What Stokes Your Divine Passion?

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What Stokes Your Divine Passion?

Following the theme from last week about refreshment, invigoration, and new life, I want to remind everyone that the most favorite time of the year starts on March 5, 2025. The Roman Catholic day of repentance, marked by receiving ashes on one's forehead aka Ash Wednesday. This day also is the first day of the Lent season, a 40-day period of fasting and prayer leading up to Easter Sunday (Sunday, April 20).

The ash signifies our humble origin . . . 

Genesis 2:7, God formed man from the dust of the ground.  

The ash is substitute for dust.  The ashes represent mortality, penance, and repentance for sins.  The sign of the cross with ashes on the forehead is supposed to remind believers of their humble creation from dust and their need for God's forgiveness.

Lastly, if you are wondering why Easter changes every year, it depends on the lunar cycle of the Jewish calendar.  Easter can happen anywhere between March 22 and April 25.  Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal (Passover) full moon, which is the first full moon that happens (April 12) after the Spring equinox (March 20).  

This full moon is often referred to as the Pink Moon because it coincides with the blooming of the herb, Moss Pink, one of the first flowers of spring blooming on the eastern seaboard of the US.

Okay, enough factoids about Ash Wednesday.  Surely more than you wanted.  I do this to help you understand our Roman Catholic and Lutheran friends who observe Ash Wednesday.

Bible is chock full of holidays and practices that remind us of the magnificence of God. Remembering wonderful moments in our lives is edifies (builds) our walk with God.

I am sure all of us at some point in our commutes have popped in a cassette, CD, or smart phone into our car's audio system and listened to a song that transported us to a favorable special time.  You sang along with song and very likely a little off key.  You either experienced chills or goosebumps. You smiled and thought, "good times, good times!"

Recently, Jo and I reminisced about our fathers.  When both liked a gospel song or an entire album (oh, help us). Both would replay their music of choice . . .  over and over and over again.  Aauuugh!

However, their music would grow on you and eventually you store the music over the course of time as a fond memory.  Not because you liked the song, but because you saw how the men of faith found strength, consolation, and inspiration from their musical meditation. Because this is what you were observing.  Watching a man humbly lost in the love and presence of God through psalms and hymns (literature and song) is a beautiful thing.

Their practice prepared them, invigorated them, motivated them to be receptive to God's direction for what they were to face in life.  They were stoked brothers and sisters!  Bring it on, life.  We will be victorious in any circumstance.  

A little over a year ago, Jo reminded me of my similarity to my father.  While I was searching for the song of the week for the blog.  I decided to pull a song performed by James Cleveland and Southern California Community Choir in 1979.  The song has since been performed multiple artists.  The title of the song is simply, "God Is".  The lyrics and choral arrangement spoke powerfully to me at that time and yes, it stills does now.

When I hear it.  My spiritual energy is stirred.  I am inspired about who God is.  While writing, I played the song loudly and was singing along with the tune.  Jo marches into my office from room.  I thought, "Uh-oh, I am blasting this song, and she is going to tell me, Turn that thing down Mr. Jackson!".  I braced myself and to my surprise, she grabs my chin and forehead and gives me a big kiss on the forehead.  She smiles at me and leaves the room.

It hit me.  I was like my father.

I was STOKED!

Currently, while I am commuting there is one worship song I will always play on my IPhone Music playlist before I initiate random play of songs.  It is "[Here] Is Holy," 2023, Transformation Worship.  The song feels like you are floating among clouds at the feet of the almighty awaiting His instructions. The lyrics are humble, which puts in a place to have a holy commune. It is 8 minutes of divine bliss.  It is for the faint of heart and the strong in spirit.  Talk about preparing a place for God to walk with you.  

The practice of remembering God is encouraged sanction by Him.

After the flood, Noah remembered God - 

Genesis 8:20-21 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma.

God implores us to remember Him

Exodus 3:15

And God said to Moses, you shall say to the children of Israel, The LORD, God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

Moses speaking to the Israelites about the remembering the miracle of Passover

Exodus 12:14

14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. 

The critical importance of remembrance.  What the Israelites did after crossing the miraculously divided River Jordan.

Joshua 4:4-12

4 So Joshua called together the 12 men he had appointed from among the Israelites. There was one man from each tribe. 5 He said to them, “Go back to the middle of the Jordan River. Go to where the ark of the Lord your God is. Each one of you must pick up a stone. You must carry it on your shoulder. There will be as many stones as there are tribes in Israel. 6 The stones will serve as a reminder to you. In days to come, your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 Tell them that the Lord cut off the flow of water in the Jordan River. Tell them its water stopped flowing when the ark of the covenant of the Lord went across. The stones will always remind the Israelites of what happened there.”

8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan River. There was one stone for each of the tribes of Israel. It was just as the Lord had told Joshua. The people carried the stones with them to their camp. There they put them down. 9 Joshua also piled up 12 stones in the middle of the river. He piled them up right where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are still there to this very day.

Christ implores you to remember Him in practice during communion

Luke 22:18-20

18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

What event, song, action, scripture stirs you up to remember your awesome God and into submission to His will? Please share your gift.

Song of the Week - Hallelujah! Sing a New Song to GOD. Sing HIS praise in the assembly of godly people. Psalm 149:1.

"Holy Hands", 2024, DOE

Another Grammy nominated song.  It has a groove that will have standing with your hands lifted up, head down, while you are swaying to rhythm of the drums, bass, and vocalist.  

Lyrics

(Hm-mm, hm-mm)

I don't feel like it all the time, but

I am good enough (hm-mm)

'Cause you made me good enough (oh-whee! Wait a minute)

Last in the lineup, try to keep my head up

I was so entangled, I was mangled from the ankles up

Trapped by my own stuff, past had me hand-cuffed

Day-to-day was torture with my future lookin' so rough

And You changed the direction I was running to (running to)

You gave me Your spirit, and it made me new (made me new)

Now when I see me, I look like You (You), ooh

Holy

You made me holy

You gave me holy hands

I'm lifting up holy hands

Washed by the blood (washed by the blood)

Passed through the water (passed through the water)

Got baptized, made us official

Now I'm on a mission, and I'm handing out eviction

To the enemy, You can't stay with me, oh-ooh

You changed the direction I was running to

You gave me Your spirit and it made me new

Now when I see me, I look like You, whoa-ooh

Holy (You made me)

Holy (ooh-ooh)

Holy hands

I'm lifting up holy hands, ooh-ooh

Holy, holy (holy, holy, holy, yeah)

And You gave me holy hands

I'm lifting up holy hands

And the shame, it weighed me down (weighed me down)

Chains held me to the ground (the ground)

But Your love, it called me out (called me out)

And I walk on water now (water now)

The shame, it weighed me down (and it held me down)

Chains held me to the ground (held me to the ground)

But Your love, it called me out (but You called me out)

I walk on water now (but now I can't let down these)

Holy (yeah)

Holy (ooh)

I'm lifting up holy hands

'Cause You gave me holy hands, yeah

Holy (yeah, you made me)

Holy (yeah, and I'm lifting up these)

Holy hands (oh, I thank You for)

Holy hands

I thank You, Lord

I thank You for these holy hands

Giving me another chance

To worship at Your throne again

I thank You for these holy hands