Awesome! Amazing! These are two words that have lost a great deal of their meaning in our current culture. We think a new, trendy TV program that will likely be gone and forgotten in months to be "awesome." We watch that nights highlight reel on ESPN and call one or more of the plays "amazing," until the following evenings highlights. Small wonder then that the words have lost their potency amongst we who are the church. Whether we sing "Amazing Grace" in the traditional or contemporary style, the question is, is His grace truly amazing to us? Has it ever really been so? Do we really live in amazement before He who the Word says holds all creation together? Are we in wonder before the God who with a word, spoke all creation into being? Is His grace really amazing to us as we live in it day by day, moment by moment? Do we live in the Presence of amazement, standing amazed in the Presence of Jesus Christ the Nazarene.....the perfect God/Man?
How many times might we have sung the hymn "Amazing Grace?" Do we, have we ever had, a conscious reality of stepping into His amazing grace in every aspect of our lives, every day of our lives? Have we ever gotten still enough, quiet enough before Him to hear His words of power and life....and be amazed? Amazed that the Creator of all spoke personally, directly, and with unending love...to us, to me? When was the last time we left our place of prayer, of worship, amazed at and in His Presence? If you're one who attends what we call "church" on some kind of regular basis, did what He speak and do, leave you amazed in His Presence? Do we even go to such gatherings with an expectation that He will, or even that He might? If I ask this same question of we who are His shepherds, how will we answer? We can whip up a lot of man centered excitement in most of our "worship services," but when was the last time His amazing grace and love burst through and into our agenda in order that He might put forth His own? It's unlikely if we are not living in the Presence of amazement, stepping into His amazing grace as a way of life. Stepping into it as naturally as taking our next step in a walk.
As the culture we live in works to heighten our emotional and physical senses through entertainment and technology, I believe that we have at the same time been spiritually desensitized by that same culture. So we've become dependent on the same things the world has in order to generate some sense of wonder and amazement. The end result though is always emptiness. And the tragedy for the church is that in gathering after gathering, the people, despite all our efforts, are leaving as spiritually empty as when they arrived. Singing "Amazing Grace," but not living in it.
In Amos 5:4, the Father calls out to His people Israel, "Come back to Me and live." In His Presence. In amazement and wonder. No longer just talking of His grace, but living in all of its fullness and beauty. How far have we drifted from that? When was the last time we stood amazed in His Presence? Let us come back to Him......stepping into His amazing grace, and truly coming to life. Having come back, we now live. In His amazing grace.
Blessings,
Pastor O
As the culture we live in works to heighten our emotional and physical senses through entertainment and technology, I believe that we have at the same time been spiritually desensitized by that same culture. So we've become dependent on the same things the world has in order to generate some sense of wonder and amazement. The end result though is always emptiness. And the tragedy for the church is that in gathering after gathering, the people, despite all our efforts, are leaving as spiritually empty as when they arrived. Singing "Amazing Grace," but not living in it.
In Amos 5:4, the Father calls out to His people Israel, "Come back to Me and live." In His Presence. In amazement and wonder. No longer just talking of His grace, but living in all of its fullness and beauty. How far have we drifted from that? When was the last time we stood amazed in His Presence? Let us come back to Him......stepping into His amazing grace, and truly coming to life. Having come back, we now live. In His amazing grace.
Blessings,
Pastor O
No comments:
Post a Comment