Tag: new creation

Posted in Different Thoughts, Uncategorized

If I were a Christian rock star.

Posted on by Wick

There are times when studying for a message that will be praught in the future, a friend of mine will say “Well, that’s only if you think words mean something.”  Sometimes in jest, and sometimes critically asking an important question about the meaning of a text.  Recently I had an experience that really made me want to say something…but I wasn’t the person on stage with a microphone, and I’d probably sound stupid….so I figured this was a better place for me to sound stupid.

We caught a bit of a “Building 429” concert at the local Decatur Celebration, and I recognized a song they were playing as one I must have heard while scanning radio stations recently.  The song is titled “Where I Belong”, and brought up many of the issues I talked about in my recent post about a song I’ve written/recorded.

The lyrics of the chorus being chanted by everyone in crowd go:all-i-know-is-i-m-not-home-yet-this-is-not-where-i-belong
“All I know is I’m not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong”

I understand the encouragement these words can bring.  To so many of us living in pain, debt, struggling with a broken world, etc…being reminded that this is not what God intends for us is a great thing.  I’m hoping many of the people in the crowd would recognize, if asked, that God’s desire is not that we would get out of this world…but rather join in carrying His image INto this world.

More like:
“All I know is He’s not done yet
This is not how the world belongs
Lord, Take all I am to give them Jesus
Because this is not how the world belongs”

It’d be easy to hear the song, and figure it doesn’t much matter.  After all, these are just simple side issues.  The main concern is Christ.  That’s true, but did you ever live in a college dorm?  I remember doing some pretty silly things during those years, especially in regard to how we lived in our temporary housing.  I remember duct taping the drains in the shower, and putting a wooden door (lined with trashbags and duct tape) in it’s entry-way so that with all the showers turned on hot – the small “group shower” room turned into a giant hot tub.  There were plenty of things we did, that only happened because we weren’t concerned for what happened to Chapman Hall after we moved out.

But now I live in a house, that we’re continuing to make our home.  It actually turns 100 years old next year.  I’m not OCD about getting nicks and dents in walls….but I would never flood a room just to pretend it’s a hot tub.  🙂  So much of what the follower of Christ is transformed for the sake of – involves living out a transformed God-bearing life into a creation that actually IS intended to be our home.  We believe that God put great care into creating this world, and placing us in it to be His image-bearers.  I love this world.  I’m making myself at home here, and look forward to what it will look like when made new/swallowed up by God’s presence completely.

So when another follower of Jesus looks at me and smiles, shouting “I can’t wait to leave this place!!”….I try to hear them saying “I can’t wait for Jesus to make all things new!”

I know we have the same desire…right?

Posted in Uncategorized

behind the music.

Posted on by Wick

Usually you hear a great song, and it makes you want to learn the background of it.  Here’s an opportunity to do exactly the opposite.  I want to tell you a little about a song that may be coming your way (already recorded….currently being mixed/mastered!).  It’s one that I wrote earlier this year, about the adoption process we found ourselves in.

The preliminary title I’ve given the song is “Bring You Where I Am”.  It’s an obvious title, that speaks to the heart of the issue: we can’t wait to bring our daughter home.  But, as the song fleshes out, it also connects what we’re experiencing to the heart of God.  This is an area I wanted to say a few words on briefly, before the song becomes an international hit. 🙂

micI believe God’s heart/desire is to “bring us where He is”.  That being said, the emphasis here is not so much on “location” as it is “presence”.  Over the past several years, many of us have begun realizing the fictional futures of “Left Behind” were not actually talked about in the Bible.  We believe God intends to bring His Kingdom fully here, bringing together Heaven & Earth in a completed New Creation.  Still others remain convinced God’s desire is to whisk us away into a far off “Heaven” in the clouds.  Whatever side or middle we land on…we can agree on one thing for sure: The focus is on the presence of God.

That’s the heart of the song.  Not to whisk away a child from the middle of Africa, to our midwestern hometown.  But to bring a child into our home, giving her the loving presence of a mother and father and family/friends who care for her.  Whether we lived in IL, CA, Mexico, Italy, or moved right next door in Africa itself.  It’s about bringing her to be where we are.

Imagine a bowl full of water, floating on the ocean.  Waves come, and rock the bowl back and forth.  But the bowl is not completely filled, and so remains on the surface.  Water might splash in or out of the bowl a bit with choppy waters, but still the bowl remains afloat, riding the waters of the vast ocean.  Until finally, it happens.  The amount of water in the bowl is so great, the bowl is completely overtaken and submerged into the sea.  As the bowl sinks slowly to the bottom, it’s become completely filled as never before, by the presence of ocean-waters.

Would you say the water from the bowl was taken out of the bowl?

No.  You would say the bowl and all of the water within has been swallowed up by the ocean.

So also will all things be swallowed up in God.   (2 Corinthians 5:4)

It’s about singing the song, and a heart that is breaking to somehow have her hear us singing it.  That she would know our heart, and be transformed by the Hope she has for tomorrow.  That God’s heart is breaking for a humanity He longs to listen to His voice as He sings those same words to us.  That we would know His heart, and live transformed by the Hope we have for tomorrow….today.

I really hope you can hear the song…both mine that might cost you 99 cents and help support our adoption.  But even more so, His…that might cost you quite a bit more, but “it’s worth it” is even too cheapening a phrase to use here.  Take time to listen…

(and if you could take a moment to spread the word about about both songs…..share a link to this post…thanks so much!!!)