Just a thought...

I was listening to a blogpost on Sin and the Vocations Crisis and something profound jumped out at me. There was a statement made along the lines of Christ receiving US into HIS heart. Now I never even thought of this before. It has always been the idea of receiving Him in my heart. Come to think of it, I would much rather be received into His sacred heart (such a pure and holy place indeed!) than simply to receive Him into mine, full of cobwebs and undiscovered territory (while at the same time acknowledging that I must, in fact allow Him into this dusty old mansion!). A lot of this could simply be semantics. Just as the ball is in both courts of two lovers. A giving and receiving of love. This might lead to a deeper meditation on the heart of our Lord. To be able to dwell there, rest there, to allow His holy fire of love to consume all that is impure. Not much more to say about this but the idea is powerful. May it be more than just an idea!

The Father and the Son making music.

Growing up, I didn't appreciate classical music. I thought Beethoven was a kids movie involving a Saint Bernard. Classical was either for old people or for one who flew over the cuckoo's nest. I vaguely remember my dad telling me about Arthur Fiedler and how great of a conductor he was. Yeah dad, sure. Whatever you say (rolling my eyes, making sure he didn't see me for fear of the whap). It wasnt until the military, being stationed in Germany, that I heard Toccata and Fugue being played live in an old cathedral in Darmstadt. If I remember correctly, my eyes actually watered from the beauty of the sound. "Oh, THIS is music!" As opposed to all the rubbish I've been listening to my whole life (well, except Skynyrd!). My ears were opened to a whole new experience. Since that day, I never turned my back on classical music. Bach and me were buddies for life.
Going back a few years before that experience, I remember picking up a violin and trying to run the bow over it's strings. After all, it couldn't be that difficult making a sound that at least didn't shatter glass. Well, after sweeping up what used to be my mom's glass vase, I quickly realized that this was no easy task. To this day I greatly admire those who can play ANY musical instrument. All I can play is my CD player!
Anyway, what got me thinking, is that in order to make Toccata and Fugue sound like a work of art, one must follow a conductor and only then, after years and years of labor intensive practice and discipline, can one be ready to play in the Pops. Another thing that comes to mind is no matter how beautiful the individual instruments sound, there is nothing like listening to them in a symphony. So it is with the church. It takes years of practicing God's presence, reading His Word and living out what you learn with discipline as a child of the Father, the great Composer. As we mature, we find our "place", our "instrument" and we join those in following Christ the Conductor of this beautiful symphony called life. Imagine what our Father hears when his musicians are in symphony with one another. I'll bet His eyes get watery too!