My wife and I have been reading aloud in the morning sun an excellent book, “A Severe Mercy” by Sheldon Vanauken. It is chock-full of the fantastic journey of Van and his wife, Davey.’

There was one event that happened to them, and you would have thought that it was written about the condition of the Church today. Instead, it was said of the Church in 1952. It was upon their return to the USA from Oxford, England. “Returning to Virginia, it appeared to us that there was very little interest in living a life centred in the Incarnate Lord.”

How many today seek to live a life centered, in the Incarnate Lord living in us, and what does that encompass? Then to live the lively life, which equally feeds the mind, heart, and soul with delightful engagements of thinking and conversations with others?

Thinking and actual conversations of history, rock music, jazz, or listening to magnificent orchestrations while relishing it all with exceptional wine. Even reading out-loud – C.S. Lewis or Bonhoeffer, even Karl Barth, to the latest season of “The Chosen,” and the small but glorious miracles all around us, as Messiah living in us.

Actually, merely breathing it all in, slowly.

Alas, too many “Christians” are terrified to expand their faith to be lively. Suffering from the sheer fear, they cannot be those who say they believe in Jesus, and live full throttle for His Kingdom. Yet, that is what is expected of us as disciples of Jesus!

I wonder how many ‘Christians’ would complain and say, ‘You’ve GOT to be kidding! You mean in everything? Even living as a Christian, in everything, really Jesus?’

C.S. Lewis wrote to Van in a letter, ‘Do fish complain about the sea for being wet?’ As that fish is supposed to get wet, weren’t we made for living life “abundantly,” as Jesus said, full and overflowing?

Here is another intellectual challenge for you. We all seem to long for more time, yet time remains an elusive and often frustrating aspect of our lives. Despite its intangibility, time is our most valuable resource. However, time is a miserable thing, especially when squandered. Yet, time is all we have in our lives. Notice how we are perpetually surprised at time itself, how it flies or moves too slowly? Why?

We are never really satisfied with either, but it is all we have, as it moves rhythmically around us. Our dance in lively living is to know rhythm with an intimacy of the Incarnate in us, to relish the moments we have, and the possibilities of others in our lives! We CANNOT afford to take time/incarnate living as if we have all the time in the world to do it someday. I know, I’ve lost time, people, and even my family, all because I forgot the timelessness of lively living in His Kingdom and relishing every moment, because He is in them.

Much like that fish, maybe we need to enjoy the sea of life with all we have. It’s time for you to start living a lively life in Jesus and savoring the amazing life (even the remarkable wine)!

I will be writing more about lively living on topics from: Anti-Jewish is being Anti-God, Stupidity

– Stupid People ARE the Most Dangerous People, A Death Cult Amongst Us, Missional Living as a Disciple of Jesus, Is Christianity a Cock and Bull Story? Fear Grips Us All! Wolves in the Pulpit and In the Pews! Symbolism and Faith are Needed Today… These aren’t in any order, but topics to push, appeal, and poke you all to be living lively, as best as one can with courageous faith in Jesus. There is no other way to live life, or you might possibly be the walking dead?

A prayer for us: Father, You are the Creator and King of the Universe. Holy is Your Name, above all names. Your Kingdom is here; may Your will, not mine, be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Father, provide for us, as You always do in miraculous ways, our daily bread. Forgive me for not living life fully in You, but instead in sinful ways. Help me to forgive all who sin against me, just as You forgive me. Always lead me, Father, and protect us from the Evil One.

Amen and Amen.