The Wonder
Like air fresh-cleansed by rain,
and shining grass
in bright and gently sun-
lit day . . . .
Did I attain sincere worship?
The soul as I recall did surge,
a pilot cleared for take-off.
Then felt the lift-off,
the entry into stratosphere,
and then, in delight: what was it?
Uncountable occasions prompt the worshipful soul to transcendent delight in the Creator Father. But when the mind is full of other things, the person remains earth-bound. Then approaching worship becomes a struggle.
There is a way of living that coordinates both dimensions: down-to-earth responsibility and heavenly delight. An understanding of the meanings of the material life links up with an understanding of the meanings of the spirit level. Then we see complementarity between God and man—yes, asymmetrical symmetry of Parent and child—but complementarity, a pre-established harmony. God is engaged in the material level as the unfathomable First Cause; and we material creatures have within us a spark of his spirit.
It is not by deserting the material that we ascend, though we do at times leave behind all consciousness of matter. On the whole, we ascend by attaining the poise that comes of living the beautiful structural alignment of higher and lower levels. When body, mind, and spirit are aligned, we feel great. Whenever we behold these levels unified, we behold beauty. Or if we are going through an episode of suffering, we have the sublime comfort of fellowship in affliction. “In all your affliction, he is afflicted with you.” When the storm of suffering passes, we glimpse afresh the integrity of the creation in its rightness: the material level in alignment with the spiritual, creation with the Creator. We get glimpses only, since most of the time we experience time as process of evolving that alignment. But perceiving that process in its beauty transforms time by bringing it into step with eternity.
When the sunlight of goodness breaks into the news, when we perceive the silver lining in any cloud, we know: the Lord omnipotent reigns. The sovereign God prevails. In the outworking of destiny, all things great and small, will eventually emerge in their coordination.
Any facet of the infinite Creator, when it comes to mind in thought, becomes another trampoline that liberates the mind to rise with the soul as it rises in the spirit to worship.
To quiet the mind, still the body and to consciously enjoy the psychological and intellectual process of worship; and during those times when life problems scatter this quietness away and when we can think clearly and coordinate the material with the spiritual brings about a deep satisfaction.
But there have been times when I could do neither, neither quiet the mind nor still the body or think productively. These episodes used to be so disturbing to I finally realize that great truth that none of these distractions could interfere with my desire to do God’s will. And glory be to God that this spiritual transaction lies beyond the reach of the conscious mind. After all his Grace is sufficient to overcome all barriers, both emotional and physically as well as those intellectual distractions that stir the mind in disarray.
Dr. Perry