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November 13, 2008

Comments

anns

a glimps that comes to mind.

i heard this once, i knew it was being spoken over every son and daughter.

God is great in you.
Heaven touches earth here.
This is the touchdown place of the Kingdom.
You are the touchdown place of the Kingdom.

brad

Thoughts you've triggered:

The Big Lie: Not merely that I must be great or famous or big, but that it's about me to begin with. So your move from who am I? to who are you? really provides a corrective at the foundation of our self-centeredness ... and then the aspect of serving community serves further to take me out of my Self. Identity crises seem to be all about ego, which is to say, a life that revolves around 'I'. This is the most radical aspect of Jesus' teaching, I think -- that life doesn't revolve around 'I', as if God and the world and the community ought to orbit me. Moving from serving my ego through the praises of God and his people, to coming under as servant of all: is there any greater conversion possible? It's like you'd need to die or something.

Also, you mentioned about serving out of performance (or living from the wrong tree - self) as actually producing less fruit. I think I would agree and go even further. According to hermit Father Gregory (of Gibsons), such service is an extension of the curse of Adam and it continues to defile the earth. I.e. the fruit is not just 'less' - it is poisonous! Thus, the size of one's impact says very little about whether the fruit is good or not. Big impact may not imply good fruit, success or worth at all -- it could simply indicate the breadth to which we are extending a curse!

Serving versus lording ... a good test of whether MY ministry is about God and his community or just another way to feed my ego's bottomless pit. I would point out that this doesn't only include the self-aggrandizement of the ego-maniac. More commonly, it is about self-comforting our wounds of inadequacy and smallness. The question, 'Do I matter' DOES matter, but it is NOT answered by our elusive 'destiny' ... It is answered by a Father who whispers, 'Son,' or 'Daughter' to a hearing heart.

de

Freak me out!
I've been fumbling toward rest for a while now, and these things you're talking about in particular have been rattling my cage more than usual these last 72 hours.
I'm glad you've shared this part of your journey here, there's an echo happening and I'm blessed to have confirmation that I’m hearing His voice.

Bless you,
Deb

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