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the system of the church; my genesis in Christ germinating within the confines of a container with labels and pretty drawings and rules and assumptions and limits and governments and politics and times and agendas and necessary evils and power mad individuals, to include myself from time to time. As my relationship with Christ took root and grew it soon became apparent that the vessel in which I had been planted was insufficient to hold something which all along was meant to be wild and out of control. As Christ took me deeper my roots began to break out of the vessel in search of more, and as I grew taller my branches began to broadcast unique seed further on the wind of the Spirit into once dark and lonely spaces where only fear and apprehension could dwell, enlarging my territory.

Francis Schaeffer said something about this process. He said that when we are introduced to the gospel of Christ and first understand it, we are simultaneously introduced to rules and regulations; the ten commandments; the law. As we begin our journey we find life and freedom in the beginnings of our understanding of right and wrong, of what is pleasing to God and what is displeasing to God. We call this our love for God; our response to him through rule-keeping, and it lasts for a time, some longer than others, but it is meant to pass away into a new season wherein the rules become what they always were-dead-and we embrace our Creator in a response of love and relationship. We still keep the rules mostly, but not for the sake of the rules-rather for the sake of our love. And this is certainly one way to go about it. Is it the only way? Think about that as I add to our discussion.

When my roots broke through the vessel and found new ground and fresher soil and new and wilder streams from which to drink I did a foolish thing: Instead of being open-handed and thankful to Christ for looking after me in such a devout way, I instead closed my hands around anger and despised the vessel which served to house me when I was yet tender and unable to bear the strains of the wild. My roots took delight in attempting to utterly crush it beneath me, so instead of letting time and water and wind and soil deliver it to me as fine minerals that could nourish me I constricted my tendrils around big shards which damaged me and inhibited my healthy growth.

We all do this in one way or another.

However we don't all see that we do it, and I want to help those in darkness by throwing light on a few things.

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