Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Elementary My Dear Watson


We know that line from Sherlock Holmes as he once again effortlessly cuts through what seems to be utterly impossible to understand by any normal person to his side kick, Watson. Elementary!
In seeing but the basic principles of the doctrine of Christ, things redundantly played before our eyes like flash cards is it any wonder we have seen much ado about “churchianity” and very little to do with God visibly being seen in His church, us flesh and blood people?

Let’s look at what our brother Paul lays down as a divine challenge or as I like to say, “provoking us unto love and good works.’
“So come on, let's leave the preschool finger painting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!”

I had to laugh listening to the last pod cast “
learning To Fly” from the God Journey where Wayne and Brad were engrossed in a conversation revolving around Amy (one of) Wayne and Sara’s grand children that Wayne was teaching to fly, using a very sophisticated soft ware flight simulator program.


As long as Wayne did everything for Amy she might have the flying principles and doctrine down pat, but in not being permitted to slowly take control of “the controls” she will not become air borne except possibly in her imagination.

As Wayne shared this story he slowly gave Amy much more latitude to venture out on her own, Wayne of course being right there with Amy on his lap prepared to augment any needed course adjustments, but as her inner confidence began to soar, she and Grandpa discovered that flying wasn’t just for the birds!
I am always attracted to anything pretty much dealing with flying as my earthly dad was a bush pilot, aircraft engineer and one who made flying look so elementary. I still remember in a flight I took with him that glorious day he relinquished the controls to me, and I was flying that plane.
For interest sake, I was eleven months old when I first flew with my dad…oh God how I miss him.

Our rehearsed theory, of conceptual principles of what it means to be air born, soaring in the heavens will at best keep us earth bound, without hearing and seeing modeled before us someone like Wayne toward Amy with a tenacious confidence in His life in us, to live out what they see as being so elementary.

Rich

High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sun ward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.


2 comments:

Mike said...

Again, very rich thoughts.

I was recently pondering these very elementary school principles of Christianity. It reminded me of this passage

To these [complaining Jews the Lord] had said, This is the true rest [the way to true comfort and happiness] that you shall give to the weary, and, This is the [true] refreshing--yet they would not listen [to His teaching]. Therefore the word of the Lord will be to them [merely monotonous repeatings of]: precept upon precept, precept upon precept, rule upon rule, rule upon rule; here a little, there a little--that they may go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and taken. (Isaiah 28:12-13 AMP)

Rule on rule, rule on rule, do and Do, do and do - is what the NIV says. All elemantry school stuff. Jesus wants to grow us from restraing to freedom. From being under authority to being under the influence (His I mean). But we want the stuff of death instead of the stuff of life. We want rules instead of Jesus. Flesh loves that crap.

I love Galatians though, it puts is all in perspective, and reveals God's purpose, just like the passage from Isaiah that I quoted above...

So that the law has been our tutor up to Christ, that we might be justified on the principle of faith. But, faith having come, we are no longer under a tutor; for ye are all God's sons by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:24-26 Darby)

Amen for the Law, without it none of us would be hung and see our need for Jesus. Then we can sit on His lap as you describe and begin the process of truly learning to fly (soar with the eagles...)

Shalom
Mike

Rich said...

Mike,

Thanks for taking the time to drop by and comment, loved what you had to share.

I love the divine (in my opinion) dynamic tensions life is filled with, for e.g. truth encompasses both what is perceived as the negitive as well as the positive, in order to see, sorta like those two factors needed in wiring for us to see via the "lights" being turned on.

Also closer to home this one really tickles my funny bone, "For the LAW of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has freed us from the LAw of sin and death. Wow, how cool is that?!

Elementary I say dear Watson :)