The God Who Is, I

"Who one believes God to be is most accurately revealed not in any credo but in the way one speaks to God when no one else is listening." Nancy Mairs

I had to read that quote about three times before I got it.

Yancey goes on to describe expressions of prayer in cultures other than ours... the Nepali Buddhists with their prayer wheels, each turn of which sends a prayer to heaven. The well-dressed Japanese who pay a minimum of 50 dollars for a Shinto priest to pray on their behalf. Citizens in the high-tech nation of Taiwan who purchase "ghost money" at a Taoist temple and burn it to keep underworld ghosts from pestering them.

"In truth" he goes on to say, "Christians often treat prayer the same way. If I do my duty, then God 'owes me.' Worship becomes a kind of transaction: I've given God something, so it's God's turn to reciprocate. Prayer as transaction rather than relationship can decline into a practice more duty than joy, an occasional and awkward exercise with little connection to life -- not so different from the Buddhist monk spinning his prayer wheel or the Japanese businesswoman performing her temple ritual."

It sort of reminds of when Jesus said, "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words." (Matthew 6:7)

I remember how overjoyed I was those many years ago when I came to the realization that I could go directly to God about anything, rather than going through the rituals of the religious tradition in which I was raised. But there have been times since, as I have begun to realize Who God really is, that I've wanted to take a step back and let someone else go there on my behalf, after all.
God's just so much more than a nice guy who wants to be my pal. (More on that in the future.)


I'm not finding fault with anyone's religion. I'm finding fault with EVERYONE'S religion... ESPECIALLY mine... my religion being all the things I do to try to build my own flimsy little tower of Babel to God. It has to come down.

=================>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

=================>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Exposed II

Again from the Philip Yancey book I've been quoting:

============================

David Ford, a professor at Cambridge, asked a Catholic priest the most common problem he encountered in twenty years of hearing confession. With no hesitation the priest replied, "God." Very few of the parishioners he meets in confession behave as if God is a God of love, forgiveness, gentleness, and compassion. They see God as someone to cower before, not as someone like Jesus, worthy of our trust. Ford comments, "This is perhaps the hardest truth of any to grasp. Do we wake up every morning amazed that we are loved by God? Do we allow our day to be shaped by God's desire to relate to us?"

Reading Ford's questions, I realize that my image of God, more than anything else, determines my degree of honesty in prayer. Do I trust God with my naked self? Foolishly, I hide myself in fear that God will be displeased, though in fact the hiding may be what displeases God most. From my side, the wall seems like self-protection; from God's side it looks like lack of trust. In either case, the wall will keep us apart until I acknowledge my need and God's surpassing desire to meet it. When I finally approach God, in fear and trembling, I find not a tyrant, but a lover.

The apostle Paul prayed "that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." I doubt Paul prayed this prayer once only; for my part, I have to pray it every day. The most important purpose of prayer may be to let our true selves be loved by God.

[God] does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:10-14

============================

Okay, so the next chapter is titled "The God Who Is." Which, as I understand it, is basically the meaning of "Yahweh." I've been reading ahead, and I think I'm in way over my head. Sort of like I felt when I read (tried to) A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. Well maybe not quite that out there. But sort of. Like I can get what it's saying for a flash, then it's gone.

I'm so glad God sometimes isn't that easy to "get." It's more intriguing this way, don't you think? And I have a feeling that "smart" on this world's terms means nothing when it comes to "getting" God. (See 1 Corinthians 2:14-16) I'm so thankful that God "gets" me, even when I don't fully "get" Him. He's my everything... And I live in the hope that one day I'm going to fully appreciate what that really means!

Exposed, Part I

Again from Philip Yancey’s book, Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference?, Part One “Keeping Company With God, Chapter 3 “Just As We Are,” section titled “Exposed.” Whew!!

I’ve been reading this particular section over and over, trying to figure out how to refine it down to something I would share on this blog, but I just couldn’t stand to take anything out, so I present it in its entirety (in two parts). I’m not sure why, exactly, but it just hits me squarely between the eyes every time I read it.

I think about my kids, who know me so, so well. And my husband, who (hopefully) knows me even better. But God knows me completely. All of me. Every hiccup. Every wart, chin hair and evil thought. And how glad or mad I am about THAT fact may define the state of my soul at any given moment.

So all of the following is an excerpt (part I).

===============================

It occurred to me one day that though I often worry about whether or not I sense the presence of God, I give little thought to whether God senses the presence of me. When I come to God in payer, do I bare the deepest, most hidden parts of myself? Only when I do so will I discover myself as I truly am, for nothing short of God’s light can reveal that. I feel stripped before that light, seeing a person far different from the image I cultivate for myself and for everyone around me.

God alone knows the selfish motives behind my every act, the vipers’ tangle of lust and ambition, the unhealed wounds that paradoxically drive me to appear whole. Prayer invites me to bring my whole life into God’s presence for cleansing and restoration. Self-exposure is never easy, but when I do it I learn that underneath the layers of grime lies a damaged work of art that God longs to repair.

“We cannot make Him visible to us, but we can make ourselves visible to Him,” said Abraham Joshua Heschel. I make the attempt with hesitation, shame, and fear, but when I do so I feel those constraints dissolving. My fear of rejection yields to God’s embrace. Somehow, in a way I can only trust and not understand, presenting to God the intimate details of my life gives God pleasure.

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”

I think of the way mothers dote on their infants, who offer so little in return. Every sneeze, every turn of the head and dart of the eyes, every whimper and smile the mother scrutinizes as if studying for a test on infantile behavior. If a human mother responds with such absorbing love, how much more so God.

We humans represent the only species on earth with whom God can hold a conversation. Only we can articulate praise or lament. Only we can form words in response to the miracle, and also the tragedy, of life. We dare not devalue this, our unique role in the cosmos, to give words to existence, words addressed to our creator. God eagerly bends an ear toward those words.

End of excerpt.

You're a Star!

I’m always keeping an eye (and ear) out for unique gift ideas, especially since my new resolve a couple of years ago to shop for Christmas all through the year. Then I heard about "the Star Registry." I include the link NOT because I’m hoping anyone will go in for the idea, but just so you'll know I’m not making this up.

Last Christmas with a few family members I still wanted a “wow gift” for, it seemed to have possibilities. Name a real star after someone? Hmmm... How would that work? What bang do I get for my buck if I “name" a star through the Star Registry?

Let me quote (in part) from their FAQ.

Q: Can I name a star?
A: Yes. You can dedicate a star to someone special. We offer a Gift Package
where we select a special star in the sky and record your Star Name and Star
Date. The Gift Package includes a beautiful parchment Certificate, a Sky Chart
with your name and the star's coordinates and an informative booklet on
astronomy. We publish all names in the astronomical compendium Your Place in the
Cosmos©, which is registered in the U.S. Copyright Office.

Q: Am I buying the star?
A: No. We do not own the star (Michele says "No duh"), so we cannot sell it
to you. This is like adopting the star. This star is associated with that
special someone. It is something you can point at to know that there is
something special out there for you.

Q: Will the scientific community recognize my star name?
A: No. (Michele says "I'm crushed!") We are a private company that provides
Gift Packages. Astronomers will not recognize your name because your name is
published only in our Star catalog. We periodically print a book called Your
Place in the Cosmos © which lists the stars that we have named.

Q: Can I return the product?
A: Yes. If you are not completely satisfied, you may return your product
for a full refund. We want you to appreciate our products and if you are not
happy, then we are not happy.

So! (Michele says), “I’m not happy with this star. First off, it’s way too bright. And hot. And how can I point at (to) it if I don't even know where IN the heaven it is. Plus, it doesn’t even answer to its name! "White dwarf"? "Red giant”? I really think I want to return this "product"!

Then I got it. HELLO??!! The stars already HAVE names! “(The Lord) counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.” Psalm 147:4

And please note that the only thing "registered" in the U.S. Copyright Office is their book of star names. They simply publish a book of star names people have made up that you can buy (and more money for them), and that NO ONE refers to except folks who have paid to "name" a star. Basically they give you the coordinates of some star that exists and charge you for the privilege of calling out a star that already has a name from the Lord and will only be referred to by coordinates by the scientific community.

“Create a pretend need, then make people pay to have it fulfilled.” Is that a motto from hell, or what?

Disclaimer: If you have had a star named after you or someone you love via this method, I am very sorry. I am not trying to find fault or burst your bubble. I have made many ill-advised purchases over the years and have no basis on which to judge anyone’s transactions. Note also that I came very close to giving this as a gift to several people. We’re all learning together!

So I was reminded of this Star Registry thing because of Valentine’s Day. I’m hearing the same ad again, and this time I’m ready with my Bible verse in hand.

Not only has the Lord named the stars... He has named you and me with "a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it." (See Revelation 2:17) I think the Lord gives names to the things He creates. As parents we are given the right to name our children. This is just a type and shadow of the fact that God reserves the right to name His creation.

And by His Word it was created.

The Garment of Righteousness

I've said quite a bit about "the prayers of a righteous man (person)," and that we do not come to the Lord in our own righteousness. I wanted to expound on that a bit, in the words of another:

"Only the covering which Christ Himself has provided can make us meet (fitting, proper) to appear in God's presence. This covering, the robe of His own righteousness, Christ will put upon every repenting, believing soul. 'I counsel thee,' He says, 'to buy of Me... white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.' Rev.3:18.

"This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us. 'All our righteousness are as filthy rags.' Isa.64:6. Everything that we of ourselves can do is defiled by sin. But the Son of God 'was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.' Sin is defined to be 'the transgression of the law.' 1 John 3:5,4. But Christ was obedient to every requirement of the law. He said of Himself, 'I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.' Ps. 40:8. When on earth, He said to His disciples, 'I have kept My Father's commandments.' John 15:10. By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments.

"When we submit ourselves to Christ,

the heart is united with His heart,

the will is merged in His will,

the mind becomes one with His mind,

the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him;

we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness.

"Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah.

"The guests at the marriage feast were inspected by the king. Only those were accepted who had obeyed His requirements and put on the wedding garment. So it is with the guests at the gospel feast. All must pass the scrutiny of the great King, and only those are received who have put on the robe of Christ's righteousness." From The Wedding Garment by E. G. White.

I know E. G. White wasn't from our religious tradition, exactly, but I think she puts it clearly and succinctly. Don't we just try to weave our own righteousness? What an oxymoron is this "self-righteousness"...nothing but filthy rags! Isn't it time we trade them in for the true righteousness He wants to adorn us with?

Helpless

Warning: This book is not the kind I’m going to zoom through! Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference? Chapter 3 is titled “Just As We Are” and opens with this: “Sometimes I wonder if the words I use are the least important part of prayer. Who am I? And who is God? If I can answer those two questions, the words I pray recede. Prayer invites me to lower defenses and present the self that no other person fully knows to a God who already knows.”

The chapter includes the sections "Guilty," "Helpless," "Humble," "Doubting," "Honest," and "Exposed."

From the section titled “Helpless”: “Norwegian theologian Ole Hallesby settled on the single word helplessness as the best summary of the heart attitude that God accepts as prayer. ‘Whether it takes the form of words or not, does not mean anything to God, only to ourselves,’ he adds. ‘Only he who is helpless can truly pray.’

“What a stumbling block! Almost from birth we aspire to self-reliance. Adults celebrate it as a triumph whenever children learn to do something on their own: go to the bathroom, get dressed, brush teeth, tie shoelaces, ride a bike, walk to school. When the child stubbornly insists, ‘I do it myself!’ the parent takes secret pride in that independent spirit even when the child proceeds to make a mess of the task.

“As adults we like to pay our own way, live in our own houses, make our own decisions, rely on no outside help. We look down upon those who live off welfare or charity. Faced with an unexpected challenge, we seek out ‘self-help’ books. All the while we are systematically sealing off the heart attitude most desirable to God and most descriptive of our true state in the universe. ‘Apart from me you can do nothing,’ Jesus told his disciples, a plain fact that we conspire to deny.’”

How helpless we truly are. Thank God!

With that I wanted to share a little about how the Lord is answering the prayer I described in my post of December 31st, “The OTHER other Mary," when I surrendered my “safe place” to God. But I think that would make for too long a post (good excuse, huh?), so I’ll get to that in a future post, and leave you with this quote from one of my all-time favorite author/theologins, C. S. Lewis.

“The prayer preceding all prayers is ‘May it be the real I who speaks. May it be the real Thou that I speak to.’”

Might As Well Jump

Excerpt: “My home sits in a canyon in the shadow of a large mountain along a stream named Bear Creek. During the spring snowmelt and after heavy rains the stream swells, tumbles frothily over rocks, and acts more like a river than a creek. People have drowned in it. Once I traced the origin of Bear Creek to its very source, atop the mountain. I stool on a snowfield marked by ‘sun cups,’ the bowl-shaped indentations that form as snow melts. Underneath I could hear a soft gurgling sound, and at the edge of the snow, runnels of water leaked out. These collected into a pool, then a small alpine pond, then spilled over to begin the long journey down the mountain, joining other rivulets to take shape as the creek below my house.

“It occurs to me, thinking about prayer, that most of the time I get the direction wrong. I start downstream with my own concerns and bring them to God. I inform God, as if God did not already know. I plead with God, as if hoping to change God’s mind and overcome divine reluctance. Instead, I should start upstream where the flow begins.

“When I shift direction, I realize that God already cares about my concerns… more than I do. Grace, like water, descends to the lowest part. Streams of mercy flow. I begin with God, who bears primary responsibility for what happens on earth, and ask what part I can play in God’s work on earth. ‘Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” cried the prophet, Will I stand by the bank or jump in the stream?”
(From Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference by Philip Yancey)

I sort of feel that’s what Pastor Dave is asking us as a church. Will we stand on the side or jump in? And while I’m way behind on Sandy’s blog, A Day in the Life (only up to December 22), I’m getting that this is sort of the challenge she’s sharing, as well, from An Unstoppable Force, by Erwin Raphael McManus. And by the way, if you weren’t there yesterday to hear Pastor Dave's message, you really need to get the CD or download it at the website (http://www.newlifecc.com/). It was really powerful! AND I hope many of us will be a part of “Prayer66,” Tuesday prayer from 6:00 to 6:00 at the Youth Center.

I’m not sure what jumping in is going to be for me, and maybe doing this blog is already part of it. (As much fun as this has been, I'm ready for more!) Whatever it takes, I’m going for it. Are you ready to jump?

Hearts That Make God Smile?

Excerpt from Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference? By Philip Yancey: “…I have come to see prayer as a privilege, not a duty. Like all good things, prayer requires some discipline. Yet I believe that life with God should seem more like friendship than duty. Prayer includes moments of ecstasy and also dullness, mindless distraction and acute concentration, flashes of joy and bouts of irritation. In other words, prayer has features in common with all relationships that matter. If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer. Most of my struggles in the Christian life circle around the same two themes: why God doesn’t act the way we want God to, and why I don’t act the way God wants me to. Prayer is the precise point where those themes converge.”

This passage already strikes several chords with me… more than I should try to explain on one post.

Yesterday some of the ladies and I who pray together on Thursday mornings swapped some of our “war stories,” if you will. How sometimes you’re just in the groove and prayer flows (is that a mixed metaphor?), while at other times every potential distraction pulls you away or even turns into a major irritation.

What is striking to me as I look back on my short stint in God’s Army of Prayer is that the effectiveness of prayer is not to be measured by how it feels. When I'd hit a prayer groove, I had always expected to see huge things happen. But that’s not always the case; in fact, some of the most amazing answers have come when I felt I was getting nowhere. Which isn’t to say God doesn’t answer struggle-free prayers. But no longer will I quit just because it doesn’t “feel” like it’s “doing anything.”

I’ve got to remember that God doesn’t look at things the way I do. “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b) This was what the Lord said to Samuel regarding King-to-be David, the “man after God’s own heart.” Could it be that when one prays-on-through the dullness, the mindless distraction, the bouts of irritation, and/or whatever else gets thrown at us, God looks at that one's heart and smiles?

Book-O-Rama

I'm a fool for books. Especially books about prayer. My husband, Michael, makes fun of me about it. Well, he makes fun of me about a lot of things, but my book thing is high on the list. I just counted six books that were on my bedside table (meaning I'm "reading" them) when I was stashing messes at Christmastime. All Christian nonfiction books. When I was pulling out presents to wrap I found stashes and stashes of other books I haven't cracked and have no other place for. I'm like an alcoholic who hides his bottles in the toilet tank. I'd stash books there if they just wouldn't get so dang soggy.

If Pastor Dave quotes a book on Sunday, I write the title in the margin of my note-taking sheet. Michael tries to slap the pen out of my hand. BUT! Two of my favorite books that I actually DID get through came from that venue: The Barbarian Way by Erwin Raphael McManus, and Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I loved them both. I tried to get my daughter to read them. I knew she'd love them, too. Helpful hint: You can give someone a book, but you can't make them read it. Hey, it works both ways. I lot of my stash consists of books others have given me that I've yet to read.

Anyway, I picked up another new/old book the other day that I want to start. It's Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey, another of my favorite authors. Tried to get my daughter to read Rumors of Another World by the same guy, but no go!

So anyway, I'm going to start this book and I hope to share with you from it along the way.

I literally just now opened it and Part One is called "Keeping Company with God." Wasn't that a quote from Pastor Dave a few posts back? Another "coincidence"? Or a jab in my spiritual side that I'm on the right track? And under the section title is this quote, which I'll leave you with:

"For prayer exists, no question about that. It is the peculiarly human
response to the fact of this endless mystery of bliss and brutality, impersonal
might and lyric intimacy that composes our experience of life." -- Patricia Hampl

There's Got To Be a Morning After

Here we are, the day AFTER Christmas. The day when all manner of gifts are exchanged, and “Are you ready for Christmas?” is exchanged for, “How was your Christmas?” “Great!” I always answer. Some years that’s truer than others. Usually the great thing for me is that it’s over.

I’ve shared my grinchiness on this blog before, but it isn’t that. It’s just that, well, it’s a lot of work. No matter how “ready” I am (and this year I never did get EVERYthing done), it’s still a ton of work. My husband loves to cook… for an army. Any army will do. Well, at least he likes the idea of it. When it comes right down to doing it, he’s always surprised at what a lot of work it really is. Thanksgiving it was a turkey. Deep fried. When that was a success, he had to do a couple or ten more. We gave away tons and still had leftovers.

Yesterday it was a prime rib. And the day before it was a prime rib. We did a 20-pound prime rib for the shop employees on Christmas Eve, plus the side dishes, and a 16-pounder yesterday. My husband does ALL the work. I just have to help him hold and turn the prime rib for the coating, stick the dumajiggy under it when that’s done, open the oven door, make sure (on hands and knees) that the gas comes up all the way. (The stove’s an old Wedgewood, so cooking on it’s kind of a crapshoot, anyway. Sorry if that word offends. It’s a normal word in our house.) Then hold it while he carves it. It’s an oddly shaped piece of meat till you cut the ribs off. And just generally try to keep up with the dishes (you got it, no dishwasher) throughout the whole process, while I microwave/stir/open/put away/get out/clear off/set up/carry in/whatever this or that. As I said, he does all the work. So I have time to clean and wrap those last minute gifts. Which for me was all of them. Not buying last minute, just the wrapping.

And of course I learned a few things. I learned that if you give your grown kids money for Christmas, they may use it to pay you back money they owe you, so think about how much you really want to give them. I learned that the world really DOESN’T come to an end if I don’t get everything done. And I was reminded of how much we really, REALLY love our kids, and how that doesn’t even make a drop in the bucket of God’s love for us. And that God is so very THERE in every detail, moment and minutia of life. He really makes me feel like I CAN do anything. Christmas? That’s NOTHING! Bring on the next army, I’m ready! (Did I really just say that?)

Lion and Mouse

Yesterday was a good day. It was a day that the Lord had made. But for me it started with a major meltdown.

I thought it was about Christmas and all that I needed to get done. My dear friend, Dixie, prayed over me on the phone, and as the day progressed I realized the meltdown was mostly, if not completely, about two other things.

Pastor Dave described prayer as "keeping company with God." I like that. But keeping company with God can, well, change you. He rubs off on you and you find yourself doing some new things, or old things in new ways.

This week I confronted someone head-on about some very wrong doctrines. I don't do that a lot (ever!). But this had gone on and on and was getting worse, with pronouncements on everyone who didn't agree as "apostate," and I heard the Lord say "enough!" The reaction I got started with turning me over to the Lord and having nothing to do with me ever again .... which I was pretty okay with ... to "you just misinterpreted what I was saying, we're really in complete agreement." That I was not okay with. Mission not accomplished!

But the one that bothered me more was this: I had felt compelled to make amends to someone I had sort of abandoned a few months back, and I e-mailed my apology, e-mail being the only way I have of reaching her. I expected to hear back promptly that all was forgiven, but I've heard nothing. I realize she may not have even seen the e-mail yet, but of course, I'm convinced she can't forgive me, which is of course her right and no less than I deserve. And I love and miss her.

Sidenote: JFYI neither of these people goes to our church or is even from around here.

So there's me. The lion and the mouse. God showed me this morning that I have to learn that when I do the right thing, lion-wise OR mouse-wise, I must leave the results with Him. He brought to my mind the story of Elijah, who ran away after he had the great victory against the prophets of Baal (1Kings 18 and 19). Not in my case so much about the victory, but the part about hiding in the cave afterward. And God says, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" You should read it and see how he WHINES!! I think I whine better.

So I'll just be keeping company with God today and leaving that cave, and all my fretting, behind. If you think about me today, please pray for me!

This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Scraps

Our dog Greta is a whore for food. There's just no other way to put it. We've had her on the rapid weight-loss dog food formula for months and she's still going to earn me a lecture on our next trip to the vet. She begs. She sneaks. We literally have found nothing she won't eat. Except for snap peas. Go figure. I'm convinced that she would sell her soul if she had one for a morsel of ____ (imagine the most disgusting thing you can, the things I'm imaging aren't fit to print).

Our dog Audrey is the same way, except that she loves love. She will follow us around, lie at our feet, move her head just to be a centimeter closer to a hand that may at any moment scratch her ears or chin. Food? She can take it or leave it. And she often leaves it. Which is part of why Greta is such a porker.

My friend Joanne recently noted her penchant for turning everyday things into spiritual truths, which is just one reason I love her blog, "At His Feet." (I highly recommend her blog if you're not already onboard with it, and someday I'll post a link to it when I figure out how to do all that fancy stuff). Well, you don't get much more "everyday" or more earthy than dogginess... And there's even a biblical basis for this one (see Matthew 15:21-28).

One thing I'm learning on this prayer journey is that in the moments when I've found that sweet spot, when I truly feel His presence no matter what I'm doing or where I am, I am open to every scrumptious morsel that falls from His table and every touch of His hand as I sit at His glorious feet.

But is it only "scraps" and "morsels" that I receive from His hand? A thousand times NO! There are riches and blessings beyond measure. Living life in His presence is the most transforming thing in all of creation.

I know I'm not telling anyone anything new who has already stepped through that veil and into the light of His presence. I'm just staggered, staggered by the height and depth and breadth of His love for me.

If, as we sing, "one day in His courts is better than thousands elsewhere," then one scrap from His table is better than a thousand banquets at Buckingham Palace. With Queen Elizabeth in all her regalia.