Newsletter April 2007
Simply Jesus !
For about three years my wife, Marveen, and I drove 120 miles
one-way from Anchorage to Seward to minister at a house church
fellowship that we had started. We relished the two or three hours
each way that we could spend talking about our visions and dreams
or any old thing we pleased. It almost always seemed like the
time went too fast. Granted, sometimes during the winter, it occasionally
would get a little scary on the road when the wind was blowing
or near white-out conditions existed…but we loved it.
It was on one of these trips when our discussion centered around
several gnarly church situations that we were aware of where pastors,
leaders and congregations were at odds with one another and the
fur was flying in an all out “church war.” About twenty
minutes into that discussion, Marveen, in her most sincere manner,
said, “Wouldn’t it be really nice if folks would just
stop all this bickering and keep their eyes simply on Jesus?”
A Spiritual Tattoo…”Simply Jesus!”
There was silence in the car as the Holy Spirit tattooed those
words “simply JESUS” into our hearts and minds. Simply
Jesus. Simply…Jesus. That phrase just came alive in both
of as and we began to share how those two words really captured
the desire of our hearts. In our fifties, we had tasted of the
fast lane of life, workaholism, and acquiring “things”
that cluttered our lives. We longed to simplify our lives and
live a life of quiet awareness of the things that really mattered.
And, most of all, we both felt a keen drawing of the Spirit to
also unclutter our spiritual lives and focus simply and purely
on Jesus! We hungered to read the gospels and to get a fresh view
of Jesus –the Word made flesh – the Son who came to
reveal to us the Father and show us what God is like.
From that day to the present, our quest has been for that simplicity
and a closer relationship with Jesus. Once we set our hearts that
direction, it has been amazing the books and people that have
crossed our path to encourage us in our goal. Joe Girzone’s
“Joshua” series of books came alive to us as he so
incredibly paints a picture of Joshua (who is actually Jesus revealing
himself in modern day settings). His books are laced with vivid
descriptions of how simply Jesus lived his life and how simple
it is to walk with him in that WAY. Richard Rohr’s book
on simplicity really turned my crank as he described the benefits
of a simple life. Clair Cloninger’s book, A Place Called
Simplicity, was the icing on the cake. Her piercing vision of
a pure and simple relationship with Jesus in our everyday lives
is about as good as it gets. Everywhere we turned, there was more
encouragement.
What is clearest in my heart as I write this today is how much
I long to LIVE a simple life and have that simple and unclouded
relationship with Jesus…without all of the religious trappings
or expectations of my own religious self or that of others.
Come Unto Me…
When I read those words from the lips of Jesus…”Come
unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, take my yoke upon
you and learn of me…for my yoke is easy and my burden is
light and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS” it is like
a clarion call from Jesus himself to walk with Him, learn of Him
and from Him. Can you hear it?
Wayne Coggins
