Just as some people need faith to make intellectual sense, so others need to feel it – to have the emotional experience of God’s presence, to know in the manner of the heart and not the head. These are the “affectives.” (And all of us are affective to a degree, some just more so than others.)
In this episode we explore the affective side of spiritual practice, particularly for those who relate to God by means of the senses and the created world (nature, art, music, food…) – those on the “kataphatic” side of the spectrum. Indeed there are whole schools of Christian spirituality and prayer developed by and for the kataphatic-affectives.
If you’ve ever struggled to build a consistent set of spiritual practices that felt right to you, that fit your style and personality, this series is for you.
For centuries the church has linked Isaiah 35 with abounding joy. (If searching for a reason to sing “Joy to the World,” the church would put this passage high on the list of reasons why!)
In this episode, I do my best to explain why this poetic vision is cause for rejoicing, how it is that the future is making itself known in the present, and why faith in the goodness of God is a very wise way to live. I also hope is makes you smile.
How does one put words a vision of a world in which peace and compassion had become the truest laws of nature?
That is the work given by God to Isaiah – putting language to the depth of shalom that is coming, a picture of creation as it will be when the project of salvation is complete.
Is. 11:1-9 is an image Isaiah masterfully articulates in his poetic description of a time when the most “natural” of enemies find their rest in each other’s presence, when predator and prey become bedfellows and the most innocent and defenseless have no cause for fear.
In this episode we walk through Isaiah’s oracle of a coming king, reestablished in the line of David, one who will be so aligned with the will of God that his reign will be of justice and peace – to the point that even the “laws of nature” change. Lions lying down the the lambs, bears will graze with the oxen… It is a picture of love becoming entirely the name of the game, and a call to those who have already received some measure of the Spirit to labor presently to bring just justice and love to reign.
By the by, if you are interested in the liturgical seasons or the lectionary (I recommend it), I just discovered some great resources produced by the Vanderbilt University Divinity Library – click here.
And, as the calendar year comes to a close, if you happen to be looking to do charitable giving, one way you can support the podcast is to support Canvas (the church I a privileged to pastor). Everything you give is tax deductible and we’ll give you a contribution receipt. To donate, simply click here.
