This weekend I (Kevin) was able to take a 24-hour silent retreat, and traveled by bus to the city of Cordoba, about 3 hours away from Granada. It was great to be able to set aside lots of time to pray and read in solitude.
Old Roman temple ruins in Cordoba
I was able to read through the Psalms and also read Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. I love the Psalms and how raw, honest and frank the writers are. They set such a model for us in our conversations with Jesus. Rob Bell also talks about being able to voice what is deepest in our hearts and minds. Questions, doubts, struggles. The psalmist’s were willing to ask the why questions. As Bell says, "Questions, no matter how shocking or blasphemous or ignorant…but rooted in humility. A humility that understands that I am not God…and that there is more to know." He goes on to say, “Maybe that is who God is looking for—people who don’t just sit there and mindlessly accept whatever comes their way.”
One passage of Scripture that really jumped out at me is found in Psalm 40. David is talking to God and he says; Doing something for you, bringing something to you—that’s not what you’re after. Being religious, acting pious—that’s not what you’re asking for. You’ve opened my ears so I can listen. So I answered, “I’m coming. I read in your letter what you wrote about me, and I’m coming to the party you’re throwing for me. That’s when God’s word entered my life, became part of my very being.”
Carefully reread that last sentence!
I was reminded in Romans where Paul says in Romans 3; What we’ve learned is this: God does not respond to what we do, we respond to what God does. We’ve finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.
I don’t know if this makes much sense or not, but there is a huge paradigm shift here. I recently received an email from someone who said, “Being versus doing. I have always struggled with that. If North Americans find identity in doing rather than in being, German background Mennonites are off the chart in this. We are Christians, we don’t do Christian! We don’t do church! We are the church! We disciple others, only because we are disciples…Doing flows out of being, naturally.” Whew! I think he hit the nail right on the head, what do you think?
OK, on a lighter note, I was able to do a bit of sightseeing while in Cordoba. The highlight of Cordoba is the Mezquita, a mosque turned cathedral that dates back to A.D. 784.
Looking down toward the Triunfo de San Rafael Monument. The Mezquita is on the left side.
Looking up at the Mezquita bell tower in the orange tree courtyard.
Inside the Mezquita. It is around 85,000 square feet, which is nearly as big as St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
There are around 850 of these columns throughout the cathedral.
This gate, called the Mihrab, was the focus of the original mosque. Imagine yourself here 1,000 years ago and seeing 7,000 men kneeling in prayer, facing the Mihrab, rocking forward to touch their heads to the ground, and praying to Allah.
On Saturday morning, I headed out to the city center and did some prayerwalking. As I prayed and listened to worship music, if someone had looked closely at me, they would have seen someone with shivers running up and down his back with tears streaming down his face listening to the words to this song:
We will shine like stars in the universe,
Holding out Your truth in the darkest place.
We´ll be living for Your glory,
Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.
We will burn so bright with Your praise O God,
And declare Your light to this broken world.
We´ll be living for Your glory,
Jesus we´ll be living for Your glory.
—Shine by Matt Redman
—Kevin
