Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Holy? Wholly? Holey? Lord God Almighty!

Holy, Holy, Holy. 
Lord God Almighty. 
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee. 
Holy, Holy, Holy.
Merciful and mighty. 
God in three persons, Blessed Trinity.

That song is one of my favorite hymns.  But, sometimes I wonder if some of us have the words a little mixed up or if we simply fail to grasp the full breadth of what the song is declaring.

I think we are all pretty clear about the fact that it refers to the holiness of God.  But, perhaps we haven't realized that not only does it declare that God is holy, but that God is "wholly" or entirely holy.  And, what does that "wholly" cover? The blessed Trinity. 

God is holy and God is wholly holy.  God is one being who exists in three persons--God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--and ALL of God is holy.  Yet, some of us want to take God piecemeal or treat our relationship with God as if we are offered multiple choices. We sell ourselves and God short when we fail to see or embrace the fullness of the Godhead or hold one of the Trinity in lower regard than another.

Starting with Genesis, we see evidence of the Spirit or the Rhua of God present in creation:

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Genesis 1:2)

So, from the outset, in the opening verses of scripture, God has given us a glimpse of His fullness or wholeness.

God is wholly, holy.  But, Lord God almighty, some of us are just the opposite--we are wholly holey!

Some of us have allowed the challenges of this life to leave deep wholes all throughout our being.  Our minds, our hearts and our spirits are filled with gaping, aching holes that we often try to fill with everything else except the Blessed Trinity.

No one and nothing but God--in His entirety--will ever fill the holes in our lives.  Not even church work or attendance will do the job.  Some of us move in and out and all about the church and appear as if we are striving to get closer to God.  But, all the while we are actually dancing around and away from God.  We are only touching God at the surface and are too afraid to go deep.

Come on!  Take the plunge!  If you're already in deep with God, great!  Go deeper!  Take a deeper and closer examination of yourself and explore the holes in your heart and mind. Don't keep covering those holes with scar tissue.  Open those wounds to the Great Physician and let the healing begin!

God says, "be holy, for I am holy."  Not only is God wholly holy, God desires for us to also be wholly, holy.  We will never achieve that on our own.  That's why we must wholly receive the gift of Jesus Christ -- "What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus!"

Let us learn to truly love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, and strength.  For, once we stop half-stepping and serve God with our whole heart, we won't be burdened with the guilt and confusion of our hearts, minds and bodies being in disagreement about what we truly desire in life.

When we FULLY (i.e. wholly) yield to God, we will find the peace that passess understanding, and every fabric of our being will readily and lovingly declare in unison,

Holy, Holy, Holy....
There is none beside Thee. 
Perfect in power and love and purity.

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen

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