Mosh Pits and Christianity

My son Matthew loves hard core dancing-
If you are not familiar with that style-
I think it essentially involves something called a mosh pit-
A mass of humanity strewn together-
Arms and legs flailing about wildly-
Some rythmically and some not so rythmically-
In such close proximity to one another-
There can not help but be some contact.....errr...collisions.
Matt came home from a hard core show (concert) recently and said to me,

"Dad,

I got kicked in the leg,

hit in the face,

a busted lip and

almost knocked out"

"It was great!"

Alrighty then........
More and more I am agreeing with the statement, "Youth is wasted on the young" :)
At any rate-
When Matt said this-
There was such a smile on his face-
Such a brightness about his eyes-
I couldn't help but think-

My son just gave the perfect description of the Christian Life-

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy,

my brothers,

whenever you face trials of many kinds

Pure Joy-

Now that's bold in the face of trials.
Yet.........

What is it about a mosh pit that can inspire pure joy-
In the face of a busted lip and almost being knocked out?

I might be wrong-
But somehow I think in the case of the mosh pit-

(I have never experienced one)

There must be a sort of joy.......
In being lost in the moment.

There must be some sense........
That the pain fades into nothingness-
As the dancer is lost in his freedom of expression.

I wonder............

Can we get there in the Christian Life?

Can we get to a point where the trials fade into nothingness?

Can we get to a point where we are so consumed with Christ-

So lost in the expressions of the Glory of God in our lives-

So confident in His Grace towards us-

His Love for us...........

That we can live the life of freedom-

The life He has won for us-

The Life of abandon and boldness in Love?

No one would ever venture into a mosh pit out of a sense of duty-

No-
They go to dance-

They go for the freedom-

They go for the Life!

Father God,

Bring me into the Joy of Life today-

Your Life in me.

In the midst of the trials-

Rise up in us to be the expression of Your Glory-

To be the expression of Your Love.

Fill us Holy Spirit

to all these good ends.

Praise, Honor and Glory be to You.

Amen

Pain in this World

Christianity does not innoculate me against pain in this world- Christianity does not insulate me from dissappointment. I wish I could say that giving my life to Christ meant that my suffering was over-That everything from that moment forward would go my way- that there would be nothing but bliss all day every day, but........................

We are not in Heaven yet- The Kingdom of God is still dealing with opposition in this world and tragically even opposition in me- a Christian.

As long as that opposition exist, there will be pain and dissappointment. God will not spare me, but instead will heal me in the midst of it.

John 16:33 Jesus said," In this world you will have trouble. But take Heart, I have overcome the world."

Right about now I am- I suspect we all are- experiencing some trouble- some pain- some dissapointment. Mine is of my own doing- in that there are things I clearly want that are not in God's plan or timing for me at this point- maybe never. The words resound-

Take Heart- Take Heart- Be strong and Courageous, for I am with you- I will never leave or forsake you. I know the plans I have for you- plans for good- I have come to give you life.

I know in all this God is inviting us (me) to trust Him in a more real way- to let go of lesser things and take hold of Him for Life.

Holy Spirit rise up in me to do this- to take Heart and really trust You for my Life. Help me to say along with Your servant David, " The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." and again, "Create a pure heart in me and renew a right spirit in me...........Restore unto me the joy of Thy Salvation." All Praise be to You Lord for all You are doing to unite my Heart to Your own Great Heart.

Amen

Jesus in the Flesh

I am not really sure where it came from, but when I was about 7 years old or so I started eating. I wonder now if it was to fill the void of losing my Daddy? Eddie Lee Welch' s suffering from cancer came to an end in December 1966 just before I was about to turn 7 years old. Edward Charles Welch's suffering from loneliness began around the end of December 1966. I loved my Daddy the best any "know nothing about Love" 6 year old boy could. I suppose what I did know was what it felt like to be loved by a Father- but now that was gone. Fast forward to 1972- now 12 years old, 5 foot 2 inches tall and 175 pounds of self loathing, loneliness. Appearing happy, I suppose- but disconnected from what mattered most in a twelve year old boy's world -the acceptance of other kids my age who seemed to have it all together. They didn't want me- especially not the boys who were on their way to manhood- strong and able. Fat, incapable athletically, rejected by girls, picked last for anything that even hinted of manliness- I had gone to food for comfort. I had gone to other things as well. A boy has to find relief somewhere from the pain of loneliness, rejection and isolation. The enemy had a field day- Attempting to steal away any real hope for happiness or freedom. I did start going to church regularly for the first time around this time. My sister and her husband took me. The people seemed nice enough at first and the more I heard about this Jesus character the more intrigued I became. He was different- He would never make fun of me- He would never laugh at me- He would never have left me to be picked last- He could even save me from my sins-Yep this Jesus guy was pretty awesome. Hey- during that time I even walked the aisle- I got saved and baptised. I remember going to Sunday School- Witnessing- Leaving Bible Tracts in magazines at the drug store- Finally my life seemed to have a bit of value to it-

At least Jesus cared about me- I have never doubted that.

His people however- you know the ones who were nice enough in the beginning- Somehow they turned out to be not much different from anyone else. It's really hard for a kid to handle that. Christians are supposed to be different- Like Jesus. Oh I held on to my Saviour- But the Abundant Life- The sense of being Loved and wanted by His people- That seemed to slowly fade out of my life- Oh there were respites of happiness, and I did learn to use what I had going for me- my being kind of smart- to at least have some friends, but still the loneliness lingered.

Loneliness- That sense that no one really cares- no one is interested in sharing life with you. That sense of being disconnected and left out of all you want to be a part of. There is nothing more miserable.

Fast forward to 1976- High School- God is so Faithful- He really never will leave you or forsake you. In all my striving for Love and acceptance I really never had doubted Jesus- I just wished He would send someone to show me His Love- I needed to feel it in a hug or a smile- I needed it to come in flesh and blood reality. It's what we all need- It's how we were built- For Community.

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us"

Oh how those words became reality in my life in 1976 through a man named Danny Parker. Danny was the Young Life Leader for my High School- For me he became the Hands and Feet of Christ- sent by God Himself to be the father I had lost all those many years before.

God had saved my life yet again. He had sent a man who truly loved Jesus and that love overflowed and spilt out of his life to me as sure as the Blood of Christ Himself has been spilt for me.

Father in Heaven, Lord Jesus, Friend Jesus, Precious Holy Spirit- Fill me up with Your Love the way You filled this man You sent my way all those years ago. Fill me so that I overflow to the people You bring my way- those who are lonely and hurting and feel the weight of the world and the enemy himself coming down on them. Make me an encouragement- Forgive me where I pass over the forgotten and give me Your Great Heart of compassion for the broken. Do all this in me I pray in the Wonderful Name of Jesus.

Amen

Medication

1982 or there abouts- Summer time- June or there abouts- Ponce de Leon Mall- St. Augustine Florida- Selling Toy Airplanes- It seems like another lifetime- maybe just a bad dream. Ah, but real it was and there is nothing quite like the pain of an abscessed tooth to burn the time into my memory. Honestly, I don't know if there has ever been another time in my life I have been in more pain- yet needed to function- to perform well in fact. Money was short and I needed to come through- I needed to have a good- no, a great week- selling those silly styrofoam gliders to all the beach combing tourist I could convince their own quest for happiness was only a Toy Airplane purchase away! Still..............

I had to do something about this pain- ANYTHING that would give me some relief!

What about you (and me still for that matter)- What are we doing with our own pain? How are we managing it- the dissappointments- the losses- the failures- the cutting words that have left deep and festering wounds.

Is Tylenol enough? If not Tylenol, how about Alcohol, or Work, or Achievement, or Soap Operas, or Pornography, or Romance Novels, or Prescription Drugs, or Food, or Religion, or ...........................Choose your Medication.

What am I using to escape my Pain?

The way I see it there are 2 kinds of Medication.

Both are really important in their own way.

There is Medication that helps me get through- that helps me manage my pain.

Think of Perkocet (misspelled I think) or Zoloft- neither promises a cure, but both are critical to help us manage pain as we go through a healing process.

Then there is Medication that actually heals.

Think of Antibiotics or Chemotherapy- neither gives you any sort of on the spot relief- in fact the Chemo really makes you "feel" worse for a while- right? And yet these Medications go to the core- they attack the sickness rather than treating the symptoms.

Two Questions

Is my Christianity more about pain management or healing?

How much have I looked to other things to give me some relief- some escape even- from those deep places of hurt in my Heart?

Isaiah 61 Excerpts "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me (Jesus)......to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners......to comfort all who mourn.......to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise to replace a spirit of despair.........They will be a planting of the Lord for the display of His Splendor.

Lord Jesus, Friend Jesus, Father God, Great Counselor- Thank You that You have promised healing, that You have promised rest for the weary, that You have promised not to allow more on me than I can bear. I come to You Lord for relief and yes for healing. Strengthen me to go through Your Healing. Give me Courage to go into those painful places in my life. Father God, be a surgeon if need be to cut out all that festers and steals my Life and Joy. All Praise be to You Most High God. Amen