The natural. "life". It happens.
Somehow we've swallowed the bait that it's not supposed to age. That we are to be untouched. That the measure of a person is how they "appear" not how they "are".
Look at the bark in this picture. It's an old Oak tree in my back yard. It was here when the Native Americans rode horseback by it. If it could talk, I'd be humbled. It is old. It has been weathered by thousands of storms. To the outsider it has character , color, unique cracks and chips. It's Gnarly branches make it one of a kind. But to the tree, I am sure it feels old and tired. It's roots are as deep as it's height and yet it finds it harder and harder to draw water to survive. The day the vine attached itself, I'm sure the old tree had questions, but it was only a little sprig. As years grew on it began to cover the tree with a comfort of shade. People saw the majesty of the tree with the beauty of the covering.
Then without warning, like a lobster in a pot of cold water, the heat was turned up and the water supply to the tree was taken away. Slow death. That's what it brings.
You see that's the lie. We are imperfect, we are fallen, we need forgiveness, we need a savior.
The creeping vine I'll call "the hiding". You might even see the parallel to the fig leaves that covered Adam and Eve.
This vine does not produce fruit. It's purpose is to look beautiful and cover up reality, imperfections, "the natural"
What is it's end game? It covers the light and uses up all the nutrients, slowly killing the tree it wraps itself around.
In the 'nano' speed of life we live today, a slow moving vine seems like nothing to worry about.
But it is.
Covering the natural is sin. Truth is transparent, sin is the covering. I'm guilty as charged.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves....
Until we cut the vine at it's roots and slowly pull it off of every area of our lives, we will live in bondage and never be able to experience the light and living waters that we are meant to enjoy. But it does mean exposing the bark. That's the rub.
Am I willing to let you see me as I am? Wretched, fallen, weak, addicted, prideful, angry, lustful? Am I these things all the time? It's the bark.
It's the natural, and only by the grace of God, the renewing of my mind by the washing of the Word. Only by the daily confession of my sin and God's promise of the Holy Spirit in my life am I able to be anything else.
Oh sure, I tell myself I'm a good person by judging others "worse than I", and I remind myself I'm beautiful or thinner than others by judging others weight and appearance.
My temper is better than ... My house is cleaner than... I've had more education than.... More life experience than... , and I would "humbly" tell you my ---- doesn't stink. And ---- = poop, if you were wondering. And if you thought it meant another word, then that's one more reason I'm better than you.....
Oswald Chambers the other day said that we all take ourselves to seriously. We all try to look like we're really "deep". Well he reminded me that we should humbly live in the shallows. The ocean has shallows. Our daily eating and drinking, walking and talking are in the shallows.
I say Life and the "natural" are in the shallows.
Chambers said "Determinedly take no one seriously but God, and the first person you find you have to leave severely alone as being the greatest fraud you have ever known, is yourself.
11/22 "my utmost".
Ouch. That comment was the comment that started me ruminating to begin this blog a few days ago. If I didn't respect Chambers so much, I might have just laughed at the comment. But when someone speaks, who you listen to, you at least listen and pray about it. That's where the Holy Spirit begins to have His gentle way.
His way begins when we cut down the vine. When we are willing to expose ourselves and say "Here i am" "bark and all".
So, where are we in all of this. Are we willing to expose ourselves to each other?
We all look to our leaders for this as our examples. They need to be strong, but are they human. Do they show their bark, or are they so covered in vine that you just ooh and ahhhh every time you see them or listen to them sing or speak or dance or play?
It begins with our leaders. So who are yours?
Are you a parent?........... Then you are IT.
I should stop here but I must say my natural reaction is to bypass my leadership responsibilities and look at and judge "MY" leaders. Oh I feel better now already. Sick isn't it, how quickly we cover our bark.
In churches where I travel and lead worship, I encounter the "vine".
I can see it covering the congregations as they struggle to worship. Struggle to worship because they are so caught up in keeping themselves and their families "bark" covered from all sides, that they are unable to be free to worship.
You see that's my passion. To see people worship. While I'm in this place of leadership, it's my desire, my passion, my precious. Anything that keeps people from experiencing this connection to God kills me. I can't cut the vine for anyone by myself, and really maybe that's what I need to do each week. Begin by exposing MY "bark" before asking anyone else to do the same. God can not heal you or deliver you or fill you with rivers of living water until you humble yourself before Him and man, and then be willing to ask for help from God and each other.
When the word says "David cried out to God", he really cried out to God. No metaphors here! When is the last time we cried out to God as a church as a nation. Not in anger but in humility and brokenness. It begins in our heart, and then in our families, and then together as a family in our churches, and then our neighborhoods and cities. And in this process maybe just maybe we will find that exposing the bark is the best thing we could ever have done. Cymbala's book "secrets of the vine" was a brilliant short book on vines that bear fruit.
I'd say in reverse that "secrets behind the vine" need to be exposed and healed in the light of lights.
In this nation America where I write this blog, we are in a crisis. For those with much, it's a wake up call. For those with little, there is the desire to say "finally they get to hurt a little.
Gimme some of theirs. And those retired union members? Take away their benefits. And those executives? take away their millions." Not because they do or don't deserve it, but because it might make me feel a bit better about my losses.
Who said "who is my mother and father?"
Who said "come as little children?"
Who said " forgive me my sins as I forgive those who sin against me?"
Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
So this thanksgiving, when we go to our families and our churches, let's begin again. Let's cut the vine. Let's be honest, transparent, natural. Let's drop the fig leaves. Let's take a step towards
our friends and family saying. Here I am "bark" and all. Will you still love me? I know my Father does! And in that moment you may feel light and living water pour over your soul in unimaginable ways. Won't solve your life problems, but it will be a monumental step towards revealing the beauty of who you really are.
Remember, no matter what you think or have done, God is very fond of you :)
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