we are the moon.... poetically

Rays of sun fly all around

look on up or feel the ground

the moon shines not of its own

reflecting only what it's shown

we are the moon

we are the moon

the moon with no sun is a lamp with no power

we are the moon shining light thats not ours

the call is to shine through word and through deed

giving of what we've so freely received

rays of sun fly all around

look on up or feel the ground

the moon shines not of its own

reflecting only what it's shown

we are the moon

shining in dark

we are the moon

to this night we embark

we are the moon

I love when nature points me to God and the Spirit has me express it by poetry.

Tonight is a great example.

the night becomes bright

when the moon reflects the Light

the night becomes bright

when the moon reflects His light

I originally had "shines the light" at the end and I remembered that the moon shines nothing by itself. It reflects the light and power and majesty and glory of our sun, our solar systems shining star and centerpiece.

Obviously, when the light of the sun comes upon the earth, darkness hides. Darkness can't be in presence of the light. The physical realities of dark and light are metaphor of the spiritual realities of God and His angels and Satan and his minions. This reminds of my favorite name of God: "Father of lights" from James 1:17.

What I saw tonight in the sky was the moon reflecting the sun. It lit up the sky. Piercing through the scattered clouds of the night, it shone quite brightly. There was light, even in the absence of earth's true light. So it is with us and God and the world. Physically, Christ (the Light of the world, John 8:12) is not with us anymore - He went to heaven to sit at the throne with the Father almost 2000 years ago.

We are the moon.

Matthews 5:15-16a has some insight into this: "[People do not] light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, yet your light shine before others...." (emphasis added)

A few questions come to mind... a) what is "our light"? and b) how do we "let it shine"?

"Our light" to be shone is the grace and mercy and blessing and teaching and all that we receive from the Triune God.

We "let it shine" alot of ways, some of which I blogged about earlier this year under the title of "Little Children" and those that follow. Although, I think it's deeper than "showing love." All this grace and mercy and blessing and teaching, etc. that we've received should be shown back to the world - those around us - the known and unknown. When God reveals to me a truth about Himself, am I to keep it only for myself and my notebook? I surely hope not. The truth learned is to be reflected upon a roommate or a bible study or a friend or even an entire congregation. Jesus continues (in Matt 5:16) "...so that [others] may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (emphasis added). I like the language "your Father." They are giving glory to God because of how He is my Father. How His kindness has been bestowed upon me causes others to praise. We do this all the time; we join each other in praise of God when one of us experiences the Light.

Christ has called: "let your light shine." He is our light. We are the moon, reflecting the light of God upon a place of darkness so that "others" will "give glory to" (praise!!) Him.

I'm too tired to keep writing... sorry!

Your grace...

will it catch me when i fall?

grow me when i'm small?

put a smile on this frown?

lift me when i'm down?

will it sing to my soul,

when i give up control?

Ups and Down

grace, sweet grace

gathers those fallen

-------

hurting

so hurting

i am hurting

can't stand up

doubting

so doubting

i am doubting

won't look up

falling

so falling

i am falling

can't find up

gracious

so gracious

You are gracious

brought me up

humbled

so humbled

i am humbled

face bowed down

oh music...

Either:

a) I'm not perfect, yet a perfectionist.

b) songwriting is really, really difficult.

That being said, I'm writing some songs and I'm trying to finish them to share with the world (ok, 10 people tops) but it's freaking hard.

Also, I'm a perfectionist. I've scrapped so many songs in the last 2 years. They just didnt work. Some songs were only music, others were a chorus... a few even, whole songs with verses, bridges and choruses. But after a few days, if I'd think it's crap - poof GONE!

Anyway, welcome to the agony of 1:20am Brendan.

Little Children, part III

Ok so, 1 John is my favorite New Testament letter - many of you know this (or at least, now you do).

Any and all love that is shone / poured out from our mouths / hands is only a response and outpouring of love received. 

I find myself so often praying "to see Your love afresh." My anxiety (due to procrastination mostly) tends to blind me from this Love, which is like none other. When His love is being blocked from my heart - how am I to extend grace (read: love) to my roommate? to my friends? to the worship team? ...to myself?

We must accept the love from the Father. Feeling far from the love of God is not uncommon for sinners. Sin is the gap that, without Christ, separates us from God. "Thanks be to God... for neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing is able to separate us from the love of God - which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8, butchered from memory). We must experience his forgiveness and grace (see 1 John 1:9) inwardly and daily, in order to live it outwardly. 

Freaking chapter 4:19 "We love, because He first loved us." (NASB)

1 John 3:16-18 "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children (I love when he says "little children"...it means "hey if you're sleeping - wake up - time for the point") let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." (NASB)

James 2:15-16 "If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use it that?" (NASB)

Our roommates and friends and those around us are to be treated above ourselves (see part II, below). Our time, our desires, our money - is not our own! It is for God, it is for others. (read: I am a hypocrit. Here i am talking about money and I'm the one flying to Vegas to see DMB on one hand and telling my friend in East Asia that I'm going to be late on giving him his support. I say these things because I need to hear them. please know this.)

examples of this: folding laundry, cleaning kitchens/bathrooms/living rooms, making beds, taking out trash, buying the TP, cooking breakfast/lunch/dinner for those around, offering to make starbucks runs, giving rides, verbal encouragements, hugs, speaking spiritual truth, listening.... (the list goes on)

lol, listening? really? My roommates have listened to countless rants on all sorts of things, because I need to get it out and they listen (these can last up to an hour sometimes). They serve me so much in this way. 

to continue, sometimes those around us don't know what they need. Or they know it, but feel like its unattainable. For example, I have a friend and he sometimes (read: always) overbooks himself. We've chatted about this a few times, but this is a life lesson (I think, unfortunately) best learned the hard way.  This doesnt stop me from trying to help him. So today, "Hey bud - we're taking a break. Let's go hike bishops on monday after the crazy weekend." Although to me, it seems like another thing on his list, he was all over it and admitted to me (and himself) it was necessary.  (that was a long story to get to the point and I apologize.)

Last point: don't be afraid to receive love.  I am not perfect and you are not perfect. When a brother or sister wants to show love, why not allow them? (of course, this is within reason, just like our love to give must be in reason). 

Let Paul speak to us as he did to Titus and the church in Crete to be "sensible" (2:2, 5, 6, 12) and to be "sound in love" (2:2) and to be "zealous for good deeds" (2:14).

 ...thats all for now :)

Little Children, part II

Yeah, this should be with the last post...

Paul (of course) understood what it meant to "Love your neighbor as yourself" (see lower post) and to "love one another as I have loved you" (Jesus, John 13:34, paraphrase)

Philippians 2:2-4

...make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interesets, but also for the interests of others.