#holy risk

[thereforethecross]

Farewell #pacificnorthwelch

Two & a half plus years ago, when I started my journey to the Pacific Northwest, I decided I needed to hone up on my Seattle culture. So naturally I turned to the wit & wisdom of television’s favorite psychologist – Dr. Frasier Crane.

He’d greet his listeners with: “Hello Seattle, I’m listening.”

That was my motto for the journey.

I’m listening. I’m open. I’m willing. I want to learn.

Now,…

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[thereforethecross]

Risk

Risk.

It’s a tricky thing.

Taking a risk implies there is risk. I know, if this was an english test and they asked you to define the word you’d be marked down for using it in a sentence to define itself… I know, it’s bad grammar.

But, see, risk is inherently – risky.

There’s always a chance you were wrong.You should have gone right instead of left. Maybe you should have paused instead of marching…

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[thereforethecross]

Laying Out the Fleece :: Week 6 - Prelude

Prelude.

According to dictionary.com this word is both a noun and a verb. Fascinating. Prelude - it can be an action or a thing. It lives in the tension of duality. The word of prelude, the notion of waiting, the idea of not being able to fully jump into something - rather, having to wade through dark, dank, murky waters (potentially), in order to fully understand where the story or song is going - is not an easy task. 

Yet, in the process of prelude, there is such an interesting picture. So many times, we (myself included - largely) view waiting as such an inactive period; we feel it lacks movement, lacks growth and is a static season. However, prelude is a verb. It is action. 

In fact, the real notion of the word implies it is the start - the beginning - the introduction to what is about to follow. Think about great literature or movies - there are always preludes; sometimes they even get an entire book, like The Hobbit. Other times it is a scene from a childhood setting up how our protaganist got to the point the movie portrays them in (think Batman Begins). 

I am a man of action. According to stregnthfinders 2.0 I am an "achiever" - I want to see things be accomplished, I want to jump with both feet in - heck, I want to cliff jump in the form of a cannon ball, and just let it rip.

For me, far too often, I forget about the prelude.

Therefore, I laid down my fleece. I wanted to have a tangible reminder in my possession of the posture of my soul this semester. My backpack, truck and bedroom are filled with pieces of fleece, so no matter where I go, I remember I am in prelude - the verb.

Thus, my action, my movement, is expectancy. I sit, watch, pray, wait and hold my life loosely so God can speak. As I have journeyed through six weeks of my semester, this is the best way to sum up my week and semester.

It was prelude to what happened this week.

The crescendo has now reached it's full effect. The prelude is over. The posture of my heart and soul, has begun to reveal to me how the Holy Spirit is moving and how He longs to invite me into the work He is already doing.

Now, I get to stay in this posture. Now, I get to examine and deconstruct where I am being asked to go. Is this of me or is it of Him? Have I created this or is God speaking?

Will I take this next holy risk?