Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Faith Fixes You

• Mike’s Musings (12/02/05) •

Dear family & friends,

• Life Update: Continuing On . . .

Sometime life seems to jump from one big life event to the next, other times it just goes on. You’re not quite sure where God’s leading you or exactly how He’s going to get you there, yet still somehow time moves on. Since I last wrote, my job has changed. I’m now working for Caribou Coffee as a Team Member instead of at Spee Dee Delivery as a Package Handler. The pay is not as much, but the better work environment and part-time benefits more than makes up for that difference. Being a Package Handler was getting to withdrawn from people and I needed something that was more interactive and involved me working with people and developing skills more in common with my trade. Plus, I’ve always been a big fan of coffee!

Other than that, the plan is still to study Chemical Dependency at Saint Cloud State University for the next year or so and get my Graduate Certificate by the Fall of 2007 at the latest. By that time I should also hopefully be ordained and ready to find a chaplaincy job through which I can get Board Certification.

• Sharing my Journey: Faith Fixes You

Lately I have found myself enjoying a TV series called Firefly. It was on the air less than a season and only had 14 episodes in all, yet somehow a year or so later, came out with a feature film called Serenity. That was where I first stumbled across it. The movie had no big special effects moments or anything else to “attract” the general public, yet when I saw the trailer, I was hooked. Then I saw the movie in the theaters and again, later on when it came out on DVD. A friend, who was also a fan, mentioned there was a TV series and loaned me the DVD’s which he also happened to have. I could go on, but I think you get the idea that I liked this series and it’s movie.

The series and movie take place on Serenity, a Firefly class space ship with a ragamuffin crew whose make up makes no logical sense except maybe to their captain, Malcolm Reynolds. One of my favorite moments in the series is an interaction between River, a fugitive genius/psychic, and Book, a chaplain. River has found Book’s Bible and is attempting to make sense of its seemingly many “contradictions. ” Book calmly asks her what she’s doing and she says, “I’m fixing your Bible. It’s broken.” She then goes on to say how Noah’s ark and various other events recorded there just do not add up scientifically and that she’s trying to change that. Book looks at her and laughs. “River,” says Book, “you don’t fix faith. Faith fixes you.”

How true I have found that in my own journey with God through life. The times I tried to figure Him and life out are usually the times when it all gets so foggy and confused. Conversely, the times I just learn to sit back and live with the flow of how God’s moving in my life, the more sense things seem to make. At least until I muddy them up again by trying to explain it all to myself and others. Like many Christians, there are times when I grab for the latest way to “live for God.” Whether it be the Purpose Driven Life or the Jabez Prayer, I look for some principle to help me make sense of it all. At times I even find myself getting a bit legalistic and saying my way of understanding things is the only way. Yet eventually I always come back to the same realization: the life we live with God, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, isn’t about trying to figure out God or life. It’s about realizing that we can’t and that’s why we need Him. Life wasn’t meant to make sense apart from God. And even with Him, there are still things we need to take on faith. That’s just the way it is.

For poems this month, I thought I’d go with one that represents the simplicity of faith and another that represents the complexity of life. Both are my own and together they illustrate the paradox that is sometimes our lot as Christ-followers.

You Desire?

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved —you and your household.”

-Acts 16:29-31

Just believe and you will be saved.
Yet even the demons believe in Christ and they certainly will not be saved

So what is it that You require?
What is it that you desire?
A heart undivided full of fire?
Will that be enough to inspire?

No, my spirit says, You want more
More than a life filled with good works
More than all the money I can earn
More than my first born son
So much more than I can ever give
And yet the answer is simple

You do not want my heart
You do not want my works
You do not want my family

All you really want is me
All of me



Born Cracked

Born into the world a cracked vessel needing to be filled
The world she offers many things to fill it
Yet I always come back wanting more
Each thing feels right at first
But in time they all turn up lacking

Back in the garden we knew what it was to be filled
Back in the garden we knew what it was to be loved
Back in the garden we knew what it was to be accepted
Dear God why did we ever turn away from You the True Source

Cursed to walk this world abandoned, though we are never alone
You pursue us day and night yet still we run
Unable to turn, unable to be filled
Until by grace You extend the hand
And turn us around in Your Embrace


The cross makes this possible
The blood of Jesus fills our cracked vessel
His Blood seals the crack

In Him we are filled
In Him we are loved
In Him we are accepted

Though I know of His Love for me
Though I have soaked in the blood
Still my vessel leaks

Many are the times I know not filling
Many are the times I know not love
Many are the times I know not acceptance


Why is this the case?
Dear God, extend Your Hand
Dear God, send down Your Grace
Turn me around full in Your Embrace.

A belated Merry Christmas to all and my best wishes to each of you for a great New Year! Thanks for joining me again as I share my life and ministry with you all in this fashion. I hope this newsletter finds you each doing well and enjoying the many blessings of God all around you. He is always there; sometimes you just have to look a little harder.

1 comment:

Roland said...

Mike,

Thanks for the insights on faith. Isn't it interesting that in some way we all try to "fix faith" at times. I am glad to be reminded that faith fixes us!

I would like to see the Firefly series myself. Even more, after seeing what you wrote about it.

God Bless and Keep You.