Reflect

“Reflect” Adapted from Chasing the Sage by Bud Lamb The BIG IDEA Chasing the Sage one begins to make sense out of chaos. Connecting media posts by one-dimensional politicians, mercenary pundits, and fear-based citizens, he searches to find the truth inside and underneath and behind the scenes -- the tolling of the bell, the sounding of the shofar, like Magi discerning ancient times and events. He looks to initiate young Samuels, the young up-and-coming holy men of the future. Ahh, this is such long, painful discipleship! The Bible says...And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 NASB To reflect is one of the practices a Sage develops. It’s a bit of paying attention and having a “go-to” place where reflections can be written down or sketched out and then collected in a journal of sorts. I call mine “Field Notes” as that’s mostly what they are -- notes from being in the fields of spiritual soaring, alpine adventures by foot or kayak, or musing on the stuff of living in this fallen world. He who chases the Sage remains aware of his humanity, his propensity to hide, lie, to be impatient. He is forever either a prodigal son, a proud older son or a pharisee -- or man of growing integrity who falls often and continues to get up. He rushes to ask God’s forgiveness for the thousandth time he has indulged his flesh; knowing it pleases the Father. He takes the finished work of Christ to have been terrifyingly painful, expensive, and sufficient for all things. Chasing the Sage, he prays for many of today’s boy-men Pastors who minister like clanging cymbals. Many are deceived into thinking what they know and show is love, but is, in fact, nothing but turning the Holy Scripture into a cookbook. Their six-week sermon series about how to get your soul back is written and presented by pastor boys in men’s bodies who think this is the way a holy man speaks for God Almighty. A man chasing the Sage weeps. He is often a forgotten man. He is keenly alert to the whisper of the Ancient of Days, the Three Men we admire most - the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. He listens in silence for words spoken between the inhale and exhale from eternity past. Words and groans from God, Who in the beginning, before the beginning, pre-existed in perfect harmony before anything else existed. Who is now and ever shall be. More than likely you will not find him on talk radio or as a commentator for Fox News. His writing will not be best sellers or his ideas neatly presented on a podcast. Chances are slim the boy-men pastors, who serve as the spiritual leaders of today, and I fear the future, will be interested. He who chases the Sage speaks softly around the fire after a long silence. Those with loud voices can’t bear the silence. They speak loud and fast, gesticulating wisdom -- skimmed off the top or plagiarized -- which gives the appearance of wisdom but has no real power to heal. Draw a crowd? Yes. Inspire to holiness? Perhaps. The wise way is foolish to those who are posing. The wise one extends grand compassion in the purest sense to the well-intentioned heathen or fallen pastor turning follower because he knows by experience the furnace of transformation that awaits just a bit down the road. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.