Thursday, September 16, 2004

...that I may know Him

“There have been men before now who got so interested in proving the existence of God that they came to care nothing for God himself … as if the good Lord had nothing to do but exist! There have been some who were so occupied in spreading Christianity that they never gave a thought to Christ. Man! Ye see it in smaller matters. Did ye never know a lover of books that with all his first editions and signed copies had lost the power to read them? Or an organizer of charities that had lost all love for the poor? It is the subtlest of all the snares.”

Having just returned from a staff retreat, this section of The Great Divorce from C.S. Lewis hit me hard. I came back from the retreat thinking about church environments, church systems, church processes, and church organizations which are all good. But Jesus said to me through C.S. Lewis, “Tommy, in all of the talk of process, which is necessary, don’t forget Me!”

Sometimes in the logic and analysis, I miss the forest for the trees.

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] Link

By the way - the staff retreat was good for us (the staff of BPF) and for our church. We accomplished some good stuff, and had fun playing together. To read more about it ... see what Ronnie has to say here --->Link

1 comment:

Phillip Hintze said...

I sometimes get so wrapped up in the technicalities of playing in the praise band that I forget to worship. God has used some pretty cool things to snap my attention back to Him.

Pardon me for stating the obvious, but C.S. Lewis was a pretty smart guy.