Intimacy.....

A few reflections from weekend encounters at Emmanuel. It was a sweet weekend as we attempted to understand that the God of the universe... the Infinite God of Beginning and End (is there such thing as beginning and end in the economy of God?)..... actually wants to share relationship with us. Can you imagine what a cataclysmic event it must be when we open our mouths... open our hearts... open our passions and actually begin to converse with our God? God will actually give birth to the ridiculous.

Maybe my favorite moment this weekend was considering Moses and Joshua (Exodus 17.8-13ish). Moses, Israel's famous leader, is faced with a crisis. An enemy army has just arrived near Israel's camp intent on wiping out Israel.

Moses calls in his most capable leader for a discussion and strategy planning session. After a thorough planning session, Moses determined a plan of action. He tells Joshua to take the best fighting men we have, lead them out on the plains to meet the enemy and fight with courage. Meanwhile, I am going to take two men, climb the hill that overlooks the plains and raise my hands toward heaven. I'm going to pray that God will pour out courage, valor, coordination, and supernatural protection. Then, I'm going to watch and see what God does.

Moses discovered that God's power is released through prayer. There are two parts of this story that are challenging... first, I love the planning and preparation Moses and Joshua gave to battle strategy. They were intentional about plans... advance. Second, I love that they knew that their best plans were nothing without the abounding power of God. So, Moses ventures up to a hill with two friends and they cry out to God for His presence and power..... and it works!

When we are willing to invite God into our daily challenges.... our home... our relationships..... our marketplace... our schools... our church.... There is radical power and shocking potential! It may be as simple as an idea.... courage.... confidence.... perseverance.... attitude change.... circumstance change.... or an outright miracle. God's power is released in the lives of those who pray.

I love to dream and plan.... I love the idea that God has said that this thing called the church is the hope of the world. I love that the church is us... Christ followers together. I love that God invites us to make plans, dream dreams, enjoy expectations, and posture ourselves for huge stuff. I love that we can actually dream up great stuff! What I really love is that we can walk up to the top of a hill and raise our hands to the living God and call His name... His renown... His power... His glory.... and the best plans that we can deliver are minute compared to His power.

Prayer is relationship...... Prayer gives birth to the ridiculous... Prayer merges the finite (small me.. small you) with the infinite (BIG GOD!).

Enjoy sweet conversation with your maker this week. Feel free to add to the commentary by clicking on comment below.

Mark