Thursday, June 02, 2005
Growth
It's been a busy last couple of weeks. Not leaving as much time as I'd like to reflect on what's been growing inside of me during this season of theological education.

So I'm sure it's no accident that I stumbled across this passage today. I just happened to pick my copy of A Guide to Prayer and read this:
Any good gardener knows that beautiful roses require careful pruning. Pieces of living plant have to die. It cannot just grow wild. We cannot simpley 'celebrate growth.' It is more than to be regretted, it is tragic that we seem to have lost the insight that growth in Christ requires careful pruning. Pieces of us by our intentional action need to die if we are to become the person that is in God's vision. We are not cutting away a cancerous growth, but making room for intended growth. Mortification refers to that intentional action of pruning of life that better life might grow by God's grace--just as better roses grow by God's grace. --from Spirituality for Ministry by Urban T. Holmes III

Growth is not enough. Growth in and of itself is not necessarily a good thing. At times it can impede and hinder future growth if it is not tended and pruned.

Watch the director's commentary of any good film and you'll hear about how they had to cut out their favorite scene. Brilliant acting. Great writing. But somehow the scene just doesn't fit within the context of the whole movie. And so the scene is left on the cutting room floor. A nominal DVD extra.

So I wonder how many "scenes" I've shot over the last year need to fall to the "cutting room floor".

I don't really know what all this means to me right now. But for some reason it's on my mind here before I go to bed.

Shalom.

posted by Peter at 12:39 AM
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