1 post tagged “holiness”
When was the last time you heard a sermon about holiness? Why has this Christian characteristic fallen off our radar? I remember asking this question years ago when I was in seminary. I was told "It's so...Mom and Poppish!"
Really?
From what I can tell, holiness has been eclipsed by mission and by the various calls to action within the church. Those calls to action may very well indeed be holy work, but in and of themselves are not necessarily holiness.
I imagine that holiness is also one of those many words that have fallen out of the venacular for many Christians...not much different than other words that seems to have evaporated, like: salvation, righteousness, justification...you get my drift?
The quality of holiness is not something I ready to let go of, mostly because I strive for it in my life. I want so desperately to live into the fullness of the image of God, and because I know myself, I know that I'm not even close! Dr. J. W.C. Wand, former Bishop of London named holiness in a way that speaks to my heart when he said "holiness is not the laborious acquisition of virtue from without, but the expression of the Christ-life from within." In other words, holiness has to do with our character and more importantly, a character shaped and formed by Christ himself. The self I live in the interior and the self I show to the world matter.
Each Sunday at St. Clare's I close with a blessing that was written by one of the Canadian bishops (I wish I could recall which one) which reads as follows:
May the Lord Jesus who loves with a wounded heart be your love forever more.
May the Lord Jesus who serves with wounded hands help you to serve.
May the Lord Jesus who walks on wounded feet walk with you to the end of the road.
Look for the face of the Lord Jesus in everyone you meet; and may everyone you meet see the face of the Lord Jesus in you.
And the Blessing of God Almighty, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer be upon you and remain with you always. Amen.
In that blessing is a desire for holiness within and without...to not only try to live with it, but to look for it outside of one's self in the face of Christ the stranger.
One last thought on holiness from within. John Stott (whom I have some trouble with theologically) in his book Christ The Controversialist said somthing I think worth chewing on. It may provide more questions than answers but it's worth thinking about. He said: "The Christian should resemble a fruit-tree, not a Christmas tree! For the gaudy decorations of a Christmas tree are only tied on, whereas fruit grows on a fruit-tree. In other words, Christian holiness is not an artificial human accreation, but a natural process of fruit-bearing by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Yours for the reign of God,
Ron
Really?
From what I can tell, holiness has been eclipsed by mission and by the various calls to action within the church. Those calls to action may very well indeed be holy work, but in and of themselves are not necessarily holiness.
I imagine that holiness is also one of those many words that have fallen out of the venacular for many Christians...not much different than other words that seems to have evaporated, like: salvation, righteousness, justification...you get my drift?
The quality of holiness is not something I ready to let go of, mostly because I strive for it in my life. I want so desperately to live into the fullness of the image of God, and because I know myself, I know that I'm not even close! Dr. J. W.C. Wand, former Bishop of London named holiness in a way that speaks to my heart when he said "holiness is not the laborious acquisition of virtue from without, but the expression of the Christ-life from within." In other words, holiness has to do with our character and more importantly, a character shaped and formed by Christ himself. The self I live in the interior and the self I show to the world matter.
Each Sunday at St. Clare's I close with a blessing that was written by one of the Canadian bishops (I wish I could recall which one) which reads as follows:
May the Lord Jesus who loves with a wounded heart be your love forever more.
May the Lord Jesus who serves with wounded hands help you to serve.
May the Lord Jesus who walks on wounded feet walk with you to the end of the road.
Look for the face of the Lord Jesus in everyone you meet; and may everyone you meet see the face of the Lord Jesus in you.
And the Blessing of God Almighty, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer be upon you and remain with you always. Amen.
In that blessing is a desire for holiness within and without...to not only try to live with it, but to look for it outside of one's self in the face of Christ the stranger.
One last thought on holiness from within. John Stott (whom I have some trouble with theologically) in his book Christ The Controversialist said somthing I think worth chewing on. It may provide more questions than answers but it's worth thinking about. He said: "The Christian should resemble a fruit-tree, not a Christmas tree! For the gaudy decorations of a Christmas tree are only tied on, whereas fruit grows on a fruit-tree. In other words, Christian holiness is not an artificial human accreation, but a natural process of fruit-bearing by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Yours for the reign of God,
Ron
