One

"...that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one..." - Jesus praying for us in John 17.

In seminary there was a word that was batted around a lot because it earned you smarty pants points. It was Perikoresis - which I think means the way the Trinity relates within the Godhead. Don't ask me to explain more because the word is sort of a go to for explaining something that is way, way, way beyond us humans. Or, hold on a second, is it really?

In John 17 Jesus prays for his disciples. It is such a rich prayer, full of Jesus' heart for not only them but for us, that we might be re-united to our one true Father. It is a privilege to hear all these millenia later, Jesus longing and joy for and over us.

And what's at the center of his prayer? Oneness. That we might enter into the Trinity and experience Perikoresis.

It can seem a little esoteric or intellectual, but it's not supposed to be at all. Oneness with God is foundational. Relating within (and not to) the Trinity is central to being a Christ-follower.

Do I know what I'm talking about? Of course not. But I'll ramble on in the hopes that I spit out something coherent.

I often think that being a Christian is ascribing to a certain belief system. It's not. Being a Christian is being one with our Maker and Creator. Being a Christian is being one with Christ.

In the deeper reality of the kingdom, everything Christ said and did, we did. His life is our life and we enter into the Trinity through him.

I guess the question that would naturally follow would be "Are we now God?" No, but our identity is tied to him. We are now one with him.

So how does this theology hit the road of real life. How does it affect me, Mr. Lazy Bones, trying to rub the sleep off my eyes and trying to put in a productive day of raising support.

To be honest (which is a good policy) I'm not exactly sure. And who is sure, in this matter, of the mystery of oneness with God. What I can tell you though is that it's fact.

Truer than anything about you as a Christian, is that no matter how you feel - perhaps you feel like a dirty rotten scoundrel for example - the truest thing about you, the really real thing about you is that YOU ARE ONE WITH THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE.

Um, that's kind of a big deal. Not the kind of stuff to be yawned at. Not the kind of stuff to be pictured on flannel boards as you wait for your graham cracker and a nap and swipe at the snotty-nosed kid that just pulled your hair.

This is mind-blowing stuff. World-shattering stuff. The stuff way beyond what our hearts have always longed for. The stuff that can best be summarized with "Wow!"

So as I go to grab another cup of coffee, work on my prayer letter, get bored and waste time looking at mountain bikes, I am part of the Trinity, open to deep relatedness with God, wholly accepted and loved beyond my wildest imaginings.

I guess that's sort of cool. I hope you think so. Otherwise I might have to call on my oneness to smite you! Take Care.

"You Can Do Nothing" - Jesus

"...apart from me you can do nothing." - Jesus to his disciples.

"Come on Jesus. You've got to be exaggerating. I can tie my shoes without you. Look, I can even double-knot it...Oh...Woops."

I know I think I can do a lot of stuff without Jesus. There are a ton of things that I think of as nonspiritual and not in need of his divine intervention or touch. But the reality is, Jesus is right (who would have thought?), we can't do anything without him.

I believe that even people who don't believe in Jesus can't do anything without Jesus. I may be on shaky ground here, but the one who holds the keys to everything good is Jesus. So anything anybody does anywhere that is good, however tainted, has done so with Jesus. That includes tying shoes.

Can you imagine a world without Jesus? I don't believe anyone can even comprehend the horror that would be that world.

I've had conversations with high schoolers who think they're "all good." They don't need God, they politely assure me. When this happens, I try to help them see that we're having a conversation rather than trying to rip each other's throats out. We're probably even eating food, rather than simply trying to eat each other.

We would never be "all good" without Jesus. It is simply by his grace that we're not "all bad" all the time.

Can we even imagine a world without Jesus, a world without good? I don't think so, and I don't even really want to try to. And this time I'm not just being lazy.

But in the quote above Jesus is addressing something beyond the more general reality that there is no good apart from him. He's drawing a line in the sand for his disciples. He's saying, "You can do nothing apart from me. You need to eat, sleep and breathe me."

It's such a "counter-Phil" statement Jesus is making. "Counter-Phil" because it's "counter-fall." "Come on Jesus, don't smother me!" I want Independence. I want to be able to do my own thing and not be held accountable.

But as a disciple of good, I'm called to stick to the source of good, Jesus. I'm called to stick to him like crazy-glue. Because If I don't, I'm told that I can't do anything good.

And I want to do good. Or rather at least I want to not be unable to do anything. So I guess as a disciple, I'm going to have to learn more about this whole "abiding" thing Jesus makes such a big deal of. I believe I know much about it already, because of the grace he's given me. For there is so much good in my life not of my own making. He abides with me.

In the chapter I'm quoting, John 15, Jesus says "Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you." I am clean! What pure joy it is to know that I am clean. What a joy to be tethered to this Jesus, not only because he kicks tail at Field Day races, he's just so totally good.

So next time I tie my shoes, I'll try to remember where the ability comes from. And if I mess up, I'll know who to blame. Just kidding Jesus.