The Life You've Always Wanted

Moses face shone and then its radiance, its glory faded (2 Corinthians 3:7 - 13).

'The Life You've Always Wanted' is the title of our current bible study and is based on the book by John Ortberg of the same title. In the book, we are encouraged to pursue spiritual disciplines in order to reach 'The Life We've Always Wanted.'

Here is a slightly different take on the THE LIFE YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED.

The story arc of Moses' life was one of the most extraordinary in all human history. Born a slave, adopted by a king, fought for freedom and justice, driven into exile, conversed with God, advanced a revolution, led a nation out of slavery into freedom, and after much struggle died just before his people reached their new home, Israel. Moses led an extraordinary life.

Of course, there are extraordinary people today leading extraordinary lives. There are modern Moses's fighting for freedom, leading nations out of captivity, and conversing with God. However, most of mankind leads ordinary lives. We don't climb mountains to speak with God; we remain at the camp in the valley. We don't shape the fate of nations; we are the ordinary citizens whose fates are shaped by nations. We are born, go to school, perhaps to college, get a job, get married, start a family, grow old, and live out our days. And these ordinary lives, led by ordinary people need not be lives of quiet desperation. These lives can be and often are very good and pleasant lives, productive and fulfilling.

Ordinary lives need not be bland, mediocre and bereft of glory. There are glories held in common by the Moses's and the masses. The same sun that rose and set gloriously for Moses rises and sets for us. The same God that spoke to Moses through the burning bush and on the summit of Sinai speaks to us. Our lives may not have the effects on human history that Moses' did, but we share the same day to day glories.

We share not only the glory but its fading as well. After Moses spoke with God, his face shone and then faded. Fading is the nature of all life in this world. The glory always fades. Today is January 26th which means I have been alive for 17, 654 days (see www.dayofbirth.co.uk). That is also the number of times the sun has risen and set. The sun sets with the same glory it did 17,654 days ago, but I am sure my glory, my light has faded. I spend my days around lots of little, little children (preschool - 5th grade). Trust me, in comparison to them, my glory has faded. 17, 654 days ago (give or take) I was one of them. But I am not one of them anymore. I have faded and I am fading still.

The fading can be slowed. We can refresh the glory as Moses did. Whenever Moses spoke with God, the glory returned. The same can be for us too. But we do not have to climb a mountain or wander as desert as Moses did because God is with us always (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is Emmanuel which means God with us (Matthew 1:23). God is within us. Jesus himself said, "The Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). We are temple for God's spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). The fountain to refresh God's glory is within us...and also it is outside of us.

The Words of the Bible that exist outside of us are another source of glory to refresh us. The Waters of Holy Baptism that exist outside of us supply us and refresh us. The Bread and the Body, the Wine and the Blood that exist outside of us feed us and refresh us. And all of these external glories (the WORD, the WATER, and the BREAD and WINE) that exist outside of us, God calls us to internalize. The WORD is to dwell in us (Colossians 3:16). The WATER is to cleanse us (Ephsians 4:26), and the BREAD and WINE we are to eat and drink so that we never again hunger or thirst (John 6:35). The sources that refresh glory are both within us and outside of us (waiting to be taken in).

These sources of glory can refresh us and slow the fading, but to reverse it is another matter. To restore the glory of God permenently requires transformation. This transformation is the resurrection to life. Moses gives us a glimpse of this in the Gospels, appearing alive and 'in glorious spelendor' to the Jesus and his disciples on the mountaintop (Luke 9:30 - 31). We shall all be raised, raised to glorious splendor, raised to a glory that no longer fades.

A GLORY THAT NO LONGER FADES: THIS IS THE LIFE WE HAVE ALWAYS WANTED. This is the longing we feel that no words can express. This is the emptiness that nothing can seem to fill. This is the home we never lived in but always missed. This is what has been driving us onward. This is the music just beyond hearning that sounds so familiar. THIS IS THE LIFE WE HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO LIVE.

Every Day Is New Year's Day

Every day is New Year's Day (Carolyn Arends from the CD 'Feel Free')

There is nothing different about New Year's Day.  January 1, 2009 is, in any objective sense, the same as every other twenty-four hour period.  It is one midnight, one dawn, one noon, one sunset.  At the next midnight, another identical cycle will begin.  The twenty-four hours we designate 'January 1, 2009' are simply another day, another rotation of the earth on its axis, and 1/365th of a revolution around the sun.  No special planetary alignment, no astrological or astronomical event: the designation of any day as the beginning of a New Year is entirely arbitrary.  We made it up.

The fact that we made up which day is New Year's Day means that any day could be New Year's Day.  The modern calendar begins the New Year on January 1, but there are (of course) other ways of counting the years.  The Chinese New Year will begin on February 9, 2009 (the year of the rat).  The next Jewish New Year will begin on September 18, 2009.  The Christian church began the New Year with the first Sunday of Advent (November 30, 2008).   Companies large and small often choose to have a fiscal year, beginning their corporate year in June, for example.  The point is that any day can be New Year's Day and if any day can be New Year's Day, then every day can be New Year's Day.   It's up to you to make every day your New Year's Day.

For my New Year's day, rather than making the usual set of resolutions (lose weight, exercise more, less TV - more reading, etc.), I think this year I will follow the advice of Carolyn Arends (whose song I quoted above) and make one resolution.  My one resolution is to make every day New Year's Day.   

Arends writes 

This will be my resolution: every day is New Year's day.  

This could start a revolution.  Every day is...   

One more chance to start all over 

One more chance to change and grow 
One more chance to grab a hold of grace 
And never let it go

In 2009, I resolve to make every day as New Year's Day;

I hope that you do the same; and 

I pray that God gives us all the strength to keep this resolution.

Peace