beautiful mess
Jul 28th, 2007 by Nathanael
A few months ago, Gregory Boyd taught a series of sermons called “A Beautiful Mess.” You can find the series on this page: http://www.whchurch.org/content/page_781.htm Mr. Boyd is becoming on of my favorite preachers.
He explains why he came up with that title for the series. He says that there is a new world order coming, and it’s called the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God will bring a beautiful mess to our normal order. And the kingdom of God will bring a beautiful order to our normal messes.
Well that concept struck home with me. How often I settle for a semblance of Christianity. And the Lord wants to break through my “normal order” and bring His beautiful mess into my comfortable life.
Not fun, but necessary.
.
To my chagrin, I realize
That oft my Christian-like portrayal
Is just a paper-thin disguise
For my Judas-like betrayal.
The kingdom of God storms my borders,
And to its love I acquiesce.
This kingdom of truth brings beautiful order
To my everyday, normal mess.
The kingdom of God seeks to transform
The restrictions of religion’s confines.
The strategy of love takes by storm
The strongholds of my mortal mind.
To my chagrin, I realize
That oft my Christian-like portrayal
Is just a paper-thin disguise
For my Judas-like betrayal.
The kingdom of God doesn’t measure success,
With bricks and stones and mortar.
The kingdom of God brings a beautiful mess
To my comfortable, normal order
The kingdom of God will restore
Eternal unity and shalom.
With love this world cannot ignore,
The kingdom is here, our hearts are its home.
To my delight, I realize
That Jesus can heal my Christian-like portrayal
As my self-righteousness dies,
His love overcomes my Judas-like betrayal.
