What's in the empty space?

I have been and will continue to make a big deal about this thing I call (    ). Inserted for emphasis. Pause. Of note. 

So, what is it that goes into that empty space when you are in (   )? Do you tend to want to fill it up with something quickly when you take your special moments of pause? Wait. What's that, they are not really "special?" More "squeeze them in wherever you can find a splinter of time" moments, than intentional "appointments" with your self? Same way with moments in sanctuary, prayer, reflection or just hanging out with God? Becomes "spare time" instead of "part time?" Hmmm....

So, this makes me wonder which part of your time do you think is warranted to bring to your moment with the Creator of the Universe. Master. Yahweh. Adonai. Abba Father. 

Is it an issue of time? Convenience? Urgency? Emptiness? 

Or is it fear? 

Letting Go of Our Fear of God

We are afraid of emptiness. Spinoza speaks about our "horror vacui," our horrendous fear of vacancy. We like to occupy-fill up-every empty time and space. We want to be occupied. And if we are not occupied we easily become preoccupied; that is, we fill the empty spaces before we have even reached them. We fill them with our worries, saying, "But what if ..."

It is very hard to allow emptiness to exist in our lives. Emptiness requires a willingness not to be in control, a willingness to let something new and unexpected happen. It requires trust, surrender, and openness to guidance. God wants to dwell in our emptiness. But as long as we are afraid of God and God's actions in our lives, it is unlikely that we will offer our emptiness to God. Let's pray that we can let go of our fear of God and embrace God as the source of all love. Henri Nouwen

Of everything you might want to bring into your next moments of    (   ), leave your "afraid" out. It has no place in those moments. Bring with you a different kind of fear, not the type most of us  carry around like darkness, failure, death,  money, change.  Bring the kind of fear experienced by Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Paul or the many others who were called into a moment of holy (    ).  

To fear and not be afraid; that is the paradox of faith.  A.W. Tozer

Take a moment. Empty in.

For Emphasis -- (b)

   

Heavy stuff. Aaron's outfit.

Whoa, have you ever stopped to consider how much Aaron's robe, breastplate, turban and other accessories weighed? Heavy! Just scan this:

“And they shall make the ephod [of] gold, [of] blue, and [of] purple, [of] scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and [so] it shall be joined together. And the curious girdle of the ephod, which [is] upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; [even of] gold, [of] blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: Six of their names on one stone, and [the other] six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. With the work of an engraver in stone, [like] the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold. And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod [for] stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial. And thou shalt make ouches [of] gold; And two chains [of] pure gold at the ends; [of] wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.” (Exodus 28:1-14 av)

This dwarfs the costumes for KISS concerts (don't ask why I got that image. I just write as He gives it to me!). 

But here's what got me this morning: All the "weight" of Preparation. Skill. Art. Arrangement. Design. Production.  Refinement. Precision. Supervision. Discernment. Care. Love. Awe. Joy. Burden. And, come on...all this in the desert! With whining Israelites, crying babies, spitting camels, cranky tribe leaders, not to mention all the other asses (donkeys). Still, no detail was missed. The words convey their careful work. The commitment. The reverence of the assignment. And then, after all the toil, sweat, threading...they take it to Moses. And this entire passage of Exodus 39 ends with: 43 "Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them." And then they were ready to move into moments of tabernacle.

So, which 'them' did Moses bless? The robes? Breastplate? The other adornments? The people who worked on them? The Levites?  The twelve tribes? The generations to come? I say, 'yes.'

What about you and me? Before you answer, ask yourself: What adorning "weight" do you carry into -- your job. Your marriage. Your conversation. Your craft. Your project. Your worship. Your prayer. You see, I think God gives us all the materials we need to adorn our every moment, our every gifted day, our every interaction, our every moment of tabernacle.

For emphasis -- (b)

Bring it!

Ark of the Covenant.

Atonement cover.

Curtain.

Table.

Bread of the Presence.

Lampstands and Lamps.

Altar of Incense.

Anointing Oil.

Altar of Burnt Offering.

Basin.

Phew! Five chapters in Exodus, 36-40, ending the book of Exodus. Such detail in all that went into the building of the holy tabernacle. In this place of wandering. Just the time it took to weave cloth in Moses' time was daunting. Having more than one set of clothing was an indication of wealth. So, just imagine the amount of time, energy, talent and commitment it would take to produce just the curtains! Imagine the embroiderers!

So, what really gets me today is the way, through all the moaning, whining, complaining and really dumb actions after leaving the "comforts" of Egypt behind how the following passage conveys that EVERYONE brought all they had to this holy project:

'The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.' 

Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: 'No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.' And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

Exodus 36: 4-7

So, here's my question: When was the last time you had to be restrained from bringing more than enough to your job, your marriage, your children, your friendships, your presence in another person's life or taking time to be with God? 

I love those people who tell you they are committed to...whatever. Baloney, I say! Oops, to tough? Well, seems to me that being "all in" or "bringing it all" or "all together" sounds more like what 11 misfits brought to the table of life. Some gave all.

I so admire the pastor of my faraway church home in Nashville, The Village Chapel. He who has a different approach to that nasty, sticky, guilt laden tradition of tithing. He says something like this: Here at the Village Chapel we do not do the basket passing thing.  We are all about joyful giving from a joyful heart. On the front table over there, there is a plastic container [NOTE: *the basket is tiny, blue plastic, crate-like with a small piece of paper reading "Gifts"] for when and if your heart moves you. 

I have given, and continue to give more to this church with a smile on my face (and smiley face on the bottom of my checks) than any other church I have attended. I am a citizen. I am all in.

I will not be restrained.

Think about it. 

All in.

(b)

Why do we hide the glow? What's the deal with that?

Exodus 34:29-35  

What's the deal with Moses covering up his face with a veil every time he came from talking with God and then talking to the people? 

"...whenever he entered the Lord's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord."

I totally do not get this. What an amazing feeling to be covered by and with God's light: Glowing. Radiating. Ignited. Ablaze. Burning. 

Embarrassed? Concerned others would feel left out? Less valuable than him? Too much pressure? Unworthy of carrying the light? Truth is...I do this, too. What's with that? God gives us His gift of inspiration, revelation, enlightenment. His and your moment shared in Parenthesis. And then instead of going out and glowing all over everyone, absolutely showering them with the dripping joy, radiant colors and explosive celebration that praises and worships Him for His  amazing gift and grace, we look around to make sure no one else is listening or watching. Because they might think you are a weirdo. Crazy. Insane. Drunk. Out of it. Well, seems to me that pretty well describes a bunch of guys called Disciples. So, here goes: I am weird, crazy, insane, drunk, out of it, sold out, all in, all out, out of my mind about any fragment of a moment in the light. Maybe the real pronunciation for ENLIGHTENMENT should be IN LIGHT IS WHAT I MEANT. 

Reminds me of one on my favorite quotes ever about "letting your light shine." 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?'  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.  We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It is not just in some of us.  It is in everyone.  And as we let our light shine, we give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Nelson Mandela

Your light is meant to shine. It's a part of the invitation to switch your point of view: Click here. 

Emphasized.

(b)

The Parenthesis Paradox Begins

No more waiting. This is the very moment we are given. And so I move into (  ).  After much transitioning, reflecting, refracting and traveling I am settling into this next phase of my story. I will be posting on a (fragmented) regular basis, unfolding into myself. I invite you to bring your self into these moments of (  ). I invite you to comment and refract any flickering light. I invite you to share any and all. 

What is the Parenthesis Paradox? Here is the illustration that was revealed to me as a part of this unfolding into:

What does this convey?

1. We are invited to enter into (  ) with God.

2. He wants YOU: 

Your entire being: YOURSELF

Your youth-full heart (Abraham and Moses were NOT too old!)

Your hunger: YEARN

Your knowing Him: UNDERSTAND

Your coming together in Him: UNITE

Your using His gifts: UTILIZE

3. He wants:

You to bring the riches of your heart: GOODS

You to come with others: GATHER

You to give it away...to give it a way: GIVE

You to prospect & mine: DIG

You to find and see: DISCOVER

You to be and live and illustrate: DO

What does this define?

The moments of Parenthesis are found at the intersection of Life and Faith.

Think about it. Talk about it. Be in it.

(b)