The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galatians 5:6
Showing posts with label 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. Show all posts

Sunday, August 31, 2025

Eclipsed by Glory

 When all of a sudden I am unaware of 
these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
and I realize just how beautiful You are
and how great Your affection is for me.
David Crowder


When the water is flat all the way around, that's golden.  That's the glory of God reflected in sky and water, a mighty hooraying of all He has created.  Breath-snatching, reorienting, right-sizing.


This morning was particularly perfect.


Seems fitting for a day set aside as "the Lord's day."  

Remember that phrase in the hymn Holy, Holy, Holy?  Describing the worship of the angles... "Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea?"  Scripture often uses the image of perfectly flat water to represent a place, a state where God's will is perpetually being carried out.  The kingdom of God, in other words.  "Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven."  Like that.

It reminds me, again and again, any time I come out from the Shadow and the water stretches out like glass before me, that He is everything.  He is holy.  He is totally in charge.  And He is just so beautiful!

And then, like David Crowder captures in his song How He Loves Us by David Crowder, everything else kinda doesn't matter so much.  Whatever's bugging me?  Oh yeah.  This.


Big breath in.  Hold it.  Release.  You are God, I am not.  And all that's heavying my heart is (pause) lifted.  Lovingly.  Because...this.

"For our light and momentary troubles
are achieving for us and eternal glory
that far outweighs them all.
So we fix out eyes not on what is seen
but what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen
is eternal."
2 Corinthian 4:17-18

Oh glorious last Sunday of the summer!

Hope you can find your own spaces of worship.  It really does help set things right.

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Rising Songs


"And all of a sudden I am unaware of
these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
and I realize just how beautiful You are
and how great Your affection is for me."
How He Loves, by John Mark McMillan

"For our light and momentary (by comparison) troubles
are achieving for us an eternal glory
that far outweighs them all.
So we fix our eyes on what is unseen,
since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen in eternal."
- Paul - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

I would promise not to post any more sunrise pictures, but I think that's probably not going to happen, so...

And anyways....just look at that sky!!!

We sang this song, How He Loves Us, at Highview on Sunday. By this morning, I can't help but hear it crescendo as I come around the point to this. I'm immersed in something so much bigger than myself. A humbling love of explosion across the horizon. I feel unspeakably small and hugely significant all at the same time.

I stop paddling and just open my face to it.
I say nothing.
Let it come over me.

Afflictions eclipsed by glory.
Eyes fixed on the bigger things, the eternal things.
And the bright impossible sky reminds me,
reorients me.
Again.

So friends. Sorry, not sorry for another sunrise shot.
Praying glorious things for you this day.