Midweek Encouragement: "What Will Matter" (Michael Josephson)

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.

Midweek Meditation: "The Perfect Church" (Mavis Williams)

The Perfect Church

If you should find the perfect church
Without one fault or smear,
For goodness sake! Don't join that church;
You'd spoil the atmosphere. 

If you should find the perfect church
Where all anxieties cease
Then pass it by, lest joining it
You'd mar the masterpiece. 

If you should find the perfect church
Then don't you ever dare,
To tread upon such holy ground;
You'd be a misfit there. 

But since no perfect church exists
Made of imperfect men,
Then let's cease looking for that church
And love the church we're in. 

Of course, it's not a perfect church,
That's simple to discern
But you and I and all of us
Could cause the tide to turn. 

What fools we are to flee our post
In that unfruitful search
To find at last where problems loom
God proudly builds His church. 

So let's keep working in our church
Until the resurrection.
And then we each will join that church
Without an imperfection.

--Mavis Williams

BookPastor >> "Thumbprint in the Sand" (Luci Shaw)

This review was first published on March 18th, 2016 at Panorama of a Book Saint.

conrade

---

TITLE: Thumbprint in the Clay: Divine Marks of Beauty, Order and Grace
AUTHOR: Luci Shaw
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2016, (205 pages).

Luci Shaw is a gift to the literary world. Not only is she a master with words, she has a keen eye to observe ordinary things and to let them bounce off reflections of life. She reflects on the coffee mug and how it is used as a symbol of family and hospitality. From within the small world of the coffee cup, she zooms out to the big wide world, anchoring her thoughts from 36000 feet in the airplane and looking at the world God had created. Meandering through "God's graphics," she leaves through photographs, observations, histories, past civilizations, and lands back to earth, having caught a glimpse from God's perspective. From the Pacific Northwest, she is reminded of God's creation and natural wonder, appreciating people, acknowledging beauty, and admiring rocks! Her silent retreat at the monastery is probably one of her secrets in training her powers of observation. More importantly, it speaks of her innermost desire to be closer to God. Here, Shaw's theological engine kicks in. She integrates philosophy with spirituality. She activates the words of her literary friends like Annie Dillard, Madeleine L'Engle, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Eugene Peterson. She includes one of her favourite art journals, Image, and reflects on them equally well, showing us that one does not need to be physically present at any particular place to learn to appreciate natural beauty. For it is not the actual place alone that can trigger one's sense of wonder. It is the admiring heart that paints the world with colour. From theology, we come back to Shaw's TV set. She connects the TV programs with one's sense of identity. From DNA to thumbprints, forensic analysis to police investigations, we are reminded of a world larger than mere crime triggered investigations. Shaw links the physics of the world with the creation of life. Moving in and out from the world of words to the real world, and back again, it can be a challenge to try to capture and to predict where Shaw is going next. My advice: Don't bother. Just enjoy. If you can pace with her, by all means do so. Better to pace it at your own speed. This is not about getting the most out of this book. It is about allowing the best of us to appreciate the best of God's world, seen through the eyes of Shaw.

Midweek Meditation: "I Am a Christian"

When I say that ‘I am a Christian’, I am not shouting that I am clean living.
           I’m whispering ‘I was lost, but now I’m found and forgiven.’

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I don’t speak of this with pride.
           I’m confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I’m not trying to be strong.
           I’m professing that I’m weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I’m not bragging of success.
           I’m admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I’m not claiming to be perfect.
           My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I still feel the sting of pain.
           I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’ I’m not holier than thou,
           I’m just a simple sinner who received God’s good grace, somehow!

(Adapted from Carol Wimmer)

Think of Others (Mahmoud Darwish)

Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet who had won numerous literary awards for this writings.

Mahmoud Darwish (1942-2008)

THINK OF OTHERS
As you prepare your breakfast, think of others.
           Don’t forget to feed the pigeons.

As you conduct your wars, think of others.
           Don’t forget those who want peace.

As you pay your water bill, think of others.
           Think of those who only have clouds to drink from.

As you go home, your own home, think of others
           Don’t forget those who live in tents.

As you sleep and count the planets, think of others
           There are people who have no place to sleep.

As you liberate yourself with metaphors think of others
           Those who have lost their right to speak.

And as you think of distant others
           Think of yourself and say
“I wish I were a candle in the darkness.”

Midweek Meditation: "Letter From a Friend" (Margaret Fishback Powers)

Margaret Fishback Powers is a Canadian author, most well known for her poem, "Footprints." This poem is taken from her book that traces the story of that world famous poem.

conrade

---

LETTER FROM A FRIEND

I am writing to say how much I care
  for you and how much I want you
to know me better.

When you awoke this morning
          I exploded
           a brilliant sunrise
            through your window
trying to get your attention.

You rushed off.
  Later I saw you walking and talking
   with some friends.  I bathed you in
    warm sunshine.  I perfumed the air
          with nature's sweet scent.
     You rushed off.
     You didn't notice me. 

Then I shouted to you in a tornado.
  I painted you a beautiful rainbow
  in the sky.  Then you gave me a glance.
     Still you rushed off. 

That evening I spilled moonbeams
  in your face.  I sent a cool breeze
     to rest you and take away your fear.
     I watched over you as you slept.
          I shared your thoughts.
           You were faintly aware
            I was so near.
             I've chosen you.

I have a special task for you.  I hope you will
talk to me soon.  Only I brought you through
the storm.  Others saw no morn.
     I remain near.
     I am your friend.
     I love you very much.

          Your friend,
               Jesus

Midweek Meditation: "Leave It There"