This morning, while preparing breakfast for Helen's birthday, I experienced a brief, unexpected burst of joy. It wasn't a big burst - more of a gentle upwelling. I suppose an "objective" observer would say I was simply enjoying the fact that I had the day off from work and that I was doing one of my favorite acivities - cooking up a delicious and healthy meal on a special day. But the feeling of joy came and went. It did not hang around for more than a few minutes. Before and after this encounter I was already quite content - happy even. But joy is unique in that (for me, anyway) it is rather rare; it is something more pervasive and deeply pleasureable than mere happiness.
I suspect that I am not alone in this experience of "lurking joy". If only I could coax it out of the shadows and have it as a constant companion! Is there something about me that scares it away? Do I make it feel unwelcome somehow? Or is it the nature of joy to be fleeting and elusive? Was joy a constant companion of him who was called a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief"? Is it possible to experience more than one emotion at a time?!
One thing I do know. Joy is second only to love as one of the signiature marks of God's presence. The Holy Spirit is notoriously shy in that he's not about drawing attention to himself. But he does want to fill us.
Someone once said, "We are as close to God as we want to be." When I first heard that I wanted to object, "That's not true! I've tried hard to get close to God and so often it feels like my efforts have been in vain!" But to say that we can be as close to God as we want to be is simply a restatement of what James said - "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
I think the problem is that we give up too easily. I think God deliberately makes it hard to know Him as a way of testing us to see what we really want. Those things that we really want we will continuously go after - we won't let anything stop us or discourage us. But I think there is another important element in understanding joy and the presence of God. And that is the reality that God is Who He Is. He is not a Santa Claus who hands out presents to the good boy and girls. He does what He does for His own inscrutible reasons, which He may or may not share with us.
Which brings us back to the need for humility, for a purity of heart that is uncluttered with distractions. To be filled we must first be emptied.
Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure." (Lk. 10:21)
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
the elusiveness of simplicity
I suspect that our culture does not place simplicity very high on its list of values. In fact, the word "culture" seems to imply sophistication and complexity. Western culture in particular, with its emphasis on rationality and intellectual skills, tends to militate against anything that is too easily accessed (e.g. by intuition). A good mind is more highly valued than a good heart. As you can see, I'm associating simplicity with the heart. One way to define simplicity is to say that it is living from the heart. Young children do this quite easily and naturally. As we grow older and our minds develop, we shift from relying on the intuitive to relying more on what we can understand and grasp with our minds. Once our minds kick into full gear life starts to get very complicated and that blessed gift of simplicity gets lost in the shuffle. Now, sophistication and complexity are not bad in themselves. The problem is when we forget or abandon the simplicity of the heart in preference for the "higher wisdom" of increasing intellectual sophistication.
Isn't this at least partly what Jesus is warning us of when he tells us that we won't even be able to enter the kingdom of heaven unless we humble ourselves as little children? If that is a requirement for entering, I suspect it is also a requirement for continuing.
The most radical and transformative step that I've ever taken towards child-likeness and simplicity was when I decided to start addressing God as "Daddy". I had heard an older, seasoned saint once suggest to a group of pastors that they begin speaking to God in such terms. His own favorite term for God was "Papa" which he would unabashedly use even when speaking from the pulpit to large crowds.
As I took this advice to heart I found that initially it was an akward adjustment. But slowly I got used to it and eventually it felt so right that I now can't imagine not addressing God that way (at least privately). In fact, "Daddy!" has become my favorite and most frequently used one-word prayer, most often utilized when I haven't a clue what else to pray. All I know is that it expresses a deep, unfulfilled longing that needs expression - a longing that cannot be encompassed by neat mental categories we call "words".
In some ways I feel like I have been regressing in my spiritual life. It isn't always fun to take the lower road, but in the long haul I have found it satisfying and do recommend it (i.e.simplifying). A good first step is to slow down. Observe how young children interact with life. Most of my children have grown up. But Clara is in that state of perpetual child-likeness so she is a constant reminder of what it is like to be intuitive, simple, aware and immediately connected to the present. I long to see her whole, her mind as fully functional as her heart. Maybe that day will come when our (the Body of Christ's) hearts have finally been healed . . . because I have a sneaking suspicion that hearts need to be healed before minds . . . Daaaa-ddyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God . . .(Ro 8:15)
. . . the simplicity that is in Christ . . . (2 Cor. 11:3 KJV)
. . .it is with the heart that you believe . . . (Ro. 10:10)
Isn't this at least partly what Jesus is warning us of when he tells us that we won't even be able to enter the kingdom of heaven unless we humble ourselves as little children? If that is a requirement for entering, I suspect it is also a requirement for continuing.
The most radical and transformative step that I've ever taken towards child-likeness and simplicity was when I decided to start addressing God as "Daddy". I had heard an older, seasoned saint once suggest to a group of pastors that they begin speaking to God in such terms. His own favorite term for God was "Papa" which he would unabashedly use even when speaking from the pulpit to large crowds.
As I took this advice to heart I found that initially it was an akward adjustment. But slowly I got used to it and eventually it felt so right that I now can't imagine not addressing God that way (at least privately). In fact, "Daddy!" has become my favorite and most frequently used one-word prayer, most often utilized when I haven't a clue what else to pray. All I know is that it expresses a deep, unfulfilled longing that needs expression - a longing that cannot be encompassed by neat mental categories we call "words".
In some ways I feel like I have been regressing in my spiritual life. It isn't always fun to take the lower road, but in the long haul I have found it satisfying and do recommend it (i.e.simplifying). A good first step is to slow down. Observe how young children interact with life. Most of my children have grown up. But Clara is in that state of perpetual child-likeness so she is a constant reminder of what it is like to be intuitive, simple, aware and immediately connected to the present. I long to see her whole, her mind as fully functional as her heart. Maybe that day will come when our (the Body of Christ's) hearts have finally been healed . . . because I have a sneaking suspicion that hearts need to be healed before minds . . . Daaaa-ddyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God . . .(Ro 8:15)
. . . the simplicity that is in Christ . . . (2 Cor. 11:3 KJV)
. . .it is with the heart that you believe . . . (Ro. 10:10)
(untitled) Note to all readers of this blog:
This is a reminder to any and all who may read these blog entries that my goal is to stimulate and stir up (and hopefully to eventually awaken that which is of God). My purpose is not to try and present anything polished or theologically precise (some may, in fact, border on heresy). Instead, I would simply like to encourage dialogue and interaction along a vein that might, somehow, someway, be useful to the Spirit in breathing fresh life and vitality into us. A blog is not meant to only be the rantings or musings of a lone individual. It is also meant for interaction. So, again, I do welcome whatever you care to contribute. Now I have been informed by some that they have not been able to get their comments published. I don't know why this is (maybe one needs to have a gmail account) but maybe I can get this straightened out. In the meantime feel free to send me any comments by email to barajones@gmail.com.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
on being proper . . . or should it be Poppins?
My wife often reminds me of my English heritage, especially if my behavior is tending toward the overly "proper" end of the spectrum. I think it was this "proper" side of me that found it hard to appreciate the musical "Mary Poppins" when it first came out. But I'm glad to report that I must be changing over the years. I just finished watching the movie with Clara and surprised myself by thoroughly enjoying it. What surprised me even more were the not-so-hidden messages throughout the film that I completely missed the first time I saw it years ago.
Now some of us more "proper" folk may be offended by the idea that God can communicate through other means than the Bible - especially not through such an ungodly means as the movies! But, as I've already indicated through a previous entry, I no longer hold to that opinion.
Mary Poppins is another delightful example of God's truth coming through to us by an unexpected means.
Jesus taught us that the Spirit of God is like the wind that blows wherever it wills. How does Mary Poppins arrive? Blown in by an easterly wind, she is, . . . and she leaves when the wind changes. Despite her highly unorthodox ways, what changes does she bring? Love . . .joy . . . peace, to name a few. Of course, the highly proper (uptight) Mr. Banks is not able to receive Mary Poppins' graces and ends up instead with a headache. On the verge of firing Mary, she exercises one more gift of grace and influences him to not only let her stay on, but also to take his children with him to work. Well, things seem to go from bad to worse as these two innocent young children refuse to give up their "tu-pence" to the chief banker. They want the money to go to the old lady feeding the birds and he wants it invested in the bank. Their stubbornness results in a run on the bank and the firing of Mr Banks (who was informed that the only other time there had been a run on their back was after the Boston Tea Party). But right in the midst of all this a miraculous change is happening in Mr. Banks. He finally realizes that it's more important to spend time with his children than to hold down a financially lucrative career, so he joyfully embraces his newfound freedom and celebrates by repairing the broken kite and taking his children out to the park to fly it.
As the children are joyfully heading to the park with their father, Mary Poppins is quietly observing the scene from her balcony, conversing with the parrot-head handle of her umbrella. The parrot makes the most profound comment of the whole film when it tells Mary that the children "think more of their father than they do of you" (because they had run off without saying good-bye to Mary). Isn't that exactly how the Holy Spirit works? He doesn't draw attention to himself, but rather testifies to the Son, who in turn reunites us with our heavenly Father as well as with our earthly fathers (the spirit of Elijah and John the Baptist). There are other interesting "manifestations of the Spirit" in the film that are more controversial in character (such as out-of-control laughter) so I won't dwell on them but can't help mentioning at least that one (very improper . . . but read your Bible and see if the Holy Spirit always induced people to act in only proper ways).
Let's go fly a kite,
Up to the highest height;
Let's go fly a kite
And send it soaring
Up to the atmosphere,
Up where the air is clear . . .
- final song in "Mary Poppins"
"Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
- Jesus, speaking to a religious leader
"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
- Jesus, speaking to his own disciples
Now some of us more "proper" folk may be offended by the idea that God can communicate through other means than the Bible - especially not through such an ungodly means as the movies! But, as I've already indicated through a previous entry, I no longer hold to that opinion.
Mary Poppins is another delightful example of God's truth coming through to us by an unexpected means.
Jesus taught us that the Spirit of God is like the wind that blows wherever it wills. How does Mary Poppins arrive? Blown in by an easterly wind, she is, . . . and she leaves when the wind changes. Despite her highly unorthodox ways, what changes does she bring? Love . . .joy . . . peace, to name a few. Of course, the highly proper (uptight) Mr. Banks is not able to receive Mary Poppins' graces and ends up instead with a headache. On the verge of firing Mary, she exercises one more gift of grace and influences him to not only let her stay on, but also to take his children with him to work. Well, things seem to go from bad to worse as these two innocent young children refuse to give up their "tu-pence" to the chief banker. They want the money to go to the old lady feeding the birds and he wants it invested in the bank. Their stubbornness results in a run on the bank and the firing of Mr Banks (who was informed that the only other time there had been a run on their back was after the Boston Tea Party). But right in the midst of all this a miraculous change is happening in Mr. Banks. He finally realizes that it's more important to spend time with his children than to hold down a financially lucrative career, so he joyfully embraces his newfound freedom and celebrates by repairing the broken kite and taking his children out to the park to fly it.
As the children are joyfully heading to the park with their father, Mary Poppins is quietly observing the scene from her balcony, conversing with the parrot-head handle of her umbrella. The parrot makes the most profound comment of the whole film when it tells Mary that the children "think more of their father than they do of you" (because they had run off without saying good-bye to Mary). Isn't that exactly how the Holy Spirit works? He doesn't draw attention to himself, but rather testifies to the Son, who in turn reunites us with our heavenly Father as well as with our earthly fathers (the spirit of Elijah and John the Baptist). There are other interesting "manifestations of the Spirit" in the film that are more controversial in character (such as out-of-control laughter) so I won't dwell on them but can't help mentioning at least that one (very improper . . . but read your Bible and see if the Holy Spirit always induced people to act in only proper ways).
Let's go fly a kite,
Up to the highest height;
Let's go fly a kite
And send it soaring
Up to the atmosphere,
Up where the air is clear . . .
- final song in "Mary Poppins"
"Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
- Jesus, speaking to a religious leader
"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
- Jesus, speaking to his own disciples
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