The God Who Speaks - May 20, 2005

Well folks, so much for the "bi-weekly" idea of the newsletter. But to bring you up to speed, the Lord has been calling me into a season of quiet and listening over the next three months. The crazy pace will give way to a time of rest in the secret place. He tells me that there's a thickening that needs to happen in my teaching (from milk to cream) and that I'll need to come apart for awhile to hear the new things God wants to teach me. To tell the truth, this excites me but it's also an adjustment. My first two days of solitude consisted largely of sleep and spiritual detox, which can be a little messy. So apparently I won't be picking up any grand visions on the fly or through some spiritual drive-through. I'll continue to check in here... hopefully monthly.

Here's what I'm pondering, and I'd suggest it for your own listening prayer times:

1. What is it that I see of you when I recognize you in the faces of those whom the church would consider "outsiders"? In what sense are "the least of these" your brothers and sisters (as per Matthew 25).

2. If I can see your image or your essence in everyone, what is the message of good news I am to bring to them? How would you have me swing open the temple doors to all who come, especially those who've written off Christianity already?

Somehow we need to gaze into the face of Christ long enough to recognize Him in those around us... and vice versa: that they would recognize Him in us. What would that look like?

I have some Sunday School answers--some milky truth--so far, but it's on this note that I head to the prayer closet. God bless and let me know if you hear anything on this.

Brad