Sacred Spaces 331 – If I had a diary… (Latest Entry: Goldfish, funeral and football fans)
8 May 2012
These are a series of questions that I have scrambled in my head and here is where I unravel them a bit…
i) GOLDFISH
If you do not know the band: GOLDFISH, you should get into them? Really soulful and chilled music; I dig it!
Was driving with their tunes as my soundtrack recently and thought: “Wow, I feel chilled” yet it doesn’t help me with feeling “very present…”
Listening to them, I felt spaced out a bit. (Like I was escaping my reality for a bit) Not really here. I dream of a chapter ahead. I think of things I need to do. I think of struggles in me. Always thinking about things away from where I am right now. And not soaking in this EXACT moment. God, will you help me be more present please?
I remember watching the “Everything is Spiritual” DVD by Rob Bell where he teaches of the command to Moses “to be on the mountain with God” when getting the commandments. He explained how OFTEN we would not actually “be in the place that we are.”
Rob recalls playing LEGO with his sons, and yet being elsewhere thinking about emails. So he was “being with his boys” (in body) but being elsewhere (mentally); how often are you REALLY present?
In an age with thinking about what to tweet, or what status to post, or who to chat to on bbm/whatsapp we are so often not always present. WE are a disconnected society even with all this connection… Would you agree?
I read a friend’s blog recently called: be where you are (Check it out, if you like)
ii) FUNERAL
I thought of these questions at my friend’s mom’s funeral yesterday.
1) How hard it must be to conduct a service for a non-Christian? What do non-believers think of death? They must surely fear it. What would they expect a minister to honestly say in a service about their loved one who passed away who really just didn’t give a damn (excuse the expressive word) about God? (I mean how could a minister preach/talk and pretend all is okay? Pretence is not healthy)
2) If there is no kingdom of God, where things are restored and beautiful and amazing… if death is the end… what’s the point of getting degrees / working hard / not hurting people here on earth? It all seems very boring… if I only have a mere few years here, and not even knowing how many I get: maybe 10 years or 35 or 72? It all just seems pointless…
3) Seeing my friend’s mom’s well used bible held by the minister… made me smile. A lady who relied and trusted in God. Just a beautiful testimony of someone in love and leaning on God. Do people still believe in the truths and movement of God from scripture? A glimpse of His character written down for us…
iii) FOOTBALL
a) I am still so fascinated by the passion of football followers. It’s rather interesting and intriguing. How so and so’s dad follow’s a certain club, and how his dad before did, and that person’s dad before him did too…
b) And I think of the GUILT sermon that was DROPPED on us, when I was a kid. “If people can be so amped and passionate about following their rugby or football team, can they not also worship Jesus with that passion?” How annoying that was! When churches threw “that guilt card” on us…
c) Could not the mere quality of “passion” be a God created quality? I mean; imagine living in a “passionless” society where no one was passionate about anything… that would be horrible!
d) I laughed at my friend’s TWEET the other day; how she had to take some time to get over her team’s loss against my team. I mean, it’s she (and probably a few others)… needed time to mourn their team’s loss. It’s just odd to me.
e) Maybe passion is good. But maybe obsession is unhealthy? I don’t know… (Like I said above this is a diary entry… just thinking to myself… and you happen to be reading it…)
f) I think what scares me in England (I speak about it because I sensed and saw it when I was there)… is how a love for a sport, a team… can actually become a sort of RELIGION… and maybe that is dangerous? Because no one likes a “RELIGION”
g) I say this with conviction that I will never call my relationship with God (Christianity) a religion…
h) My choice to follow God is out of love. It’s a relationship I have chosen. Because He most certainly wooed me and continually woos me… and there is this constant “hunger” within for Him. (Hard to put it in words…)
i) (Yet hear me out, I have a long way to go…yet I take steps forward, hopefully each week, or even each day…)
j) Trust me, I don’t want and I am not throwing “the guilt card”
k) But I do wonder what or how a “passionate” group of people worshipping God should look like? And act like? (And please… we should not REQUEST “another” model of “how to” no thanks!)
l) I do get it with football. That joy, that anxiety on the faces of the football fans. Because football is so tangible; those people can see it, feel it, live it…
m) So my final question… is following Jesus tangible? Can we feel Him, see Him and live Him?
What is your answer? And do you live that answer out?
I hope in reading my scrambled thoughts that some truths and challenges have been unscrambled in your life… have a cool week! Be present.
TWITTURGY
What would this day hold?
Could I be the mirror?
That reflects things of You
Love to others
Joy and peace
And a life to the full
Live well, live inspired
SACRED SPACES 