.  He calls the shots, he sets the agenda, he determines the course.  Therefore, our lives must reflect that. 

But what does it look like to submit to God?  The Greek word (hypotassō) used here by James gives us a great clue.  It means to station yourself under.  When we submit to God, he becomes the point.  Life is not about us anymore, it’s about him.  He leads and we follow.  He, and not us, becomes the center of the universe around which everything revolves.  Our lives are completely under his rule and his reign.

“So let God work his will in you,” says The Message translation of James 4:7-10.  “Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life.  Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”

O God, forgive me when I try to rule and run my own life.  I am terrible at it.  Teach me what it means to submit to you and give me the grace and the strength and the courage to do it.

burn

"I have come to bring fire on the earth,

and how i wish it were already kindled."

~Luke 12:49

there is a fire that burns within

a fire that burns but does not consume

a fire that purges and transforms

a refining and purifying flame

a divine presence that seizes the heart

it is not the fire of judgment

but the fire of sanctification

a fire that brings light into the darkness

a fire that rages with passionate zeal

it leaves no remnant of indifference

no trace of half-heartedness and

no room for tepidity or lukewarmness

it burns away all that is not holy

let it burn

jeremiah 6:16

This is what you say, O Lord: “Stop.  Just stand at the crossroads and look around.  What do you see?  Give me your full and undivided attention.  Ask me what I’m up to and I will show you.  Ask me where the good way is and I will tell you.  It is the path I have created for you to walk upon.  And when you do, you will find rest for your souls.”

But sadly, we say, “We will not walk in it.”  We refuse to stop.  We refuse to stand.  We refuse to look.  We refuse to ask. And we refuse to walk in your way.  Somehow, we have come to believe that our way is better.  And, thus, we miss out on the beauty and the life and the rest that you have prepared for us.  Is there a greater temptation in all of life than the temptation to try and do it on our own?

O Lord, my God, help me not to jump to walk before I’ve stopped and stood and looked and asked.  For only then will I experience the soul rest I so deeply need and desire.

resistance to rest

“In returning and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” (Isaiah 30:15)

Our resistance to rest is both baffling and fascinating.  Who in their right mind would “have none of it?”  Why in the world would we say, “No,” and run off to follow our own agendas, plans, and devices.  Is it all ego?  Are we so full of ourselves that there is no room for God?  Are we so determined to make a name for ourselves that we would risk all in doing so?  Are we so dead set on becoming a flagstaff on a mountaintop that we would sacrifice all that is good and holy to get there? 

Do we really believe that we are what we do?  Are we really convinced that we are who people say or think we are?  Do we really believe that our worth and value are determined by our successes and achievements?  Do we really believe that stopping and resting is only for the weak?  It would certainly appear so.

But the truth is that in returning and rest is our salvation and in quietness and trust is our strength.  It is God who determines all those things, not us.  All we have to do is be who and what he made us to be.  The rest is up to him.

true self

Lord Jesus

help me to

become the me

that looks like you

reach

"if i just touch his clothes..."

mark 5:28

what if what you get

is merely what you

will settle for

there's so much more 

of me if you are willing 

to reach for it 

will you reach for me

will you reach for more

the reach is everything

a restored soul

Annie Dillard once wrote: "You do not have to sit outside in the dark.  If, however, you want to see the stars, you will find that darkness is necessary.  But the stars neither require nor demand it."

Which reminds me of the words I pray every Sunday from Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul."  It's as if God is saying: "You don't have to lie down in green pastures and sit beside still waters.  If, however, you want to have your soul restored, you will find that they are necessary."  

That's probably why he "makes us" lie down and "leads us" beside, because he knows that we typically won't do those things by ourselves.  We're too busy responding to demands and expectations, getting things done, and making things happen.  I mean, who has time to "lie down" or "sit beside," right?

The problem is that if we don't make time and space to do those two things, our souls will dry up and die, which is why we need to have our souls "restored" in the first place.  The word for soul, in the Hebrew, comes from one of the words for breath.  Which means that the soul is that place where God breathes his life-giving breath into us.  If we don't make time and space for God to breathe his divine breath into us, we have nothing of value or substance to breathe out upon the world around us.  We can't live in a constant exhale; we must learn how to inhale.  God wants to restore his divine breath in us.  

Which brings us back to "making us lie down in green pastures" and "leading us beside still waters."  Those two practices are a major part of soul restoration.  So, take a few minutes today and follow the Good Shepherd to those green fields and those still waters.  You won't regret it.  In fact, it will give you life and joy and love and peace.  It will restore your soul.

abide in my love

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Abide in my love.” (John 15:9) 

I can think of no better definition of prayer than simply to abide in His love.  The word abide means to stay, remain, or live in.  It is a continual state of being; a beautiful combination of presence, attention, and affection. 

To abide in his love—in prayer—means to sit in his divine embrace and allow his love, his affection, and his delight to capture our hearts and transform our lives.  Maybe that’s what Paul meant when he told us to pray without ceasing.  That we would, at every moment of every day, bask in the light and warmth of his presence and let it consume us to the point where we are one with him.  Which is the perfect description of the relationship between Jesus and his Father.

abide in my word

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) 

When we are taught to read in school, we are taught to read in a certain way—informationally.  Reading informationally means that the goal is to read as much as possible, as fast as possible, in order to master the material.  In terms of reading the Bible, this is a good thing.  It leads to us knowing about God, and we can never know enough things about God.

But when it comes to knowing God, we must read a little differently.  We must begin to read for formation rather than just for information.  In other words, we must learn to not just read the word and study the word, but we must learn to abide in the word and listen to the word and meditate on the word.  That's when what is in the mind moves into the heart, which is how transformation takes place.  At that point, instead of us trying to master the word, the word comes to master and form us.  We begin to hear God’s voice in his word in a deep and personal way.  We begin to let the word live in us and move in us and grow in us.  Thus, the Bible ceases to be merely a textbook and becomes a series of love letters, telling one beautiful love story.

abide in me

“Abide in me, and I will abide in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abide in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

When you abide in Christ, what do you do?”  It’s a question we all had, but he was the only one courageous enough to ask it.  He asked it of a wise old nun who was leading a group of us through a day of prayer and silence at a convent near Seattle.  We had all spent the day together and were debriefing with each other about our time.

“You don’t do anything,” the wise saint replied.  And then, seeing the confusion on his face, she added, “Think of it as the silent embrace of two lovers.”  And suddenly we all got it.

That is the beauty and the mystery and the intimacy of the relationship Jesus invites us into.  It’s the same relationship he shares with the Father and the Spirit, and he invites us into their Great Round Dance of Love.  That is how the life of the Spirit produces fruit in us and through us.

clinging

“My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:8) Clinging to anyone or anything other than God can get us in trouble really quick.  Because clinging to people, things, or experiences is almost always a result of fear.  And fear makes us the worst version of ourselves. 

We cling to life because we are afraid of death.  We cling to others because we’re afraid of being alone.  We cling to achievements because we’re afraid of being insignificant.  We cling to affirmation and compliments because we’re afraid of being worthless.  We cling to attention and affection because we're afraid we're not worthy of being loved.

But when we cling to God alone, he sets us frees from need and sets us free to love.  For we cannot love freely when we are always trying to extort love out of others.  When we cling to God alone, he enables us to love like he loves.

open hands

it's not until

you're clinging 

to nothing

that God

ends up being

your everything

born from above

“I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born from above.’” (John 3:5-7)

Born from above; what a loaded phrase!  No wonder Nicodemus was dumbfounded.  I mean, how is that even possible? 

But of course, Jesus was talking about much deeper things than mere physics.  He was talking about spiritual transformation.  He was talking about how a life is changed, which always seems to involve some sort of new birth—leaving behind our old ways of being and seeing in order to live and see anew. 

The hard part, both for us and for Nicodemus, is that it’s not a process we can control.  We can no more control the renewal of our hearts and souls than we can control the day we are born.  It is all up to God.  It is a work of the Spirit, not something we can manufacture, manipulate, or control.  Flesh can only give birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 

Thus, we must be born of water and the Spirit; it involves both a cleansing and a renewal.  And Jesus is the only one who can do both of those things, all we can do is receive and respond.

It’s what Ezekiel had written about over five hundred years beforehand: “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27) Notice how many times God says, “I will.”  It is he who produces this change, not us.

And it’s also something Paul wrote about years later: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:4-6) The two parts of being born from above are cleansing and renewal, both of which are totally up to God.

Maybe that’s the part Nicodemus struggled with the most.  Maybe he was simply unwilling to surrender his life and his knowledge and his position and his history to God and start all over again.  Maybe he was unwilling to let go of control and become a child again. 

And maybe that’s what you and I struggle with as well.  Surrender is not an easy thing; it takes the ball out of our hands and puts it squarely and wholly in the hands of God.

masters memories

Well, it's that time of year again.  Today I will watch the final round of the Masters from the comfort of my living room.  But it will take me on a journey far bigger than that.  It will fill my heart and soul with forty years of memories.  My father got badges when we lived in Greenville, SC back in the early sixties before the Masters was a big a deal.  So, from about four years old on, we grew up getting to go to the greatest sporting event in the greatest venue of earth on a regular basis.

Through the years I've had the privilege of going numerous times with my dad, then with my wife, and with each of our grown children.  The last several years we went as a family and took turns going to each round.  It is an experience none of us will ever forget.  In fact, the last year we went was two days after my father passed away and he made us promise we would all go to the tournament together before we had his funeral.  It was one of the sweetest trips ever.  It was my father's dying wish. 

Unfortunately, we just missed the time when they would allow the badges to be passed down to your family, because I would love to get to experience the wonder and excitement of the tournament with my grandkids.  

The only word that comes close to describing the beauty and the majesty of Augusta National is pristine.  It is a such an amazing place and the Masters is such a special event.  Even the fans feel like royalty as they walk through the gates.  You immediately get the sense of what an honor and a privilege it is to be able to be a part of such a magical experience.  And if you don't feel that way when you walk in, you are probably not worthy of being there.

So, I will sit and watch the final round today, but I will be doing far more than just watching.  I will be walking the course in my memories with my late father.  I will be looking at the gallery behind number seven, where he used to love to sit.  I will be tasting the pimento cheese, and hearing the roars, and watching in excitement as they change the scoreboard.  And when it's all over, I will take the long walk to the car with a full heart, because to me the Masters is about much more than just golf.

And if you're interested, here's a little something I wrote about it years ago: the masters

lies or prayers

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  How long will you assault a man?  Would you all throw him down—this leaning wall, this tattering fence?  They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies.  With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.  Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-6) 

Lies deplete us and prayers sustain us.  That’s one of the lessons we learn from praying this ancient, but ever-new prayer. 

Lies constantly assault us.  They turn us into the worst version of ourselves.  They make us so much less than what God intended us to be—just leaning walls and tottering fences.  Their intent is to topple us from our lofty place, to dislodge us from the belief that we are beloved sons and daughters of God.

Prayers, on the other hand, nourish and nurture and transform us.  It is by prayer that we become exactly who and what God made us to be.  It is by praying these ancient prayers that our souls are able to find their rest in God, for he alone is the source of our rest and our peace.  Only when we trust in him can we begin to experience the kind of soul rest he created us for.  Thus, it is impossible our solus to rest if we do not trust.

So, depleted by lies or sustained by prayer, the choice is ours.  The one we give the most room to is the one that’s going to win out in the end.  Choose prayer.

perfect love

when fear takes up all the space

there is no room for love

fear squeezes it out and

gives it no air to breathe

fear suffocates love's flame

and keeps it from being able to burn

in order for love to have free reign

it must be given room to roam

an emptying must occur

perfect love must cast fear out

just give love a little elbow room

and fear does not stand a chance 

union

losing myself in you

that is the point 

of divine union

all becomes you so that

there is no more me

like rain falling into a pond

loses itself and becomes 

one with the greater

like a stream flowing into the sea

is swallowed up in the vastness of the sea

like light coming into a room

through two windows is joined

into one glorious light

so may i be swallowed up

and disappear into you 

my beloved jesus

so that i cease to exist 

but become one with you

easter morn

stop at the entrance

of the empty tomb

look at the strips

of linen lying there

consider

reflect

pray

contemplate

then go inside

see and believe

good friday 2026

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, 

the author and perfecter of our faith, 

who for the joy set before him 

endured the cross, scorning its shame, 

and sat down at the right hand 

of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

for the joy set before him

he was willing to 

endure the cross

and scorn the shame

but what was that joy

what made it worth the agony

and the shame and the humiliation

what had so captured his heart

that he was willing to 

go to such great lengths

to redeem it all

it was you and me

we were the joy set before him

we consumed his thoughts

and we filled his heart 

as he hung upon that cross

so on this good friday

let us fix our eyes on him

our author and perfecter

our lover and redeemer

our savior and our friend

so that we might be 

his joy again today

 

becoming pluto

the descending way is the path to life

following the time-worn footprints

of the one who stepped down from his throne

to make his home among the broken

and invites us to do the same

will i choose his downward way

will i lay aside privilege and preference

will i take the low road into obscurity

will i embrace humiliation and suffering

so i can become one with the forsaken

will i stop demanding to be

the absolute center of the universe

i the sun and they merely the planets

revolving around my own persona

can i shift from being the sun to becoming pluto

can i make the move from subject to object

will i become a small part of his glorious universe

revolving around the one who is the true center

he the son and i just a dwarf planet

on the outer fringes beyond neptune

held in a beautiful orbit by the 

gravitational pull of divine love

he is offering me an invitation

to become less rather than more

but will i accept his call

or will i continue to fool myself 

into believing that i am 

the center of gravity

the gap

any attempt to

lessen the gap

between us and God

is destined for failure

because the truth is

the more we get

to know who he is

the bigger he becomes

the greater our need

and the larger the gap

which is not a bad thing

she has been 

forgiven much

for she loved much

but he who has been

forgiven little loves little

the bigger our need

the bigger the gap

the bigger the cross

the bigger the love

that's kingdom life

a yes orientation

“I am the Lord’s servant.  May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38) 

Walking with God means to be continually willing to say “yes” to him.  Mary is a great example of that.  In fact, she has often been described through the ages as someone having a “yes orientation” to God.  That sounds beautiful, but what does it really mean?  What does it look like?

First and foremost, having a “yes orientation” to God means that we need to listen carefully to what he’s asking us to say yes to and not assume that we need to be doing anything and everything.  Sadly, many of us make that assumption without ever asking.  It makes me wonder how many times we are saying yes to something God has not even asked us to do?

What God was asking Mary to do was very specific and, thus, Mary’s yes was very specific as well.  And in order to say yes to what God was asking of her, she had to say no to many other things.  That’s the way life with God works.  He speaks and we listen.  He asks and we answer.  He leads and we follow, not vice versa.

We get into trouble when we assume.  We run ahead, thinking our plans and activities and agendas are God’s without ever asking him.  Don’t make that mistake.  Don’t just assume.  Ask God, listen to what he says, and then be like Mary—say yes! 

alive: encountering the risen jesus

 

Eastertide is coming quickly.  If you're looking for a companion for the journey of resurrection, here's an option: Alive: Encountering the Risen Jesus

the holiness of the ordinary

the sun paints the morning sky

filling its daily canvas with hues

of pink and orange and red

a masterpiece on display for all to see

an open invitation for all who choose

to say yes and to stop and to look

there is beauty in daily life

profundity waiting to be unearthed

like treasure hidden in a field

each day a showcase of mystery

each moment an invitation to engage 

the holiness of the ordinary

which is not ordinary at all

but it must first be recognized

in order to be seen 

and it must be seen 

in order to be fully appreciated

but that takes time

it is hard to pay attention on the run

it is difficult to notice in a hurry

slowing down is a key element

savoring only happens slowly

if we want to fully taste

all that the now has to offer

it will require something of us

but are we willing to give that something

anxiety

it doesn't take much

to send me down 

the rabbit hole

to start the chorus

of voices within

holding me captive

to their what ifs 

and oh noes

creating one

worst case scenario

after another

once the wheel is spun

it takes forever for it

to come to rest again

almost impossible to stop

i have become its victim

helplessly watching

breathlessly worrying

it has its way with me

until finally it chooses

to release its grip

then the wheel finally stops

until the trigger is pulled again

it doesn't take much

homecoming

hang on to hope beloved

all is not lost

i am working deeply

in ways you cannot yet see 

those walking in darkness

will see a great light

those traveling through

the valley of the shadow

will find light and hope

for i walk beside them

even if they are unaware

those who toil in the pigpen

will come to their senses

and head for home

they will remember 

where they belong

and to whom they belong

and will come back

so stand on the porch

and keep watching

keep waiting

and keep hoping

get ready to celebrate

because that day will come

hang on to hope beloved

trying too hard too

trying too hard 

is exhausting

jockeying to be seen

working to be known

proving my worth

longing to be essential

desperate to be needed

why am i always

trying to prove

what am i always

trying to prove

pressured to perform

climbing to nowhere

then you come and 

invite me to lay it all aside

for in your eyes there is 

no need to prove or perform

no climbing to be great

no jockeying to be seen

the pressure is off

all there is to do is to be

i don't have to be enough

because You already are

dancing with God

somehow the music started

before i even recognized it

you drew me onto the floor

and taught me how to dance

embracing me in your arms

you drew me close

you whispered in my ear

you moved me sweetly

into the rhythms of your love

you showed me the steps

you taught me to hear

the music of your affection

you taught me to move in

perfect harmony with you

leading me as i follow

for our dance is like no other

and yet somehow like all others

only after you drew me into

the cosmic intimacy of the dance

did i begin to understand

how mysterious and magical

how intimate and passionate

living union with you can be
more magical than imaginable

so i will continue

to dance with you

today and every day

for the rest of my days

and on into eternity

big need, big cross, big love

“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much.  But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:47) In reality, no one has been forgiven little, some just think they have.  The beauty of the gospel is that only when we know how big our need for forgiveness is, will we ever be able to comprehend how big the cross is, and how big the love of God is.  Big need leads to a big cross, which leads to a big love—a bigger love from God, a bigger love for God, and a bigger love for others.  God’s love becomes bigger than we could have ever asked or imagined.

By contrast, the Pharisees had a small love because of how small they perceived their need to be.  They spent their whole lives trying to reduce their need and had somehow convinced themselves that they had succeeded.  But all it did was make them judge more and love less.  Sound familiar?  It does to me.

Most of us think the goal of spiritual life is to reduce the gap between us and God.  We think that if we can just be better and perform better then we might get closer to him.  But the truth is that the older we get, and the more we get to know God, the larger the gap gets rather than the smaller.  Thus, the cross does not get smaller and smaller but bigger and bigger.  And the bigger the cross gets, the bigger love gets.  The bigger the cross gets the more we realize how wide and long and high and deep is the love of God, which makes our love for him grow in return.  We love because he first loved us.  That’s what the “sinful” woman had learned that the Pharisees had not.  Let’s be like her and not like them.

Lord Jesus, thank you that those who have been forgiven much love much.  Help us to see the enormity of your forgiveness so that we might also see the enormity of your amazing love.