I want to sing of hope everlasting

These last couple of days have found me on the shores of Lake Michigan.  Celebrating the last year of ministry with my fellow staff members.  We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve shared story and we’ve encountered God through his Word.
I’m realizing more and more how we all come to the Word differently, not only in how we process and interpret it, but in how we share it with others.  How we allow it to push into other aspects of our lives – of our passions.
I’ve had musician friends write music inspired by certain texts, or artists draw or paint a picture inspired by the text.  I’ve heard heart felt discussions and studies on various pieces of the bible.  What’s fascinating to me is to sit across from someone and hear their explanation of their process.
It’s amazing to listen as someone starts from the beginning.
“There’s this story in Ezekiel ….” 
They set the stage for those of us who know it well and those of us who may not know it at all.
“Where Ezekiel talks about prophesying over dry bones…”
And you can hear their imaginations start to work.
“I see all these bones and sinews and tendons which makes me think of the Lion King and a production of these bones coming to life…”
And from there, they continue on.  Describing colors or shapes, symbol crashes and the sounds of rattling.  It’s like they are tying to show you a picture that is in their mind, something they have imagined up over the years. 

Without fail, it ceases to amaze me when I hear people encountering scriptures in ways that I cannot.  Through graffiti, art, collages, sound production, dramas, feasts … The list can go on and on.  And when I sit across from them, with a cup of coffee in my hand, I listen intently as they describe the process.  As they do I can hear the Spirit speaking through them.  I can see that they have seen a side of God that I have not.  And I want to lean in closer, in hopes to see what they see.  I want to see the world through their eyes, if only for a moment.  To steal a glimpse of how they see these words of God come to life.
Then I realize.  This is my life. There are a lot of things about being a pastor that I’m really looking forward to doing, but this one just might take the cake.