Cutting Room Floor

An idea - in case anyone wonders ever - I thought I'd post a couple things that, as I work on a project (in this case, last week's sermon), don't make the cut - but might be worthwhile anyway...

Jesus said that whoever would save their life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus' sake will save it... What if God is saying to us that as long as you hold on to (insert that which you can't give away here) as if it were more precious (Gollum) than me, it will NEVER really be yours - it will own you instead of you owning it.

But if you surrender to God - completely - in all these areas:

Life, marriage, singleness, stuff, job, kids, parents, income/finances, time, words, attitudes, love, trust...

Could this be the "life, more abundant" that Jesus said he came to bring?

So, maybe...if we give over everything to God, his blessings are "return on investment"? I mean, it's not like a magic formula, or whatever, but could this be where the tenfold/hundredfold increase comes from?

So, without an attitude of surrender - I will never live a life of contentment - and I will never live a life FULL of the Holy Spirit.

(NOTE - the following made it to the next to the last draft - and I probably SHOULD have included it...but I didn't)

Without surrender, Christ is not Lord, Christ does not rule, Christ is simply one voice of several, or many, or even one voice of two (his and mine) - but Christ does not rule the heart that is not surrendered to him.

(NOTE - I considered incorporating the Rich Mullins song "Hard to Get" - but the sermon didn't go in that direction and I didn't want to force it - but it is a song of surrender - or at least submission. I was telling Lori that it's a modern psalm of lament - not to Yahweh of the Old Testament - but to Yeshua of the New Testament - it begins with the complaint - and actually spends a fair amount of energy on the complaint - but ends with, in essence, nevertheless I will worship you...)

Hard to Get

Rich Mullins

You who live in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt
Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did You forget about us after You had flown away
Well I memorized every word You said
Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While You're up there just playing hard to get

You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then
Did You ever know loneliness
Did You ever know need
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?

And I know you bore our sorrows
And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow
All I really need to know

Is if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get

Since Rich died before he could record anything but a demo...here's somebody else singing it (and doing a way better job than I would have anyway....)