2025-02-13 A Meditation on Finding Our Way

“15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. 19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Gal 3:15-29 ESV)

Think venturous thoughts, deeply think, and out of that alight upon: level one of outlay; only then level one leads to level two, and level two to three. Only how did we come so far? How did we end up here? By laboring and by Achieving, Accomplishing, amidst that cautious and makeshift, halting, stammering, first Endeavor: our Endeavor is first of all Native, second of all Innocent, Virtuously honorific of a Conscience Redeemed, Forgiven, flawed yet Buoyantly and Loudly acclaiming Christ.

For the times they are helter-skelter, venturously Exciting but soberly Treacherous. Our mission, having found that level one Outlay, is chipper and listening unto the flock-mind, we being sheep and reflecting upon each venture forth: simple, our needs. Calm, our focus. Gladsome, our soul for this jaunt in the city, in the country, on the farm and in the ‘hood. We are, after all, easy to entertain and easier to find Grateful to the Shepherd of our souls, Christ whose name shall not be overused: we hear and see the false invocations of said Name, but also feel it’s yearning to be a Name Released, flying Free, Capable and Copious in intent. Somehow, plain reckoning with the spirit at large, finds us Encouraged rather than cautioned, blessed, no matter our unfamiliar speech.

Hazardous environs as we take our good ship Courage forth boldly into the night, into the morn, into the day. Those waiting for some corner to be turned, some rejection of the gospel in favor of more mediocre purposes and diatribes, will be disappointed: we intend to Preach the good word to each other even as the bombs drop and the spray of firepower encroaches. That good word is God with us, even as we warm up over iterations to that Blessed Estate called Vocal, called Celebratory, called Missional. By morning’s end we are all the more amped and eager to speak all the more, only let it wait and germinate for Tomorrow. And know God has seeded His people as folks Embedded and Curious, as Influenced and Affected by a crowd unknown, strangers on the train, neighbors on the street corner. We cannot fake the Togetherness and the Submission one to another. Only this, that Christ is with the Cohort, with the Tribe, with the Missional.