Our growth comes as we respond to his call, and let his longings (his call) in us run deeper. What he calls us is simply a picture or representation of what he is calling us to. It is meant to function as a deeper call. He does not simply think of simply naming. He is calling forth. He is prophesying. It is almost like his word makes up the thing (or allows, or calls the thing to come into being with a nature of its own), then he calls the now made thing, ie. names it (i.e. performs the function of naming): see "he called.."
You are Simon, … you shall be called Peter
He calls us to follow him, to join in life with him, singing a song of confident trust on the eve of his (known, & expected) betrayal. Paul & Silas hear that call & follow, in his footsteps, singing after they have been unjustly beaten (before/without trial), then put in prison, in stocks/chains.
He calls us to join in death with him, & to suffer with him, in order to be done with the core of sin, that mindset of simply fulfilling my desires for power or comfort etc..
& He called us to recall the scriptures, & heed to call of the word of God to us, the call of the scriptures that calls us, leads us, to - himself, "you search the scriptures, thinking they will lead you to life, they speak of me, but you are not willing to come to me & have life." & "I am with you - until the end of the age"
He called us to recall himself. " remember me, as often as you do this (breaking bread together and drinking from a common cup - as only a family does)"
He called us to go away from our comfort spots, out from what we are used to, and into the adventure, the fullness of life & joy that he had. Not just pushed ahead of him. Being joined to him, following after him, walking with him (as our leader/ initiator).
He called us by his own glory and goodness.
The corollary of calling him the unique, the one & only, Messiah, claiming him as the Christ, is to give up my violent, aggressive, assertion that I am the Christ, God's picked representative, the model human for the world, the embodiment of God's life in human form. And the upshot of actually claiming him as God's christened Ruler & Judge (& not many but he does this with power over people), is that like a wise & loving father with his children, he is always trying to grow us to take on life with the best of what he has to offer us (which is, himself), so with him. His way is to empower us to creative love, in a pure, holy, speciallized way!
I am to be joined to him, inextricably, for a richer, righter, higher-order life. I am to go with him, live under his will, do his bidding more than follow my desires, but play my part, not as a sycophant, not just capitulating to some other bigger will, but speaking the truth, in love and respect, and with honour, give my inhibiting responses, receive his inhibiting responses, find out (together), work out together, (in the way, or manner that I was designed to be joined with him as my Right Hemisphere, and with me as his left hemisphere. The left hemisphere is more like an animal, with respect to humanity. It has desires "built into it" so to speak. The right hemisphere is more like humanity with respect to animals (as a whole), and humans were meant to rule over the animals (even "tor" king cobra snakes!). Humanity has the option to see things from a bigger perspective, an overall picture, to look for (and learn to see) what is good for the whole, not just to know what it wants or desires.
If you want to live by the desire of the left hemisphere, it doesn't really want, or think it needs, or feel that it needs, the right hemisphere; if you want the will of the right hemisphere, well it "wants", but in the sense that it "wills" to work with the left hemisphere in a covenantal, stuck- together- for- life, loyal-love kind of way [way of kind(ness)].
Wow, what I perceive in God and humanity is (already) being worked out in the likeness of God in the world, in this self! When I feel like it can't work, & that it is doomed to failure (& I often do), I am shown a working model, which is still a small scale, less than, but in-principle the same, a likeness, a similarity, so that I can "get the picture", the BIG picture, and then together (forever) we get to work this out with God (connected to God & Christ, like Christ was connected to God), not just like a wife is connected to her husband, but as a left hemisphere of a brain is connected to its right hemisphere! I am not only given a working model, but I get to be a working model. I have already been experiencing this. And (with his help, which I now perceive I need never be without), I am growing in this growing up thing. It can work. It does work! It is working! (And he says there is a lot more to come!)
Wow! WOW! WOW! WOW, WOW!! (Wander On-in Wonder, Work Of Wonder)!!
Weaving the threads:
his Gathered People are ..his bride..
As we respond to his call, our growth comes..
and we begin to grow, as mustard seed,
a living thing begins inside our bums;
is doomed to one day OUT, like when we've pee'd.
But now as a belov'd who shares life here
with him, our groom, our husband who comes in
and out as often as he wills, to cheer
and bring deep joys that fill and are not sin.
They're meant to be quite deeply personal.
When we let his longings (his call) run deep
inside of us, we find he cares quite well,
identifies us as his own, to keep.
Not as a prison keeper, husband he
makes up pet names for us, he knows us well.
His name brings out the best & quite simply
his stories, pictures I just love to tell.
His way of seeing me, presents me in
a better light than I have of myself.
And somehow his view helps me to begin
again, and then keep on, maintaining health.
It is almost like he has good things in mind
for me, & us, and others that will come,
and things around about that we can find
to influence, to make a loving home.
He doesn't say it just like that. He says
that I'm his home. He loves to come inside,
and then go out, and up & down the stairs.
He doesn't mind. His home is "in his bride."
One thing, he loves to sing, and music make
to be around the place, to share deep joy.
And often he will give, as well as take,
(or more receive, or try to use, employ
what we would offer him). He'd go without,
and sometimes he calls me to join in too
in looking past my wants, and yet not pout,
or "chuck a hissy fit". I'd like to do
that more, and do those disciplines as well
recall the scriptures, heed the word of God.
Keep joining up with him. I like this fell-
ow. And recall that he's the one I've got!
He's calling me to more good, & more glor-
y! - tells me, & I think, "We're made for this, … t.b.c.
