Teamlesley

Reflections on Archetypes and the Hero Journey

2009-03-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

I wrote this essay as a final assignment in Barb Osburg's Mythology class as part of a Master's program at Webster University in 2002. Now, I am exploring the essence of trickster wisdom and it feels relevant. Hence, I am posting it here.

Some would call Joseph Campbell a wizard since he has faced the metaphysical dragons and determined himself invulnerable, except for that ultimate dragon, Death, who trumps all. Unless, as Don Richardson, author and lecturer at Fuller Seminary, writes, God has placed "eternity in their hearts" - "their," meaning the meta-cognitive corporate consciousness of every culture the world over. Since, in the Apostle Paul's words, what can be known about God is "evident" by means of his creation (Romans 1:19), even the kings of the earth can be required to "kiss the Son lest he be angry and [they] perish in the way" (Psalm 2:12).

Obviously, magic, shamanism, occult arts, and various other manifestations of spiritual power exist and impact the material world regardless of whether or not they are acknowledged or invoked. Festivals and ritual re-enactments routinely re-assert the claims of various gods, demigods, and mythologies over regions and people groups. These, according to George Otis Jr., of the Sentinal Group, are doors into the realm of the spirit, or Madeleine L'Engle's metaphor, "wrinkles in time."

An ingenue-innocent who explores these various stories might marvel when echoes resound beyond natural boundaries and past trade routes without experiencing any dis-equilibrium. But, when the paradoxes penetrate past the innocent's mind they make muddles of any rotely parroted religious dogma. Thus, the first abandonment comes, full of disillusion.

Now, orphaned and alone, the menacing melancholy becomes a sublime monster who mocks all the meaning that once made sense. The loneliness lingers until its listlessness becomes unbearable and transforms the orphan, John Walker-like, into a wanderer.

Is it a wanton wondering or a quiet quest for truth that turns the weakling into some terrible Taliban, garbed like a medieval warrior hiding in a robber baron's den? What satisfaction comes to the "martyr" when, dying like Samson, he pulls the pizzaria's pillars down? Which wizard empowers him: Osama?

Does it even matter because all the apocalypses agree that the end is? Or, is there a magic that is deeper still, as the Lion, Aslan, insists, of which the White Witch knows nothing, a magic roar reverberating from before the beginning to after the end, proclaiming "I AM" the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)? I choose to be an innocent, protected; an orphan, adopted; a wanderer, returned home; a warrior, commanded; a martyr sacrificed in the service of the Wizard of Wizards who defeated the dragon and who holds the keys.

c. 2002, 2009 by Lesley Barker

New Year Resolution 2009

2009-01-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

Surprise me again
I am
Twirling in rainbow taffeta
Battle sore
Weaving sparkled tapestry
New stars singing new victories
While I
Slip softly
Soak
Submerged in my golden sea
There is my ship
Emerging
I am
Dripping gold
As I
Spin free

c. 2009 by Lesley Barker

Making it in the Marketplace - No Place for Children

2007-12-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

Making it in the Marketplace—No place for Children
By Lesley Barker c. 2007
A successful business owner recently told me that a lot of nonprofits just don’t understand the marketplace and that is why many of them are in such chronic financial trouble. It reminded me of when Jesus criticized people for being like children sitting in the marketplace and not responding correctly. We played the flute for you but you did not dance….(Luke 7:31 NRSV). Basically he was stating that the marketplace has signals that grownups understand and follow or respond to. Unlike his admonition that one must become like little children in order to enter God’s Kingdom, when in the marketplace, it is not wisdom to exhibit childlike qualities. Kids in the marketplace go after shiny baubles. They don’t consider quality but they look for the lowest price. They think money is endlessly available. They tantrum if told no. They may try to steal just to get a piece of candy. They can be easily taken advantage of and they do not know how to comparison shop. Jesus also applauded certain adult marketplace behaviors. He commended shrewd networking, a calculating approach, a willingness to pay what something costs, and making deals to avoid being in debt. The Bible also advises that one not be overly open about ones business goals or feelings. It suggests that we should be willing to take risks to gain riches, to negotiate for the best deals, and to consider contractual agreements binding. It also expects employers to pay the people they hire extra generously, not to abuse employees or make them have to sacrifice to satisfy the boss, and give them regular and adequate time off and bonuses. While children are known to understand the Kingdom of God, they do not understand the marketplace. Success in both arenas requires wisdom and is available to grownups who can decide whether it is incumbent on them to behave in childlike or mature ways. For nonprofit organizations to be healthy, sustainable, growing, and effective, they need to function with wisdom and maturity in business matters. After all, Jesus concluded in the same passage, wisdom is vindicated by all her children. (Luke 7:35 NRSV).

Emulating Eve

2007-07-10T07:28:00.001-07:00

It tastes good to her
That small bite of ripe plum
It
Nobody heard
Tastes
Her teeth slit
Good
The thin skin
To
Nobody saw
Her
Blood-juice drip
It
Slight pleasure
Tastes
Changed everything
Good to
Cost
Her
the world

c. 2007 By Lesley Barker

Eulogy for a Company (AG Edwards) Past

2007-06-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

Dan Martin’s “Postcard From Mound City” is the title of a feature cartoon that is published weekly by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The one for Saturday, June 2, 2007 took as its theme the week’s bomb-shell financial announcement that Wachovia will acquire AG Edwards & Sons. Even Mayor Francis Slay was surprised by the news. The region loses yet another national company to a financial takeover like it lost Trans World Airlines and McDonnell Douglas. The “cash register” building at Jefferson and Market will soon boast a new name and the pride of an old St. Louis family and its firm will gradually fade from the city’s memory. The descendents of this brigadier general who was Lincoln’s last appointee and an undersecretary of the treasury department cherish a different recollection of AGE than Dan Martin’s. The cartoonist portrays the man, now bedecked in angel wings, shocked to tears, with a lit cigar and bags of money, supported by his cloud shouting “Whatchama Whozits??!!" Like the recent spate of television commercials that first mocked the name and then attempted to link the company to an oversized egg in transit, this cartoon only demonstrates its creator’s lack of research. AG Edwards was a significant figure in the region’s financial history, granted. He also served to build the Presbyterian legacy in St. Louis that has grown to include North Presbyterian Church, Memorial Presbyterian Church, Covenant Presbyterian Church, and Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church as well as the many congregations that have emerged from each of those since the 1890s. He was instrumental in the founding of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. The company prospered but not due to his affinity to bags of money or Cuban cigars. Instead, its commitment to do business by the Book even when it hurt the bottom line and its loyalty to its customers and employees created a reliable financial institution that survived the Great Depression and all the other fiscal storms of the last 100 plus years. It doesn’t look like any of the descendents will have been hurt financially by the Wachovia takeover, even though it was done without their support since they no longer control a majority share of the company’s stock. But, it is with a great sadness that the family finds its legacy fading under the gum of some corporate eraser and itself voiceless to correct the image that will perhaps persist as do the “ghost” signs on the old brick buildings from the same era as the general. AG Edwards was my children’s great-great grandfather.

March

2007-04-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

March

c. 2007 by Lesley Barker

Spring, at Winter's cervix crowned

Crocus and Hyacinth

Winter wind moans

Snow-frosted Daffodils

Transition

Tulips, Forsythia, Cherry blossoms

Push bearing down sighing

Spent petals limply lying down

Premature Summer's crying

American Revolutionaries by Lesley Barker

2007-03-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

When Samuel Adams addressed the public on the subject of American Independence in Philadelphia, his speech wove the woof of a political imperative through the warp of a clearly nuanced, intimate, and deeply personal biblical faith in God. Whereas his words applied to how abusive but theoretically Christian governments had produced impure expressions of Christianity around the eighteenth century world, they may also provide an equally apt evaluation of the state of twenty-first century American Christianity at large.

Our glorious reformers when they broke through the fetters of superstition effected more than could be expected from an age so darkened. But they left much to be done by their posterity. They lopped off, indeed, some of the branches of Popery, but they left the root and stock when they left us under the domination of human systems and decisions, usurping the infallibility which can be attributed to Revelation alone. They dethroned one usurper only to raise up another; they refused allegiance to the Pope only to place the civil magistrate in the throne of Christ, vested with authority to enact laws and inflict penalties in his kingdom. And if we now cast our eyes over the nations of the earth, we shall find that, instead of possessing the pure religion of the Gospel, they may be divided either into infidels, who deny the truth; or politicians who make religion a stalking horse for their ambition; or professors, who walk in the trammels of orthodoxy, and are more attentive to traditions and ordinances of men than to the oracles of truth.

The players: infidels, politicians, and professors, remain- all made visible by the recent rise and possible demise of the “Religious Right.” Each group has gained a voice in the media and in the marketplace. None of them seems to possess the argument, authority, or acumen needed to bring truth to bear against the besetting problems of our time.

Today’s “infidels, who deny the truth” assert that there is no moral absolute, a position only tenable if there is no deity to whom accountability is due. These assert the individual’s “right to happiness”, “right to choose,” “I’m OK- You’re OK,” and “me first” mentality as the basis for moral, legal, and social decisions. Using a grass-roots shock and awe PR strategy, small under-represented counter-cultural groups have been able to burn their bras, flags, and draft cards in front of television cameras often enough to sway a formidable following. The polarity between these “infidels” and the “professors” has been mitigated recently by today’s “politicians,” however.

Today’s “politicians, who make religion a stalking horse for their ambition” include the Republican political machine as described by David Kuo, (recent assistant to Pres. G. W. Bush and author of Tempting Faith,) and the “new” face of Hillary Clinton whose recent rhetoric is peppered with phrases cut from but not credited to Christian hymns and familiar Bible passages. Meant to mobilize the votes of people whose highest allegiance is to their faith by creating a coded co-affiliation, this is a “did God really say” stratagem of the most subtle variety.
Today’s “professors, who walk in the trammels of orthodoxy” continue to proclaim a merciless God whose favors are based on the kinds of outward righteousness that caused Jesus to label as being practiced by “broods of vipers” and “white-washed sepulchers.” Without decrying the behaviors evinced by these proud, exclusive, power-mongering members of the ruling religious elite, Jesus presented contrast after contrast to demonstrate the approachability of the God who heals the sick, casts out demons, forgives adulterers, and touches the untouchables. Where are the “tax collectors” of our day who are honest enough to stand exposed in the presence of this God and plead for mercy even though next to him, in the same pew, the Pharisee boasts of his own superiority?

Is the real problem that the American church at large- no matter what denominational or non-denominational stripe we consider- has taken its place on the “throne of Christ” so that its demand for allegiance and loyalty to the institution masks the need for individual reliance on the Gospel, Revelation, and a pure expression of the Christian faith? George Barna, a social scientist whose Barna Research Organization concentrates on investigating the state of the American church, concluded that those individual Christians whose lives are the defined by their faith are, with more and more frequency, abandoning the institutional church. Like the Americans to whom Samuel Adams addressed his remarks on independence, these Christians whose allegiance is to that city “not made with hands” have been dubbed “Revolutionaries".

The financial faith factor

2007-03-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

"I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away"- Jesus, Luke 19:26 NIV

How this statement should challenge the way Christian ministry organizations operate! Is it a spiritual law? In no way do I understand the Scriptures to promote a "name it and claim it- get rich quick" mentality. However, if it is true that the ones with assets will receive more and that the ones who lack resources will lose more, then perhaps the key question when a ministry finds itself in need of funds, personnel, or other resources, should be "what do we have?" or "what do we bring to the table?"

The idea resonates with a challenge I found myself confronted with years ago. Several of my children were very small. We had very little money and I heard myself complaining about being poor. Instantly I felt the Spirit of the Lord rebuke me. "Don't say you are poor; you are not poor; according to the Scriptures you are rich in Christ."

When my eldest daughter was 14, she wanted to go to Guatemala on a church mission trip but we did not have enough money to pay for it. We prayed about whether she was to go in spite of the evidence that suggested we could not afford it. Almost overnight she began to receive babysitting jobs and monetary gifts so that she had a surplus of funds for the trip. Later she said, "My friend and I are the only ones in the youth group who tithe and we are also the only ones who never have to worry about money." What did she have that created the momentum for her to receive more? Was it faith, trust, assurance....? She certainly did not evaluate her potential based on her bottom line.

I'd love for the blog readers to share their faith/financial experiences. How do you proceed when you find yourself in a situation where you don't seem to have enough? Do you lean on any scriptural premises or promises? Is God a financial factor that you ever consider? Add your comments at the bottom of this post?

Why Seek His Kingdom Anyhow? c. 2006 by Lesley Barker

2006-12-11T07:47:00.000-08:00

One night in May 1973 I put aside my cluster of nuanced, logical, and deeply held objections to faith long enough to draw near to God. Instantly, I knew His presence and His friendship. So, I set my course so that I would be with Him always even though it meant that I risked everything familiar about my identity, my world-view, my friendships, and my future plans. Indeed, it did and continues to cost everything for the sake of the reward which is incalculable- albeit sometimes invisible and intangible. Nevertheless, I continue to gamble that God is the greatest and only foundation for life and that His Kingdom will extend with Glory and Power and Absolute Pre-eminence visibly and tangibly throughout the whole earth. I continue to make my choices so that I seek that Kingdom’s extension and growth no matter the immediate consequences to my circumstances. It has taken 33 years of this search to allow the reign of King Jesus to dominate a mere portion of my heart and mind because of the extent to which I became co-dependent with and in bondage to philosophies and fears that assert lack, doom, and the need for self-fulfillment and that obstruct the reign of grace, truth, righteousness, peace, and love. I shall continue to prioritize His Kingdom- not because of the promise of houses, land, and relationships here and later; but because it is the only way I have found to walk free and disentangled from the hindrances that make progress towards meaning and truth possible. When His throne is established in the earth I shall be welcomed in the throne room. Crowned, robed, palm branch in my hands, I will throw my crown down at His feet and stand with the crowd of intimates acclaiming Him Lord forever. Praising Him!

One way to think about God's economic philosophy

2006-12-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

Recently I listened to a seminar by Tony Fitzgerald (www.cotn.org), “God’s Interest in Your Financial Interests” on 8 CDs. He describes following the biblical economics of God’s kingdom as key to discipling nations and he contrasts God’s economic philosophy with that of the world. He says that the world’s philosophy is based on the lack or the imminent lack of resources which is antithetical to the way a good Father provides for His children. He calls the philosophy of lack a lie that is poised to bring into doubt that the Father’s heart ensures us provision, position, and transition into a place of wealth. Furthermore he encourages Christians not to seek blessing, which is “commanded” but to seek the kingdom. Blessing, Fitzgerald asserts, will seek after you. He interprets the book of Philemon as the biblical basis to pray for a supernatural cancellation of debt. He advices that we practice giving tithes and offerings in the way that they were understood by the rabbis and the Christians of the first century AD. The first offering is “First Fruits” which is 1/40 or 2.5% of a person’s gross income. It was not to be eaten; rather given to a person who is speaking and serving spiritually into your life and it releases a spirit of generosity while ensuring that the 97.5% remainder of the gross income will be blessed by God. The first tithe, 9.75% of the gross went to the Levitical priesthood in the Jewish tradition. The second tithe was only collected for two out of three years or 2/3 of 9.75% of the gross income. This tithe was put aside for the family to use to celebrate the biblical feasts and for the children’s inheritance. The third tithe was collected during one year out of three so it is equivalent to 1/3 of 9.75% of the gross income and it is to be given to the poor.

His Kingdom & His Glory Will Cover The Earth

2006-10-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

While watching the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament this past July, I saw the enactment of a powerful spiritual metaphor about the Kingdom of God.

Wimbledon has grass courts. So, when it starts to rain, in order to protect the playing surface, it is necessary to completely cover the court immediately. Well, it began raining during one of the televised matches. The players took refuge in the clubhouse, taking their equipment with them. The umpire climbed down from his chair perch. All the ball boys (and girls) sprang into action. Some lowered and carted away the net. Others removed the umpire’s chair. Then they all moved into position along one of the long sides of the court. Facing forward, their hands grabbed a section of a giant tarp behind their shoulders and, on some pre-arranged signal, they all began to run. No one looked anywhere but forward. No one carried anything other than the tarp. And so the grass was covered. It all happened in around 30 seconds.

Over and over in the Scriptures we read that the glory of the Lord will cover the earth “like the waters cover the sea.” His Kingdom is like the rock thrown at Nebuchadnezzar’s statue that shatters the statue before becoming the mountain that fills the whole earth that will bring the end to the kingdoms of this world and that will, itself, endure forever (Daniel 2). His Kingdom and His Glory are predestined to fill, cover, redeem, and re-create the earth. And we are the ones who have been designated, drilled, and pre-positioned to carry His Kingdom and His glory like a tarp until it is fully spread out. Unless we move as one body in response to His signal to pull the weight of His Kingdom’s Glory across the face of the earth it will not happen. It won’t work if we change our focus or let ourselves become distracted. It won’t happen if we have our hands full of anything else or if we keep them hidden away in our pockets. It doesn’t matter who is running next to us- we don’t have time to worry about that because we have to run forward at a set pace as soon as we hear the signal blast.

Are the clouds gathering? Is it beginning to rain? Let the power of the Lord come upon us as one body so that, tucking our cloaks into our belts we will be enabled to RUN like Elijah running before the storm ahead of the corrupted King Ahab. (1 Kings 18:45-46)
c. 2006 by Lesley Barker

Questions About Wealth & Money

2006-05-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

Questions About Wealth and Money

c. 2006 By Lesley Barker
How are we to differentiate between money, the love of which is the root of all evil, and wealth, that is a blessing from the Lord? What implications does the Biblical understandings of these two words have for how believers should conduct themselves in business and investments? Should we be going after money? Should we work for money?
Many prophetic voices over the last few decades have indicated that in these last days God will effect the transference of the wealth of this world into the Kingdom of His Son so that the necessary resources for evangelism will be available. I have felt that God has called me to participate in accomplishing this transfer. To that end, I have become trained as a grant-writer and I have made myself available to start-up Christian ministries as they plan and seek provision to do the tasks that God is entrusting them to do.
One of the most distressing trends that I have witnessed over the past ten years is that many Christians and ministries operate out of an entitlement mentality that presumes that God will provide whatever they can envision whether or not they invest the necessary preparations or provide the accountability measurements that will be needed for them to obtain and steward the funds. Not only that, most of the ministries that have talked with me about the grant-seeking process do not think that they should have to pay for my services even though I have spent 30+ years gaining the skills, experience, and tools to help them. When I set my fees at less then half the industry standard, Christians recoil in shock at the price. Then, if they agree to contract with me to prepare grant applications, without exception, these praying, sacrificial servants of God who know that He has called them to ministry, have failed to meet deadlines, produce necessary documents, and resist engaging with the established process that would result in success. Usually the conclusion is that looking for grants is not the way that God will use to fund their endeavors.
However, foundations that give grants are examples of how wealth works and continues to grow. Not only that, they are bound by law to give away a percentage of their assets annually in exchange for tax breaks. It is a measure of their good stewardship that they put parameters around the giving decisions.
I find myself challenged by a single verse that suggests that working for money is not how God would have us to function. Of course, work is necessary and is connected to the right to eat. Paul wrote of laboring with all the force of Christ for salvation to occur. However, I believe that if we are to obtain and steward what we have been promised, this paraphrased verse shows the pre-requisite underlying attitudes. Let my work be produced by faith; Let my labor be prompted by love; Let my endurance be inspired by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. See 1 Thessalonians 1:3. I believe that, in general, believers do not understand the economics of the Kingdom of God. Even the standard preaching about Kingdom principals emphasizes money. So often the only economics preached in churches requires tithing because of the payback promised in kind. I wonder whether, especially for Western Christians, whether we have missed the main point. We are not of this world and our treasure is not here either. However, there is a wealth promised that most of us don’t grasp or understand.

Two Word Studies
I decided to do a word study to compare and contrast the Biblical uses of “money” and “wealth” using Strong’s Concordance of the King James Version. What I discovered shocks me and makes me want to tremble at the upside-down way that most believers view the subject.

Money
My first sense is that money is something that a person spends. Of course, it can be used to invest and to grow, but our earthly economy translates everything into a monetary value. How does the Bible use the word, “money”, and what are the meanings of the Hebrew and Greek words translated “money”?

General Concepts
-Money buys: people, souls, land, livestock, food, water, vineyards, houses, clothing, atonement, and redemption.
-Money is one of the spoils of war.
-Money fails in Egypt (Genesis 47:15)
-How a person handles money illustrates their character. (2 Kings 5:26, Job 31:39 etc)
-Money wields power. (Ecclesiastes 7:12, 10:19)
-The love of money is the root of all evil. (1 Timothy 6:10)

Words that can be translated “money”
-Hebrew #3701- kehef= silver. This word comes from the primary root #3700, kawsaf, which means “to become pale, to pine after, to fear, desire, be greedy, long for, be sore.
-Greek #694- argurion= silver piece, cash
-Greek #5475- chalkos= copper, brass, money. This word comes from #5465, chalao, which means “to lower down into a void, let down, strike.” The concordance notes that the word for copper comes from this root because the metal is “hollowed out” when used to make vessels.

Related words
-Greek #5365- philarguria = avarice. This word comes from the word philarguros which is the same as covetous. It means the love of money.

Reflection on the meaning of money
When I don’t think I have sufficient money available to me, I act like the root word for money. I get pale, feel fearful, operate out of greed, and get depressed. Not only that, many times I find myself depleted of money. It is as if I put my bucket down into a well only to find that it is not only empty, but bottomless, a disappointment and a waste of my effort.
No wonder Isaiah’s words shout out the unbelievable promise and invitation to come and buy wine and honey without money. There is a Kingdom economy that does not run on a monetary basis. If our role is to co-exist on earth and in heaven and to call forth what is being revealed in heaven to occur on earth, then we must learn how to tap into the heavenly treasuries and transfer them into earthly commodities- but not ones that will bring fear, depression, pain, or greed.

Wealth
My first sense about wealth is that it increases and that when there is wealth, there is no lack.

General Concepts
-Wealth is portable. When Jacob returned to the land of Israel, he took his wealth along with his wives, children, and livestock.
-True wealth cannot be attained outside of the power of God. (Deuteronomy 8:17, 18)
-God gives wealth. (1 Samuel 2:38, Ecclesiastes 5:19, 6:2)- #5233
-Some of God’s people are described as “mighty men of wealth”. (Ruth 2:1, 2 Kings 15:20)
-Wealth is not the same as riches. (2 Chronicles 1:11-12)
-Wealth brings rejoicing.
-Wealth is not to be construed as the protection/provider, roles retained by God. (Psalm 49:6, 10)

There is a false wealth
-Wealth can be obtained through vanity. (Proverbs 10:15- #1952)
-There is a “wealth of the heathen”. #2428
-Wealth can be gained through devotion to idols. #2142.

Wealthy
-God brought us out into a wealthy place. (Psalm 66:12 - #7310)
-He calls us to go “unto the wealthy nation.” (Jeremiah 49:31- #7961)

Words that can be translated “wealth” and “wealthy”
-Hebrew #2428- khahyil= a force (whether of men, means, or other resources), an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength. It comes from a primary root #2342 , chuwl or chiyl, which means to twist, whirl, dance, writhe in birth pangs, to wait, to prevent, to bring forth, to make to calve, to drive away, to fall grievously in pain, to fear, form, grieve, hope, look, rest, shake, tremble, trust, wait carefully, be wounded.
-Hebrew #5233-nehkes=to accumulate, treasure, riches, wealth. It comes from an unused Chaldean root word for “goods.”
-Hebrew #1952- hoon= a primary root word that means to be naught, to be ready, wealth, enough
-Hebrew #2142 – zawkar= a primary root word that means to mark, remember or mention
-Hebrew #7301- revawyar = satisfaction, runneth over, wealthy. It comes from #7301 – rawvaw- a primary root word that means to slake the thirst, bathe, make drunk, satiate, soak, water abundantly
-Hebrew #7961 – shawlave = tranquil, security, being at ease, peaceable, in prosperity, quietness, wealthy. It comes from the primary root, #7951- shawlaw- which means to be tranquil, secure, successful, happy, prosperous, in safety.

Reflection on the meaning of wealth
I am amazed by the first meaning of the most commonly translated word for wealth. It is a FORCE. Like light and love are forces. Its meaning contains vigorous wavelike, circular motion with overtones of passion, violence, joy. Engaging the force is like riding a wave. Like a woman before the labor pangs begin, it requires a poised waiting and then an abandonment to the overwhelming up and down pain and promise of a living, active pro-creation. Engaging this force, letting it flow, joining the dance means that there has been a looking forward, a patient, careful waiting for just the right time to move in, and a trust that the One with whom we dance will not let us fall. He will not drop us. Though our flesh may shake and tremble after the dance, climax, birthing is finished, we will find our trembling release to be a perfect rest. When this force is wielded against another, I think, then the more negative results follow. The enemy is prevented, driven away, thrown down in grievous pain and fear, and wounded terribly. Like when David twirled the sling to release the stone that would fell Goliath, when this force is our weapon, we will not fear. The place we will end up possessing is secure, peaceful, successful, happy, prosperous and safe.
But, I find that there is a false wealth. This counterfeit can be obtained through vanity and devotion to idols. It is the “wealth of the heathen.” It looks like it is enough. It is a mark, and an identity. It appears to be always ready but really, it is “naught”. Nothing. The word comes from an unused Chaldean root word for riches. I wonder if it is the snare that captured Achan at Ai and caused his death and the defeat of his people.

Implications
I am reconsidering the terms for which I work for people. It is one thing to produce work for sale. I believe that that is good stewardship and that God will bring the increase. I believe it is appropriate to invest the money that I have to empower other believers and to bring provision to them. It is another thing to sell myself, my time, and my abilities. Perhaps the Godly approach will be for me to offer to help start-up ministries in organizing, planning, grant-writing, and other promotional services if I feel that God is calling me to participate in their work. Perhaps I should no longer charge for my services. However, I believe that “the laborer is worthy of his hire” and that it is important to challenge the ministries to ask God to show them how to compensate me for my time, training, and abilities. Let God show what is right.

I Dreamed About A Vineyard

2006-05-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

I had a dream in which I arrived at a church service which was to be held outside. The metal folding chairs had been set up on top of a vineyard- right on the vines- that belonged to one woman. Even though I arrived early, when I looked for a place to sit, I discovered that there were no more chairs anywhere. People had brought their own drums and were excited and waiting for the service to start. I was told that the people who wanted a seat had all arrived by 2AM. There was a quiet expectancy about the famous group of Christian African drummers who would be featured. I walked around the seats to see if perhaps I could find one in the back. Instead, behind the last row, I encountered the owner of the vineyard. She was resignedly pulling straggling vines out from under the chairs. Except for a few runners with very underdeveloped clusters of grapes that were just beginning to turn purple but had not plumped out enough to tread, the vineyard was trampled underneath the chairs. She was conflicted about her grief at the destruction of her vineyard because of her belief that the church had a perfect right to set itself up on top of it. I took one of the vines from her hand and examined it closely before telling her that I thought we could salvage some wine from the clusters that we could rescue even though the grapes weren’t ripe yet if we soaked them in water first.

Struggling Until The True King Takes The Throne

2006-04-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

Struggling Until The True King Takes The Throne
By Lesley Barker © 2006

We are nearing the expected time when the Kingdom of our God will finally become the Kingdom of His Messiah, the Anointed One. This is perhaps analogous to, perhaps foreshadowed by, the recorded events surrounding the transfer of the Kingdom of Israel from David to Solomon. (See 2 Samuel 15 through 1 Kings 1.) Three power struggles occurred, according to three different strategies, when three individuals sought to become named the rightful king. There was a hidden conspiracy designed to steal the hearts of the king’s loyal subjects; an in-your-face open rebellion by an unprincipled man; and a presumptuous decision by an obvious heir to the throne who was not the rightful heir. It is necessary to consider these historic events if we want to become wise, strategic observers who remain undeceived.

The Background
Everyone could tell that the time was at hand when David, the father, would not be able to continue in his position as the king of Israel. Before long, he would become so old that others would dress him and a virgin would lie next to him to keep him warm. So the nation was alert, waiting to hear news of a transfer of power.

Three Pretenders to the Throne: Absalom, Sheba, and Adonijah
Absalom-(means ‘father is peace’)
Absalom had a strong grudge against the king following the incestuous rape of his sister, Tamar, by his brother, Amnon. When the king did not punish Amnon, Absalom killed him. This broke his own relationship with the king for more than two years. Then, Absalom directed a hidden conspiracy that was designed to steal the hearts of the people of Israel from David. (2 Samuel 15:6) This is what he did.
-He obtained a chariot and engaged fifty men to run ahead of him.
-He positioned himself so that he could prevent people from going to see the king. He told the petitioners that there was no one who had the authority to judge their case correctly.
- He indicated that if he, however, were to be named judge, there would be real justice.
- He showed favoritism to everyone who submitted to him.
He spent four years developing this public image and reputation for being the only hope for justice in Israel. Then he acted.
- He requested the king’s permission to go to Hebron alleging that he had made a vow to the Lord which he needed to honor. (Hebron was the place where David was anointed king and where he ruled for the first seven years.)
-He sent this message to all the tribes: As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then shout: Absalom has become king at Hebron. (v.10)
- He invited and was accompanied by 200 innocent, uninformed guests.
- He offered sacrifices at Hebron.
- He sent for the king’s own counselor, who defected over to him.
In this way, the conspiracy grew in strength and the people with Absalom kept increasing. Finally, his father, the king, learned of the coup and decided to flee from Jerusalem.
- Absalom followed the advice of the counselor and openly violated ten of his father’s concubines
- He waged war against the king during which he was killed after being snagged by his hair in a tree during a battle.

Sheba (means he who is coming, or oath)
Sheba was of the tribe of Benjamin, which was Saul’s tribe. He was the son of Bichri, which means ‘be thou first’. He is described as a scoundrel who was “there” when the tribes all united to reaffirm their loyalty to King David after Absalom’s death. The tribes were bickering about whether Israel or Judah was due more credit for bringing David back. In this context, Sheba incited Israel to join him in a blatant, militant rebellion against David and Judah.
- He sounded a trumpet.
- He denied the king’s legitimacy.
- He shouted a command: Everyone to your tents, O Israel (2 Samuel 20).
-He divided Israel from Judah.
The king was very troubled about Sheba’s rebellion. He summoned all of Judah to battle. He said, Now Sheba, son of Bichri, will do us more harm than Absalom; take you lord’s servants and pursue him or he will find fortified cities for himself and escape from us.
Indeed, it was so.
- Sheba led his forces into the walled city of Beth Maacah which means ‘house of oppression.’
The king’s forces pursued Sheba to this city where he put it under siege until a “wise woman” convinced the elders to throw his severed head over the wall.

Adonijah (means my Lord is the L-RD)
Adonijah was the next in line to the throne by birth after Absalom. His mother was Haggith, which means ‘festivity.’ (See 1 Kings 1). He was very handsome and he decided that it was time for him to ascend to his father’s throne. He exalted himself, saying, I will be king.
- He prepared himself horsemen and chariots and engaged 50 runners to go ahead of him.
- He conferred with and gained the support of David’s military commander, Joab, which means ‘the L-RD is father’, and of the priest, Abiathar, which means ‘father of abundance’ or ‘father of a remnant’.
He did not attempt to gain the support of the king’s inner circle: the priest, Zadok, ‘to justify’; Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, ‘built of the L-RD’ son of ‘the L-RD knows’; the prophet, Nathan, ‘a giver’; Shimei, ‘listener’ or ‘my report’; Rei, ‘my friend’; or of David’s own warriors. These men found out about what he planned to do next, and acted quickly so that the transfer of the throne to the rightful heir, Solomon, would be accomplished before Adonijah’s coup succeeded.
-Adonijah invited the other sons of the kings, but not Solomon, and all the royal officials, but not the inner circle named above, to the stone Zoheleth, which means ‘the serpentine one’ or the ‘crawling thing,’ near En-Rogel, which means ‘fount of the spy’.
-He offered sacrifices there.
-The people feasted with him, ready to proclaim him king.
Meanwhile, the prophet and Solomon’s mother Bathsheba, ‘daughter of the oath’, informed the king about this latest coup. They immediately installed Solomon, ‘peaceableness’, as king. They set him on the king’s mule and led him to Gihon, ‘the breaking forth’. In Gihon, Zadok took the horn of oil from the tent of meeting and anointed Solomon. Then the trumpet was blown and all the people said, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ And all the people went up following him, playing on pipes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth quaked at their noise. (1 Kings 1:39,40 NRSV)
- Joab, a guest of Adonijah, heard the trumpet before the word came that dispelled the party immediately
- Adonijah resorted to the horns of the altar until Solomon promised not to kill him unless wickedness is found in him (v.52)
- He bowed before Solomon who sent him home.

The inherent lessons
We are usually mindful that there are foreign enemies whose agenda is to steal, kill, and destroy God’s people so that the Kingdom of God will be diminished, depleted, and overturned. These enemies will do everything that they can to prevent the return of the L-RD who is coming to judge the earth with righteousness, the peoples with truth, and who will rule and reign over all from his throne in Jerusalem. We also know that there are false apostles, prophets, teachers, and false Christs who, like us, confess loyalty and membership in the Kingdom of God. Jesus warned us: Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah! And they will lead many astray…If anyone says to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness’, do not go out. If they say, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:4,5,26,27)

Some pretenders will use a hidden agenda motivated out of their own woundedness like Absalom that is designed to lure people away for their loyalty for the King at the heart level. The people who are vulnerable at first have all suffered some injustice. They knew to go to the king for a hearing but, their approach to the throne was blocked by the imposter’s lie which they believed because he is clearly privy, an intimate, of the king, indeed, one of the king’s own sons. He makes appealing promises predicated on his ascension to the throne and then he flatters them and gives them kisses. He repeats this until he has gained a very large, passionate following. Then he manipulates the people and the king using religious, spiritual tactics to assemble the people. He manages to attract the support of the king’s wisest counselor – of course, that only serves to increase his position. He commands a trumpet to sound at which the people will shout that he has become king.

If we have been victims of injustice, we are particularly vulnerable to this kind of imposter. The sympathetic ear, the empty promises, the shared pain, kisses, flattery, and repeated attention that doesn’t bring healing, doesn’t lead to Jesus, and doesn’t call for truth, keep our wounds active and dominating and deciding against faith. Soon, because so many wounded people are convinced that the imposter is their true champion, thinking that he will bring them relief, other trusted friends who have been long-time confidantes of the king, are swayed to join the imposter. The results are that the king and his remaining trusted companions resort to hidden places; a bitter war between the factions ensues; and the imposter is killed.
Other imposters are members of the Kingdom of God in the same way that Sheba was a born citizen of Israel but they are scoundrels who are just waiting for the opportunity to put themselves forward no matter whether or not they have the credentials or the following required. By the force of their own personality, they take advantage of times when there is division and arguing among the people, and then they insert forceful leadership, clearly taking charge. Many people are attracted to a strongly worded argument, especially when they don’t have to figure out what they are supposed to do because the leader gives clear instructions that shouldn’t be debated. Sheba sounded a trumpet, issued a command, and denied the king in such a way as to bring division so that the majority obeyed him. Unless the king’s warriors act quickly, this kind of challenge puts whole fortified cities at risk. It takes the cooperation of strategic warfare and wisdom to stop the harm that this kind of imposter causes the Kingdom.

Forceful, articulate, opportunistic scoundrels can only prevail if the people agree with their assertions and divide along the suggested lines. Just because a trumpet sounds does not mean that the one who blows it is qualified. We are vulnerable to become swayed by these kinds of arguments at times when different factions vie for credit, praise, or acclaim even if the achievement about which they are bickering is united and good. If our earthly alliances, ethnicity for instance, can pull us away from our loyalty to the King, we are candidates to be drafted into the service of some modern Sheba. He only is able to lead us to an oppressive, walled in place, like Beth Maacah. The true King rules from an established throne in Jerusalem.

The third kind of imposter, like Adonijah, does have real qualifications for the throne. He was one of the princes and he wanted to rule. He even consulted and was endorsed by the King’s military commander and by one of the more prestigious priests. He had natural qualifications which he improved on by acquiring chariots, horsemen, and a retinue. Like his brother, Absalom, he decided to throw a feast and offer sacrifices to which he invited princes and officials at which he would be named king in place of his father. The only problem was that he lacked the proper spiritual qualifications: he did not have a prophetic calling; he did not have the ear of the King; he was not justified in what he planned; and the king’s elite warriors did not support him. He also lacked wisdom. Unlike Absalom, who chose Hebron, where his father had been anointed, as the place for his coup attempt, Adonijah sacrificed at a stone named for a serpent near a fountain named after spies. His attempt was ego driven: to become king was his personal goal. Once he learned that Solomon had been installed on his father’s throne, he put aside his claim and yielded to the rightful king.

This is the most subtle of all the false claims to the throne. It looks and feels authentic, if we forget to walk in the spirit, not the flesh.

So how are we to recognize the true king when he comes? That isn’t the problem or the right question. When Jesus returns, all the signs will converge like they did with Solomon. He rode the king’s mule. The high priest anointed him with holy anointing oil at the place of break through where the spring was that watered the city of Jerusalem. The trumpet blew and all the people understood and acclaimed the king with such a procession and joyful noises that even the earth responded and quaked. We know that we will all recognize when Jesus returns in glory because we will hear the trumpet, the shout, and see the break through from heaven to earth at the same moment that every other earthling sees it. We know that it will be a day of both triumph and cataclysm.

The important thing now is to keep our allegiance to the King unswerving during this precarious transition between now and then. We need to remember that by Jesus’ blood we have guaranteed access to the throne of grace; that Jesus promised to be with us always even to the end of the age; that we have been redeemed from the vain traditions of our forefathers so that we could be taken out of the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light; and that if we walk by the spirit we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.

It is foolish for us to think that there won’t be struggles during this time that is so evidently close to the end of an age. May God arise and the enemies scatter.

Sources
Quotations are from the NRSV Bible With the Apocrypha, Oxford University Press, 1995.
Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names, by J.B. Jackson, Loizeaux Brothers, 1909.
The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, edited by John D. Davis, The Westminster Press, PA, 1944.

Warring Women Go for the Enemy's Head

2006-01-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

© 2006 By Lesley Barker

Bible women who prevailed against an enemy always went for his head. This is the pattern whether the powerful woman was acting on the side of God’s people or not. The stories of Jael, the woman from Thebez, Abigail, Esther, Jezebel, Delilah and Herodias illustrate a woman’s warfare. Each of these women used specifically feminine tools and strategies like food, sex, a mill-stone, arguments, and nagging, for example, to win. God’s battle plans call for women to play a strategic, winning role that is only available to us who have embraced femininity fully, allowing it to become expressed through every fiber of our being.

Jael was married to Heber, a Kenite, who was at peace with Israel as well as with the Canaanites ruled by King Jabin at a time when Canaan ruled Israel from Hazor. See Judges 4. As usual, once the Israelites appealed to the Lord, He responded to deliver them from their oppressor. First, he sent word through the woman prophet and judge, Deborah, who delegated Barak to lead the troops against the Canaanite army that was commanded by Sisera. Barak didn’t refuse this commission but he did demand that Deborah go to battle with him. The price of her company was that “The Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman,” Judges 4:9 NRSV. After a fierce battle, Sisera fled away on foot. His path led to the front door of Jael’s tent. She lured him inside, fed him, and provided him with a bed. She even covered him with a blanket. Once he was asleep, however, she hammered a tent peg into his temple which pinned the corpse to the ground until Barak came looking for him. She used hospitality and food to disarm the enemy and then she struck one fatal blow to his head. It resulted in the deliverance of Israel from Canaan.

A certain woman from Thebez also went after the head of her city’s enemy. See Judges 9. Gideon, the man who, with only 300 men, delivered Israel from Midianite rule, had seventy legitimate sons. He also had one illegitimate son, Abimelech, the son of a woman from Shechem. Gideon died without having provided a plan for the succession of his rule so Abimelech engineered a coup. The men of Shechem were his accomplices so that, in one day, all but one of Abimelech’s brothers were killed. The survivor made a loud, compelling protest but Abimelech’s coup was successful and he ruled as though he were king, for three years until Gaal arrived and persuaded the elders of Shechem that they should overthrow him. Abimelech fought back and destroyed the city in the process. Abimelech pursued the people of Shechem to their tower. He burned it down, killing a thousand men and women. Next he went to Thebez, which must have been allied with Shechem against him, although the Scripture doesn’t say so. He gained entrance to its tower where the people had fled for safety. “But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, and crushed his skull,” Judges 9:53. Grinding grain was woman’s work (See Ecclesiastes 12:3). According to the Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, 1945, p. 398, this concave basalt stone had a diameter of about 18 inches and a thickness of between 2 and 4 inches. In the center was a hole by which a peg could fit to center it on the lower stone and through which the grain could be dropped. Each house probably owned a mill to grind the grain for the family’s daily bread. It was as regular a woman’s tool as Jael’s bowl of curds and tent peg. So that he wouldn’t die at a woman’s hand, he commanded his armor bearer to stab him to death. It resulted in the freedom of Israel from an illegitimate tyrant.

When Sheba amassed an army to challenge David’s rule over Israel, he took refuge in the city of Abel of Beth-maacah. See 2 Samuel 20. Sheba had managed to divide Israel and Judah so that only Judah remained loyal to David while the rest of the nation followed the “scoundrel.” David’s commander, Joab, pursued Sheba to Abel. He besieged that city with a siege ramp. His troops used a battering ram to break down the city’s wall. This city, though, had a reputation as “a mother in Israel,” a place where people were able to reconcile their differences peacefully. A “wise woman” lived there. In fact, the city of Abel was not privy to the reason that Joab’s forces were attacking until the woman approached him from the wall. When she learned that all Joab wanted before he would withdraw was for Abel to give up Sheba, she promised that “his head shall be thrown over the wall to you,” 2 Sam. 20: 21. She “went to all the people with her wise plan. And they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and threw it to Joab.” One shofar blast later, the army went home. Again, the victorious results of a wise woman’s actions cost the enemy his head. She didn’t use anything other than her powers of persuasion. What man has not noticed this particularly effective feminine attribute at work?

Esther went after Haman’s head. Haman had wheedled his way into the king’s confidence so much so that he wielded the king’s signet ring. Using this authority, Haman contrived for King Ahasuerus to legislate a holocaust whereby the citizens of the Persian Empire would be allowed to kill all the Jewish people and take their property for themselves. Of course, no one knew that the queen was Jewish except for her uncle, Mordecai, who learned of Haman’s plot and left it to Esther to stop. She also acted in a thoroughly feminine way. She invited the King and her enemy to come together to two private banquets, relying on her relationship with her husband, reinforced by a gorgeous outfit, to take her side in the matter. She prepared an occasion that she knew would arouse her husband’s curiosity while pleasing him so much that she anticipated him to respond by promising to give her whatever she requested up to “half of my kingdom,” Esther 7:2. When the expected opportunity arrived, Esther was quick to expose Haman’s plot. The king became enraged and the head of the enemy’s plot was destroyed. “As the words left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman’s face….So they hanged Haman…Then the anger of the king abated,” Esther 7:8-10 (NRSV).

Delilah went after Samson’s head in the first example to illustrate that the Enemy’s is aware of this woman’s role in battle. See Judges 16. Samson had already killed several thousand Philistines and judged Israel for 20 years by the time he fell in love with Delilah who must have been incredibly skillful in bed for him to continue to visit after she betrayed him to the Philistine rulers three times in a row. She whined, pleaded and nagged that Samson must not really love her at all since he didn’t trust her to know the secret of his strength. At length, he gave in. “So he told her his whole secret, and said to her, ‘A razor has never come on my head; for I have been a nazarite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, then my strength would leave me; I would become weak, and be like anyone else,’” Judges 16:17 (NRSV). So it was: Samson was shaved while he was asleep, like Sisera, with his head on her lap. When he woke up, “the Lord had left him,” as had his strength and the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes.

Jezebel, likewise, operated as an enemy of Israel, through the head of Israel, her husband, King Ahab. She killed the Lord’s prophets and strengthened the worship of Baal throughout the northern kingdom, perhaps following her father’s agenda. He was Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. See 1 Kings 16:31ff. In fact, the bride price for Jezebel may have been for Ahab to build a temple for Baal in Samaria, his capitol city. Perhaps his decision to marry Jezebel is a clue to the character flaw of a man who has never denied himself anything no matter what the cost. She learned to manipulate him as though he were a marionette whose strings she controlled. Her actions contributed to the dishonor with which he was regarded by his own people in contrast to the way the Proverbs 31 woman’s actions only brought her husband greater honor. The way Jezebel emasculated Ahab by appearing to cater to his self-centered cravings is described in the story of Naboth’s vineyard. When Naboth refused to give the king his vineyard, “Ahab went home resentful and sullen…He lay down on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat,” 1 Kings 21:4 (NRSV). She obviously had no real respect for her husband because her actions include belittling him- “Do you now govern Israel?” 1 Kings 21:7 (NRSV), usurping his authority by writing letters in his name, sealed with his seal, and arranging for Naboth to be murdered after being falsely accused of blasphemy. After his death, she gave Ahab the land he coveted.

In fact, Nabal had a similar personality to Ahab. Nabal’s wife, Abigail, however, was not willing to allow his self-centered narcissism to prevail when it had progressed to the point where her household was in danger of being destroyed as a result. She also went straight to the head, the king, in absolute violation of, and to counteract, her husband’s orders. She followed in the steps of Jael and Esther and prepared a feast for David and his men. As a result, after she confessed her actions to Nabal, he had a heart attack and died. She became one of David’s wives and the Scripture calls her “wise.” See 2 Samuel 25.

King Herod’s married his brother, Philip’s wife, Herodias, which made John the Baptist, who was in Herod’s palace jail, rebuke him for adultery. So, Herodias considered John a fierce enemy. How did she rid herself of this enemy? She went after his head. She threw a birthday party for Herod and sent her daughter, Salome, in to dance provocatively for him and his guests. Herod was so pleased by her performance that he offered her whatever she wanted. Coached by her mother, she asked, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter,” Matthew 14:8. Unable to get out of keeping what had been a very public promise, the king “sent and had John beheaded in prison. The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother,” Matthew 14:10-11.

This has application for women who engage in strategic intercession and spiritual warfare. When women lead in spiritual battles, it is because, in my opinion, God is calling for the head of the enemy to be cut off. Conversely, when the enemy targets a ruler, a king, or a judge, he will probably derail him or manipulate him by means of an unscrupulous woman.

This calls for wisdom. No longer should women accept that when God calls us into positions of spiritual leadership it is because the man he really wanted had refused the call. Instead, if a woman is called to a leadership role, we should ask some diagnostic questions such as the following. Have God’s people become oppressed by the rule of some enemy tyrant? Has some illegitimate authority gained control in such a way that it threatens to destroy a city or a nation? Is there a usurper that has been given refuge among us and, unless his head is cut off, the Lord will send judgment against us that will bring destruction? Has a powerful man taken a stand against the Lord or against His anointed so that the Lord is sending certain destruction our way?
If the Lord is asking for a woman to lead, He is after the enemy’s head. When she finds Wisdom’s strategy, it will not take a long time or a lot of resources for her to prevail. Just a grinding stone, a bowl of curds, a new dress, a persuasive argument, hospitality, kindness or a dance may be her winning weapon. So, “now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops,” Micah 5:1 (KJV).

Called to faith in the Faithful Friend

2006-01-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

Three verses combine to comfort me as I seek to understand how to be one of the "just" ones who shall "live by their faith" according to Habbakuk 2:4. What kind of faith is this? In my opinion, the effectual faith that results in life is not just an assertion or a declaration of a truth or a promise although these might be expressions of faith. Instead, faith must be my posture before the One who is faithful even when my heart is faithless.
Called to be a friend of God
The first is John 15:15, "I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father." God has called us to a place of intimate friendship where we are privy to the thoughts and decisions of His heart. It does not imply a slavish devotion; rather a fellowship with the One who sits on the eternal throne and who wields both the gold and the iron scepters. The necessary work is to come apart and to draw closer to Him.
Called to increase as a light, in quiet visibility, influence and power
The second verse is Judges 5:31, "So perish all your enemies, O Lord! But may your friends be like the sun as it rises in its might." The Lord calls His friends to increase in their influence, visibility, and power in contrast to the certain demise of the ones who despise Him. Seeking to become more prominent will not accomplish this. Only as our lives echo John the Baptist who said that he was not the light but he was called to bear witness to the light of the world can this become a reality. Jesus, in us, is the light of the world that cannot be hidden. When we accompany Him out of the wilderness, leaning on His arm, His beloved, those who watch will say that we shine as terribly as an army with banners at noonday.
Called to be near Him constantly
The third verse comes from Psalm 73:23-28, "Nevertheless I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterwards you will receive me with honor. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you. My flesh and my heart may fail,, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works." I need Him to be with me, holding my hand today.

Psalm 118:5

2005-12-30T08:56:00.000-08:00

As we find ourselves at the end of one year and looking forward to a new one, here is a poem I wrote in 1997 that still describes my expectation.

Pregnant at the narrow gate
I cannot press myself through the Rock
Stripped, and every weight laid down,
Disentangled, trembling,
The unpent River bursts me
Through the Cleft-
GLORY

c. 2005 By Lesley Barker

Nothing in my hands

2005-12-29T19:28:00.000-08:00

Imagine that I am standing in line waiting for an audience with the King. Ahead of me, everyone bows before him, in turn, and offers him a gift. No matter what the gift, I can tell that he is very pleased by each of them. But, oh, no! I have nothing in my hands to offer him and there is no possible way for me to leave my place in the line to get one. How will he react to my thoughlessness? It is my turn next. I bow low. "I am so sorry, Jesus," I say. "I have nothing to give you. The only thing I have brought for you is these people." The words surprise me, but suddenly, between where I kneel and the throne, there is a parade. I cannot count the number of people who pass between us: adults, children, old people, black people, brown people, white people, poor people, rich people, people from every nation, tribe and tongue. "You pray for the people," he says.
c. 2005 by Lesley Barker