Reaching Into the Sky

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado

I've written about winter trees before. In many ways they are more appealing to me than summer trees. Don't get me wrong. I'm looking forward to Spring when the leaves once again appear and cloth these branches, yet I love the sculpted feel of the intertwined branches.

These trees become more intricate as they reach into the sky, and so it is with our life in Christ.

"Righteous people flourish like palm trees and grow tall like the cedars in Lebanon." Psalm 92:12 God's Word to the Nations

These trees keep pushing upward, and as they grow their branches grow capturing more of the sun and the nourishment they need to continue to grow. For the trees to keep growing the branches must grow.

God has created us to grow as individuals and as a community.

God wants his baptized to grow together, gaining nourishment from him by caring for each other as Christ cares for his church. We are a community. Growing together is a part of our faith. It is a part of God's intent.

Not only does God intend for his baptized to grow together, he wants each of us to grow in his mercy and grace. God desires to be intimate with you. Evidence of this fact is the meal that he wants to share with you. "Take, eat, this is my body." "Take, drink, this is my blood."  

We tend to get hung up on the words, "body," and "blood," and lose sight that Jesus offers to be intimate with us, with you. This intimacy happens in the context of community. As we experience intimacy with Christ, we also experience intimacy with each other.

As a result we continue to grow as our branches of faith intertwine and reach into the sky.

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(Click on picture to enlarge.)

Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-14 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR