Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: ANCIENT (06/04/20)
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TITLE: Woven Together Before The World Was Made | Previous Challenge Entry
By Linda Lawrence
06/09/20 -
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I love the way God knits together threads of thoughts spun from books, songs, conversations, to create an invisible afghan, a robe, that comforts and warms my heart—wrapping me in Love.
One of those threads is Michael Reeves’ book, Delighting In The Trinity. This book stirs such joy in my spirit. A vision wells up in me, bubbling like wine, expanding into verse—I have to write and sing or my heart will burst like an old wineskin.
God was a loving family before the world was made,
A Father, Son, and Spirit—a three-in-one Godhead.
He calls to me to join Him, to be drawn into the whole
The Spirit living in my heart guarantees His goal.
In my mind’s eye I begin seeing God playing jump rope with His family of three. God plays Double Dutch? The Father and the Spirit holding two long jump ropes, turning them in opposite directions while Jesus jumps, woven into the middle, perhaps singing his own rhythmic chant with a grin. I hear the laughter of Their fellowship, Their overflowing joy, Their delight in working together. And then I notice a gathered crowd, a circle of onlookers. You! Me! Jesus looks at us and motions with His hand to join Him, inviting us to make the leap, to also be woven in and be joined with Them. He catches my eye and calls me by name. “Come Linda! Join Us!”
So, with awe and trepidation I make the leap! Ephesians tells us: “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” How can this be? That’s as far as my imagination can take me with that thread.
However, another thread, a phrase from a song written by Audrey Assad, combined with the beginning of Ephesians, sparks my imagination to write another verse to my song.
“The fullness of the Godhead, knit with our humanity”*
That we are woven into Him, how can these blessings be?
We are wrapped with love—a gift from God, from the Father to the Son.
Then Jesus gives to His Father the new family He has won!
Can you envision this scene with me? The Father sends Jesus to earth with the promise of a gift—sons and daughters who have always belonged to the Father, but are being given to the Son to win over as His brothers and sisters. Winning us would take more than an inviting beckoning of the hand or a personal invitation by name. There was laughter then, but there was none when Jesus paid the price to win us.
Jesus warmly offers to wrap us in a new robe woven of love and grace. Having bought us, He returns the gift to His Father, beautifully wrapped in His righteousness.
These visuals expand my heart to receive His love and enables me to love in return. Other threads from Ephesians add weight and warmth to the robe that identifies me as belonging to my three-fold God—who chose me before the world began. Meditating on these spiritual realities and returning to Ephesians again and again, another verse to my song takes shape, evolving into a prayer.
Christ blood, the cord that gives me Life: His favor and His grace.
He pays the price, adopts me in—then gazes into my face.
Oh Father of Glory, help me receive the hope of your calling,
The gift of salvation, freely giv‘n, to us who are believing.
I sing my song to the tune of Fernando Ortaga’s Our Great God.
Ephesians 1 and 2
John 17:6-12; 21-26
Matthew 9:17
* From Help My Unbelief by Audrey Assad
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