I love to hear my friend Jason teach. He's smart, well read, diligent and passionate. The AND Conference went to a new level during his talk this morning. Here are a few of the remarkable things he said:
- Every minute of your life is a sacred moment, meant to be lived under God, with God and for God.
- Have you ever seen someone who is completely blind to the damage sin is doing to their lives, their relationships and their world? In the ancient Temple, you see that "sin" costs you something; you see what's really real. You see what's really true in the world. You see that your sin is destroying you. The Temple gave people a vision of a different reality, a vision of what's really real in the world.
- Yesterday Alan said, "If you can't see it, you can't do it." That's true. But I want to add something to that. "If they can't see it, they can't join it."
- You and I carry the burden of manifesting God's dream in the world. This is why beauty is a mandate for us. It wakes us up. It invigorates our dreams. You've got a mandate for beauty in your church! Do something beautiful, and let people see it!
- Imagination gets a bum-rap. Imagination is a powerful tool to engage reality and transform life. Imagination allows us to interact with reality and transform it.
- Style is not the same thing as beauty. Beauty wakes us up and makes alive in us that which resonates with the heart of God. Beauty changes us. Style doesn't change anything.
- Be aware. Your reality might awaken, or deaden, the imagination of others to the reality of God's reality.
If you'd like to reference the books Jason mentioned, go here for the titles and authors.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 - God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
Mark,
It was great meeting you and your daughter. I'll plan on staying in touch on your blog in the future. I'm sure you guys @Granger are aware of this already, but Jason definitely has a gift to teach. I loved his energy and sense of purpose. Let him know that he blessed us.
Thanks!
Posted by: Ryan Wallace | November 06, 2010 at 04:23 PM