I live in an amazing house.  OK, I’m bragging, but it is amazing in ways that you would not necessarily think about.  Is it the location on a lagoon, near the ocean with broad vistas of hills to the east across a bird sanctuary? perhaps its because its near to town but truly private at the same time. Well yes, it is all of these things, but there is more.

The architect was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.  Now, as you probably know Lloyd Wright was America’s most famous architect and he designed some pretty crazy buildings, I visited a few of them, such as Falling water and Kentuck Knob in Pennsylvania. All his buildings seem to be put together in order to create an enhanced sense of connection between the people living in the house and their surroundings. To do this he used specific architectural devices that work subconsciously on us as we move through the space.

If you approach our house from the street, it looks a little disappointing, there is no obvious front door, there are not many welcoming windows, it feels almost as if you have arrived at the back of the place, not the front, then as you get closer you see the door is to the side, so you turn into the corner towards it.  As you approach, you start to feel, if anything a bit claustrophobic as if you are being squeezed down a tube.  You are, to be honest a little disappointed, you are preparing yourself mentally to enter some sort of hovel.  The low door opens to a narrow entryway with a wall right in front of you.  Your expectations are realized: this is a horrible, tiny little place after all, the walls press in but as you step forward in a stooped posture, a sense of openness to your right makes you turn.

What you see as you lift your head takes your breath away. The light, the space, the broad sweep of the hills across the water, the air, the birdsong all seem to flood in through walls of glass and pull you forward with joy and expectation.  Its as if you have just been born; the dark passage from the womb has delivered you to the light, to the air and to life.  What I have described is just the entry way, but the theme of compression and release is continued throughout the house with lowered ceilings, narrow passageways and open, airy spaces unexpectedly opening up beyond.

Whenever anyone visits us, I always take note of their body language when they arrive, then I watch to see what happens when they step inside.  It works every time.  They stand at the door slightly hunched, but expand visibly into the house when they see the light. 

Of course the architect has designed the house in order to play on these emotions and what’s best about it is that it happens automatically, it just happens.  Every time.

It is as if our architect discovered one of the greatest secrets of life, one expressed in the Psalms, that although weeping may endure for a night, joy comes in the morning. The journey of life may at times grow dark and seem to be leading nowhere, but if we keep on going it will turn out better than we could of imagined. Never give up.

For those of you wanting more of a detailed report of my visit to Lakewood Church today to see Joel Osteen, here you go:

I arrived for the 8:30 am service, when I said I was visiting, the usher asked me if I would like to sit on the main floor.  I thought, “Sure, why not.” So he led me down towards the floor and handed me off to a chain of ushers.  Finally, as we approached the front I mentioned that it was OK, I could sit a few rows back (thinking I wanted to survey the goings on), but he ket going and led me to a seat in the third row. 

They were streaming inspiring upbeat music and video feeds of good times, sunny road trips, couples and families enjoying life, sunsets etc.  The atmosphere was charged with positive vibes, it was like they were pumping oxygen into the space.  Then the band entered and the singing started.  It was emotional, powerful, loud. I was like: “Bring it on”.

Then Joel and Victoria took to the stage together and welcomed everyone, they were literally right in front of me. Next thing I know, they are making their way to their seats and they sit just two seats away from me, I could touch them (if I wanted to lol).

More worship, then Victoria got up and spoke about marriage, it was a solid, plain talk, easy to grasp, with plenty of direct action points that if applied would be sure to make a positive difference in any relationship. Then more worship and those in need of prayer were invited to the front.  Sign me up, I was out there and shared a need for prayer, it was awesome.  I found the prayer time helped me re-orient my thinking and connect to some deep issues.  More worship, then the noise subsided, the lights changed and Joel was there ready to speak.

His message was about the importance of developing the right relationships for this season of your life.  It was part sermon, part motivational message.  It had three clear points, each with a scripture and well chosen, relatable illustration from real life.  He did not read from notes.  He spoke directly to the people, his timing, body language, and phrasing was perfectly tailored to a huge auditorium audience.  he spoke in carefully crafted soundbites that flowed like a conversation, you could pick up his words and run with them easily.  His focus was on real life application of timeless truth for normal average people.  there was something here for everyone, everyone that is, who wanted to get up out of their despair and start to make something of their life with God as their guide.

He closed with a concise summary of the message and a call to invite our friends  to join us at worship next time, then followed with an opportunity for those who wished to commit or re-commit their lives to Christ.

Then, a couple more songs and we filed out.  He invited visitors to meet him at the visitors reception, I wandered up, but got there too late, the “line was already closed” next reception was at 12:000pm.

So here’s the deal for all you wonderful Facebook friends, my conservative friends who are shocked that I went over to the prosperity gospel and my liberal friends who are anxious that I am becoming non inclusive.  You have to take these things at face value.  Could I find things to criticize? Did I approve of everything? Did I appreciate Joel’s hair style?  Yup, pretty much I did approve.  It was clean, positive. Was it over scripted, fake, or impersonal? a little bit, but then it was an arena, this was not your local Bible study, this was stadium style, so in that sense, yes it was appropriate for that.

My take away.  I was encouraged to discount negative situations and relationships, to  see and pursue the positive, to fight for the good, for the best. To embrace the wonder that is God’s plan for my life, my destiny. To appreciate the amazingness of my wife and children and to see and seek the best for them. To be a better friend and neighbor, To rise up and shake the earth with awesomeness!  Yes, I approve this message.  Thank you Joel and Victoria.

Captions for a series of paintings of Cumbria in 1997

Blea Tarn
Let the light caress the water and the darkened hills, so strong around us.


Rydal
Sometimes the rain falls after sun, sometimes darkness follows light and yet for all this...


Grasmere
Above the gleams of light, the rain drenched grass and trees.


Haystacks
This could be the place and here the light could open to us a path.


Skiddaw
There are days when, with dreams only, wings unfold and there in the open sky we meet, 'till all is beautiful.


Ullswater
Nowhere under this open sky, or even on the water's bronze and shiny skin, but here in your eyes, here. Here with you.


Buttermere
Here the air moves the passing vapors in twists around us. Breathing, dancing, and we two are one.


Blencathra
When was the last time we ran like this, or the silver light played in your hair like snow, like rain, like the sun and moon shining?

I found this old poem of mine just now in a notebook and it made me think about the connection between water and words.

The Stream.
6:20pm Tuesday November 10th 1994,
Newlands Valley, Cumbria, UK.


Who's there by the stream?
I can hear them talking, but when I look all I can see are the dark pebbles standing against the light.

Yes, I hear them again, though in turning, those half cought words dissolve back into the dancing waters. Is this the stream speaking? Is there more than a half heard word in the bubbling? Do the rocks have a voice? The yellowing leaves that drift by and spin into what? Into where?

Do all these speak? Who may, How may we hear? That in the listening their speaking may not unheard or unheeded pass into the night.

b

Noah - A true story.

Years ago, we bought a lamp by the artist Jim Shore. You may have seen his work in gift shops. You can instantly recognize his solid folksy style that uses traditional quilting designs superimposed onto figurines. I had the pleasure of meeting Jim some years ago when he and I were both award recipients at the giftware industries' equivalent of the Grammies. Jim is a master storyteller and uses his incredible talent at carving, to delight us with whimsical interpretations of well loved subjects.

The lamp in question was of Noah's Ark.  It was cute as a button, with all the animals and birds clearly having the time of their life, enjoying a cruise ship adventure with Mr. and Mrs. Noah.  She, a solid Mid Western farmers' wife and he a cross between Moses and a character from Duck Dynasty, staff in hand and a twinkle in his eye.

It provided light for many a bedtime story, but all those years it sat there telling its own story without saying a word.

Like all good yarns, especially ones that hold the attention of children, Noah's Ark is about animals, about a family, maybe your family. It is also about bad guys and good guys, danger, opportunity, courage, disaster, urgency, focus, effort, organization and a lot of rain. It is also about rainbows and promises and two by two,(there's also seven by seven but let's not go there just yet.) white doves and olive branches, and of course a boat, there's always a boat right?

The narrative holds us in an impossible intellectual embrace between skepticism and credulity. It really happened. I mean it's just possible? It's in the Bible? So it must be? Anyway, didn't a group of explorers find the remains of the ark stuck in a glacier somewhere in Turkey once? Then there are the voices, sometimes our own, that contend it never happened. There is no proof.

We swing from side to side, sometimes believing sometimes doubting and so are held in tension, wanting to believe but unsure.

So is it true? Did it happen? Well, it's a story. And stories are only told by survivors, the ones who made it, the ones who were on the boat. So we tell it over and over because in some deep way, we know it's important, because we know it's going to happen again.

The rains poured down on the Ark for forty days, just as we were forty weeks in the womb. Think for a moment of all those tiny sperm fighting to get to the egg, they nearly all perished! Millions of them. Only one made it to the egg, finding a safe passage through to the next world and you know who that was. You made it! Against the odds. Children have a special sense for this. It's like they just got off the boat and are wondering around dazed, unsure of how they got here but excited that they did. Now they are looking for a hand to reach out and guide them for the next part of the journey.

Yes, the journey. Where to next? Is it time for the rainbow yet? Yes it is. It's the perfect time for the rainbow, because there is work to be done. There's a farm to run, a family to raise and a life to be lived. The rainbow reminds us to rejoice in our days and to keep going. Because one day there will be another ark waiting and if you've read the story and followed the rainbow you'll be ready, ready when that moment comes, to climb aboard.

So until that day, you can tell this story. Sit down at night and repeat it to your kids, perhaps by the light of an old lamp with Noah, his wife and all the animals listening. But most of all, tell it to yourself, because it's your story and it's the truest story ever told.

I recently read a blog posting by Bob Hayton who mentioned a quote by Karen Armstrong in her book The Case for God (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009), pg. 86. Who in turn quoted from an online etymology tool that pulled from various ancient sources going back to Roman times.

The subject was the etymology of the English word “belief” and how it's meaning has changed over the years, but what interested me most was tracing the word origin back through the Middle English, believen to the German belieben (“to love), liebe (“beloved”), and the Latin libido. I was ok with the idea that to believe was to give your heart to something, but as I pondered this I began to see that the inclusion of the concept of libido, introduced something profoundly organic to what is mostly considered a cerebral activity.

I concluded, to put it bluntly, that there is a sense in which to believe is to have sex with an idea.

As I unpacked this thought it became apparent that what we believe holds a way more powerful hold over us than most of us realize, our beliefs define our spiritual relationship status, for good or bad.

Our actions in turn are the offspring of that union. Jesus put it another way when he said that you know a tree by its fruit. There is no escaping the implications of this for any of us because what we really believe can be traced directly back from our actions.  It is not what we say we believe that we believe, it is what we do that proclaims our beliefs.

We are all spiritually married to one idea or another which is why it is so hard to change our beliefs. Changing our beliefs is like divorce or widowhood. In order to believe something new a relationship needs to change and that can be painful. On the flip side we can be equally seduced and drawn away from the truly good things that shape our character and define us, to ideas that are cheap, short lived and broken, Jesus called that process adultery. An adulteration, a change for the worse.

A true believer is like a lover, faithful, committed, enduring the hard times, celebrating the good and bearing beautiful, abundant fruit for all to enjoy.

As the light of the world hung on the cross, three women stood watching that terrible sunset. Their names were Mary. Who were these women, and what can we learn from them?

All three were relatives of Jesus, his mother, aunt and sister, whatever their blood relations may or may not have been, they were all allegorically related.

In the book of Proverbs wisdom is personified as a woman and constantly referred to in the feminine gender. The famous passage about the wise woman in Proverbs 31 says that the wise advise dispensed by King Lemuel are the words his mother taught him.

The Greeks had a name for Wisdom: Sophia. However, they inherited it from the Egyptians who called her Isis. The Bible calls her Mary. Mary personifies divine wisdom and the story of the three Mary’s at the cross tell us something about wisdom and it’s three stages.  We'll start oddly enough at stage two.

Stage two: Mary the Mother - The House of Wisdom

While on the cross we are told: “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” The first thing we learn here is that wisdom is a mother, she has children, she raises, nurtures and prepares them for life. She looks to the future. In her house and at her prompting water is turned into wine. Ignorance changes to Insight.

In Luke chapter two when Jesus is presented at the Temple we discover something else about this Mary:

“Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

A sword was going to pierce her soul.  She was going to suffer bitterly, her expectations would be dashed, her hopes crushed and her very soul cut to the core.  She was going to discover that the wisdom she nurtured and incarnated was going to be rejected. Ignorance, misunderstanding and incomprehension were going to temporarily appear to destroy her life’s work. Yet through this she would begin to attain true wisdom, the kind that can only emerge from unfavorable circumstances. She herself would have to grow, to mature and to learn to radiate the light, no matter how dark the night against which her faint glimmers would shine.

As she suffered, so she built her house, setting it up with seven pillars (Prov. 9:1), these seven pillars were her life’s work and greatest masterpiece, they mirror the virtues essential for every life.  The seven “I Am” statements of Jesus illustrate these ideas.

1. I Am the Bread of Life
2. I Am the Light of the World
3. I Am the Gate of the Sheep
4. I Am the Good Shepherd
5. I Am the Resurrection and life
6. I Am the Way Truth and Life
7. I Am the True Vine

Each of these statements when put together, re-tell the twenty third Psalm; there is much that could be said about each one, the thrust being that when we dwell in the house of Wisdom, passing through the door that she opens for us, eating her bread, walking in her ways and drinking from her cup we find the comfort, confidence and courage to live fully and harmoniously, even in the face of death and conflict.

Stage Three: Mary the Aunt  - The End of Wisdom

Our biggest clue as to the role of this Mary starts with her relationship status. She was both the sister of the virgin Mary and the wife of Clopas. Clopas or Cleopas as he is called in Luke is one of the disciples who meets Jesus on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection (Luke 24). His questioning of Jesus and finally his recognition of him as he broke bread, speak of his thoughtful and reflective nature. Of a heart hungry for the truth. His name in the Greek means "glory of the Father". Kleos= glory, Patros = Father.  This word Kleos carries with it the idea of reputation, radiance.

The wisdom of Mary the wife of Clopas teaches us that the goal of all wisdom is to glorify the Father, by radiating his light.  Ecclesiastes 7:8 tells us: “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”

This radiance necessarily involves inspiring others and imparting to them as a teacher and mentor, she looks backwards in order to shine a light on the path for others to tread

As we consider the outcome of her faithful life, we receive strength to continue until our lives. like hers radiate the Father’s glory.

Stage One: Mary Magdalene - The Beginning of Wisdom

In a fun twist of Biblical tradition, Mary Magdalene, the younger of the three, who normally would be be first, because she represents the novice or the youthful seeker, is listed last.  But Biblical wisdom unravels as I mentioned earlier, like a code and when there are names, numbers or inverted sequences these are pointers to understanding hidden meanings.

Wisdom is not something we are born with. Proverbs 22:15 reminds us that: “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.” It can only accumulate with experience and education.

In Luke’s Gospel we read that Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary Magdalene.  We are not told what these demons were, but the number of them offers a clue in that they stand opposite the seven pillars of wisdom as pillars of foolishness. She is the sophomore of the group. Sophomore meaning a blend of foolishness and wisdom: Sophia= wisdom, Moro = foolishness. Mary Magdalene and her story remind us that however ignoble or unfortunate our beginnings, the process of learning from our mistakes leads us towards maturity.  

I mentioned previously that Mary Magdalene could be seen an a sister to Jesus, well, Proverbs 7:4: gives us an insight: "Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and to insight, "You are my relative.”  All wisdom is related to Christ who is the Light of the World.

At the resurrection she is the one to first encounter the risen Christ, She was the seeker, who did not rest until she found what she was looking for. Youthful and once foolish, she pursued her love and found him. Reminding us of the passage in Song of Solomon 3:4, When I found him whom my soul loves; I held on to him and would not let him go until I had brought him to my mother’s house, and into the room of her who conceived me.”

With this idea the story comes full circle. The last is first. Having found wisdom through loving persistence, Magdalene moves organically to the next phase, bringing us to the Mother's house. From there she will go on to shine brightly until all generations call her blessed.

She joined the family.

Jesus invited John into Mary’s household too. We are all invited.  Will you come? Will you come to Mary's house?

It wasn’t long after the planes hit the twin towers that Americans everywhere and those who supported them turned to something for strength.  Some turned to fear, others to vengeance. Many turned to their religion, but nearly all turned to the flag.  In those dark hours, and at other times of uncertainty in history the flag has been a rallying point for national morale. It’s a powerful symbol, but why?

If we trace civilization back to some of its earliest roots, we arrive at the Predynastic period in Ancient Egypt, around 3100-3000 BCE.  This was when the Egyptian language was first recorded in hieroglyphs. These hieroglyphic words, translate as: “Hiero”=God, “Glyph”= word (God’s Word)  and they birthed a culture that would come to shape nearly all the religious, cultural and business expressions we encounter today.

When they wrote the hieroglyph for God they depicted a staff or banner, wrapped in or waving cloth, there are three common versions of the same word, one of which will be instantly recognizable to golf players. Some scholars have connected the cloth wrapping with the work of the embalmer and the Tanis papyrus translates this hieroglyph to mean “he is buried.”2 In some obscure way, the wrappings around the staff or fluttering from it referenced grave clothes and depending on which hieroglyph you choose, it reminds us of a mummy. All good, but how does this translate to “God”?

Well, The Bible also refers to God as a flag, a banner, Exodus 17:15. In this passage, Israel was being mercilessly attacked by the Amalekites, so Moses mobilized the troops under the leadership of Joshua and then walked to the top of the nearest hill and held his staff up above him.  As long as he was able to keep the staff lifted up, Joshua prevailed, when it drooped, the enemy grew stronger. Eventually Aaron and Hur came to help by holding up Moses’ hands until sunset.  As a result Joshua overwhelmed the armies of Amalek and won the day. Moses marked the occasion by building an altar and called it YHWH Nissi which meant “the Lord is my banner”.

The banner was like a symbolic mummy and as such represented the invisible God, or as we say today, “Our Father who art in heaven”.  The fathers were dead, but the lived symbolically in the flag.  When Moses flew the flag he was invoking the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the one who called them, the sovereign God.  He was speaking their name and under that banner they were one people, past, present and future.

Imagine an ancient battle where the terrified troops gather beneath their flag. It hangs flaccidly in the stillness and the disconsolate army grows restless with fear and self doubt, but then a small gust stirs the flag and it begins to move.  As the wind animates it, something rises within them, a new power, a new confidence.  They’re here! Their people! Flying in from the heavens, their forefathers, their loved ones are taking up residence in the flag and causing it to fly in the breeze.  They have come to give their strength, this great cloud of witnesses, to cheer and encourage. It's a popular movie theme. A child is playing basketball for her school team, but they are loosing, why? because she, who is usually the ace is depressed, since her mom and dad have not shown up to watch.  But then some movement high up in the bleachers catches her eye. Its them! They made it! That was all she needed to fire up her game.  Next thing you know she’s outwitting the defense, and winning the day.

This plays out for us today on many levels. The flag was not just a symbol, it was a name. God. You may not be breaking out the flags today, but we can all use that name. Say it, shout it, shake it until the wind comes to fill it.  Call upon Him in the day of trouble, he will not leave you or forsake you. All His power, all His people are here for you. They may be invisible, they may already be in heaven, but they live in that name and that name is God’s gift to you and you should use it, because you are not alone, neither are you weak, or forgotten or defeated, because the Name is with you.

When the flags came out after 9/11, we were calling on our ancestors, distraught, heartbroken, weak, we needed their healing presence.  We needed more than we had and the flag supplied it. The bandages fluttering in the wind healed and restored. The Name was with us, God was manifest. Now, on Memorial Day as we remember those who have gone before, take a look at the flag, because they are there, cheering us on, all of them and because of them and because of the Name you can keep going, you can bring it home.


1 & 2. Erik Hornung, Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt. Cornell 1981 (34-35).