Get to know well, so that you can Remember well who owns you! .. and then use this self well, today!
Part of the Backstory:
The “given” you is 'on loan' (SHŌMA), & this life (in this body, in this world) is your chance to be involved in the creation of a new permanent version, and to choose some of its capacities.. in the service of pro-found ‘creative love’, or simply ‘control’ (as another cog in the machine where ‘machinery’ and ‘desire’ are its only impetuses).
His glorious, unlimited resource
is such that as he speaks a world begins
and I’ve been made a messenger with laws
beyond this universe. A power that wins -
in ways that folk who gain internally
the impetus to act and move and live
from just desire of their biology
(don’t know much love, to grieve or to forgive)
will never know, unless they let that love,
(creative and continuous) express
itself through them as it comes “from above”,
because they stand beneath it, and would bless
as much as they are able to, they pray
for others too, that love might give the strength
inside them in their spirit ev’ry day
em-pow-er-ing them so that then at length
the Christ will make his home within your hearts
as you trust him to come, and then to do
it, rooting you in God’s love ’s how it starts
(it doesn’t stop) and it will keep you too.
And may you have the pow’r to understand,
as all God’s people should, how wide, how long,
how high, and deep is this great love expand-
ing more than this whole Universe in song.
May you ex-per-i-ence the love of Christ,
though it’s too great to fully understand.
Then you’ll be made complete & fully spliced
into the life and power that God has planned…
Notes:
¹⁶I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
+ To see Eph 3:16-19 in Greek, & other English translations NTIME, GNT, NRSV, & NLT- you can also choose other translations too!)
To shine out, and to show, and thus convey
his great intention from “back in the day”
when all of this world came out ‘coz he Said
(by God! He Saw what was Good, in his head);
The point of this all was humanity
that’s thriving, right with world, & carefully
still looking over it, knowing it well
(not “just to use it” which brings out more hell),
to help appear the reign of the heavens,
make it quite clear, infecting as leaven’s
small influence does one grain at a time
(his spirit’s presence starts whistling and rhyme).
Humanity anointed by the God -
was called Jesus, the Christ - led Way for lot
to enter room of throne, and gladly now
fall on knees, or then raised up we bow,
or run to our “Papa”, father, it’s he
who loves us, wants that all his children be
so open up, to learn from his leading:
to speak as he did, maybe with pleading,
and all of this must be after looking
& list’ning, hearing, then knowing the thing.
The Way of Christ makes open quite a lot.
To follow him we gladly throw out rot,
and clarify who’s boss (because it's true),
and enter love’s great loss in death’s dark hue,
to find that all that’s timed has been renewed
in joy, dramatic song, we come to YOU…
Notes:
Ephesians 3:9-12, 14-15 (NLT plus Greek “explained” word by word when verse number is link-ified)
⁹I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. ¹⁰God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.
¹⁴When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, ¹⁵the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. (Ephesians 3:9-12, 14-15 NLT)
Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT: I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
+ (Eph 3: 9-19 Greek, NTIME, GNT, NRSV, NLT)
Love* leads & I would follow as a living sacrifice,
but also as one buried and entombed,
until I'm resurrected - and this life’s to dramatize
the bigger story outside of this womb.
Each day take up my cross, buried then raised,
and when I’m walking round about the world,
I dramatize up close (his name be praised)
the new creation’s energies unfurled.
For I am in this Christ and too his life,
his spirit, goals and impetus as well,
have breathed and entered (as husband does wife),
a branch that’s in its tree will start to smell
quite like a “cedar”, or a “gum”, or “pine”,
or “camphor”, or a “dead-meat” I suppose.
for sap and cells are energized divine-
ly by the tree itself as it just grows.
And all the branch does is keep in the tree,
or vine that is its kind and essence true,
depend, remain, stay, live “yourself in me”
is what he said*, repeated then by Jude*.
And let his words live deep inside me too,
and let them wash me clean as he gives them
their meaning, through his life and proverbs - new
new parables, and metaphors that hem
and give a stronger edge that won't wear through,
the clothing that we wear within his world.
We’ll “put it on” like new clothes, when we do,
reminding us of our new job uncurled..
e* - the biblical concept of love often involves “tender devotion to”, but also another edge. HESED is the English transliteration of the Hebrew word חֶ֙סֶד֙ , used in the Hebrew Bible to communicate something like "covenantal love", steadfast love, family love, loving kindness, love that is based on your own word. It has been said (repeatedly) that the Love of YHWH is a core attribute of God (Ex 33:19-34:11) & endures forevermore (Psalm 118; Ps136 etc). This leads me to speak of God as both creator, but as love itself too. So creative love might be an apt family name for God. Indeed when this concept of Love is translated into Greek in the New Testament it is expressed as ἀγάπῃ (transliterated in English as agapé) and that is then the word used in the Greek New Testament to express this kind of attitude, impetus, spirit, mindset of God himself, and therefore of his true children. It is the single verb in both the greatest command & the second command - just like it), as well as the initial impetus for all true actions, and the first fruit mentioned of the very spirit of God being displayed in a human life, and the top of the ladder of things to work with God on fruiting in human life. It turns out (as Eirene Gruber used to say) that the greatest sin is to miss the greatest command ( Matt 22:35-40; 24:12; Luke 6:31-36; John 3:16-21; 5:19-42; 13:1-17, 33-35; 14:1-7; John 14:15-31; 15:9-17; Rom 8:38-39; Eph 3:14-19, 5:1-2; Col 3:10-17; 1Cor 12:31-13:13; 1Pet 4:8; 2 Pet 1:1-9; 1John 4:7-19; 2John 1:1-7 ).
d* - John 15
e* - Jude 1:20-25
Love leads & I would follow where it walks,
and how it walks - on water, or on land,
and why it walks, and acts, and thinks, & talks;
its ends & means I’ll try to understand.
And simply trust it to enable this
small child of that creative love which breathes
its life, and wisdom, love through ev’ry kiss
to raise a kind of animal that sheaths
creative love itself displaying it
to all the rest of God’s creation here
on Earth, but maybe too in hea’en a bit,
the Lamb that’s Worthy made deeds here appear
which fleshed out love as verb of time & space,
which makes all matter, energy to be
and move about, creating more a place
called home, right here within the world we see,
while also trusting that creative love
embodied in Yeshua to do more
as Senior Partner to bring “from above”
a new creation growing well before
it’s quite apparent to the world at large,
for now is its confinement in the womb -
a secret place where God’s great entourage
encounters life on earth, thus ev’ry tomb.
And so each day we take our cross up and
then follow in the footsteps of our Christ -
true Son of Adam, we must understand,
but no less follow - as the sacrificed. …
* HESED is the English transliteration of the Hebrew word חֶ֙סֶד֙ , used in the Hebrew Bible to communicate something like "covenantal love", steadfast love, family love, loving kindness, love that is based on your own word. It has been said (repeatedly) that the HESED of YHWH (creative love that simply IS) is a core attribute of God (Ex 33:19-34:11) & endures forevermore (Psalm 118; Ps136 etc) when this concept is translated into Greek in the New Testament it is expressed as ἀγάπῃ (transliterated in English as agapé) and that is then the word used in the Greek New Testament to express this kind of attitude, impetus, spirit, mindset of God himself, and therefore of his true children. It is the single verb in both the greatest command & the second command - just like it), as well as the initial impetus for all true actions, and the first fruit mentioned of the very spirit of God being displayed in a human life, and the top of the ladder of things to work with God on fruiting in human life, and it turns out that the greatest sin, bringing down the greatest judgement, is to miss the greatest command ( Matt 22:35-40; 24:12; Luke 6:31-36; John 3:16-21; 5:19-42; 13:1-17, 33-35; 14:1-7; John 14:15-31; 15:9-17; Rom 8:38-39; Eph 3:14-19, 5:1-2; Col 3:10-17; 1Cor 12:31-13:13; 1Pet 4:8; 2 Pet 1:1-9; 1John 4:7-19; 2John 1:1-7 )
Once love led & I followed (’stead of spearned).
Not my truncated, altruism, which
devolves the word to cover what’s been earned,
a contract-like agreement been arranged
to benefit the self at final ends,
and minimise its suffering as well.
But love, creative, suffering, depends
on using its life here to absorb hell..
no matter what the suffering will be
for self, at heart it pays the sacrifice
itself. Just think of parents with baby.
A structure set to lead us like the Christ:
“My children..” he says to his followers.
That HESED* kind of love, which keeps its word -
that’s even to its own hurt, as though spurrs
were turned upon itself, not on a hurd
of horses, bullocks, bisen, elephants,
and trusts creative love that made the world
and put his children here to wear the pants,
and learn to understand, before they hurled
a word out in command, much less a stone.
Love makes distinction, and so too will I,
between those here in need (for them atone),
and those who here would like to lead, or try
to, that’s where suffering will come to live
and share their life more intimately for
they’ll have to learn quite truly to fore-give
from source of Universe and so much more.
Oh God I see a certain serpentine
mindset in me that thinks not of the one
I would allow my thoughts or words to shine
out to; it only thinks of things begun,
not of the process being helpful too.
It is truncated, like an exercise.
A practice time to clarify, argue
a concept or idea. I’m not wise
as serpents are, nor harmless as a dove.
I’m often harmless as a serpent, and
about as wise as dove (strutts, coos it's love -
but doesn't see with depth or understand).
If I am understanding this at all,
I'm very hopeful, ‘coz you seemed to say
(quite clearly, I might add - this is no small
and incidental thing) that you would pay
attention to our words and looks, requests
and gladly will share wisdom - which is acts
of understanding, insight, skill that bests
opponents, makes them fearful, hides, distracts
them from your re-al purposes and aims,
from comprehending modus operand-
-i, all the while you understand their trains
of thought, de-syr’s which they live by, demand..
So, if it’s true that I can go to you,
creative love, and you won’t cease to be
yourself, but gladly share. Then I now do
that: (eating) “You’re my wisdom, knowledge tree”.
So clean up what I can, and ask for help
where I can’t reach alone, or job’s too big.
And focus on my partner’s hopes, each yelp
of joy, or groan of pain or grief, and dig
down deeper to respond where I can join
in what our partnership is meant to be.
But don’t let me devolve to then purloin
things for myself, as though I’ll soon be “Me”;
that’s on my own without a need for love.
For that might be my one necessity.
And who I’m with is truly “from above”
beyond my expectations, they know me!
And love me anyway, have plans & hopes,
and don’t seem unrealistic in their pleas.
They plan for me to join, to really cope
with hardships - and my immaturities.
And knowing I’m a “small child” and my thoughts
and mind is immature, to say the least,
creative love itself has done all sorts
of timing & developing, not ceased
to work to make Truth concrete, personal,
organic’ly connected to a Way
of Life that shines with love whose arsenal
(creative) is persistent, ev’ry day
to welcome suffering, & loss of pow’r
because it trusts its very self to one
much greater in their knowledge, yet not sour,
& that’s when Life that’s Real has just begun!
So Love, creative, and eternal too,
we need your help to now un-strangle* you.
We’re stuck in mechanistic ways to see,
and don’t know how to change* our view*, so we
come to the only one who could affect
a change in us to save us from neglect
(neglecting sunlight* on our solar cells*
which plunges us beneath to certain hells*).
Please clean us up, so your light can pass through
to land on surfaces reflecting you
somehow, and which then brings an energy
to what is dormant there deep within me*.
This brings alive a past amazing world
of love which can just start again, uncurled,
and functioning, with light as motive force.
It only didn’t function then because
it wasn’t opened up to light and cleaned,
and focussed where those rays would, un-demeaned,
just do their job of visioning*, give death*
to certain viruses that use no breath,
and make up basic food for all the plants,
when captured, in those chloroplasts which dance
around within a cell with “see-oh too”
and just ol’ basic water. Then renew-
-al comes into the ecosystem here,
and its long hibernation then appears
to be aborted and fresh life ensues
from energy which love, through life, embues.
Notes
le* - the “feeling/ lived-experience” of love being rendered “ineffective & unproductive” in my experience of a partnership (which had been, at least at some time in the past) based on love, but may in fact have been set up to be a seedbed for love.
ge* - thinking of the quote from some children at a party to a trusted adult (mentioned in the interview below): “We’re being naughty, & we don’t know how to stop.”
ew* - thinking of the interview entitled “Change your Way of Seeing”, yet the inability of the Left Hemisphere to see what it cannot see (e.g. metaphors, depth perception in vision etc), & how it might just come down to the Left Hemisphere being itself & living “under” the greater relational view of the Right Hemisphere, where a living allegiance just works!
ht* - problem experienced from sunlight differentially not passing through dirty glass as well as it passes through clean glass. Thinking of C.S. Lewis’s observation : “When you come to knowing God, the initiative lies on His side. If He does not show Himself, nothing you can do will enable you to find Him. And, in fact, he shows much more of Himself to some people than to others -- not because He has favorites, but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself to a man whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition. Just as sunlight, though it has no favorites, cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror as clearly as a clean one.”(Mere Christianity, I think).
cells* - thinking of the above quote with respect to a photovoltaic cell, instead of a mirror… & recalling the Skyward series of novels by Brandon Sanderson where Spensa finds sets of ancient asteroid-like war machines all set up and ready to go with some kind of (solar?) energy that is available but must simply be tapped. (& cf. chloroplasts within a plant cell)
hells* - thinking of some ancient Buddhist concepts of frozen Hells.
me* - one part of a solution I can see for the problem outlined in Note ht* above, (but, as also mentioned above, thinking of a photovoltaic cell, instead of a mirror).
ng* - one of the functions of sunlight. It simply allows us (who have functioning eyes) to “see”, to build an new internal picture of reality,
th* - one other helpful function of sunlight is its disabling of “germs” living, dormant or viral (simply mechanical/ informational ?).
Oh Lord, we seek to see the openings
where your bright glory/ serendipity
shines in and through, and so life truly sings -
responding to your creativity!
So Love will win out, and I have a chance
to fight upon its side, with sword, or lance,
on horse back, or else on foot as its man.
For Love will win the day, as just love can.
This Love will win out! And now I can fight
with all that I am, for this love, that’s light
& life (that's worthy of the “human” tag).
For all who Love, are God’s kids - “in the bag”
all-ready to fight on as Love has spurred,
with personal identity confirred-
- not by some earning process or accounts
but by heredity and birth we bounce
into love’s world to be led so to win
our fight with rock, & tooth & nail, & skin
and all we have (as well as who we be),
our means includes all our technology
(not just what’s physical, but social too -
technology that’s personal, renewed,
relational - just think of Star Wars’ FORCE,
and understand that PRAYER tunes greater laws)
And Love won’t ever just change, for it's not
at all like all desires that we’ve got -
our passions (anger, jealousy, or greed),
our laziness, or else pride that dain't bleed
(for it is not a boasting in some-one
but pride of place, relating that’s not fun
for both sides). Now I have a chance to let
love be embodied in me, un-forget!
So help me God. . .
Recall the words spoken into God’s world by Jesus in his often repeated phrase before & after his parables (which were most commonly not-understood by his own disciples): “Let, those who have ears to hear, hear”;
Recall what happened the second time to the man who was NOT healed by Jesus’s fingers rubbing his blind eyes the first time, yet after that, when he began to join with Jesus’ work by begining to “look-intently/ try-hard- himself-to-see”... then … in his mind’s eye people took focus, and became more than “trees walking around”.
Recall also Jesus’ words to the man who was dumb (& “deaf”, it turns out) - after putting his fingers in the man’s ears, and touching his tongue, he said to the man “Ephatha!” which the gospel writers then translate from Aramaic into common Greek for us, & tell us means “Open up!”
(For further reflection: Notice connections to the servant song/prayer/psalm: Isaiah 50:4-11, especially verses 4-5, and sing the blue version of a morning prayer/song to the tune suggested above it)…then use our whole being: spirit, heart, soul, mind, and body, all our chosen, un-chosen, and developed responses to events in God’s world coming to be on our retina, tympanium, skin nerves, emotions, imaginings, etc… to tune to what God’s heart is, his will, his wants, & his “desires”, treating them as worth more than, and choosing them over ours.
Can you see anything? What do you pick up, see, hear, perceive?
How do you interpret that? What do you understand that to mean? What implications come from that?
To me as I drove along, I came to see that I must :
Live above that “poverty mindset” which pre-judges things as static, numbered, limited… [a mindset which is true (in the sense that it corresponds to reality) without God]... and recall that I need never live that way again, and that WITH GOD all things are possible, nothing shall be impossible, I am given life, overflowing, springing up within me. (And I have started to try to understand this better via looking at it from different angles etc, & teasing it out here, or in this blog here)
