beauty and passion...

Beauty... passion...
I saw... both... at the symphony on Sunday...

The beauty of many...
coming together as one...

Every member...
under the direction of one...
each with a different instrument...
a different role...

Beautiful...

It gave me just a glimpse... an idea...
of what the church could be...
if we all came under One...
and followed the same score...

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body ---

Jews or Greeks, slaves or free --- and all were made

to drink of one Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV

An orchestra...
bringing great beauty...
because they all had the same purpose...
the same focus...

What beauty could the church bring...? into a dark...? corrupt...? world...? If we all surrendered to the Spirit...? came under the authority of the Father...? followed the Son...?

And passion...

A guest cellist...
playing her instrument...
with passion...
intensity...

She knew her music...
no score before her...
it was in her heart...
her soul...

In her... I saw... the kind of passion I want for His Word...
to know it...
for it to flow from me...
heart... soul...

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

who seek him with their whole heart,

who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

Psalm 119:2-3 ESV

Beauty... passion...
both elements the church should pour forth...

Why don't we...?
what are we missing...?

Lord... stir the hearts of Your people...

remind us... me... of the beauty... passion...

Your people should bring into the world...

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; 

sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

tell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous works among all the peoples!

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

but the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

bring an offering, and come into his courts!

Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness,

tremble before him, all the earth!

Psalm 96:1-9 ESV

remembrance... generous grace...

Remembering today... His generous grace...

...where sin increased, grace abounded all the more...

Romans 5:20 ESV

Why...?

Why any beauty...? in the world we broke...? corrupted with sin...?

Why the steadfast seasons...? providing continuity to our lives...?

Storms... that's what we deserve...

But even in storms... 

emotional...

physical...

natural...

supernatural...

there is grace to be had...

Storms turn our hearts to Him...

But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;

you consider it to take it in hand.

The victim commits himself to you...

Psalm 10:14 

There have been some storms lately... around the world...

How many have recognized His grace...?

Do you see His grace...? in your personal storms...?

...where sin abounds...

grace increases all the more...

Remembering His generous grace...

what it means to me...

and to the world...

For from his fullness we have all received,

grace upon grace.

John 1:16 ESV

Lord... such grace immeasurable... in seasons and storms...

Open my eyes and heart... so I never miss Your generous grace...

a garden walk...

Yesterday... I took a walk with Him... in the garden...

A spiritual discipline for a current study...

The exercise... look at what He has made... notice the wonders... meditate on the depth of His love... talk with Him as to a friend...

So I walk... and just through flowers... and foliage... He speaks love in volumes...

Such abundant color... life... movement...

He calls me to get my camera... and I do... knowing the impossibility of capturing its fullness digitally...

Walking and snapping... wondering at the depth of a love... that goes to such lengths... in detail... diversity... and dimensions... to make such a complex... extravagant... universe... for people to inhabit...

And this just in plants... the non-food-bearing kind...

My heart grows full at the thought of all the other facets of creation...
sky... sunsets... sunrises... shooting stars...
edible creations... spicy... sweet... savory...
wildlife... butterflies... wildebeests... polar bears...
geography in general... canyons... mountains... great gulfs of water...

Full with affirmation of His love... I speak to Him... as a friend...

A recognized burden... recently exacerbated... leaves me weary... one I've carried a long time...

I pour out my heart to Him... in the midst of garden beauty... and creation extravagance...

And He says...

How will I not give you all things...?

His words... take me back to Scripture... the greatest Beauty...

Himself...

His offering...

on a cross...

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all,

how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:32 ESV

His words humble...

fuel hope...

quench doubt...

fire up faith...!

All because... I took a walk in the garden... with Him...

Thank You... Lord... for meeting me... in the garden...

When was the last time you took a garden walk... with Him...?

blessed by beauty

Retreating to the garden... sunlight fading...
Seeking words to end the day...
Eyes opened... to beauty all around...

Not only for the eye...
A cool chill... on the face...
Birds sing an evening song... and flutter wings...

And I wonder at the beauty...
evidence... of His divine nature...

...the darkness has not overcome it...

His power... goodness... far outweigh the brokenness of the Fall...

The one who only steals... kills... destroys... 

can't overcome... the abundance of  Life...

Beauty... that overcame... crucifixion... death... on... a... cross...

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11 ESV