Forever uninterrupted to create for God’s pleasure-the artist’s dream of the afterlife!

No longer for fame or money, or recognition from the eyes of men; but that sheering pleasure of encountering God directly through it all. Observing deeply out way into Him. No longer under the sway of the witchcraft of industry, or raped by sorcery’s and entertainment’s ways, but making art Now, to adorn the throne alone, forever uninterrupted in Love. In that final relational way, which things actually exist in. For God is relational, and desires us to come into friendship. This the prophets and true artist sang about and from!

Studying the history of Jeremiah in art today: the original post modern prophet!

Jeremiah was the first post modern prophet. Here’s a guy who is ironically involved in his own story. Self commenting constantly, has his text burnt shredded, many times, has someone else publish it, is the most autobiographical prophet, but also the most selfless in some ways.

And actually, we get to overhear him quitting his job with God. He’s the prophet for our generation—with so many rising and falling empires, someone staying true to an older Voice and Heart, but with his heart on his sleeve! And, as all prophets has a personal spirituality of friendship with God. Also, like Ezekiel one asked to do both performance art, and symbolic gestures to get across what God was trying to communicate.

I’m studying the history of images in art of Jeremiah today. Once again a man with a very cool grey beard of priestly dimensions, hiding out in caves. He was of course a minister’s son (which was probably his first challenge, as it has been mine), and bought land in his hometown, at a foolish, but symbolic, time to invest in the home team. Certain prophets have authentic style.

This guy’s autobiography was part of the message (i like it with people like Johnny Cash, when their personal story is part of the gospel God is telling), like David and later St Paul, God used their personal stories to tell a bigger story!

Digging Jeremiah today—the post modern prophet of his times! Lived outloud, lived big, lived through at least two generations of God’s purposes. Cool prophet. Good art study today! And inspiring me to grow a long grey beard! Here’s a man not afraid to grow old even if he dies in a foreign land. Also someone who talks to animals and mountains. I like his way. A bit crazy in a good way. I like this guy!

Turning grey in Grace!

Been thinking about grey beards lately, as I have one when i grow it out. I like the symbol! My favorite prophet Jeremiah, is always imaged sporting one, and he really is my hero—his ability to be authentic transparent and speak the truth creatively, with his heart on his sleeve still inspires me. Not to mention, as all prophets, he was an actual friend of God! Had a spirituality of friendship.

Plus, he rocked a cool grey beard. Wasn’t trying to be cool, ok with aging, ok with who he was, though at times openly complained about his task, as we all do, at times. Anyway, as i get older, i’m getting more attracted to grey. Perhaps grey is the new black, or something like that. Why compete to look like we are teenagers, or worse, stay teenagers spiritually. Let’s get older in Him, grow up into the Head, in every area, including facial hair! Just a thought i keep having recently. I like older wines. And I like becoming a spiritual father no longer in competition with others, but having a heart to bless them! Comfortable and accepting of my many years on earth, and year growing in Him!

Grey beards yes! It makes it apparent that you are a parent, no longer in competition with the world, rather wanting to bless others in Wisdom. I like grey beards. They make a statement. I’m ok with being myself. Ok to be getting older, no longer trying to look like a teenager. When you become a father, you are no longer in competition with the world, you are serving it, and covering it. It frees you up, once accepted, to bless more people. To embrace age, is the way to go, as long as you are also spiritually aging!

After counseling folks for a number or years, and being in counseling myself, some simple insights on the basic pattern of healing…

There are some basic patterns in healing. The most basic pattern is: becoming aware of immature parts of yourself (conviction), confessing them (i need help stage-do you want to be healed, Jesus asked), and forgiving in every direction (the Cross and blood), and then planting a new way in its place (restoration); then lastly, learning how to walk out in the newer ways of Life (discipleship in the new ways of life in that area). This pattern in christian terms is then: crisis of self, leading to conviction, towards the Cross of our need, where transformation begins, to finding what is meant to be planted instead, redemption and restoration, then learning to walk it out-sanctification. Not too complicated, and it seems to me how things actually heal or become themselves or whole again. It works, in other words.

Since God is One, we are being made one or integrated. The process involves these stages in healing.

Thinking about what it looks like to grow up in every area of my life—sex, finances, theology, inner healing etc; any area which is younger and needs to move into and get aligned with His Kingdom ways-parts of self which need to grow up, in other words. Managing my physical body well, managing my money, etc. Working on growing all parts into The Head. That’s one thing I’m working on.

The pattern in each area of healing is: to become aware of needed growth areas in ourselves, or wounds, or stunted parts of self, in certain areas; to confess and forgive in that area (Meet The Cross); then, to plant new life and ways in that area, and learn to walk them out with Him.

That’s always the basic biblical pattern for healing. Knowledge, confession and forgiveness (visiting the Cross, as they say), planting new ways in each area, learning to walk in them, are the basics of healing. And the process is lead by The Spirit, who brings up each area which needs renovation in Order, so we are not overwhelmed and can form in Wisdom. None of us is ever done healing, so might as well learn the patterns of healing, whether ourselves, friends, neighborhoods or our cities and nations. You can’t really skip any of the steps!

Reading about the “way of prophets” today..reading about their ways from a Jewish and Christian perspective, but as a way on earth in Him as well…combining some quotes and insights here:

Nice insight about the way of the prophets, I came across today:

“The great thing about prophets is that they just don’t care what you think of them—like King David dancing naked before the ark. The fear of rejection of others, has been killed, so they can just dance, naked before God, as we all are. They dance for us all, as we are meant to be. Example it for others, or make a way to be. And feel that gap between His Heart, and ours. Their (our) burden is to carry the mind and heart of God, and then His expressions, in tandem and while being tangibly aware of the hearts of people, and stay humble as they do.”

A terrible and beautiful and priestly chore theirs/ours also, even as we pray for one another in that way.

And a good solid Jewish warning: “So don’t envy the way of the prophets,” as one said: “it is deadly to them, but life to others. Unless a seed dies and is buried into the ground it is useless to bear fruit.” Nice prophetic study of being today! Plus, prophets are never welcomed in their own hometowns. Mis-understanding is a given by the nature of gap.

And from my studies, a prophet, or one moving in the prophetic way, is never welcomed in his own home! “That means, for a christian, the Church would be the place of most resistance for the prophetic voice.” For an artist, perhaps, the art world would be. Whatever area you are priesting for and in, without care or fear of rejection in (just standing before God in that area), will be a place of resistance. Adam and Eve hid when God showed up, and we continue to.”

(all quotes, mine)

Love is always where God is, and is the tone of discernment. When I hear that tone, i know I’m near home in myself and useful to others. Discern where the tone of love is in a conversation or dialogue, enter there, and the conversation will be fruitful. Where the candle is already burning is the room to talk into, and be. It’s also the safest place in the house to talk.

I love studying city’s and nation’s identities and their stories, what they were meant to be, what they did with their gifts, and how that could be redeemed! It’s the same with counseling people really. We were given certain things, we typically misused them, and we need healing to use them well again to bless others! Healing always has these three: realizing you are worth something, confessing a misuse of your gifts, and through confession being allowed to use them again in Love to bless others.

First place to outlaw slave trade—Denmark, which Pieter Bos, one of my favorite dutch city planner prophetic thinker people (“The Nation’s Called”), said, had and have an collective identity of “visionary friend, and friend sent” in his language. His basic idea of nations having collective identities, and then going through and naming some of them, has informed my thoughts over the years.

But also interesting to see when nations move in their redeemed identity at certain moments in history! Seems like Denmark moved in hers at that stage of history.

Bos’ theory was that nations have corporate identities, but we have to see the intended version, the broken or perverted version (which needs to be confessed etc), and the redeemed version even to pray for another nation. He also suggest that it is the most difficult to see the redeemed version of one’s own nation’s story! And how it connects to our own. Seems true from experience! Nice insights his.

And reading about the history of slavery today, interesting to think of Denmark as the first european nation to outlaw slave trade—sort of an early sign nation, based in a friendship type of spirituality (as all prophetic nations have; prophets are friends with God first and then proclaimers, they have friendship authority!)- those meeker northern countries. Good study nonetheless.

Love looking at nations as having collective destinies, identities, stories wanting to be made whole, makes sense to me. What each person’s gifts are, how they were mis-used, and how they could be redeemed, or brought back into alignment—how the story could be edited towards Love!

Love learning history, and when nations actually move under their mantels in a redeemed way, it frees up others, eventually. This must be part of discipling the nations—to understand their whole stories, and when they are moving in a true version of themselves, and what each needs to get there. Fun study today…. glad Denmark stepped up early on in it’s gifts to plant the seeds to end the ways of slavery! Hopeful.

Someone made the mistake of asking me the general spiritual state of things this week as i was getting an iced mocha for my wife. I like big questions from strangers. So i gave this quick reply:
We are in a high contrast season, of being laid bare as an act of kindness to show us what still needs to grow up spiritually, was my quick reply. But then i had to go on, as this fellow was genuinely curious! It is a rapid and deeper spiritual formation season, where many can accelerate their growth, even going from babies to full adults in new areas of their lives.
What’s inside us produces the expression of what on the outside. So the real work always starts within! In this season, everything which doesn’t bear fruit is being made obvious. We are in a season of being lade bare as people, and peoples. Trees are known by their fruit. And the health of their roots is made obvious by the fruits.
Inner motivations are being made obvious now. And we have to test our own constantly. It is for our certain good, that every area not actually in Life, is exposed.
So being laid bare is an act of kindness, for a deeper formation as we yield. The real fruits of the heart are being made very obvious in our times—this again, is Mercy really, though uncomfortable and at times ugly. Yet, the opportunity is to go further into true spiritual life. And more fully. Deeper formation in every area of our lives is the opportunity. Clean the inner wells to be useful in interface with the outer. Work on lighting the candle well rather than chasing after the dark. And make sure there’s a candle lit in every room of your house.
We see clearly in the outer world that things are being laid bare and made obvious in their sources and motivations. The motivations and state of the heart is being made obvious globally, even by the daily rhetoric—the heart’s revealed by words. What’s lodged there, is what matters, and the type of fruit which comes out, just makes that obvious. But many are chasing the outer world rather than working on the inner one. Develop spiritual fruits, then you can feed others who are eating and or producing poisonous ones. Dislodge our own motes before helping others. Grow up, then serve those who are younger in that area.
This is kindness, so we can grow up in every area. It’s a season of being laid bare in order to bear much more fruit. Rapid growth is the opportunity, but we have to really prioritize growth in every area—maturing the parts which need to grow up into spiritual adulthood. The call is for deeper formation. The method is all things being lade bare or made overt, obvious. Lighting up the whole house is the task of this season.
Some need to stay inside and work on each room, others to be painting the exterior, but what needs renovation is being made obvious, and this is Mercy and Kindness, so that more of us may grow up into the fullness. This then is a time of high contrast, which is vulnerable, but also a grand opportunity for rapid growth and maturation. The wise person is happy to be shown what still needs to grow! We are in a season where we are being shown what needs to die and be reborn first in us, and then in our communities and world. This is Mercy. You could call this a season of deeper spiritual formation, but the method is all things being laid bare.
Our outer lives are created from our inner state. So we start with prioritizing the inner life and its fuller formation, in order to transform the outer. This is what it means that outer expression flows from the heart. Work on the heart first, then the outer takes care of itself.
So for me, for instance, if i want to get to the outer next season, i have to start with the inner formation of my heart, then i will find myself surrounded by what is flowing out from it. Out of the heart flows all outer expressions…
Words (how we communicate) are important this season-how we use them, and where they come from in us-as from the heart words, communication, expression, even art overflow. Our words also reveal the state of our heart—they are like the visible or audible fruits, that the roots of the tree are known by. Words still matter. Maybe even more now, ironically. So, in short, i said to my friend: we are in a season of being lade bare which has in it great opportunities for rapid and deep spiritual growth! Fuller formation!
Anyways, this was my brief response when a friend asked me this week, the state of things in general this season. No one should ever ask me big questions while I’m getting my wife an iced mocha. All the ice melted by the time I got home! Alas.

Joseph the wise manager. Passion versus patience. Thinking of 14 years not just immediate needs. Wise management.

Store up treasures in heaven. Plan wisely while on earth. Make eternal deposits as Joseph did. Wisdom plants towards glory to come.

Thinking about Joseph lots lately. Wise visionary. He saw the times in a dream and invested accordingly while in a position of power on earth.

Also thinking lots about how our season is about clearly seeing which parts are not yet mature. It’s a high contrast season. One of things being laid bare. This is Mercy so we know where to allow a deeper formation of His Life and character.

Someone asked me yesterday, where we are all at…my heart unexpectedly, but quickly replied….deep times, require long answers! Do you have a longer moment?! Ok, then…sometimes it’s good to post a full response.

A season, of Being, and ours, laid bare. (lay bare–third-person singular simple present lays bare, present participle laying bare, simple past and past participle laid bare) To make bare; strip. And laid those proud roofs bare to summer’s rain. –Byron. (figuratively) To expose to view, reveal, uncover…) That’s the type of season we are all in. Being made more obvious or overt in our growth, is another useful definition of this phrase!

People should never ask me deep questions when i’m just picking up an iced mocha for my wife, but since this fellow did….

So, this was my very brief answer when someone asked me this week what type of season things are in collectively, I had to answer: One of being laid bare, I said. People, cities and nations, each of us..we are seeing what parts are actually “in The Light”, “in Him”, and which parts need to mature, or come home, catch up and mature, as Henri Nouwen put it. “God is trying to bring us all the way home! Each part of us!” To eclipse us in knowing, as one monk put it!

Each of us has to ask, which part is not whole yet in my life. And get that part into The Light of growth and maturation.

Trees and people, cities and nations, are known by their fruit. What is not fruitful in us, is being uprooted and exposed for its certain growth, was my first response to this friend. It is good to know what is not mature or in growth in yourself, that’s Mercy, then you can tend and steward it, into the present!

It is mercy to reveal which parts of us are actually in and growing in Light and which parts are in flight from Reality; what’s home, maturing growing in us, and which parts still need to grow and be guided towards maturity. So things are in high contrast lately, being made obvious in their levels of maturity. So we can catch up with ourselves “in Him.”

This is kind, so we will be all the way “home” when greater storms, which are coming, come. A tree is known by its fruit. What in you is actually rooted and grounded in Love, as the good book puts it. The fruits planted at night, are now exposed by a searing Light. It is good to know which parts are truly rooted and which are still trying to find good soil.

This is a high contrast season, when what has been done in secret is brought into the light and interpreted. We are in a being laid bare season on earth. And that is Mercy. Was my quick response. It’s a great opportunity to renovate the whole heart-to catch up on growth, to come entirely or more fully home. Complacency is impossible in times like ours.

High contrast lighting reveals the actual present contours, so we can work on the overall composition of our lives! It is good to know what is mature and immature in ourselves and things around us. Love is the lens for interpreting what is what. Love is discernment, even of ourselves.

This is a season of potential rapid growth and maturation in every area of life, as we yield expectantly in Hope. And get usefully exposed in areas of weakness…which is compost for potential growth!

And then my friend had to go, so I stopped rambling about where we are now. But then, he snuck away to hear the end…

Lastly I said, things are being laid bare, made apparent or obvious in every area of life, which really is a gift of Grace, so we can grow and catch up with ourselves in every area! Individually and collectively. It is a high contrast black and white time, so we can see and choose well. And form well.

I asked my friend, as I ask myself daily: What needs growth now in yourself, what is immature in you? What needs to undergo transformation in each room of your life? What needs to “meet Jesus in your dreams?” What parts need to come into the present of His Presence in your life?

For, we are in a time of opportunity to transform, a potential “yes moment” to growth and Life, in every area un-grown or immature-individually and collectively. Things, people and people groups are being grown up, being shown for what they are and will be. Matured and exposed. And the process is exposure or what may feel like over exposure at times. These are necessarily vulnerable times. It’s for our certain good to be exposed.

We are in high contrast times of potential transformation. And it’s a great gift to live in “such a time as this.” Not boring at least! And sheering lays bare character. It’s kind to be pruned towards our potential Glory. And that’s where the story is at now. It’s an editing moment, when the all the lights go up and expose the inner content of things. So we know, and can choose to grow.

We are, at the very least, in a time of character formation individually and collectively. Everything in us, must grow up, be caught up, or die. Our trees will be known by our fruits. And we are those who are meant to lean into Sky and Truth. The roots, or our inner work is where to start, and do our part of and in yielded transformation. To trust into becoming, and keep leaning into what is Love.

When someone asks you a question, you need to answer it from the heart, thoroughly. This was part of mine, as I picked up an iced mocha for my wife yesterday! Each of us give our own partial answers, this was mine.