Words Living When Embodied

David includes a meditation in one of his psalms asking for all that came from his mouth and heart to be sincere as he says, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, Lord, my rock and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).

At Horizons we encourage each other to speak plainly, be authentic, and don't try to be someone you're not.  Don't put on a show, and simply do what God is leading you to do--nothing more, nothing less.

But sometimes it's not that easy.  Sometimes we're challenged to let our words, our actions, and our singing voices be more a reflection of the future than of the present.  If we only allowed ourselves to be where we already are, we won't grow.  C.S. Lewis coined this notion in the phrase "fake it 'til you make it" (Mere Christianity), emphasizing the placement of our hearts in the future of our faith and belief we desire until Jesus completes this as reality within us.

Within this then, we see a contradiction of our Christian lives.  How much do we live authentically and how much do we live ideally?  Both have value and merit.

But this weekend as Sarah and I witnessed the joining of Chris and Lenore Berger in marriage on the grassy lawn of Country Bible Church in Bennett, I watched as words and actions, futures and realities all lined up for a moment.  At least for a moment there was holy resolution.

As Chris and Lenore signified their new unity by pouring sands into a single jar, Jamie Brown, friend to the couple and Horizons' lead worship pastor, let out words from Gungor (the band) about how Jesus makes things new, makes beautiful things out of us, out of dust.

In that span of time I saw a man with his own life, his own pain, his own past embodying the words of truth we each desire to be true in our own lives as he breathed out words for us to hear.  Those words became true because his life is true.  And not only that, but he sang those words to a couple who in the midst of their most beautiful moment of being made into something new recognized that they too came from dust and broken things.  They too were living into a truth because they were embodying it.

Ultimately, we're not always in control of when we can embody the truths we seek to live into.  But we can at least be honest about what we hope to see Jesus do in our lives and look for the moments when what He is doing lines up perfectly with what we are hoping.  They are sweet moments!


More to come!

Jason <><