The Communion of the Saints

The Apostles Creed says we believe in "the communion of saints." Do you? Here's how Ron Rolheiser defines it. 

As Christians, this is our belief: We believe that the dead are still alive, still themselves and, very importantly, still in a living, conscious, and loving relationship with us and with each other. That’s our common concept of heaven and, however simplistic its popular expression at times, it is wonderfully correct. That’s exactly what Christian faith and Christian dogma, not to mention deep intuitive experience, invite us to. After death we live on, conscious, self-conscious, in communication with others who have died before us, in communion with those we left behind on earth, and in communion with the divine itself. That’s the Christian doctrine of the Communion of Saints.

So, do you believe this? What difference dose it make in your life?

Hi, Mom. Miss you!

HT: Internet Monk

I know What I Deserve...

From Tim Challies

Doorways

I once scorned ev’ry fearful thought of death,
When it was but the end of pulse and breath,
But now my eyes have seen that past the pain
There is a world that’s waiting to be claimed.

Earthmaker, Holy, let me now depart,
For living’s such a temporary art.

And dying is but getting dressed for God,
Our graves are merely doorways cut in sod.

– Calvin Miller, The Divine Symphony (Minneapolis: Bethany, 2000), 139.

HT: Trevin Wax

First Things First

From Challies.com

Why I Am Sure About Heaven

I lost my mother this week. She passed after a full life, a beautiful 64 year long marriage, and leaving behind a great legacy. Therefore, this carton was especially meaningful to me today. I know where Mama is.

Click on cartoon to see it bigger

From Radio Free Babylon

The Scent of Heaven

“The heavenly world does not appear desirable as simply a second improved edition of this life; that would be nothing else than earthly-mindedness projected into the future. The very opposite takes place: heaven spiritualizes in advance our present walk with God. Each time faith soars and alights behind the veil it brings back on its wings some of the subtle fragrance that there prevails.”

— Geerhardus Vos   Grace & Glory
(Carlisle, Pa.: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1994), 121.

HT: Of First Importance

The Door

HT: Challies.com

Serious Business

HT: @DailyKeller

What Makes Heaven Heavenly

"God made you to experience exquisite pleasure for all eternity. Heaven is full of all the Father's stuff, but the thing that makes it heaven is the presence of the Father. A place that would have all the Father's stuff without  the Father would soon become hell."

          - Joe Coffey in Red Like Blood: Confrontations With Grace, page 145
 

Something to Avoid

Oh....That's What They're For!

Hat Tip: 22 Words

Imagining Oranges

"The good things even of this world are far too good ever to be reached by imagination. Even the common orange, you know: no one could have imagined it before he tasted it. How much less Heaven."

           - C. S. Lewis, in an August 1956 letter to a certain Mrs. Johnson

Hat Tip:  Dane Ortlund

Silly Story...Great Truth

Great story from Tullian Tchividjian:

A friend of mine recently told a silly story about a man standing at the gates of heaven waiting to be admitted. To the man’s utter shock, Peter said, “You have to have earned a thousands points to be admitted to heaven. What have you done to earn your points?”

“I’ve never heard that before: but I think I’ll do alright. I was raised in a Christian home and have always been a part of the church. I have Sunday school attendance pins that go down the floor. I went to a Christian college and graduate school and have probably led hundreds of people to Christ. I’m now an elder in my church and am quite supportive of what the people of God do. I have three children, two boys and a girl. My oldest boy is a pastor and the younger is a staff person with a ministry to the poor. My daughter and her husband are missionaries. I have always tithed and am now giving well over 30% of my income to God’s work. I’m a bank executive and work with the poor in our city trying to get low income mortgages.”

“How am I doing so far”, he asked Peter.

“That’s one point,” Peter said. “What else have you done?”

“Good Lord…have mercy!” the man said in frustration.

“That’s it!” Peter said. “Welcome home.”

My friend who used this silly illustration ended it by saying, “Teach the law. The Psalmist called it perfect. Teach it until people recognize their inability to keep it and cry out for mercy…Mercy always comes running.”

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An Important Reminder

Hat Tip:  Don't Skip That Part - Joshua Harris:

Shortening the Distance

Interesting -

Why does heaven feel so far away? Why does Jesus seem so distant?

Recent research* by Emily Balcetis and David Dunning indicates that the desirability of an object influences its perceived distance. Thirsty students fed with pretzels perceived a water bottle to be nearer than those who had had their thirst quenched. Other students placed in front of a $100 bill they could win for themselves perceived it to be closer than those who were told that the bill belonged to the scientist conducting the test. A third set of students had their sense of humor graded and clipped to a stand in front of them. Those given positive feedback estimated the stand to be closer than those who could see their feedback was negative. Other similar experiments confirmed the finding that desire reduces the perception of distance.

Is this why heaven often seems so far away? We don’t desire it enough?

Is this why Jesus sometimes seems so distant? We don’t desire Him enough?

But if desire reduces the distance, “Lord Jesus, give the desire and reduce the distance.”

*Balcetis, E., & Dunning, D. (2009). “Wishful Seeing: More Desired Objects Are Seen as Closer.” Psychological Science.

(Hat Tip: Is Our Desire Too Weak? « Already Not Yet)

Lord, make me more thirsty!

The First Day

Sobering thoughts from Shaun Groves at Shlog:

On your first day on the other side of the grave, do you think you’ll look back on this life and be flooded with gratitude for hours spent watching episodes of American Idol and Lost? Will you wish you’d done more of that? Do you think you’ll look back fondly on the effort and money spent remodeling the kitchen? Will you wish you’d had a nicer home? Do you think you’ll be glad you were up-to-date on the juicy details of celebrity lives? Will you wish you’d read more magazines? Will you regret not spending more time at the office? Will you wish you’d logged just a few more hours every week at work? Will you miss your blog or Facebook? WIll you wish you’d just had a couple hundred more readers, just a few more “friends?”

Me neither.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!!

Hat Tip: nakedpastor