EPHEMERAL

When we were children, we would spend our Saturday mornings cruising down to the Corner Store on our banana bikes. With our 10 cents in our frayed jeans, we would gaze longingly at the rows and jars of assorted colors at the candy counter and thoughtfully select our jaw breakers, sugar straws and the oh so delicious mint green Mo Jo’s.

Recently, friends and I journeyed to a small town corner store in search of the famous Mo Jo candy, but to our dismay, it was now No Jo. The company simply didn’t produce this item anymore. Not only are sugar treats, cereals and certain food items unavailable, but machines, certain technologies and automobiles, simply not made anymore. They are short-lived or ephemeral.

When you take the number of days in a year and multiply that by your age, you will be astonished to discover that the number is very low in terms of eternity. A twenty-year old has only lived 7,300 days. A thirty-five year old merely 12.775 days and even a seventy-five year old has only breathed 27,375 days. Merely a miniscual number in terms of millions and bilions.

And yet, eternity has no number value - it is forever. Then why do we spend our lives worrying, scurrying and burying ourselves with life, consuming and a million different tasks that we deem important now? Our focus should be where our souls will reside.

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.  In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Luke 16: 19-31

KOINONIA

I don’t know about you, but I love people! I love get togethers when family and friends converge and the space is filled with laughter, chatter, as if everyone had consumed a 7-11’s inventory of energy drinks. There are times when I float away on clouds of aloneness and solitary isolation, but I choose to be in community with others when I can.

Even when I am alone, I have koinania or fellowship with God. On a Sunday morning, I have koinania with other believers. We need each other. Plain and simple.

In 1951, Ray Bradbury, an American author, wrote a collection of 18 short stories entitled The Illustrated Man. The conflict between cold technology and psychology of people was the recurring theme in these stories. Who knew that this would be the theme of much of our world today with its AI and the isolation that people in our society are suffering from.

In one of his stories entitled, The Man, space explorers encounter a planet where the population is in a state of bliss. They find out that a mysterious visitor had arrived. The explorers believe this is Jesus. One crewman takes the spaceship and tries to catch up with this mysterious traveller. On every planet he arrives at, he discovers he is too late as this visitor has spread his message and left. Another of the spacemen had decided to stay on the blissful planet and rejoice in the mysterious man’s glory. Other crew members decide to stay as well and learn from this contented community and discover that “He” was still on the planet.

There are many people who are searching for Jesus and doing life on their own. We need each other, but more importantly, we need Jesus. Find your koinonia and learn that “He” is with us always. He is here on this planet with us now. Talk with him, rejoice because of Him and get to know Him. You don’t even have to leave the planet!

“… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

CONJUBILANT

Whether it’s Taylor Swift or Beyonce - Phil Wickham or Casting Crowns - when a stadium fills to capacity with bodies swaying and chanting in unison, as the crowd’s voice crescendos in a roar and the performers create an atmosphere of anticipation, all eyes are focused on the stage.

The exuberant delight and joy radiates from one like a dry parched land that drinks of the water to quench the thirst of the thousands waiting to receive a musical annointing. And they are not disappointed when the first note echoes across the concert hall or stadium.

Conjubilant is what it is - the shouting out in joy together. The exhilerating feeling of coming together to share the experience from the pounding of the drums, the beginning guitar and keyboard tones of the performers who truly love music by laughing as they play and sing to the collective mob that scream along with the lyrics.

That’s just a little of imagining what heaven will be like when we sing around the throne! Holy! Holy! Holy! Is the Lord God Almighty!

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.

 In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
    be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Revelation 5: 11-14

While we are living and breathing on this side of heaven, let us shout for joy, sing together and be conjubilant! Check out a song to get you singing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raFnjGVkHe8

Praise the Lord!

CATHEXIS

In literal “light” of what is going on in the world with raging wild fires; scorching heat; blazes out of control; the enormity of devastation is yet to be determined. We are in an ecological crisis. The world is in constant change. We wonder why it’s all happening and walk into the future with questions that don’t have answers. We long to hold to something that will not burst into flame and be gone or dissolve in ashes.

The Greek “kathexis” refers to have or hold. We derive Cathexis as the concentration of mental energy on one particular person, idea or object. The significance could be to an almost unhealthy degree. But what if we flipped that and determined that we could have such mental energy focused on Jesus, positive thoughts and love?

In our often comfortable, coast-along, lackadaisical attitude toward life, we can often miss out on the passion we could have for living zestfully. Life can change in a moment. The scorching sun intesifies its beams; the rain and hail hurl down their ice balls and spits of moisture; the wild wind reaps the dust and sweeps it down the parched earth. Nature knows how to demonstrate the power! Why can’t we?

I recently read a quote by Jim Elliot as he pleaded with God to ignite the fire of his soul:

He makes his ministers a flame of fire. Am I ignitable? God deliver me from the dread asbestos of other things. Saturate me with the oil of thy Spirit that I may be a flame. But flame is transient often short-lived. Canst thou bear this, my soul, short life? Make me Thy Fuel, Flame of God! Make me Thy Fuel.”

And because we are witnessing destruction by fire, seeing billows of smoke on the news and hearing witnesses fleeing for their lives; it is a constant reminder that we need to share the love of Jesus; show compassion for our fellow man, woman and child and know that this transcient life is short-lived. Lord, give us the passion, set our souls on fire for the gospel and its message to share that hope with others.

POPPLE

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we felt there was a place where we felt completely safe and sound? No more fear. No more insecurities. No more danger or uncertainty. Life is sometimes the lifeboat we are floating on but waves of grief, uncertainty or fear can rock us on the popple or choppy seas.

Like the Israelites who were held in captivity in Babylon for seventy years; we too are exiles in this world. As believers, we our hope is heavenly. It doesn’t mean that we are free from struggles, trials and temptations on this earth. Rather, Jesus told us that we would suffer.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to be overcome by waves of peace, love and rest instead? King David wrote multiple Psalms about trusting in the Lord. In biblical times, fortresses were shelters for people when the world got crazy. When storms or enemies came, there was safety. When David was running for his life, exhausted and terrified, he would hide in caves and caverns.

Truly my soul finds rest in God;
    my salvation comes from him.
 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2

Just like God’s people in the bible were not exempt from troubles, we know that we aren’t either because we live in such a perilous world. God will not allow anything to touch His children or jeopardize our eternal safety in heaven. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 4:18 that, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever.” Paul was executed shortly after writing that.

The Lord is our resting place in a restive world. He is the calm of our stormy seas. He keeps us safe and sound. He is our rock and our salvation - the one in whom we can trust. May you have rest and peace during these tumultuous days.

NIKSEN

As we turn the calendar from the glorious summer days of July into August, we long for time to stand still as we bask in the sun, laze in bed an extra moment or simply sit quietly in the evening enjoying a warm breeze. These are the lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer. It’s also the season of Niksen (Dutch) which is literally the opportunity to step back, let go, embrace non-doing and absorb the art of doing nothing and the need to accomplish.

Throughout the year, we are innundated with schedules, routines and demands. There is always a time or season to give oneself permission to relax, enjoy and worry less. Yes, there are times throughout the year we can do this as well, but summer is just so fitting to enjoy because in our harsh Northern climate when the cold, snow and dark days descend upon us all too soon, we long for the heat once again. Summer is the opportunity to get outdoors, to walk in nature, to read and reflect and to say nay to pressing “to do’s”.

Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the Lord has been good to you. Psalm 116:7

An example from the bible was when Jesus and his disciples hadn’t had a chance to rest because they were dealing with crowds of people. In the gospel of Mark 6:31 “so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’

Jesus knew that they needed time to rest and restore, to get something to eat and to spend quiet time after meeting with the crowds because the day had been so busy.

So regardless of busyness or full calendars, it’s important to take “time outs” and embrace the value of “non doing”. What does that look like for you this month - this summer? For me, it’s getting away - I hear the ocean call my name - but I’ll be back in a few weeks…..Niksen time!