Recent Inspiration

Two posts in one day...since I've missed so many weeks of postings, I guess...

Although we haven't settled on a church home, yet, since our move, God has been faithful to keep me close to Himself.

First off, probably due to the challenges of the transition, it has forced me to cling to Him.

I did much journaling and processing early in the move.  Then felt the need to dig more deeply into The Word.  I felt lead to study Galatians - a book I haven't spent much time in but have wanted to, specifically now because of the them of "freedom" that I feel God is wanting me to learn.  

I asked a new friend who also recently moved here and seemed like she would be one of those "true fellowship" sisters if she wanted to join me in studying Galatians.  God has provided sweet friendship, fellowship, partnership, and accountability through our relationship.  One way of staying connected to the Lord!

Visiting different churches has offered fresh opportunities to worship Jesus and connect with lots of neat people.

One church is having a women's study learning from Beth Moore's Proverbs study on Wisdom - rich stuff.  Good to inspire and challenge and seek the Lord!

That church also has a "Super Sunday" where they bring in quality speakers.  Last month was Christopher Yuan.  I read the book her wrote with his mom prior to going to his speaking engagement - "Out of a Far Country: A gay son's journey to God, a broken mother's journey to hope."  Powerful.

This month's speaker is Lynn Wilder.  I read her book this summer in anticipation of her coming to speak -  Unveiling Grace: The Story of how we found our way out of the Mormon Church.  Another inspirational story that reminds you of God's power, keeping me engaged with the reality of His presence. 

And most Sundays I have still gotten to rest and be refreshed and inspired while reading Ann Voskamp's blog: aholyexperience.com  A few Sundays ago I noticed on the sidebar a square that said: Tim Keller with Ann Voskamp in your city...now Tim Keller is another one of my favorite people (i.e. one of my favorite people whom I've never met:)) and to have the opportunity to hear them both from the same stage, I wanted to know more.  Turns out they were going to be the two National speakers along with a 3 person national panel broadcast in over 60 cities worldwide speaking on "advancing good in your community" through this event for Q-Commons (never heard of them!)  And my city would be one of those 60 cities!  At each city location they would also have 3 live local speakers.  How enticing...I ended up going last Thursday - a unique experience, once again uplifting to experience the universal Body of Christ coming together for a common cause.

So these are some ways God has been recently encouraging, inspiring, challenging me and teaching me to stay in step with His Spirit!  

I'm a Tooth

No, this isn't like the "You're a heel," this is in reference to how the theme of the Body of Christ has been coming up a lot in my recent study of Scripture. (Although I wanted to look up exactly what that insult means and according to wiki answers it means "a despicable, contemptible sort...the word illustrates...the lowest part of the body".)

And so what if you are "the heel" of "The Body".  For I am under the impression that it was the heel of our Savior Himself which was foretold to crush the head of the deceptive serpent responsible for inviting sin into this world and thus bring healing and restoration to creation - between God and His people! 

Genesis 3:15 - "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

That long awaited for, messianic, metaphoric heel would be God's instrument of bringing ultimate victory in an age-old battle. 

Colossians 2:13-15 - And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (v.15)

That "lowest part of the body" that wiki describes ... that's the one that will be first in Christ's kingdom!

Exekiel 21:26 - this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.

So what's so bad about being The Heel of The Body?  I wouldn't want to walk without a heel.  And those who have had to temporarily walk on a the ball of the foot, they sure do have sore calves.  I'm thankful for those in Our Body, in Our Family, in Our Kingdom who exemplify our Savior by overthrowing sin through their humility!  Put that way, it makes me want to be more of a heel! :)

And 1 Corinthians 12:21,22 says it itself - The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable..."

But, that wasn't the point of this post ... I guess now I'm a little sad to say I don't think I'm a heel, but as 1 Corinthians 12 and elsewhere in Scripture we are reminded that all parts of The Body are indispensable ... I will use the space of another post to tell you why I still think I'm a tooth!

I still think I'm a Tooth

...Continued from I'm a Tooth (Click the link for the rabbit trail I got on when I first started this post:))

So, for about the past month I've been looking at what the Scriptures have to say about my identity.  My identity in Christ is something I have learned about over the years, but I haven't dwelt on it in a way to transform how I think about myself.  I started in Ephesians and moved to the Corinthians, looking specifically for terms of identity: "you are, we are, etc."  I still have some more transformational meditating to do, but one thing I was struck by in each book was the theme of The Body of Christ and the unity God calls for among His people.  

The parts of the body and Spiritual Gifts are other themes I've learned about over the years.  There have been "tests" I've taken to "identify spiritual gifts," but I never took much time to ponder what part of the body I might be or what part of the body that spiritual gift correlates to.  Knowing that the parts of the body is an analogy, I haven't felt the need to seriously discern it.  But for whatever reason, one morning this week in my time with the LORD, the idea of a tooth came to mind.  It seems to fit.

A gift the LORD's entrusted to me, a role God's grown me into and opened doors for is one of "teacher."  So, my role in the body?  A messenger of the Word...and what part of the body relates to words, messages?  The mouth.  But, no, I'm not that significant.  The tongue.  But, no, I have not been refined enough to be a teacher with a fresh water tongue (James 3).  Teeth.  Yes.  Not the important biters, nor the necessary molars, but maybe an incisor?  A tooth - a piece of the mouth.  A mouthpiece of God.  Helping others hear the Word of God.  Helping other bite into and chew on the sweetness of the Word of God. 

Psalms 119:103 - "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

And teeth also play a protection role - keeping out that which should not coming in and even keeping in what you don't want to come out (impure/untrue words!?!)  And without some teeth, one may speak with a lisp.  May God's Word not be misheard.  

I was reminded of the image of teeth in Song of Songs:

"Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing. Each has its twin; not one of them is alone." (4:2)

The image of clean - white sheep after washing...may my mouthpiece be clean and pure (fresh water - James 3:10-12).

The image of fullness - each tooth with a twin, none missing, none alone...God delights in the beauty of the fullness, the way He designed that part of the body.

So, if each tooth is delighted in by God, I am significant as the incisor I am.  Surely, the body can do without a tooth, but God doesn't want The Body to be without even a tooth.  He wants the beauty of the fullness, not one without another.  

And if even an "unnecessary" tooth is wanted, what an good reminder of The Gospel - that each part may be worthless on its own, but when part of The Body it is desired, delighted in, important, significant; our identity in The Body of Christ grants us to be desired, delighted in, important, significant to the Creator who made us and loves us through the Savior who suffered and died for us!

Ephesians 4:16 -"from whom [the head, Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

May my role as a tooth, a mouthpiece, a teacher work properly so The Body is built up in love!