ride the wave.

"We are marked men, we who have been baptized and received the Spirit.

"We have upon us the imprint of Jesus.

"If we are privileged to bear the mark of Jesus, the obedient Son, and the mark of the life of the world to come which His Spirit has inscribed upon us, we are privileged also to bear the mark of the Servant. By the power of that Spirit, through whom God has raised Jesus from the dead and will give life to our mortal bodies, these mortal bodies of ours can even now become Servant-bodies-- bodies offered to God as living sacrifices. By the power of that Spirit, things deemed impossible can be ours: we can aspire to Jesus' steady composure in the face of all the flickering malice that bedeviled Him and all the fumbling weakness of His followers that clogged His steps; can aspire to Jesus' spontaneous obedience to the Father's Word and will and His unclouded understanding of that Word and will; dare aspire to Jesus; freedom to love with the lavish and reckless generosity of the Father; dare aspire to His willingness to expend Himself for others--all that made His life the beginning and the pledge of the life of the world to come can be at work in us and through us.

"We can ride the cresting wave of God's purpose which will break upon the shore destined to be our everlasting and delightful home."

--M. Franzmann, Alive with the Spirit

Thou didst lay hold...

Since, Lord, to thee
A narrow way and little gate
Is all the passage, on my infancy
Thou didst lay hold, and antedate
My faith in me.

O let me still
Write thee great God, and me a child:
Let me be soft and supple to thy will,
Small to my self, to others mild,
Behither ill.

Although by stealth
My flesh get on, yet let her sister
My soul bid nothing, but preserve her wealth:
The growth of flesh is but a blister;
Childhood is health. 



George Herbert, Baptism (II)

source http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/h-baptism-ii/

Adorable Blobs and God's love

I look down at the newest baby in church and wonder, what is it about newborns that makes people a little crazy? Is it the sweet smell of their skin, the soft cheeks, or the strange little noises?  How can it be that every time I see tiny little fingers and toes, I turn immediately  into a gushy, lovey baby person? Even grown men make faces at the little ones, use high voices, and say things the would not otherwise say, like "sweet pea," and "love muffin."  The affection people pile on these new babies is unbelievable.

And what do the babies do with all this attention? When they hear "Oooohhh, what a precious little nose!" do they grimace and say, "Actually I think it is a little too big." When they hear "Oh wow, he rolled over! He’s going to be a genius!" do they explain that they are doing no more than every other baby before them has done, that they are really not nearly as special as their loved ones think they are? Even a crazy statement like, "That was such a good burp honey!" is enough to draw a smile of pride on a baby’s face. They eat up this attention. They delight in being loved, not for anything they have done, but for simply existing. It is wonderful to have passive little babies around that we love just for being there. They eat, they sleep, they lay around all day; spitting, messing, adorable little blobs. They observe, they learn, and they soak up our love.

It is amazing how the Lord pours out His love on our littlest ones. He asks nothing from them. He does not call them to the baptismal font because He knows in the future they will be great saints for His kingdom. He does not require bold statements of commitment on their part. He does not require that they prove themselves first. They are completely passive. They cannot even bring themselves to the font. Yet the Lord has made a way. He has placed in the hearts of parents a tiny taste of that gracious love. Parents so love their children that they eagerly bring them to Him. And He welcomes them with open arms.

Yet when we adults get a taste of that kind of love for ourselves, what do we do? If we come to church and are told, "It’s good to see you," we often hear, "I hope you sign up to volunteer," or "I hope you remember to tithe this week!" We go into church and are told "Your sins are forgiven!" Does a smile ever cross your lips at that moment, as you are loved simply for being there? We are told  by our Lord, "Take, eat, this is my body!" When we come to the table, do we take a moment to bask in His love like newborns?

Adult believers would do well to remember this love of our Lord. Even we who were baptized as adorable blobs sometimes forget the unbelievable, undeserved affection by which we were made part of God’s family. The next time you see one of our newest little lambs, rejoice in the radical love of Jesus. Rejoice that He welcomes the littlest ones with open arms. And never forget that this is the same grace that welcomes you.

"It is by grace you have been saved..." Ephesians 2:5