April 2007
God and a Tree
I recently attended a Newsboys concert with a good friend of mine.
We both loved the exploding confetti, the cascading lights running
around the pavilion, and the incredible drumming face-off between two of
the artists. Even as I write about it, I still grin! A
ways through the concert, one of the artists walked down a raised
platform to where a large bongo drum was being lifted up through the
floor. While he wailed on it in perfect rhythm, the drummer on the
main stage was being raised high into the air along with his drumset.
Soon, however, our delight turned into awe as the drummer on the stage
was turned sideways in the air while twirling around, still playing!
I don't know how he stayed in his seat and still drummed!
When
I wasn't watching the drums, I was looking out around the audience.
There were thousands of people there, each different, unique, and
beloved by God. We were all there for a common purpose, all loved
Yahweh, but how diverse a group! Have you ever stopped to think
about the number of unique individuals in this world? Each one is
different than the other, each is a unique reflection of God.
Think about how big God is if each person is an image of him. And
even if you put all the people who have ever lived all together, that
would still barely begin to tell of who God is! How amazing!
It is a concept that is so beyond me I can only look to the sky and
raise my empty hands.
With a God
so big, who are we to put him into our pre-made boxes? Who are we
to say the way another group worships him is not right? Who are we
to say we know all about him? Who are we to claim we have
the exclusive interview with God on truth? How prideful and
pig-headed is that! God is so much beyond us even while he is
within us, that we really do just have to trust him We have
to trust he has a hold of us when we can't seem to hold onto him.
In view of this God I cannot grasp or understand, I now have a practice
of walking my favorite park on Sunday mornings. Strolling barefoot
across the freshly mown grass, I watch the people around me playing
frisbee, taking bike rides, or sitting on the benches enjoying the
views. Each person reminds me of a new way to see God, an aspect
of his character I haven't seen before. Eventually, I take the
roughly hewn stone steps down to the dock and take my place at the end
of it near the water, close my eyes, and bring my awareness into his
presence. Sometimes we talk, but more often than not, we just sit
there together. Doing this reminds me of the "deeper real", the
deeper existence we each share-- the divine and the soul connecting
together. It is a time I have come to look for throughout the rest
of my week.
It seems so much easier to bring my awareness to God who surrounds me
when I am around the natural world he made. Feeling the
grass, watching the water go by, and looking up through the trees, I
want to reach out my hands and grasp God. Is this true for
you? I wonder what kind of time with God we would have if we held
morning church services under trees instead of in sanctuaries. All we
would bring are our hearts. All we would need is him. The
concerts are great with the loud music, the eye-popping shows, and the
singing along, but in the end, God outshines and outlasts it all.
You can hear it in the silence, you can hear it in the trees, and when
you take the time to listen, when you sit under a tree, or on a dock,
and bring your awareness into his presence, you can lift your hands and
sing along.
News
The picture
above is part of a new product line I have been working on of
photography and art.
Ideas I
have had so far is to frame and matt them, put them on cards, or make a
calendar.
If you have
any ideas of ways I could use them, let me know!
_________________________________________________________
A Christian bookstore in Gig Harbor, WA, called "Good
News Christian Books and Music,"
is now carrying the second book, "In His Eyes" for
$14.95. The address is:
Good News Christian Books and Music
5500 Olympic Dr
Gig Harbor WA 98335-1487
(253) 858-9477
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