Quote Vadis - You say you love...

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Belowᔥ is a poem that just shook my core a few weeks ago and I wanted to post it here.



“You say that you love rain,
but you open your umbrella when it rains…
You say that you love the sun,
but you find a shadow spot when the sun shines…
You say that you love the wind,
But you close your windows when wind blows…
This is why I am afraid;
You say that you love me too…”

— Unknown

Yoga, spin class and worship

Diana Butler Bass noted in a podcast that when she attended a yoga class she thought this is how church should be. Not the poses or the spandex or the mats or the music so much but the way the teacher moved in that class and how the class operated.

Her thought had me thinking that in yoga class there is a community that gathers together to take a different posture than normal. They all self-correct and hold one another accountable to the poses and encourage each other in the class. There is a teacher who walks among them and physically touches them and poses people while giving instruction to the class and guiding everyone together. There even is different clothes you use to assist your formation and you have tools to assist you. And in physical yoga class you are learning to breath, be flexible and nimble. Yoga is a way to get your body moving but it is a way of being in the world.

That sounds like a worship I would like to be in.

What Bass did not mention is that while worship is not set up like a yoga class it is set up like a spin class.

There is a community who come together to get pumped up. There is one posture you are to take and you take that posture the entire time you are there. You have movement but you do not stand up much and are rarely physically touched by anyone except a handshake. The instructor is up front and has a microphone as they then get the community energized to "attack the hill" or "get movin'". The irony of spin class is that you do a lot of work and don't go anywhere. You do not learn a way of living in spin class. The point of spin class is to feel better, get into physical shape, and get your heart rate pumping up. Once you leave spin class the class has little residual effects.

I wonder if we as a Church are addicted to spin class worship?

John 20 and Ezekiel

When you read John 20:19-23 there are a couple of Old Testament stories that come to mind. The previous post looked at the Cain and Abel story. This post will look at how the John text seems to parallel Ezekiel 37.

Notice that Ezekiel is brought into a valley that is full of fear and death - much like the place where the disciples are. Notice that the bones and the disciples feel cut off and abandoned. Notice that it is a breath that brings the bones and disciples to new life. Notice that it is God that is the primary mover.

Could it be that the Gospel writer is finding meaning in the resurrection of Christ that is not just a "new" thing but something that is of the nature of God. New life and resurrection is what God does.

Death does not have the final word. Fear is banished. There is a restoration that will happen and you/I/we will not be left in a valley.

The breath of God animates and brings something both to dry bones and fearful disciples.

And so - receive the Breath and live.