The Ascension -- Everything Belongs to Jesus
The Father has put all things under the feet of Jesus -- now, not some day -- check out Ephesians 1:15-23 if you don't believe me.
This truth is the death knell to pietistic dualism. Pietistic dualism divides life into the sacred and secular spheres and defines the sacred sphere in terms of religous things. E.g., Bible reading, prayer, mission trips, Chris Tomlin, Testamints, etc. You get the picture. Most of the evangelical subculture is consumed (pun intended) with pietistic dualism.
I think pietistic dualism is partially to blame for the evangelical subculture, the rise of the mega-church and all sorts of other bogeymen (persons?).
You see it's all because we forget the ascension -- or it at least don't understand it. Jesus ascended to the throne of the universe. He has been crowned king of the cosmos. It is all his --ALL HIS. NOW!!!
This truth shatters pietistic dualism. The Ascension teaches me that all of life is the Christian life and all of life is holy. Let's see did I do any holy things this morning? I woke up. I dressed. I took my blood pressure meds. I poured a cup of coffee. I plugged in my cell phone. I am writing this blog. That's six so far. Man, I am on my way to holiness!!
There are bizillions more implications to the Ascension, but that will do for now. Have a happy day being holy and living King Jesus' world!!
3 comments:
Very true, and it's a topic that really needs to be explored.
Good thoughts Pete, it is interesting the number of people I have heard say that they found God listening to an artist like U2 or Johnny Cash, who seemed to write from this view of life, as opposed to say Michael W Smith. Nothing against Smitty or necessarily the "Christian" genre, but the lyrics like much of that piety becomes very one demensional after a while. If Jesus can be lord of all aspects of life, so can his music.
fr. peter, good points here. as an evangelical, i struggle with remaining one given the temptation to enter into that black hole called the "evangelical sub-culture" that you so correctly write of.
your few words have reminded me of that icon of christ as "pantokrator" i have as one of my wallpapers on my computer of christ ruling over ALL things.
pax.
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