Flow, river, flow

Whether we’re watching “Dancing with the Stars”, a rousing performance of Riverdance, or a magnificent ballet, we can enjoy the flow of human bodies, each person, each body part, working in harmony with the others. The result can be a breathtaking beauty that stirs up your insides.

But what do you do with that feeling of being moved by the flow of such beauty? Switch channels and find the next thing to distract you from life’s troubles or tedium? Jump off the couch and feel the thrill of dancing yourself? Hold onto that beauty in the hopes that it would keep flowing through you, moving you to do great things as well?

That experience of a beautiful flow that stirs up and inspires… helps me imagine what God’s spirit is like, and what that spirit is capable of.

Last week’s Bread for your journey focused on Jesus’ ascension, when he was breathtakingly lifted into God’s future… that his followers might always know that whatever the future would bring, Jesus would be there to greet them. There would be no moment that wouldn’t be infused with Jesus’ graceful presence.

This week’s Bfyj will tell the next piece of Jesus’ story… and we’ll see what it has to do with our stories. We’ll hear the strange-but-true account of the Holy Spirit whooshing and roaring and speaking intelligibly, being poured out like molten lava and refreshing waters at the same time! In other words, making an impact. Changing the course of history. Initiating a flow of such breathtaking beauty that those filled-to-overflowing couldn’t keep themselves from sharing that spirit, even if they wanted to.

Would you welcome such a flow if it came your way? Is such beauty and power already part of your story? I hope you’ll come and dig deeper with us into these and other questions tomorrow night (Thurs, 7pm) at the Crowne Plaza. Or if that’s not doable, come back here Saturday to join in the conversation again.

A personal note, if you’ll hang with me a minute. Today is my dad’s birthday, his 70th, though when he was 58 he was hit by a car and went ahead into God’s future, like Jesus. In his honor (and because it happens to fit with my theme, go figure), I’ll share here a piece of a hymn that we sang at his funeral, which says so much about Dad and his beautiful, ever-flowing passion for sharing Jesus’ love: (written by Graham Kendrick)

Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory;
blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy;
send forth your Word, Lord, and let there be light!

Peace,
Kari