ice sculpting…

I was watching the travel channel the other day, and it had that lady who gets to travel all over the place, and tell us how neat it all is. I envy her sometimes. They should do the same show, with my wife and I carting our kids everywhere…THAT is a show parents would watch. We’d give tips, etc…on where/how to travel. It’d rock.

Anyways, she was watching a man sculpt intricate designs out of a giant block of ice. It was really neat to watch, and you could tell the man was an artist of sorts, with solid talent. Unfortunately, he was carving ice. On a cruise ship. In the Caribbean. It was doomed from the start.

I think that’s very much why my previous post could be an important topic to so many of us. There is a large section of the church today who, if they were honest, would confess to feeling like the work they’re doing (or would be doing) in this world is very much like carving a sculpture out of ice. Sure, we could put great energy/care into things, and add artistic touches, etc. But why? It’s just going to melt anyways.

But to actually realize that throughout the New Testament, God is continually speaking of the New Creation as being VERY MUCH connected to this current one, wow. To understand, and live out the belief that somehow, the work that I’m doing for the Kingdom today, the expressions of worship (art, music, relationships, acts of mercy, love, grace, etc.) will actually be present somehow in the New Creation, WOW. We are NOT simply carving amazing images out of a giant block of ice that is melting even as we work. We are building, enriching, bringing about, contributing to, and being used in ways indescribable; as God works, and will work, to make all things new. Check out 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 to read more about involving ourselves in things that will last into the Kingdom.

These things…this life around us, etc. This will not all be crumpled up into a ball and thrown out, as God brings in a completely new “thing”. (Revelation 21:5 – I am making all things new! Not – I am making all new things..) Rather, all that we see and experience, and create…will be made new itself, as God pours out Himself completely on all of creation, and completes the work He began in Christ. That same work we find ourselves called to become a part of.