Lately, has come the knowing. Knowing that beach is yet boundary, boundary to the land of the Other, the Other that is found at the descent of the dive to the Deep.
Mere mortals make boards and ride the last of the lingering power as it breaks on beach. Mortals on boards ~ momentary child's play, and you often hear them say, "Master of the Sea, is rightly me."
Fishing trolleys offer a trail to merry jolly and another day spent at man's mere play.
And yet, mortals on boards and trolleys for our jolly lay laboriously close to land. To the depths of Master Waters, they dare not descend.
What lies beyond the moment that Ocean beckons man? Where power lays laboriously calm amidst our toes to offer a gentle summons, is just a glimpse, a meager tasting but not yet the true knowing. The depths of the Ocean deep - mortals on boards and trolleys for our jolly - dare not attempt to know.
But, on the horizon we see mammoth monsters of metal, sea sojourners made of steel. And they steel themselves steadfastly and set their sights on the Sea and they huff and puff their steely, steady selves out to Mighty Sea.
The glamor of the coast, the dazzling temptress of the shore, the promise of ease ~ they gladly leave behind.
For they have found the True Treasure, the depth of Real Beauty and an Abounding Bounty. Beauty and Bounty of the Ocean Deep.
Most would say, these monsters of metal, these sojourners of steel are a most unbecoming sight. All the lustre, the lure, was left for lost on the land for sure. Mammoths of huff and puff, the sleek of the seductress they left laid up.
And yet, the mammoths of metal, the huff and the puff ~ know Truth of the ages, were mindful of the Mystery and gained the Goodness by knowing the Magic is at Sea.
The True Treasures of life are found laboring at Sea. The Beauty and the Bounty are buried beneath.
Mammoths of metal set sights upon Sea, metal men wander where no man can save them, they are at the mercy of the Maker. Steely souls have shrugged off the sandy seductress and have set sail to the Sea. The glamour of the gods of this globe have lost their grip on steely souls, metal mammoths.
They have rightly reckoned, to receive the Bounty of the Ocean, they will need to steel their souls for the diving of the depths and this is not for mere mortals on boards. To he who holds the Beauty, the Bounty, the Wisdom of the ages ~ his pith and power has come from the fire-forged steel.
The saints of the Sea, the ancient and old of the Ocean have been forged in fire, scars lay deep as they dive the Deep.
The steady ease of shore life is a slippery slope, to stand upon sand and feel the slightest hint of His Presence but not yet dive into His depths is a dangerous gamble. One in which you may lose your soul. Or a soul or two of those who surround you. Tingling toes is temptress, seduction of salvation without the steeling of souls. I will not attempt a theological debate, I do not dare to claim the academia necessary for this feat. I will only say, our western church seems quite happily laying up days on shore and talking of tingling toes and loving the luxury of the shore and yet, claiming the prize of salvation without the steeling of souls. I worry wide and I pray deep at this point - souls may find themselves lost amongst an eternity of sadness, souls that laughed of tingling toes and laid claim to salvation without the sacrifice of steeling a soul against the seductress of the shore. Salvation is not an act of ourselves, not a "something" we can do and yet, the Word clearly names a bearing up of a cross, a walking out of salvation, a suffering with our Savior. I see a startling few crosses amongst the shoreline saints.
Many have gone before me with far greater skill and capacity and one of these named it as such ~
"You desire both the comfort of God and the pleasure of Mammon." ~ Michael O'Brien
We desire the salvation, heaven side. But here on this gobbling globe, we lay in the lap of luxury and eat of the Mammon.
Mammoths of metal ~ we find unsightly and detestable.
Steeling of souls, the scarring and the scourging ~ is simply not seen on the shore.
And a precious few of saintly Sea souls are found in our midst and the few that sail upon the Sea are often seen simply as strange and discarded as such.
If we were to turn to the Gospels and read the words of Jesus alone, we would fully know that He did not promise us the pleasures of Mammon. In fact, He was quite clear to the opposite. His people would suffer much and hope in the glory of heaven, they would live just as Jesus lived and died and then rose again in the hope of this glory.
It is a fool's gold that we hold here in the Western church - that we may have the comfort of God while constantly grabbing the pleasures of Mammon. We may not have and do both - He decidedly told us to choose.
Mere mortals make boards and ride the last of the lingering power as it breaks on beach. Mortals on boards ~ momentary child's play, and you often hear them say, "Master of the Sea, is rightly me."
Fishing trolleys offer a trail to merry jolly and another day spent at man's mere play.
And yet, mortals on boards and trolleys for our jolly lay laboriously close to land. To the depths of Master Waters, they dare not descend.
What lies beyond the moment that Ocean beckons man? Where power lays laboriously calm amidst our toes to offer a gentle summons, is just a glimpse, a meager tasting but not yet the true knowing. The depths of the Ocean deep - mortals on boards and trolleys for our jolly - dare not attempt to know.
But, on the horizon we see mammoth monsters of metal, sea sojourners made of steel. And they steel themselves steadfastly and set their sights on the Sea and they huff and puff their steely, steady selves out to Mighty Sea.
The glamor of the coast, the dazzling temptress of the shore, the promise of ease ~ they gladly leave behind.
For they have found the True Treasure, the depth of Real Beauty and an Abounding Bounty. Beauty and Bounty of the Ocean Deep.
Most would say, these monsters of metal, these sojourners of steel are a most unbecoming sight. All the lustre, the lure, was left for lost on the land for sure. Mammoths of huff and puff, the sleek of the seductress they left laid up.
And yet, the mammoths of metal, the huff and the puff ~ know Truth of the ages, were mindful of the Mystery and gained the Goodness by knowing the Magic is at Sea.
The True Treasures of life are found laboring at Sea. The Beauty and the Bounty are buried beneath.
Mammoths of metal set sights upon Sea, metal men wander where no man can save them, they are at the mercy of the Maker. Steely souls have shrugged off the sandy seductress and have set sail to the Sea. The glamour of the gods of this globe have lost their grip on steely souls, metal mammoths.
They have rightly reckoned, to receive the Bounty of the Ocean, they will need to steel their souls for the diving of the depths and this is not for mere mortals on boards. To he who holds the Beauty, the Bounty, the Wisdom of the ages ~ his pith and power has come from the fire-forged steel.
The saints of the Sea, the ancient and old of the Ocean have been forged in fire, scars lay deep as they dive the Deep.
The steady ease of shore life is a slippery slope, to stand upon sand and feel the slightest hint of His Presence but not yet dive into His depths is a dangerous gamble. One in which you may lose your soul. Or a soul or two of those who surround you. Tingling toes is temptress, seduction of salvation without the steeling of souls. I will not attempt a theological debate, I do not dare to claim the academia necessary for this feat. I will only say, our western church seems quite happily laying up days on shore and talking of tingling toes and loving the luxury of the shore and yet, claiming the prize of salvation without the steeling of souls. I worry wide and I pray deep at this point - souls may find themselves lost amongst an eternity of sadness, souls that laughed of tingling toes and laid claim to salvation without the sacrifice of steeling a soul against the seductress of the shore. Salvation is not an act of ourselves, not a "something" we can do and yet, the Word clearly names a bearing up of a cross, a walking out of salvation, a suffering with our Savior. I see a startling few crosses amongst the shoreline saints.
Many have gone before me with far greater skill and capacity and one of these named it as such ~
"You desire both the comfort of God and the pleasure of Mammon." ~ Michael O'Brien
We desire the salvation, heaven side. But here on this gobbling globe, we lay in the lap of luxury and eat of the Mammon.
Mammoths of metal ~ we find unsightly and detestable.
Steeling of souls, the scarring and the scourging ~ is simply not seen on the shore.
And a precious few of saintly Sea souls are found in our midst and the few that sail upon the Sea are often seen simply as strange and discarded as such.
If we were to turn to the Gospels and read the words of Jesus alone, we would fully know that He did not promise us the pleasures of Mammon. In fact, He was quite clear to the opposite. His people would suffer much and hope in the glory of heaven, they would live just as Jesus lived and died and then rose again in the hope of this glory.
It is a fool's gold that we hold here in the Western church - that we may have the comfort of God while constantly grabbing the pleasures of Mammon. We may not have and do both - He decidedly told us to choose.
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