Inlaboro (2024)

29/07/2024

MONDAY MOMENTS INLABORO

Known and Unknown

Isaiah 48:6-8

“You have heard these things; look at them all.
Will you not acknowledge them?
From now on I will tell you of new things,
hidden things unknown to you.
They are created now, and not long ago;
you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot claim,
‘I already knew them!’
You have never heard; you have never understood;
for a long time your ears have not been open.
For I knew how deceitful you are;
you have been called a rebel from birth.”

We must abandon rebellious knowledge.

Knowledge learned and understood through the pattern of the flesh, the old nature, the fallen and corrupt pursuit of the “I, me, my” appetite.

“You will not surely die,” the serpent told her. For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:4-5

Deceptive belief that we can “see, eat, and know” (properly digest and render righteous judgments and actions) is at the heart of our problem.

The poetry and narrative of creation and its inevitable fall speak deeply into those who have had their vision and hearing restored by the Spirit of Christ. Given “eyes to see, and ears to hear”, we look at the story and realize that we would not have fared any better than our original mother and father.

The temptation is too alluring. The voice of the tempter, too intoxicating…

“You will be like God…”

But isn’t this the greatest form of flattery?

Doesn’t scripture ask us to be like God? “Be imitators of God…” Ephesians 5

Yes, this is the goal.

But it’s how one gets to the goal that matters. There are ways to do this that circumvent the deeper and most important characteristic of God… That He is love.

Sacrificial love, specifically… Agape, as the Greek offers.

If we are wise, we reverse engineer EVERYTHING we think, believe and do as Christ followers from this revelation.

Whatever I am now, or ever hope to be, God has his designs on my life to become a conduit of His sacrificial love. To take on, embrace, and participate in partnership with His declaration: “This world, I love!”

He loves it so much in fact, that after all other attempts to warn, convict, convince, judge, order, prophesy, and persuade, God reveals his greatest gift: Himself in the form of a suffering servant - Jesus the Messiah.

But still, with all this sacrificial offering and sacrificial intent… With all the love and compassion that’s been offered and revealed… With all the patience and long suffering I’ve experienced and felt…

I still often believe I can and should circumvent the sacrificial process through my own pursuit of knowledge, cleverness, and ingenuity.

I still often forget how much I need God.

It is why God beckons my attention to “things unknown.”

“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

Because I build idolatrous architectures and structures of meaning and protection out of what I KNOW.

The most splendid of my idols incorporate the most reliable and durable pieces of my past, no matter the “truth” they contain.

In this sense, “truth” becomes equated with “functionality.”

Does it serve me? Does it protect me? Does it advance my position? Does it comfort me? Is it on “my side?”

These are but a few examples of questions that I ask myself, and that also require answers.

And for the most part, the “idol” is the answer. Because the idol(s) is/are built upon my own rebellious knowledge.

It is why my mind must be transformed, my eyes and ears both opened to “new things that aren’t known to me.” “Things” that my idols will always keep hidden.

Attention, awareness, authenticity, vulnerability, curiosity, and beauty…

These are the uncommon and non-carnal weapons of true spiritual warriors who seek
to be spiritually formed, with others who desire the same.

We should always remember and be mindful that the image of Christ is what God desires to form in us. It is the primary work of the Spirit of Christ.

But how often am I desiring that “my image” - my thoughts, my beliefs, my politics, my behaviors, my ways, my actions, etc, etc, etc - be formed and replicated in others?

And it’s not that faith in Christ has nothing to say about thoughts, beliefs, politics, behaviors, ways, actions, etc, etc, etc…

Faith has much to say about all of these things.

But not Faith in self, self-knowledge, or self gratification.

Faith in Christ. Faith that is humble, meek, and bowed towards the Creator to find its footing, authority, pathway, and power. Faith that is known for its fruitfulness and character. Faith that pleases God.

And this faith has an embodied mission… To make us more like the incarnated Son of God. He is the mind of which the greater body, the church, connects to and takes its cues, orders, and directions from. This mind gives us access to “see and hear” properly, things we only think we know!

I was reminded it of this as I listened to the Being Known Podcast this last week.

I went back to Season 1 to start working through the series in detail.

In Episode 4, the idea of being the “light of the world”, was brought into deeper context:

“We hear this from Christ, ‘you are the light of the world, no one who lights a candle would hide it under a basket’, and immediately I think that I better not screw it up!

But what if Christ is saying something much more important for us to hear…. What if he is saying, ‘when I look at you, you’re illuminating… you shine brightly, and I want the world to see you the way I see you. I would never hide you from the world, so don’t hide yourself. Let your life be seen and known.” Curt Thompson, MD

Blessings and peace!

15/07/2024

MONDAY MOMENTS INLABORO

The Body

“But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”
(1 Corinthians 12:24-26)

In our constant pursuit of Jesus, the head of the body, the mind of the Church, He does something that seems risky…

He trusts us to care about one another.

“So that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have MUTUAL CONCERN for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it, if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

In this, I can only offer my own experience.

As I’ve stated before, my journey with chronic pain and the fatigue that it brings, has a specific body part that can be highlighted as “the source .”

My left foot has a long story of deformity, misuse, abuse, lack of care, and pain.

It could easily want to, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12, “declare its independence”from the body because of the aforementioned list of insults and complaints!

And the rest of my body has considered this arrangement. One podiatrist even offered this as an option many years ago - “you could always amputate and be fitted with a prosthetic limb.”

I respectfully passed on the offer…

Because, at the end of everything my “mind” couldn’t get past the idea that this foot is “my foot, mine, it belongs to me!”

Yes, it was broken, deformed, and in terrible pain, but I was born into this world with it, and I’d like a shot at taking it with me when I’m ready to depart, thank you very much!

So I decided to keep it as part of my body, and do the best I could as it “suffered”.

And it didn’t suffer alone. It caused pain and fatigue in other parts of my body. My right leg, foot, knee and hip, worked overtime to assist the “bum foot.”

So much so, that my right knee was the first joint to be sacrificed and replaced for the sake of my left foot struggles!

I know, it didn’t make a lot of sense to me at the time either!

But, “the parts of the body that seem weaker, are indispensable.”

This is a truth and space worth considering, and unpacking.

Because wording matters and vital connections are critical.

“That seem weaker…”

Okay, my left foot didn’t just “seem” weaker, it showed up on x-rays and MRI’s as “actually, verifiably” weaker!

But there’s a nuance to consider that’s critical to embrace:

Spiritual formation and maturity is “perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

There is a grace (instruction) that is both difficult and freeing once it is accepted as reality. Much of our physical bodily weakness occurs, and is realized as a way to change and transform us. And the reason is relatively simple but profound, our brains are embodied, and our bodies are the primary way our brain and mind develop over time.

Oh, the lessons I’ve learned and wrestled with because of this debilitation. The things I’ve grappled with and wondered about, and used to assist others in the pain and suffering.

The brain, mind, body connection can’t be overstated. And it is critical to understand it, especially in relationship to our own spiritual formation, and that of others… the community of faith that Christ refers to as The Church.

Just as in our physical bodies, “weakness and suffering” becomes a formative process within the body of Christ.

The authority, maturity, and strength of Christ is not formed within our strength. It is formed within the recognition of our weakness and need. That is, within the poverty of our spirit and the humility of our character.

And admittedly, this is where I struggle, as I attempt to relate to “the little ‘c’ church.”

I can’t take credit for this idea, it was offered to me a few years ago as an explanation for why “the big ‘C’ Church,” seemed so divided in my mind.

The denominational, non-denominational, and intra-denominational organisms and organizations that exist across the globe and dot the landscape across any given township or city, constitutes “the little ‘c’ church.”

The “big ‘C’ Church” is the ekklesia of scripture and “THE ROCK” on which the church stands.

One is local, the other universal.

And I suppose I could digest this without protest if it didn’t lead to so many questions in my spirit.

Because the call to unity is strong within scripture.

So strong in fact, that it doesn’t leave much if any wiggle room.

There’s just too many scriptures to list and reference, but make no mistake, the call to live, dwell, embrace, and explore the spaces that UNITY creates, is what we were designed to experience and invite others to commune.

So why does “disunity” seem to be the norm?

And of course, the answer is “sin.”

My sin, your sin, the sin of the world, the historical and generational record of sin… It’s all in play, all the time.

And it lends itself to the creation of billions and billions of smaller and lessor gods who are constantly bumping into each other’s “architecture” of belief.

And it’s why understanding and embracing the connections between our mind, heart, body, and soul are so critical. It’s why scripture uses this imagery when it comes to describing the Church.

These connections are living and alive. Our bodies exist as the parts of a whole. The church exists as living breathing people connected to a superior mind and mindset… A mind captured and motivated by the power of sacrificial love.

In the coming weeks I want to spend some time on these connections and why they matter… More to come!

Blessings and peace!

04/07/2024

INLABORO MOMENTS - SPECIAL ADDITION

Freedom

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
Galatians 5:1

The greatest form of freedom, is freedom from fear.

If one were to do a daily survey of fearful and anxious thoughts on practically any idea or call to action, they would quickly discover just how fearful, worried, and anxious they are about many things

The call of Christ to His disciples is generally speaking, a call to “not be afraid.”

It is the profound observation of our default setting, which is to hold with fear, worry, and suspicion anything that doesn’t fit or sit well, within how we order our material world.

Which is why the promise to “make all things new” rarely finds its proper pace or footing in our lives.

When it comes to being made new, we’re all hoping Jesus is talking about the “other guy!”

But true freedom is found within the space Christ prepares for us to be made new and whole. And that space is filled with things that will stretch and challenge us to see, hear, touch, and feel the unfamiliar and the untried.

This is what Jesus is saying about “new wine in old wine skins.”

And this is particularly true of the neural capacity of our brain.

“Neuroplastcity is the brain's ability to change and adapt due to experience. It is an umbrella term referring to the brain's ability to change, reorganize, or grow neural networks. This can involve functional changes due to brain damage or structural changes due to learning”

If our “wine skin” isn’t pliable, the “new wine” comes bursting out!

And isn’t this an accurate image of what happens when something new and challenging disrupts our paradigm, and interrupts our material suppositions.

The ideas lose containment and burst forth with emotion and often outrage that any of our “old” wine skin should be thrown out or disposed of!

But we are in constant need of upgrade, because what “we don’t know” is considerably more than what we do know!

The thing we don’t know the most about is ourselves. The work of evil keeps us from exploring this space with others, which is the only true pathway to self discovery.

Just as when we experienced our first birth, we relied on the compassion, care, and nurture of others, we need the same in the second, new birth! It is not a work we can do alone.

The freedom that Christ offers us is a freedom from the work of evil that keeps us trapped in the fear, shame, and anxiety of being discovered and exposed.

It is the freedom of being “born again.”

Knowing that the new birth will be as messy and awkward as our first birth, we begin to
lean on and into the better brains and minds of others. We “borrow” their mind, and all the wisdom, instruction, and grace they possess.

But before this happens, we must come to the realization that we are set free to declare our independence from any “yoke of slavery” that captures us, or that we voluntarily offer ourselves to.

This is truth… Truth that will set us free, if we drink the “new wine” and become “new wine skins”

Blessings, peace, and Happy Independence Day!

01/07/2024

MONDAY MOMENTS INLABORO

Idols in Time

Luke 10:41-42
Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”

I have to come to grips with the reality that I can be more “Martha” than “Mary.”

I wish it weren’t so, but wishing it away doesn’t do much good. My idolatry runs deep!

Because…. Lots of THINGS bother me…

Here are a few:

People who don’t know how to park their car straight!

People who don’t clean up after themselves!

People who share vague complaints or life challenges on Social Media… I need details people, name “names, places, and specific problems” or keep it to yourself!

People who don’t want to talk about the things I want to talk about!

People who talk way too much about things I don’t want to talk about!

People who try to “surf fish” on a busy beach… What are you hoping to catch, a beach bunny mermaid in a skimpy bikini? (I’m currently on the beach writing this, so it made it on the list!)

Group texts, emails, smoke signals, etc.. Well, pretty much any form of group communication - that’s why I’m married, send it to my wife, and she will let me know what I need to know! Or, I’m really good with the bliss of my own ignorance!

And that’s just a part of a very superficial but serious list… There are more serious matters…

Like the past and the future! My own place, posture, and voice in this world. Being left out! (which I know directly contradicts my opposition to group communication, but now you know just how genuinely screwed up I am!)

So much of my life is occupied with my idols of worry and anxiety!

It’s why I’m openly admitting it. Because my default setting is to project an air of care-less defiance!

But I do care, deeply.

It’s why I need to lean in, listen, and hear Jesus’ counsel to Martha…

“Only one thing is necessary…”

I love Jesus immensely for making his teaching accessible, and simple.

Notice I didn’t say easy… Nothing Jesus offers is easy.

But, simple and accessible? Yes, I believe so.

One thing…

I’m grateful for Curt Thompson writing a book entitled The Soul of Desire which highlights Psalm 27…

4One thing I have asked of the LORD;
this is what I desire:
to dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and seek Him in His temple.

Of all the things I ask God for, this one eludes me…

Other “things” (worries, anxieties, and fears) devour my bandwidth and keep me asking for “fixes” to things that I know, deep down, can’t be fixed. But it doesn’t keep me from wasting precious time and energy!

My worries, fears, and anxieties are the raw materials needed for proper idol building. And man, can I build them.

And I know, we’d like to call it something different. “Idolatry” is SO Old Testament!

But keep in mind, that since the Old Testament unfolded centuries ago, we’ve become much more sophisticated in our deceit, as well as our idolatry.

Regardless of what label or category is selected, the terrible work of worry and anxiety is demanding and perpetuating. Its results are unproductive. Its damage is incalculable.

But Jesus has a different work…

Jesus wants me “in the house” spending my time and energy in more productive and restorative ways.

“Dwelling, gazing, seeking (inquiring)…”

As opposed to “worrying, fretting, complaining…”

And the latter happens with very little effort, as I fixate on the regrets and shame of my past, or spiral out of control about a future that I create out of “what I don’t want to happen.”

Jesus calls my attention to “the temple” of the present. Curt puts it this way in The Soul of Desire.

“Because when our attention is firmly ensconced in the past or the future, we remain outside the present moment, the only dimension of the temporal domain of integration in which we are able to find joy and create beauty, even in the presence of our suffering.”

It is quite likely that “time” in the Temple is always set to “present.”

“Right now” is the moment in which the Lord wants to abide with us. It is the dwelling place of the Lord… The present, the here and now, the “one thing” that is before me.

As scripture says:

1And working together with Him, we also urgeyou not to receive the grace of God in vain— 2for He says,
“AT A FAVORABLE TIME I LISTENED TOYOU,
AND ON A DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.”
Behold, now is “A FAVORABLE TIME,” behold, now is “A DAY OF SALVATION”—
(2 Corinthians 6:1-2)

What would it be like to “dwell” in “today and right now”, with the one who desires to answer our deepest fears and doubts?

Well, I believe it would resemble “the life of Christ”, as he lived it and experienced it in His incarnate form.

As a matter of observation, I believe it’s quite possibly an important secondary reason why Jesus came to this world in human form. To show us what true humanity was capable of and what its capacities to love sacrificially could be.

Jesus invites us into His presence, to practice our own presence with the present!

And I need this “one thing” as a point of focus, meditation, and concentration.

The “temple” Jesus has built is transformational in nature, structure, and character. It invites us in to experience “all the days” life has to offer within the architecture of transformation.

Because I’m not readily available and offering myself to the intricate beauty of the Lord’s design. I’m rarely, if ever looking beyond my own vital fixes that would make my life “better” and more palatable. But Jesus wants more from me and more importantly, more FOR me.

So He invites me to stay connected, aware, and attentive with “where I’m at”, “want I REALLY want”, “what I’m willing to endure”, and “what and who is vying for my love and adoration.”

I only think I have answers to these questions. And I’m quite disintegrated when my “idols” don’t deliver. So I pour even more energy and more stress and strain into getting them to do their job!

In turn, they just demand more…

More energy, more emotion, and more action. The neural drain leaves me exhausted and tired. It’s a work and labor that has no end.

It’s like winning a pie eating contest where the winner gets to eat more pie!

But Jesus offers a different type of work that ends in rest.

“Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Our work & labor with Jesus is to “learn of Him”, to “gaze upon His beauty”, to “seek Him in His temple”, and to “dwell with Him in His house.”

All of which require my attention, presence, and awareness

It is life, and life to its fullest!

Blessings and peace!

24/06/2024

MONDAY MOMENTS INLABORO

Nerve Pain

I’ve had multiple surgeries over the past year and a half. Shoulder repair, total knee replacement, foot surgery, and I’m currently recovering from total ankle replacement.

Recovery has been steady, and challenging. A lot of physical therapy to build back atrophied muscle, and learn to exercise and integrate the new hardware into my body.

No matter how hard I work though, there is mysterious nerve stress, pain and discomfort to deal with. It’s not exactly “painful”, but it is uncomfortable, and often overwhelming.

Tingling, burning, throbbing… Sometimes a collection of all three depending on how much I’ve pushed myself that day. I don’t know, nor does my surgeon, if it will ever fully repair itself. Time, work, and exercise will be the ticket to knowing the answer. It might be a constant reminder of the radical correction that was done to remedy a debilitating problem.

But to be sure, without the work, it won’t get better.

And, this is true of the mental, emotional, and spiritual work that must be done as well. Because nothing we do, or that is done to us, or that we do together, is isolated or separated or distinct.

The physical is influenced by the mental, which is influenced by the emotional, which is influenced by the spiritual. And you can put those in any order you wish, depending on what manifests or “triggers” first.

Again, the heart, mind, soul, and body connections are real and critical to understand and integrate. My brain, the organ that orchestrates all nerve activity and feeling, is embodied within me. It would be correct to view the brain as the complete nervous system within our bodies, constantly sending and receiving signal and feedback in an almost infinite system of nerve endings and neural activity.

So in the context of the surgery on my left foot, it’s not just about my left foot, it’s about the communication between my brain and my left foot, and then how my mind interprets what the brain is sensing, and then, what it does to make sense of it.

All of it creates the context and mindset to which I operate, respond, and react on any given day to both the challenges, as well as the offerings of kindness and beauty.

It’s been easy to feel like a “spectator” of other people’s “normal” life, after these many surgical procedures, because they’ve all taken weeks and months of recovery. Things that I really like and want to do have had to take a back seat to the important work of healing.

My wife and I playfully remind each other that I’m in my “gap year.” Will I ever know what I want to be when I “grow up?” 😂

But the FOMO(fear of missing out) is real. If I’m in a room of people who talk about things that I’d like to be able to do, (golf, fishing, wood-working, etc..) I can feel myself leaning into the conversation, and then at the same time, feeling very isolated and anxious that I’m not able to participate.

The weird thing is that they aren’t even inviting me to go! Sometimes they’ve already gone, and didn’t even bother to tell me. The nerve!

We are social creatures who feel “left out”, when we’re “left out.” We can’t help it!

In this regard, we have permanent “nerve damage”, probably due to some early childhood experience or trauma, like repeatedly being picked last on the on the playground pickup game. And it deeply influences how we order our material world, and the mindset we use when challenged to order it in different ways. Our “nerve pain” will reveal itself and we might feel all sorts of sensations, both positive and negative, in different areas of our body.

And try as we might to not react, our inward sense of self righteousness and righteous suffering will almost always get the best of us! And the result? “Nerve pain” on display!

And this is happening all the time, in big ways and small ways. People experiencing and expressing their emotional “nerve pain” in ways that can both hurt and heal.

I believe this is one of the many things Paul was trying to communicate when he spoke of the church as “the body of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 12:12-13
12For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves orfree, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Our personal body works best when it is unified, integrated, and healthy. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually our bodies want and need alignment and balance. If physical, emotional, or spiritual pain overwhelms the system, the whole body hurts, aches, and reacts.

This is apparently true of the body of Christ, the church.

The lack of unity, the lack of integration, the lack of balance has resulted in a tribal pursuit of God and a perversion of His ultimate expression of glory - “Christ in us.”

The church is in agonizing “nerve pain”, as amputated and disemboweled parts of the body of Christ scatter the landscape of the world.

In this chapter of 1 Corinthians 12, Paul is pleading for unity within the church. In Chapter 11 Paul is begging for order and “right judgment” of self, so that outside judgment wouldn’t be required. A call to self-discipline, so that God’s discipline wouldn’t be necessary.

But then, at the end of Chapter 12, Paul writes these words….

“And yet, I am going to show you a far better way.”

1 Corinthians 13…

1If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and allknowledge, and if I have all faith so as to removemountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.3And if I give away all my possessions to charity,and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.
4Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; lovedoes not brag, it is not arrogant. 5It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there isknowledge, it will be done away with. 9For we know in part and prophesy in part; 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with.11When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but thenface to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known.13But now faith, hope, and love remain, thesethree; but the greatest of these is love.

May the life giving power of patience, kindness, mercy, and the truth restore and heal our “nerve pain”, and allow us to stand in the wide open space of this “far better way” to live!

Blessings and peace!

17/06/2024

MONDAY MOMENTS INLABORO

Meal Prep

Longing and grief…

It’s the starting line of the journey to understand ourselves.

We are people of deep longing and deep grief.

But more specifically… I am a person of deep longing and deep grief.

I have to own this, and embrace the implications. My longings are inextricably linked to my griefs, and my griefs to my longings.

But I have to do the work to understand both ends of this complex and nuanced spectrum. Because if I don’t, I’ll fall for counterfeit pursuits, and “knock-off” fulfillments.

This was brought into focus for me recently as I sat and enjoyed a meal with family who I deeply love and who I’m very grateful for.

We dined at an upscale steakhouse in the area. If you’ve never had the experience of dining at a more upscale/formal restaurant, I highly recommend it. Doing it with a group of people you love and admire is even better!

And the reason is simple, though subtle.

Food is a critical part of our life, but we aren’t just nourished by food. We are nourished by the food, the setting, the environment, the decor, and yes, the people we sit and enjoy the meal with. We are especially nourished by the conversation.

Food isn’t just physical, it’s meta-physical, psychological, and spiritual.

Don’t buy it?

Well let’s consider…

The fall of all mankind focused on a forbidden meal, and a tempting conversation.

“Manna”, the daily bread of “desert wandering” had its upside and downside. If it was just about physical sustenance, then the people of Israel would have never complained, and venomous snakes wouldn’t have occupied their camp.

David wrote many Psalms, but the twenty third speaks of “a table set before my enemies” and “a cup that runs over.”

Esau lost his birthright to Jacob over a single meal.

Jesus’ first temptation was “to turn stones to bread.”

These are just a few examples of “food and drink” in the Bible and their deeper, spiritual, mind & body connections that shouldn’t be ignored.

The most profound example is the connection Jesus makes between his people, his body, and his blood. It is filled with nuanced metaphor and mystery, and it has been interpreted in numerous ways. The physical elements of communion with God vary in substance across Christian traditions, though if one leans into the liturgy they will find a unity within the spirit of the practice.

The central message of this I believe is found in John 6:47-51

“Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”

These verses make clear: there’s more to nourishment than physical food.

And we know this. A single meal’s significance depends on who, what, and why it’s being planned and celebrated. Who’s cooking it, and the “recipe” being used.

Lasagna isn’t just lasagna, it’s “mama’s lasagna.”

Stories are told, memories are shared, dishes of our favorites are passed around the table. Good drink, good food, good conversation, love that abounds.

And in these gatherings, an additional presence is offering to be “with us.” And if we dare to pay attention and be aware, Jesus makes himself known, and invites us to eat and drink deeply of his presence, promise, and potential.

But we need each other to make this happen.

It’s why I keep offering and possibly offending while doing so, that the church has taken up Christianity as a primarily academic/intellectual exercise.

Bible studies dot the landscape of church practice and discipleship programs to the point of exhaustive pursuit. Books, videos, audio, workbooks, etc, etc… we’ve got them all!

And please don’t get me wrong, the study of scripture isn’t unimportant. It’s a critical part of development and maturity. But it’s not completely nourishing all by itself.

In the same way you could study a cookbook to learn great recipes, or new culinary technique, Bible study allows you to examine stories that are important to understand.

But the cookbook must be brought to life by the cook… the trouble, the mess, and the possibility is revealed in the kitchen, the pots and pans, the right ingredients, the correct temperature and time, and then, the right people to enjoy the meal and occasion with.

It’s intentional, skillful, and perhaps risky, depending on what you’re trying to pull off.

But it’s potential for intimacy, laughter, meaning and beauty is infinite. And it is nourishing in more ways than one!

Because there’s nothing quite like a great meal with family and friends done well!

In the same way, we need experiences and encounters with the power and presence of Christ to “quicken” our faith and allow it to strengthen us as “real food” does.

So, one last story before I sign off…

Two men are walking on a road, away from a recent tragedy. They are grieving the loss of Jesus by the egotistical machinations of men who are addicted to power.

It’s not clear why they are leaving the scene of the most absurd crime in the history of mankind, but they are headed out towards the Roman Garrison town called Emmaus.

Who knows what they were after, and more importantly, what they were feeling.

Betrayal, disappointment, bitterness, resentment, the need for revenge, grief…?Probably all of the above.

But also, surprise, possibility, and longing.

Jesus had died, but reports were also circulating by those who knew him best that he was alive.

It was impossible to sort through the emotion of it all, and come to any semblance of order.

What they were sensing, didn’t make sense!

To many, it still doesn’t.

But more important than all of that is this: Jesus met them on the road, explained the deeper meaning of scripture, and then shared a meal with them.

And in all of that, what they were sensing suddenly made all the sense in the world. In the process of walking, talking, listening and eating, something beautiful was revealed. Something that made their hearts burn within them and eventually opened their eyes, and set their feet back on the road, in the right direction, towards the coming release of spiritual awakening and power.

And I (we) need to feast on this same meal often.

For my own feet are seldom headed in the right direction, even though most of the time I think they are, and I need Jesus to meet me and others in a space and place that nourishes our spirits and realigns our heart, mind, and soul with His.

To not just believe in His sacrifice, for that is the easier part of the equation, but to believe with a deep faith, that the reports are all true, “He is risen indeed.”

He is alive, and I have access to His life, His spirit, and His mind.

And He points me back towards “Jerusalem.” Towards the “temple”, into the “Holy of Holies.” That place where heaven and earth meet, and healing, newness, and transformation take place. Where true identity and right pathways are established and I learn to embrace and walk in them.

Because without this work, I am “malnourished”. I am but an echo of what I could be and should be. I quickly become an impersonator of past self, living on yesterday’s meal!

It’s why “TODAY” is always the day of salvation, and why “the bread” I need is given daily.

Because if I get burdened by the lack of past “junk food”, or worried about future provision, I miss the nourishment of today.

Eyes and ears… Blessings and peace.

Inlaboro

29/07/2024

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