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Just when I thought I was moving into lighter shades of purple...my eldest and I were in a horrific accident on Saturday. By the grace of God, our lives were spared and we are in the process of determining how much injury we sustained. But I saw Papa's fingerprints of mercy everywhere and am awed by his love for us.
I have a busy couple of weeks ahead, dealing with doctors and insurance stuff...and the search for a replacement for the trusty vehicle that gave it's all to save our lives....
So, my interrupted posting schedule will continue to be interrupted for a bit longer.
Be blessed ... and remember that defensive driving saves lives!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Abi and Perichoresis... finally
Anyone following this wee purple abbess for any length of time knows that she has been processing the deep reality of the interpenetrating, other-centered, mutuality-in-equality nature of the Eternal Circle -- the relationship of Father and Son in the Holy Spirit -- and how it is that humanity has been included in that glorious dance, which the early church fathers called perichoresis.
What I am so surprised to find out is that my 20+ years of obsession with cHesed has been, as it were, my ruby slippers...they have always had the power to take me home, but I was not ready to know and use their power.
Since writing on my tablet makes posting more complicated, I will post from my computer later. But for now, I want to share the basics: perichoresis is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew concept of cHesed. And just as cHesed is a concept that takes some time to wrap our head around, perichoresis is equally challenging.
But not any more ... not for me.
Ironically, I have come full circle, as it were. My long study of cHesed began as a formula for salvation and sanctification and discipleship. It was what "works" looked like as the flip side of "faith". But the stumbling block was in whose works and faith are in view.
My first shift came four years ago, when Wayne Jacobsen spent the weekend with our SYB group. I mentioned my thoughts about cHesed, to which he replied: "Yes, but you have the order wrong. You have to receive it from Father first."
I spent the next four years reading and listening to Wayne. What an interesting desert time that was -- so close, and yet so far. It is truly a mystery to experience and understand Father's love. I am so grateful for Wayne's ministry in my deepest darkness.
But it was finally time to experience the ministry of Baxter Kruger. I had heard of him, even visiting his website and looking around. Clearly, I was not ready to hear what he had to say. Not yet. Until last fall, when I read The Shack: Revisited. Baxter took all the mind blowing ideas from The Shack and unpacked them through the prism of perichoresis.
I had read through Baxter's book three times -- even reread The Shack before the third time. It was so strange -- reading and comprehending, but unable to retain and process fully.
Then, just as my personal world blew up, my friend sent me the link to Baxter's "In" series.
And as I had done with Wayne previously, I listened to those five recordings almost every day for the next three months.
Sometimes, there were words that seemed too good to be true. But by the time I returned from The OTC, the shift in thinking had taken place ... and cHesed was the clutch in my mental gear box.
Just as it is the faith of Jesus we believe, it is the cHesed of Jesus that we live. Jesus has brought us into the Eternal Circle in him. We only share with others what we are actively experiencing in Jesus.
I stood in my familiar ruby cHesed slippers -- truly my feet were shod in the gospel of peace -- and unleashed their power as I clicked my heels three times while saying "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home."
Truly, I have come home. I didn't even know I was wandering around lost. But my senses are processing the overload, even as Sarayu/Grandmother continues to heal my eyes so that I may see more clearly.
More later. Be blessed today, friends....
What I am so surprised to find out is that my 20+ years of obsession with cHesed has been, as it were, my ruby slippers...they have always had the power to take me home, but I was not ready to know and use their power.
Since writing on my tablet makes posting more complicated, I will post from my computer later. But for now, I want to share the basics: perichoresis is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew concept of cHesed. And just as cHesed is a concept that takes some time to wrap our head around, perichoresis is equally challenging.
But not any more ... not for me.
Ironically, I have come full circle, as it were. My long study of cHesed began as a formula for salvation and sanctification and discipleship. It was what "works" looked like as the flip side of "faith". But the stumbling block was in whose works and faith are in view.
My first shift came four years ago, when Wayne Jacobsen spent the weekend with our SYB group. I mentioned my thoughts about cHesed, to which he replied: "Yes, but you have the order wrong. You have to receive it from Father first."
I spent the next four years reading and listening to Wayne. What an interesting desert time that was -- so close, and yet so far. It is truly a mystery to experience and understand Father's love. I am so grateful for Wayne's ministry in my deepest darkness.
But it was finally time to experience the ministry of Baxter Kruger. I had heard of him, even visiting his website and looking around. Clearly, I was not ready to hear what he had to say. Not yet. Until last fall, when I read The Shack: Revisited. Baxter took all the mind blowing ideas from The Shack and unpacked them through the prism of perichoresis.
I had read through Baxter's book three times -- even reread The Shack before the third time. It was so strange -- reading and comprehending, but unable to retain and process fully.
Then, just as my personal world blew up, my friend sent me the link to Baxter's "In" series.
And as I had done with Wayne previously, I listened to those five recordings almost every day for the next three months.
Sometimes, there were words that seemed too good to be true. But by the time I returned from The OTC, the shift in thinking had taken place ... and cHesed was the clutch in my mental gear box.
Just as it is the faith of Jesus we believe, it is the cHesed of Jesus that we live. Jesus has brought us into the Eternal Circle in him. We only share with others what we are actively experiencing in Jesus.
I stood in my familiar ruby cHesed slippers -- truly my feet were shod in the gospel of peace -- and unleashed their power as I clicked my heels three times while saying "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home."
Truly, I have come home. I didn't even know I was wandering around lost. But my senses are processing the overload, even as Sarayu/Grandmother continues to heal my eyes so that I may see more clearly.
More later. Be blessed today, friends....
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