When I was in my early
teens, my parents took us on a vacation to Wray, Colorado. We borrowed my
grandparents travel trailer, hooked it up to my parents 1 ton truck and off we
went speeding along I70 at 55 mph across Kansas. My dad had an uncle who lived in Wray and we
went to stay at their farm. One day I
was walking down the dirt road near their place and a bird of prey caught my
eye. It was circling overhead. But then I saw it go into a steep dive and
abruptly land in an adjacent field. A
moment later it lifted off again carrying in its talons a small snake. When travelling, I continue to watch for
hawks because I am fascinated by the vision and direct trajectory of such a
creature in the skillful hunting of prey.
I might have mentioned in
my sermon a certain fascination with the joint venture between NASA and Space X
to deliver astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). I watched the recent launch of the Falcon 9
rocket that catapulted the Dragon crew module into space and orbit. I am utterly amazed at the science that goes
behind this process and the voluminous calculations needed to determine the
exact time for launch and trajectory needed for the crew module to intersect
with the ISS. Off by a fraction of a
second or a degree of ascent and they will miss the window for a successful rendezvous.
Now this might be a
stretch for you, but I’ve come to believe that God has a vision and trajectory
in mind for our lives, but it probably isn’t what you think. This sounds like a broken record and maybe it
is but . . . we’ve become too attached to this world and the benchmarks we use
for a trajectory to success. The pathway
of Jesus calls us to a different vision and a different trajectory. The benchmarks of following the path of Jesus
are simplicity, humility, service, self-sacrifice, and love. When we follow this path, our trajectory is
maturation or as Paul puts it, we become more like Christ. The trajectory that God desires for our lives
is the path that leads us to be more Christ-like each day. Unlike the natural skill of the hawk or the
sophisticated calculations of rocket computers, we are guided by our own mind
and will. Thankfully, God has given us
the gift of the Holy Spirit who can direct us in the way that we should go -
the path, the trajectory that leads to righteousness.
I invite you to take time
and read each of the scriptures above as you move to reflect on the questions
below. Take a few moments to think about
the trajectory of your life and the invitation to grow and be more like Jesus. Lastly,
I pray that God bless the reading of God’s Word and the meditations of your
heart.