An Easter Analogy
This is the first Easter that I've not been to church.
But, I have a good excuse- a son, who is only a week old isn't really ready for close quarters with a few hundred other people (all carrying germs that he's not been exposed to yet). We'll probably head back to Bethany in another couple weeks, but for now, we're celebrating Christ's resurrection from home. And I think I've figured out a cool way to do it, too.
I was thinking about the analogy of marriage and how it relates to Christ and His Bride (the church) the other day. The Church "gives birth" to all sorts of new things. New Christ-followers, new ministries, new art, new ways to help the oppressed and downtrodden. And Christ supplies everything for the Church so that she can be effective in creating (birthing) these new realities.
In my own scenario, I have a bride of my own who's just given birth. She needs to be able to focus on our child completely. She needs to continue breathing life into him (through feedings). And she can't do it alone. She needs me to provide for her. She needs me to supply the rest of her needs so that she can be focused completely on the task at hand- bringing this beautiful new creation to maturity.
So, when I clean and cook and change diapers and vacuum and make the bed and shop and all the other things that I can do- when I do them joyfully- when I do them willingly and with enthusiasm- it's sort of like how God provides for us. He works all the time to make sure that we have what we need to do the things that He's given for us to do. So, it's cool that I get to join with Him and work in this way for Beth the same way that He works for me (and Beth and The Church as a whole).
I like finding little pictures like this that make working an act of worship instead of something that I do begrudgingly...
But, I have a good excuse- a son, who is only a week old isn't really ready for close quarters with a few hundred other people (all carrying germs that he's not been exposed to yet). We'll probably head back to Bethany in another couple weeks, but for now, we're celebrating Christ's resurrection from home. And I think I've figured out a cool way to do it, too.
I was thinking about the analogy of marriage and how it relates to Christ and His Bride (the church) the other day. The Church "gives birth" to all sorts of new things. New Christ-followers, new ministries, new art, new ways to help the oppressed and downtrodden. And Christ supplies everything for the Church so that she can be effective in creating (birthing) these new realities.
In my own scenario, I have a bride of my own who's just given birth. She needs to be able to focus on our child completely. She needs to continue breathing life into him (through feedings). And she can't do it alone. She needs me to provide for her. She needs me to supply the rest of her needs so that she can be focused completely on the task at hand- bringing this beautiful new creation to maturity.
So, when I clean and cook and change diapers and vacuum and make the bed and shop and all the other things that I can do- when I do them joyfully- when I do them willingly and with enthusiasm- it's sort of like how God provides for us. He works all the time to make sure that we have what we need to do the things that He's given for us to do. So, it's cool that I get to join with Him and work in this way for Beth the same way that He works for me (and Beth and The Church as a whole).
I like finding little pictures like this that make working an act of worship instead of something that I do begrudgingly...