You've Got Eternal Life!

"I write these things to you who believe

in the name of the Son of God,

so that you may know that you have eternal life."

(From 1 John 5:9-13)

Elaine's mother had a household rule: never call between 7:00 and 7:30!

Jeopardy! is on!

I wonder if her mother got to the pearly gates, asked St. Peter which room Jeopardy! was on at 7:00.

There's a big difference between heaven's’ pearly gates and eternal life 

The Bible describes heaven as mainly God's dwelling place.

As Cleland Boyd McAfee describes in his hymn, “There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God.”

It’s where Elijah was taken in a whirlwind and the Spirit in Revelation 14:13 says, “they will rest from their labor.”

In heaven, God is surrounded by angels in a community of peace, love, and worship.

Eternal life is something very different.

In John 3:16 and in 1 John 5:13, eternal life isn’t referring only to life beyond the grave.

Eternal life is full life, now and in the world to come.

Both the Gospel of John and 1 John understand eternal life to be a present reality as well as future promise for those who believe in Jesus Christ. 

“Life” in this sense has to do with a quality of existence that death cannot destroy.

That is, it is “eternal,” not in the sense of lasting forever, but in its quality, in its appearance here and now.

Recognize God’s life-giving Spirit among us reveals the eternal life we already have.

It’s like Elaine’s mother sitting before the TV watching Jeopardy! excited at one winner, but disappointed at another.

God’s life-giving Spirit among us is God’s gift of eternal life.

Come, Sing A New Song

O sing to the Lord a new song, 

for he has done marvelous things. 

His right hand and his holy arm

 have gotten him victory.

(from Psalm 98)

When The Faith We Sing, a new songbook, was published I discovered there were several types of new songs.

Some of the new songs, such as "Down to the River to Pray", had been around for a long time, but singing it was a new experience to me.

Other songs, such as "Where Children Belong" were new because they were recently composed, so I had to learn them.

The oldest “new” song to me is the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:1-42 because I hadn't realized it was a song.

Psalm 98 is an extremely important psalm anchoring the collection of “the LORD is king” enthronement psalms so it’s considered “the theological ‘heart’” of the Psalms.

The possible origin of Psalm 98 was a response to the exile crisis with the “marvelous things” referring to God leading the people out of Babylon in what amounts to a new exodus.

The message being, just as God’s presence was in the Exodus, so God’s presence is may be seen in the return from the Babylonian exile, so a new exodus that invites the singing of “a new song”.

The victory, it seems to me, is that God is present among us doing what God does: working toward salvation through justice.

This means I can sing a new song of hope in the crisis of our fractured world because God is present doing what God does.

I can also sing a new song of hope and healing for people living through a personal crisis because God is present doing what God does.

I discovered retirement is its own personal crisis because of a lifestyle change, but learned to sing a new song of retirement because God was present doing what God does: offering new life.

Core Spiritual Strength

"But whenever you pray, 

go into your room and shut the door

 and pray to your Father who is in secret; 

and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

(Matthew 6:6)

As my fall risk increased, my doctor prescribed physical therapy.

My first appointment concluded with the therapist saying, “We’ll start by building up your core muscles which are the basis for stability."

So, I wondered what core spiritual practices are the basis for strengthening my faith?

Four core spiritual practices are clear: Bible reading and study, prayer, worship., and acts of justice.

Centering prayer is a core practice which is not an obvious way to deepen your relationship with God. 

Centering Prayer, based on Matthew 6:6, says “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Centering prayer works like this:

First, “enter your room”, meaning finding a quiet place. 

Choose a sacred word or image to refocus when your thoughts wander.

Second, “shut the door,” by sitting comfortably and silently with your eyes closed. 

Let go of all thoughts, worries, memories, and plans. 

When thoughts, feelings, images, and memories arise, use the sacred word or image to recenter. 

Third, at the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes. 

Finally, offer a prayer to God who is in secret and speaks to you beyond words.

This prayer of being quiet takes effort, yet the silence offers a renewed spiritual strength, an inner peace, a deeper connection with God.

It’s like being with God in an oasis of quiet while surrounded by a world of noise.