Fig Leaves and Wedding Feasts

It's been a while... Life has been full what with a new semester starting. It's been good. I really like my classes.

Anyway, I've been thinking about a couple things lately. I love the picture that these two things paint of our relationship to one another and our relationship to God.

The First:
Have you ever noticed that weddings seem to revolve around the bride? Think back on various wedding experiences and you'll probably notice that a good number of them are very bride-centric. The flowers, the decor, the photos. Most of those things are meant to enhance and capture the beauty of the bride. She walks down the aisle dressed in a white gown and everyone stands. The music announces her entrance and there are even other women who walk down the aisle to announce her arrival. The groom stands at the altar, awaiting her entrance - anticipating her approach. All eyes are on HER. The Bride.
The colors are usually her favorite. The dress is usually the most ornate she will ever wear. The entire theme of the wedding is, in most cases, what SHE wants.
Now take that picture and put yourself on the aisle (guys, I know that will be hard) and picture Jesus as your awaiting groom. Now put every believe on the aisle with you.
The wedding is about the bride. The beauty, the attention, the groom. were it not for the Bride, the groom would have no reason to stand at the altar... Were it not for the groom, the bride would not walk the aisle.
Church, it's about us. The cross, the resurrection, the ascension, the gift of the Holy Spirit.
All of it gifted to us to adorn us on the day our vows are complete and we join our groom at the wedding feast.

There's still some formulating to be done to that thought, but I think it's such a beautiful picture.

The Second:
We were talking about this in one of my classes last week. It has stuck with me since then and there are thoughts that have been added. I love this one. It makes me cry.
So you've got Adam and Eve in this garden with all sorts of good stuff and then you've got this tree. THE tree. This is the tree that is to remain untouched, but then a bunch of stuff happens and the tree is touched, the fruit is eaten and Adam and Eve have to leave the garden. Now, listen to this: My Roommate, Kristin, was talking about choices this afternoon and something she said struck me. She was recalling a message from a parenting series by Danny Silk at Bethel Church, here in Redding. She said that God created all things and gave Adam and Eve the freedom to choose how they would live. He said not to eat the fruit, but they chose. The were able to choose because they were free from the get go. God isn't a controlling God and He allowed the bad choice to be made, despite the heartache it caused Him. Now, as we were talking in class this week, we noted how after that first poor choice, Adam and Eve were addressed as individuals instead of together and that they were ashamed and covered themselves. Sin - the first poor choice - Brought shame and separation to all mankind and it brought separation between God and Man.
Now here's the interesting part:
God didn't give them the boot and say "well Adam you're on your own! See-ya, wouldn't wannna be-ya." No, God has compassion on Adam and Eve. He sees their shame and he kills some of the animals to make clothing for them. The first thing he does for them is make a sacrifice to cover their nakedness.
The first thing God does is Make a sacrifice to cover their shame, and it sets the precedent for the rest of the story. The story that we still are living out today.
We still make poor choices and God still covers our shame. Jesus became the sacrifice that would take care of it once and for all.
We are separated, and we are shamed, but God's sacrifice covers our shame.

I love it. It's so beautiful. It's so wonderful to think that in my bad judgement, God would be willing to make a sacrifice to make me a garment more lasting than the fig leaves I can find on my own.

Well, I think I'm rambling now. It must be bedtime.
I'm sure there will be more musings and ramblings to come... eventually.