Deep In the Heart

Where am I and for that fact, where am I going?

Here's an even better question - exactly where have I been? If I see the Christian life as a journey, what is the destination? Is it a trodding path to heaven or maybe an evolvement of piety as I study and acquire facts. Is it a journey of good deeds, laid by the pathway, like seed spread over the soil, gradually taking root, then growing. Or, as I am beginning to realize, a travel into the very heart of God

Did I have any idea what I was embarking on in the beginning? I can remember in my childhood Sunday School class, singing this little song:

Into my heart,
Into my heart,
Come into my heart
Lord Jesus
Come in today,
Come in to stay,
Come into my heart
Lord Jesus

It seemed so simple then - to take Him into my heart. I was the center of the universe. What better place for him to take up residence.

But if I am traveling into him, this is a horse of different color. I can take no credit for it. He is the one drawing, and I am the draw-ee. The pull has nothing to do with my good works, my Bible knowledge, or my spiritual gifts. My only choice is to release my grip on this life, this world, and the earthly pleasures it holds.

I am discovering ideas and questions that have never been voiced or addressed in the Christian circles I ran around in. I have a growing interest in Christian mystics. In my former life, I would have smirked at the seclusion, meditation, etc. What a pointless waste of time. I am finding it is more like a perfect use of time.

I am not sure I am really ready to pursue this path, to a deeper relationship of this type. Maybe I will take a baby step or too, but this is scary. My journey already looks different from my fellow saints. If I am drawn to this path, I feel it may be a lonely one. Why me? Why did I have to read further and question deeper. I used to be so homogenous and blended in nicely. In other words, what is this and what do I do with it? Any ideas?

Be Good

Good. What exactly does that word mean?

Is it an adjective, an adverb, maybe even a noun - if you add "s". Is it a state of compatibility with others or harmony in the universe. No matter, the grammatical function, how is "good" measured? By me, by you, by the coach, by the teacher, by the government, by the church, by a sense of morality.

Good is an odd word. It is what we try to convince babies of, as we put this rough, foreign substance of cereal in their mouth, right before they crinkle their noses and spit it out. It is what we urge our children with, when we try to fool them into taking the foul tasting cough syrup. We use it when we try to convince adolescents the merit of running our errands or finishing their assigned chores.

But what about in the Bible. It says God is good. So what's up with that? Is it based on his actions, his blessings, his benevolence, his mercy, or his grace. What about me. Is goodness something that bubbles up from within me, or is it a set of polite actions I have been taught since childhood that fall into line with decent living? Is it something I can fake until I get it right or must it be something that is original and therefore non-reproducible?

What if it is Christ in me. Starting in my soul, traveling to my heart, and then making its way to my mind. The seat where my actions are dictated. And if I am his, not by what society dictating my actions, or by manners directing what I should say. But by the inherent spirit of God that weaves itself into the very fiber of my being. Becoming so deeply entrenched, I find I have no choice, nor do I want one.

Kingdom living - Ah.........

Cool

Going Green

I grew up in the 60's. OK, right off the blog, I am telling my age. I guess a lot of people look back at their childhood through rose-colored glasses. But I willing don those shades.   The days of my growing up were really good times. We had lots of sunshine and fresh air and we were out in it, every chance we got. We took off in the morning and only headed home for meals or scrapes on our knees. Fireflies in the evening, butterflies during the day. The indoors could never compete with what the great outdoors had to offer.

For the past decades, there has been a big emphasis conserving and ecology. I hate to admit it, but I was not one to go willingly into this green night. It wasn't that I wanted to be a spendthrift or spoiler of nature, but I just didn't like the idea of being legislated into doing it. In my life, I have found confrontation usually results in a battle, whether justified or not, and this was a classic case in point. I was hell bent not to recycle, acting like a spoiled child in a tantrum.

I think my theology has more or less evolved in a similar pattern. I am almost unrecognizable in the spiritual snapshots of yesteryear. Along my path to God, several good friends have, for awhile, shared the journey with me. I have to admit, I felt a few definitely had a screw loose, but over the years my admiration of them outweighed my disdain for their convictions. I guess it was because I could see in their lives the tangible fruit of the Spirit. I began to question why their lives produced this joy, while the fundamentalism I was following created rules and regulations that kept me bound and gagged. so to speak.   Well not exactly gagged, because I liked to spout my intolerance on a regular basis.  However, as Life knocked me me around a bit, I began to see things from a different perspective.  What I thought was fool-proof theology, had a few holes in it and I was sinking fast.   I began to realize where they came from and where they were headed. I hoped to tag along.

Well, I am happy to report, I am going green. Not because I am supposed to or because some conservationist is going to make me, but in spite of them. I just have to look at my children and grandchildren to find my reason. I want there to be flies in their ointment - of the fire and butter variety.

Mind of Christ

What exactly is the mind of Christ? I am familiar with the love of Christ, the passion of Christ, but I think the "mind of Christ" is much too expansive for me to wrap my thoughts around. Too funny!  Can you even picture my thoughts around His!

I can read the red letter in scripture, hear His words, follow His actions, but I am not sure that reveals the mind of Christ? I mean, I am reading the account of one of several that either experienced first hand the presence of Christ or gathered the information and presented it.  I am reading it in this day at this time.  The 21st century.  As hard as I might try, I can even begin to understand the time, the culture, the social strata, the political system, or even the humor and/or sarcasm of the day.   Don't get me started on the translations, interpretation, and illustrations that we have done to the gospels over the centuries.

I am beginning to think the Sermon on the Mount (or Plain) is the closest thing we have to His thinking out loud - a "what it looks like to think like me" exposition. As I look back over my life I am saddened by the fact that I have converted these thoughts and ideas into an impossible "To Do" list. If He came to my time, to my town, to my hillside what would I hear? I am thinking I might hear him say something like this. "The life I am talking about is so radical, if you were slapped, you would turn the other cheek. To resist murder is easy, but what if hating were the same as murder?"

It is still impossible. But maybe I have to think outside the box, or in this case my mind. Am I limiting his words in light of the boundaries and limitations of my earthly body. Like one of those popular motivational speakers of today, perhaps he was looking at more than "me" What if the mind of Christ is not me getting into His head, but Him getting into mine. Can you imagine what my friends and family would say. "She is just plain out of her mind". And I would say" No, Jesus is just taking up residence!"  What a trip - literally!

So What Now?

Now what? Funny but this is like being given keys to your first car. It is something you wanted and something you looked forward to, but what now. My name is Jo and "Cup of Jo" is the title I chose for this blog, because that is exactly how I want this to work. I will share thoughts, poems, etc. and I ask you to do the same. I am no expert, spiritual guru, etc.,I am only a child of God on the incredible journey to His heart. I want to share with you the sights I see, the spiritual bread I taste, and the feelings of wonder and awe as I continue on. Not the gospel, not the last word, just thoughts of mine that will be growing and changing as I go along. To share between what I hope will become friends. Casual "what if-ing" over a cup of Jo.