I wonder if the additional complicating layer is the pursuit of the “inner circle” (articulated by CS Lewis). We want to be on the inside, in the know. There’s certainly an avaricious aspect to that. But I think in our lonely age, there’s also a good hunger that’s been deformed: we want meaningful communities where we can feel like we’re building something.
The person who has “made it” looks like they’re doing this: building something in community with others who know them (whether that’s really true or not). To the extent that this longing is good, we should find ways to nurture it. That includes, as you say, heeding a call to responsibility.
Which reminds me of something Norman Wirzba wrote: the call to vocation usually doesn’t strike us like Jesus struck Paul on the road to Damascus. Instead it comes “in pianissimo.” It’s not that God isn’t speaking. It’s that we’ve turned up the volume on so much else that we drown out the call that comes to us from our neighbor.
This is so beautifully written. Certainly something I will be chewing on and resting in this week! Thank you for sharing your words and thoughts -- they always add such value 🖤
Wow. This is so good. Thank you for this. The “made it” mindset has this (false) promise that eventually you might “make it” and that is what you “should” want. I’ve been thinking about the difference between envy and longing and I think there might be a connection here. The “made it” mindset, I think, deals more in envy (look how great someone else is doing, they have money, fame, or whatever - don’t you want what they have!). But “entering the joy of the master” seems to deal in true longing. Living into that longing for something truly greater than ourselves (ie love) can be hard to do.
Thanks for adding this. The "made it" mindset is also always past and future vs the "enter into the joy of your master" is endless present, endless pleasure. You're right too that it always looks elsewhere.
Thanks for this. It’s hard to know sometimes where concerns should become tasks. Your Substack landed seconds after I drafted a letter that ended something like “repent and resubmit to godly authority before your expanded ministry vision results in a much expanded range of ministry injury.” Not words I’ve ever used before, and the people who need to hear them aren’t likely to listen!Anyhow, thanks.
I'm thinking on that too. There's so much there: a focus on communion, on the present enjoyment of the Master, and the end goal is utter consummation. Thanks for reading and commenting here! Come back if you have more thoughts.
Will do! One thing it is connecting with in my mind is hearing either Lydia Rex or Lynne Jackson at Connected Families talk about Nehemiah 8:10, "the joy of the Lord is your strength," in a way that was new to me. I had thought of it before as a thing I was supposed to do--to have a kind of spiritual joy that gave me strength. But they talked about it as knowing that the Lord has joy in us, and finding strength and encouragement in *God's* joy and delight in me. It seems like what you said really layers onto what they said in a helpful way.
I recently listened to Tim Keller's sermon "Lord of the Wine" and "Marriage Supper of the Lamb" and I think some of the connection between consummation in marriage and consummation at the last days found their way into this piece too, a bit. Thanks for that recommendation, too.
This rings true for me, Ashley. Being implicated, getting involved, engaging--it's messy work, and easily misunderstood. And 100% worth it in the long game. Thanks for writing this.
Beautiful. I often think (and laugh) about Paul emerging on the scene 14 years after his conversion to go meet with the other apostles whom he says "seemed influential". Paul took Jesus' teaching of not being a respecter of people to the enth degree, and I think if we truly desire to abolish this "made it,", "I have arrived," spirit, then we must also be willing to do away with being star struck by humans and being enamoured only with the work that Jesus is doing in them and to do as the Scriptures tell us, "they shall see your good works and glorify God who is in Heaven."
This part took my breath away: “Being implicated in something means that you bear responsibility for it. (Not to fix something by yourself, but to create teams, write a story, be with someone in their pain, make a cup of tea — there are so many ways to be implicated!). And if you bear responsibility, it means that you care. And if you care, you love, and if you love, you’ll bear suffering. Love, to be love, has a cost.” Thank you.
This needs to be shouted from the mountaintops. I know so many energetic, servant-hearted people who, when their tank is seemingly depleted, find one more drop to take the next step in serving their neighbor in need. I see it, and then I am faced with the mirror, measure and curb. We have not made it. We are all beggers. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Beautifully said!
I wonder if the additional complicating layer is the pursuit of the “inner circle” (articulated by CS Lewis). We want to be on the inside, in the know. There’s certainly an avaricious aspect to that. But I think in our lonely age, there’s also a good hunger that’s been deformed: we want meaningful communities where we can feel like we’re building something.
The person who has “made it” looks like they’re doing this: building something in community with others who know them (whether that’s really true or not). To the extent that this longing is good, we should find ways to nurture it. That includes, as you say, heeding a call to responsibility.
Which reminds me of something Norman Wirzba wrote: the call to vocation usually doesn’t strike us like Jesus struck Paul on the road to Damascus. Instead it comes “in pianissimo.” It’s not that God isn’t speaking. It’s that we’ve turned up the volume on so much else that we drown out the call that comes to us from our neighbor.
This rings true to me.
This is so beautifully written. Certainly something I will be chewing on and resting in this week! Thank you for sharing your words and thoughts -- they always add such value 🖤
Wow. This is so good. Thank you for this. The “made it” mindset has this (false) promise that eventually you might “make it” and that is what you “should” want. I’ve been thinking about the difference between envy and longing and I think there might be a connection here. The “made it” mindset, I think, deals more in envy (look how great someone else is doing, they have money, fame, or whatever - don’t you want what they have!). But “entering the joy of the master” seems to deal in true longing. Living into that longing for something truly greater than ourselves (ie love) can be hard to do.
Thanks for adding this. The "made it" mindset is also always past and future vs the "enter into the joy of your master" is endless present, endless pleasure. You're right too that it always looks elsewhere.
Thanks for this. It’s hard to know sometimes where concerns should become tasks. Your Substack landed seconds after I drafted a letter that ended something like “repent and resubmit to godly authority before your expanded ministry vision results in a much expanded range of ministry injury.” Not words I’ve ever used before, and the people who need to hear them aren’t likely to listen!Anyhow, thanks.
The real prize being to enter into the joy of the master really caught my attention. I'll be thinking about that.
I'm thinking on that too. There's so much there: a focus on communion, on the present enjoyment of the Master, and the end goal is utter consummation. Thanks for reading and commenting here! Come back if you have more thoughts.
Will do! One thing it is connecting with in my mind is hearing either Lydia Rex or Lynne Jackson at Connected Families talk about Nehemiah 8:10, "the joy of the Lord is your strength," in a way that was new to me. I had thought of it before as a thing I was supposed to do--to have a kind of spiritual joy that gave me strength. But they talked about it as knowing that the Lord has joy in us, and finding strength and encouragement in *God's* joy and delight in me. It seems like what you said really layers onto what they said in a helpful way.
I recently listened to Tim Keller's sermon "Lord of the Wine" and "Marriage Supper of the Lamb" and I think some of the connection between consummation in marriage and consummation at the last days found their way into this piece too, a bit. Thanks for that recommendation, too.
This rings true for me, Ashley. Being implicated, getting involved, engaging--it's messy work, and easily misunderstood. And 100% worth it in the long game. Thanks for writing this.
Beautiful. I often think (and laugh) about Paul emerging on the scene 14 years after his conversion to go meet with the other apostles whom he says "seemed influential". Paul took Jesus' teaching of not being a respecter of people to the enth degree, and I think if we truly desire to abolish this "made it,", "I have arrived," spirit, then we must also be willing to do away with being star struck by humans and being enamoured only with the work that Jesus is doing in them and to do as the Scriptures tell us, "they shall see your good works and glorify God who is in Heaven."
This part took my breath away: “Being implicated in something means that you bear responsibility for it. (Not to fix something by yourself, but to create teams, write a story, be with someone in their pain, make a cup of tea — there are so many ways to be implicated!). And if you bear responsibility, it means that you care. And if you care, you love, and if you love, you’ll bear suffering. Love, to be love, has a cost.” Thank you.
This needs to be shouted from the mountaintops. I know so many energetic, servant-hearted people who, when their tank is seemingly depleted, find one more drop to take the next step in serving their neighbor in need. I see it, and then I am faced with the mirror, measure and curb. We have not made it. We are all beggers. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
I'd love to know where you're finding Steven Garber's definition of vocation as you talk about it here!
It's my summary of his Visions of Vocation. I'll take a look when I can find it on my shelf! :) Ping me if I forget, Jen.
He writes "If one knows, then one cares. If one does not care, one does not know" page 100. This is the jist: https://washingtoninst.org/implications-of-empathy/