Author: Wick

This morning during my YMCA workout (where I lifted over 10,000 lbs….woot), I was listening to an old sermon. It was a “Hypothesis of Holiness as Happiness”. The preacher was speaking about how John Wesley often connected the aspect of Holiness with “happiness”.

This is not a “happiness” as often referred to as an excuse for whatever you want found in the Declaration of Independence as our unalienable right to pursue. This is a happiness that goes much deeper. A person who is happy, lives a grateful life. Takes pause often to purposefully “be” grateful for the day passed, or day ahead, or moment we find ourselves in.

I recognize that in reading a ridiculous amount of books, studying for youth lessons coming up this fall, and trying to be husband to my wife, and father of three – I don’t naturally pause and be thankful for all that my life contains, and all my life is heading towards.

So this weekend particularly….even with the busyness of family in town, celebrating my daughters 3rd birthday, dedication of my youngest, enjoying our new senior Pastor being in town, and the Decatur Celebration…….

I will breathe slowly. I will be thankful for the moments. I will be grateful for each smile, each tear dried, each spit up cleaned or diaper changed. I want to live a grateful, and happy life. Not because by “being happy” I somehow attain “holiness”….but because I’ve been reminded that they are very closely related…and desire both in my life.

Thanks to the random mp3 while I worked out. And perhaps also…Jesus. 🙂

“The power of God is not pagan violence, brute power, or vulgar magic; it is the power of powerlessness, the power of the call, the power of protest that rises up from innocent suffering and calls out against it, the power that says NO to unjust suffering, and finally, the power to suffer-with (sym-pathos) innocent suffering, which is perhaps the central Christian symbol.” Caputo – The Weakness of God

Caputo brings up an interesting topic, one that I’ve not given much thought (though I remember it being thought of briefly in college, under the topic of “trying to get a good grade in theology, and not doing well”). The question is this:

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”

I memorized this verse back in high school. But never really gave it much thought. “Grow up in my salvation?” I was saved, wasn’t I? I said the prayer that talked about asking Jesus into my heart. Bible says that covers me, right? Done deal.

Then life/college/post-college hit. Turns out, this salvation and all that God desires/is/is doing is something quite a bit larger than simply “coming into my heart”. Overwhelmingly so. But not overwhelming in the tidal wave of death that’s about to swallow an entire village. Overwhelming in the sense of a tidal wave of new life (that may included death) that’s about to swallow all of creation.

Pretty cool stuff.

There’s also the aspect of craving something like a newborn baby. We’ve all seen them. Even as a student in school I could understand this concept. But to actually be the parent of several newborn babies, who all naturally CRAVE milk. To see as they’ve been unsuccessfully attempted to satisfy by bottles, or pacifiers, etc.

I also pray that I do crave PURE spiritual milk. Not watered down. Not easier to swallow because it’s been processed and rid of certain nutrients. It’s a good craving to practice, and there is plenty of time and spiritual milk out there to be satisfied, and yet continue to crave….