Sometimes I listen to the local Christian radio on the AM dial, and I enjoy it, but once in a while they'll give the microphone to some 'kooks'.
A few times I have heard this fellow during a particular programme through the afternoon and he is one of those guys you need to take with a grain of salt. Well, today I was listening but the shaker emptied real fast ...
He was on about tickets to the up-and-coming Superbowl and likening the attendance of the event ~ even claiming the ticket ~ to gaining entrance and the experience we shall have in Heaven. Now, I agree; the anaology of Christ being our ticket to heaven and everyone needs a ticket to get in is great. But it ends there. The rest of his analogy is faulty! First off, the tickets are sold for the most part and we can NOT purchase or earn our way to Heaven. Secondly, [depending on your view of election you may agree with this] the tickets and availabilty are only for a limited number of folks. Nonetheless, there are levels of enjoyment at the Superbowl that we do NOT have in Heaven, which he said we did! i.e. watching it on television in the bar, from the 'nosebleeds' , from the 50-yard line, some from the press-box and others with "meet the players" passes. I'm sorry but the analogy breaks down a few seats ago!
What does one do with statements from Paul about "seventh heaven" and all that? Perhaps there is somthing there to discover. However, I do not feel our local show host this afternoon has it figured yet.
My only thought to all of this is it is not empowering, not hopeful, and it makes me feel more like I'm in 18th century class-society Britain than a resident of the Kingdom of Heaven. He continued to say it will be that some are to enjoy special company with the saints in Heaven in their mansions, while many simply can expect a meager living in our shack, hoping to catch a glimpse of the millenial banquet on the divine plasma.
I will agree with something he mentioned about the spiritual fruit in our life indicating our following Christ and it indicating reward, to an extent, but I know that some of the Bible's heroes did some pretty 'shack worthy' things while they were here. When I hear people go off on the "classes of heaven" I just wonder if they'll be up as high as they think.
For what it is worth; if they are right, and this rant is misplaced, then I conceed a shack in heaven is still world's better than anything we have here. If for no other reason but that Christ will be there, but so will all who follow Him. I wouldn't wish to be anywhere else.
27 January, 2010
18 January, 2010
Phos Hilaron and Allowing the Light Through
It is amazing the things one thinks while in the bath. Certainly, many people do their best thinking while alone in the bath for precisely that reason: they are alone, without distraction, and will be there, likely, for a while.
I had a "teachable moment" this morning in the bath with my son, (who is four years old and, as a result, is often permitted to interrupt my times in the bath if he needs to use the bathroom) who enquired as to why there was a small orange glimmer of light on the wall beside the sink. I had to think a moment, and then realised the plastic handle on my razor is orange and was picking up the light from the bulb above it. I then went into a lecture about the three stages of light allowances that I could remember from grade school:
Undoubtedly some of you will look upon the title of this blog with some familiarity, but many will scratch their head and wonder if I've mispelt something. I have stolen the title from our most ancient hymn: [http://encyclopedia.tfd.com/Phos+Hilaron] I steal it because I feel it aptly names the concept I discoverd in the bath.
Once my son had left I rejoined my thoughts which mingled with the recent exploration of grade-school science. How transparent was I, and what Light is passing through, if any? Of course, you may now have put together I am talking about Christ, the Light of the world, or, the Gladdening Light "phos hilaron".
As we live and breath, as we go about our business, as we respond to the world around us, do we allow some of that light to pass, all of it, or are we spiritually opaque? There has been much written on such a topic, challenges given by many much more capable than I, but I hope to simply get you to do some self-evaluation (2 Cor 13. 5). I know I left the bath that morning a cleaner man on both the in and outside.
Something for the "think-ubator"
I had a "teachable moment" this morning in the bath with my son, (who is four years old and, as a result, is often permitted to interrupt my times in the bath if he needs to use the bathroom) who enquired as to why there was a small orange glimmer of light on the wall beside the sink. I had to think a moment, and then realised the plastic handle on my razor is orange and was picking up the light from the bulb above it. I then went into a lecture about the three stages of light allowances that I could remember from grade school:
- something transluscent allows some light to pass through it, (like the razor handle),
- something transparent allowed most or all light to pass through it,
- and something opaque does not allow any like to pass through it but will instead cast a shadow.
Undoubtedly some of you will look upon the title of this blog with some familiarity, but many will scratch their head and wonder if I've mispelt something. I have stolen the title from our most ancient hymn: [http://encyclopedia.tfd.com/Phos+Hilaron] I steal it because I feel it aptly names the concept I discoverd in the bath.
Once my son had left I rejoined my thoughts which mingled with the recent exploration of grade-school science. How transparent was I, and what Light is passing through, if any? Of course, you may now have put together I am talking about Christ, the Light of the world, or, the Gladdening Light "phos hilaron".
As we live and breath, as we go about our business, as we respond to the world around us, do we allow some of that light to pass, all of it, or are we spiritually opaque? There has been much written on such a topic, challenges given by many much more capable than I, but I hope to simply get you to do some self-evaluation (2 Cor 13. 5). I know I left the bath that morning a cleaner man on both the in and outside.
Something for the "think-ubator"
11 January, 2010
God Put a Smile Upon Your Face
"Stop your anger! Turn from your rage! Do not envy others - it only leads to harm" Psalm 37. 8 NLT
In an event of divine coincidence, I found myself experiencing stress while reading this verse and listening to a CD in the backround. On thier sophmore effort, Coldplay has a song by this title. While the message of the song is more humanistic than the Psalm, I found the message to be similar and was encouraged almost overwhelmingly.
We should not be sad, angry or worried about anything because our God has things under his control. He has indeed put a smile upon our faces; wearing it is testimony to His strength in our life and not a naive "head in the sand".
Smile today with the smile God gave you :)
In an event of divine coincidence, I found myself experiencing stress while reading this verse and listening to a CD in the backround. On thier sophmore effort, Coldplay has a song by this title. While the message of the song is more humanistic than the Psalm, I found the message to be similar and was encouraged almost overwhelmingly.
We should not be sad, angry or worried about anything because our God has things under his control. He has indeed put a smile upon our faces; wearing it is testimony to His strength in our life and not a naive "head in the sand".
Smile today with the smile God gave you :)
07 January, 2010
The Gospel of Candyland
Once again this week I found myself in another "teachable moment" with my son.
One of his favourite games lately is the Milton Bradley boardgame he received for Christmas, the pre-school hit who's original players would now play it with their grandchildren: Candyland. I don't know much of its history, and the story-line as it is printed on current editions of the game's box liner make no mention of it, but it sure has some Christian allegory to it. Let me explain.
As I started out saying, I had a teachable moment with my son this week; while playing the game for the dozenth time, he asked me why the liquorice tripped us up and why it was there. (if you are not familiar with the game, more of its premise will become evident as this blog continues.)
He is very good at the game and excited by it ~ he can play it several times in one sitting without tiring, unlike his father. I tried to answer him to the best of my ability and found something interesting developing in my explanation. We move our players (represented by gingerbread men) along a brightly coloured trail on our way to the celestial city of Candyland. Along the way there are various "sticky spots" where Lord Liquorice has left traps for us to slow us on our way, (resulting in a missed turn). My nutshell explanation was this:
Candyland = heaven; the King is GOD; Lord Licorice represents Satan and, therefore, the liquorice he leaves around on the path is the tempting, candy-like trip-up on our way to Candyland like sin. Lord Licorice was himself a resident of cnadyland at one point, but was put out when once he felt he should have a greater position in the Kingdom. Failing to comply with the demands, he now hides out in the forest hating the King and anyone who seeks to visit him. So, possessing still some remnant of his time in Candyland, he uses pseudo-candy to throw people off the trial and slow their arrival.
My son was tracking along nicely and I found a way to once again see the Truth of God around me in everyday things. I believe he enjoys the game on a deeper level now and I was able to help ensure our families commitment to Deuteronomy 6. 7.
One of his favourite games lately is the Milton Bradley boardgame he received for Christmas, the pre-school hit who's original players would now play it with their grandchildren: Candyland. I don't know much of its history, and the story-line as it is printed on current editions of the game's box liner make no mention of it, but it sure has some Christian allegory to it. Let me explain.
As I started out saying, I had a teachable moment with my son this week; while playing the game for the dozenth time, he asked me why the liquorice tripped us up and why it was there. (if you are not familiar with the game, more of its premise will become evident as this blog continues.)
He is very good at the game and excited by it ~ he can play it several times in one sitting without tiring, unlike his father. I tried to answer him to the best of my ability and found something interesting developing in my explanation. We move our players (represented by gingerbread men) along a brightly coloured trail on our way to the celestial city of Candyland. Along the way there are various "sticky spots" where Lord Liquorice has left traps for us to slow us on our way, (resulting in a missed turn). My nutshell explanation was this:
Candyland = heaven; the King is GOD; Lord Licorice represents Satan and, therefore, the liquorice he leaves around on the path is the tempting, candy-like trip-up on our way to Candyland like sin. Lord Licorice was himself a resident of cnadyland at one point, but was put out when once he felt he should have a greater position in the Kingdom. Failing to comply with the demands, he now hides out in the forest hating the King and anyone who seeks to visit him. So, possessing still some remnant of his time in Candyland, he uses pseudo-candy to throw people off the trial and slow their arrival.
My son was tracking along nicely and I found a way to once again see the Truth of God around me in everyday things. I believe he enjoys the game on a deeper level now and I was able to help ensure our families commitment to Deuteronomy 6. 7.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)