My Letter From the Ocean of Fullness

 

Dear God-

My last letter to you was from the Island of Mediocrity.  Thank you for your invitation to swim in fullness instead of wasting away on an island that is so far from your desire for me.

To be honest, I found your offer a little too good to be true.  On the island we learned how to "earn your grace" and you have asked me to swim in unconditional love.  I have found that my senses are alive and I'm hungry to experience what you have for me. 

I like floating in the calm waters of forgiveness and crashing into the waves of revival.  It seemed to take forever for me to know I am cleansed of the dust of the island, and sometimes I'm tempted to return, but this has done something new to my soul that I would not trade. 

I do have a question for you - It appears that I experience some of the same storms I did on the island.  I thought you would keep me from those.  I thought if I swam in your waters I would never have to feel the sting of loss, the pain of failure, or the hurricanes of disappointment.  Does fullness have to include periods of hunger and even fear?

There are times that the depth of the ocean is wonderfully overwhelming and the current of your love is more than I can take, but there are times when fullness seems like too much to ask of me.  Sometimes I'm even afraid of drowning.

But, I won't go back.  Lord of my soul, I proclaim to you that I have answered the call to abandon all that I have learned to be safe and secure so that I can embrace the risk of faith.  I will not let my feet touch the soil of compromise again!  I have stood on those sands for too long!  I am committed to be tossed by the wind of your Spirit and I refuse to drink anything other than the Living Water you have called me to! 

I may have questions.  I may have to weather storms.  I may feel the risk is too much and I may even dream of the land that would destroy me – but I will continue to be what you are making me to be!  I won't go back!

God, I can't help but think about the others who are living on the Island of Mediocrity.  Many of them I care so much about.  Would it be ok if I invited them to join me?  Would you let them taste the fullness you have given me?  It seems a huge task, but somehow I think that is part of why you wanted me to swim in these waters – so I could invite others to join us.  More of us should be swimming and less standing.  Thanks for the opportunity.

In Over My Head,

Dave

My Letter From the Island of Mediocrity

Dear God,

I know you told me not to go, but I have spent some time in this interesting land of Mediocrity. 

 

First, when I got here I noticed how crowded it was.  This is a very popular spot.  And everyone knows that popularity is a good indicator of value.  When something is not good for you it's not popular – right?

 

It was interesting to learn how few rules there are here.  For example, I can pray as much as I want.  It's not against the rules to talk to You, they just don't get involved in the whole faith and passion thing.  It is also recommended that I only talk to you about something twice.  After two times it is best to assume it's not going to happen and to quit praying about it.

 

Reading the Bible is not very popular here.  They find it better to talk about what makes sense, seems logical, or is most accepted.  We all are able to come to our own conclusions about You.  This is much less work and far more palatable to my spirit.  I can adjust my view of You based on how I feel this way rather than getting stuck on adjusting my behavior or attitudes on anything as old fashioned as an absolute truth.

 

I was able to find a church to attend.  I went to the one where I like the most people and has the best tasting coffee.  I'm there almost every week (excluding long weekends, the weeks the weather is really bad or really good, the ones when I am too tired, or ones when the date is an odd number).

 

We don't like to talk about what we believe here, faith is a personal matter.  I know that doesn't line up with the whole "great commission thing."  But that way we don't have to worry about possibly offending anyone or working through what we believe.

 

Toleration is better than forgiveness here, relationships stay comfortably shallow, and I can complain about everything as long as I promise not to get involved.

 

I have lost someone who could have been a close friend, but he kept talking about listening to and following the Holy Spirit, a topic that is frowned on here.  He was transferred somewhere else and his membership was revoked. 

 

Well, that's all for now, there's a big hammock sale I have to get to, my old one wore out.

 

Love Being Bored,

 

Al M. Ostalive 

Silly Turned Serious

I love to laugh.  I like being silly.  I enjoy clean comedy and have been known to get a kick out of some pretty goofy things.  But, I start this day thinking about some issues that aren't funny.

 

1. The depth of pain that is in the news isn't funny.  I've watched with you the stammering coverage of Fort Hood as news commentators expound on what they have few details of.  Some families started this day with the pain of random death being forced into their world. 

 

2. A sleeping church isn't funny.  We have been given the truth and been effective at ignoring the eternal result of that truth until it is often little more than a creed we believe in, not a life that we live.

 

3. A selfish "Christian" isn't funny.  Sometimes I am quick to judge things solely based on my opinion or how it affects me.  I forget to think of the Kingdom of God first.

 

4. An unread Bible isn't funny.  God's letter to us is also part of His revelation of Himself to us.  When God gives me a tool to know Him and I've got more excuses than Craftsmen has tools – it's not right.

 

5.  When I'm too busy being "me" to be part of healing someone else it's not funny.  Healed souls are to be about being used by the Healer of their souls to help heal other's souls.  If I'm too busy to invite someone to coffee or share a prayer burden with them God is grieved.

 

6.  Trying to be something I'm not isn't funny.  Too many times Halloween masks are an expression of what I've attempted to do every other day of the year – pretend.  We're afraid to be honest with each other sometimes and as a result we get used to the plastic shell that covers our soul.

 

7. Refusing God isn't funny.  I find myself asking what God has wanted to do in me, in the church I attend, and in the community we are called to reach.  I wonder how many times I have been guilty of not listening to God, not going when His heart was to send me, and not lifting my voice when His heart was to speak through me.

 

So, today I think serious thoughts.  We could all identify things that we think are funny.  I just found myself thinking a different direction today.  Maybe it's a good day for a little sober judgment.

 

Prayerfully,

 

Pastor Dave