Musings with PWC

        When I pastored, I tried, unsuccessfully, to change people’s thinking.  When I prayed for the “churches” in our city, I would try to remember—there is ONE church in our city that meets in various congregations!   Upon what did I base this?   1.          Jesus’ prayer:   John 17: 22 -23 (NIV)  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me . 2.         The essence of the entire scripture.  There were not various groups, fighting, ignoring each other, but there was the people of God.  1 Peter 2:10  (NIV)   Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ...

Why do you keep doing, working, building, fixing? I know, you are a doer! You have that reputation. Call him (her), and he (she) will ‘get it done!’ Your busyness is your self-declared mantle. It is a mantle, ultimately a mantle of pride. It is not a mantle I have placed on you. I don’t need a doer so much as a dweller. Remember my word: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Ps 92:1 NIV) What if your doing grew out of your dwelling? What if you dwelt long enough and deeply enough that your doing flowed out of your dwelling? To dwell, to sit, to remain, to abide—this is what I call you to. What do I need you to do there? I call this Divine Nothingness. That is difficult for you, because you’ve lost your ability to do seemingly nothing in your life. I call this Divine Nothingness because there is a  Divine Language Divine Activity Divine Formation Divine Direction  That exists in Divine Nothingness. ...

Bach quite frequently used the following inscription at the end of his compositions:   SDG. You can see Bach's signature and the SDG in the image.        He wrote his musical pieces—“to the Glory of God alone.”  This is interesting as it does something quite extraordinary for us.   It seems to disallow this business we have of that which is ‘sacred’ and that which is ‘ordinary.’   Case in point.  I was raised to honour the Sabbath and keep it holy.  This simply meant no playing sports (for example) on Sunday.  Why?  Because “Sunday” was the new “Sabbath.”  And, honouring means a clear distinction of ‘sacred or holy’ compared to ‘ordinary.   What then are we supposed to do?  We act “in Christ”. It is like everything we do is sacred and spiritual because we are in Christ.  Everything is SDG!  We are living life "in Christ,"  as "we embrace a...

Some mystics would use the term self-love. Being infatuated with yourself and thinking too much of yourself. It is processing life and all situations through your own lens. Think nothing of yourself, and that act of forgetting yourself, and NOT thinking of yourself, will be filled with God and God’s love and presence. The act of forgetting about yourself is of great importance on your journey. “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: HarperOne, 2001), 109.) Think of this: every thought of not thinking about yourself creates space for God. Every action of not prioritizing yourself creates space for God. As you practice this, you will create more and more room for God. Then, what you craved before will be received. What I mean is this. Self-love finds its roots in personal happiness, fulfillment, and peace. However, self-love cannot achieve those things. They are achieved through total surr...

Why do you trust in yourself? You trust in your own abilities. You believe you can accomplish things for My kingdom by your own efforts. You even believe you are a good “repenter.” You trust your ability to repent. You trust your ability to weep. You trust your ability to look after your own soul. You trust your thinking and belief. You even trust your own self-effacement. Most of that is rooted in pride. They are rooted in your own abilities. They are not rooted in grace. They are not rooted in me. You are too often like the prodigal returning from the pigpen with these ‘offers.’ He has worked this all out. He was going to work his way back into good favour with his father. Luke 15:17-20 (NIV ) “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; ma...

Psalms 42:7 (ESV) 7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. I bless you, my child, with deepness. It is within the deepness of your interior that I dwell. It is within the deepness of your spirit that I dwell. It is there I speak. It is there we communicate. I bless you with knowing deepness. I bless you with sensing deeply. I bless you with feeling deeply. I bless you with seeing deeply. There is so much shallowness in your culture. So much shallowness in your life. But today, deep is calling unto deep. Do you hear Me? Do you sense Me? Deep is calling unto deep.