Finding Your Place in God's Picture
Why are pictures so important to us as humans? This last weekend Lynsey and I had the blessing of going to Mount Saint Helens to camp with my brother, and my in-laws. While we were there we took hundreds of pictures, in only a couple days. Pictures to remember our experience of walking through the ape cave, hiking over a suspension bridge at the lava canyons, gazing upon the quiet peakless mountain fresh with life where only 24 years prior a blast the size of 27,000 atomic bombs brought death to every living thing within its reach.
Pictures represent stories that we want to capture or remember. In my office I have a picture of my wife and me from when we were dating and began the exciting journey of falling in love. I want to remember. On my wall hangs the calendar version of a Thomas Kinkade painting. In the midst of a stormy and busy street you see the warmth and tranquility of a well lit nearby home. I am captured by the home where it is dry and cozy, but so often I end up feeling lost in the rain.
For several years now my favorite picture has been Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son (1668-69). There is something about the way the father is holding the son after he returns that touches my heart. Much of that is depicted in the hands. One hand, strong in the embrace, as to say I am going to hold on to you with strength, and I never want to let you go again. The right hand tender; showing the softness of the father’s heart toward the son, as if to say never mind the past I am just happy to have you home.
I love pictures, I think that is why my introduction got away from me a little, but truly the greatest picture ever is God’s picture. Think about it for a moment, what does God’s big picture look like? God creates beauty and life with goodness everywhere, but because of our sin, death and suffering, chaos and pain enter the world. So God sends His Son to save humanity at the cross. His work carries on through generations to mend broken hearts, to dry the tears from eyes, to put an end to injustice, and the most amazing thing about this is that He uses people to create His picture.
Not only is Mosaic the new name for our college group at the “Grace Place” (and one of the forms of art that fascinates me the most), it is also an incredible symbol of our lives with God. A mosaic is a picture often made out of little pieces of stone. Each rock has a color and a shape; alone the rock is merely a pebble, common and hardly noticeable. However, when the rock falls into the hands of a great artist creating a mosaic it finds its place in something far bigger than itself—a beautiful masterpiece that will have people marveling for years to come.
God’s mosaic is His Kingdom, His picture of goodness for the people of the world. He makes the picture by willing individuals who want to play their part. There is no most important piece in a mosaic. Each piece needs to play its own role that God designed it to play. If one piece decides to try to go somewhere else, or fall out for a time the picture is incomplete.
The phase that our group Mosaic has embraced as our own is “Finding Our Place in God’s Picture.” This is a statement of faith. Faith that God want to use us, that He has a place for us. Faith that He will reveal to us the role He wants to play, and then faith that God will give us the courage to play our part in His picture no matter what the cost.
So I ask you today. What is your place in God’s picture as it relates to the world . . . our nation . . . Tigard . . . your work place . . . our church? Are you living out what God desires you to do? If not, why not? I would love to talk with you in the days ahead. Please call me for e-mail me so that we can help each other find our place in God’s picture. Never forget that you have a place in God’s picture, there is a specific role that God wants you to play at our church and in our culture. Without you, God’s picture will always be incomplete.
With gratitude,
Pastor Jon
Pictures represent stories that we want to capture or remember. In my office I have a picture of my wife and me from when we were dating and began the exciting journey of falling in love. I want to remember. On my wall hangs the calendar version of a Thomas Kinkade painting. In the midst of a stormy and busy street you see the warmth and tranquility of a well lit nearby home. I am captured by the home where it is dry and cozy, but so often I end up feeling lost in the rain.
For several years now my favorite picture has been Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son (1668-69). There is something about the way the father is holding the son after he returns that touches my heart. Much of that is depicted in the hands. One hand, strong in the embrace, as to say I am going to hold on to you with strength, and I never want to let you go again. The right hand tender; showing the softness of the father’s heart toward the son, as if to say never mind the past I am just happy to have you home.
I love pictures, I think that is why my introduction got away from me a little, but truly the greatest picture ever is God’s picture. Think about it for a moment, what does God’s big picture look like? God creates beauty and life with goodness everywhere, but because of our sin, death and suffering, chaos and pain enter the world. So God sends His Son to save humanity at the cross. His work carries on through generations to mend broken hearts, to dry the tears from eyes, to put an end to injustice, and the most amazing thing about this is that He uses people to create His picture.
Not only is Mosaic the new name for our college group at the “Grace Place” (and one of the forms of art that fascinates me the most), it is also an incredible symbol of our lives with God. A mosaic is a picture often made out of little pieces of stone. Each rock has a color and a shape; alone the rock is merely a pebble, common and hardly noticeable. However, when the rock falls into the hands of a great artist creating a mosaic it finds its place in something far bigger than itself—a beautiful masterpiece that will have people marveling for years to come.
God’s mosaic is His Kingdom, His picture of goodness for the people of the world. He makes the picture by willing individuals who want to play their part. There is no most important piece in a mosaic. Each piece needs to play its own role that God designed it to play. If one piece decides to try to go somewhere else, or fall out for a time the picture is incomplete.
The phase that our group Mosaic has embraced as our own is “Finding Our Place in God’s Picture.” This is a statement of faith. Faith that God want to use us, that He has a place for us. Faith that He will reveal to us the role He wants to play, and then faith that God will give us the courage to play our part in His picture no matter what the cost.
So I ask you today. What is your place in God’s picture as it relates to the world . . . our nation . . . Tigard . . . your work place . . . our church? Are you living out what God desires you to do? If not, why not? I would love to talk with you in the days ahead. Please call me for e-mail me so that we can help each other find our place in God’s picture. Never forget that you have a place in God’s picture, there is a specific role that God wants you to play at our church and in our culture. Without you, God’s picture will always be incomplete.
With gratitude,
Pastor Jon
posted by Jon Knapp at
9:34 AM
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