Guest blogger: Harry BrocksieckHarry and Barbara Brosckieck are retired Salvation Army officers from the Central Territory in the USA. They have also served at the Eastern European Training College in Finland.
Creative: adjective – using or showing use of imagination to create new ideas or things
The hermit said it is important to delve into the self to create something. The process not the results is the goal. He is creative with words. We have 8 books he has written. He is indeed a wordsmith. His books are insightful, interestingly written and full of surprises. Some titles are:
-Teaching the Dead Bird to Sing.
-Trumpet at Full Moon
-A table in the Desert
Madeline L’Engle was the guest lecturer at Wheaton College. Listening to her that evening, I believe she was the first I heard say that you must be humble and courageous in creating. She said she creates her characters then she loses control of them as they develop their own characteristics. She creates the idea but the plot takes over and it becomes a living entity that creates itself. She often has to ‘run’ to get down the various dialogues that come from the interaction of the characters. It is hard work to keep up with the developments, she said. When I am finished I am exhausted and exeleraited. “Where did all that come from?” she was asked. “It comes from within,” she said. “I have exposed myself in my writings in ways I have not always wanted to be exposed. I see myself in new ways when I have completed the creative process. If you could sit with me after completing some of my writings you would cry with me over who I really am. I could share with you my embarrassments. I could reveal the weakness of my character. I would also reveal some of my good qualities to be noted too. I am so often surprised with who I am. “
My friend Rio is one of those people. He was our first CO at the corps we attend in Fountain Valley. He is one of the top 10 preachers I have ever heard. I can’t remember when he did not start a sermon with a story. The story was usually humorous and out of his personal experience. I even remember the first sermon he preached! First a little background for this story– Rio is about 30, 6’4”, rugged good looks but not striking, pleasant personality and about 25 lbs overweight. Rachel his wife is also tall, strikingly attractive with her Christlikeness coming through her stylishness. The sermon begins with this true story: “Last Monday Rachel and I were stopped at a stop light. Rachel looked out her window and said, “Well look at that!” Rio said, “I looked out her window and saw a construction site with a young, handsome, shirtless, muscular hunk working. Quickly I threw my shoulders back, pulled in my gut (as far as I could) and flexed my muscles. I was about to say something to her about how handsome and dashing a picture I was when the light changed and Rachel continued, “A new Taco Bell.” We all laughed. The point of the sermon was ‘When we look out the same window do you see Christ or are you distracted by lesser things. Rio is like Madeline L’Engle to our delight.
Barbara has gotten creatively green after reading the National Geographic. She is using Colorado’s 300 days of sunshine, dry climate and usual breeze hanging clothing on the line outside (she saved $30 last month on the electric bill). The sheets and clothing smell wonderful and refreshing.
Oswald Chambers did not write ‘My upmost for His highest.” His wife did. He died young. As part o her love for him and with some financial need she gathered up his letters, notes and papers – organized them and published them under his name. If Barbara goes senile or dies before I do and I can get to her 26 journals (so far). I can mine the gold from them just like the miners did here in Colorado. I will make a fortune, opps, I mean to say, I will bring a lot of blessings to people through her insights. She has the creativity and insights but she is missing the marketing spark to share her insights and ideas. If we are both promoted to glory then Steve and Kevin can share the wealth.
In developing our spiritual life through creativity the creative work –with words, wood, dirt, people, etc. has to have these qualities
1. It must point toward beauty
2. It must contribute to life, love and joy
3. It must contribute to longsuffering, patience, kindness,
4. It must contribute toward goodness, gentleness, self control
5. It must give some insight to God
6. It must give some insight to the human personality – hopefully our own.
I enjoy being creative in my devotions. Following is how I am approaching my daily devotional time with God.
A study of the parables of Jesus in the Gospels
1. Studied each parable and completed this chart on each parable (I like charts) – took about a year
a/Feelings found in the parable
Feelings marked with an * are identified in the text. The rest are my assumptions
b/Definition of feelings from the dictionary
( Feelings in the first column that are italicized are feelings of being in the Kingdom )
c/Teachings from the Parable
d/Summary of Teaching or Lessons to be learned
e/Prime Feeling from Psalm 150 Highlighted Here
F=Fear B=Beauty
P=Passion S=Surprise
sA=Sadness fR=Fragmented
E=Enjoyment L=Loud
broK=Brokeness loV=Love /Praise
2. Completed the following chart (took about 3 months)
Characters and Characteristics in the Parables of Jesus
a/ Characters listed
(Those in Italics are assumed and not part of the parable)
b/God like characteristics found in the parable
c/Human characteristics found in the parable
d/Subhuman characteristics found in the parable
e/Additional comments
3. Summarize lessons from books, commentaries on parables ( took about a month)
4. Select a word that summarizes the central truth of the parable. That word starts with a letter of the alphabet. I then type into a chart all the words from the dictionary staring with that letter that might be used in writing some prose about the story, which is most of the words. I look up the meaning of the words I don’t know – very interesting process.
5. Then I look at the words and write some prose. – the parable is
Luke 14:25-33 (KJV)
And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, [26] If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. [27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. [28] For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. [31] Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? [32] Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. [33] So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
The word selected is “Weigh” as in weigh these matters
The parable in prose
Walking with Jesus (being a disciple of Jesus) is 4 things 1) putting Christ first in all relationships, 2) taking up your God appointed responsibility, 3) forsaking all personal possessions (including things and awards, honors, etc.) but Him, and 4) following Him.
Waft, waddle, wander nor waltz into discipleship. Be wary and wakeful. Wait and weigh rather than wading in too soon. Later on you won’t want to be wan or to waiver. You don’t want head wagers to warble or wager that you are a waffler or a wastrel.
For instance if you are going to build a warren, watchtower or a warehouse near the wadi with wapiti and walleye you have to wonder if you have the wampum in your wallet to finish the wallboard, wallpaper, wainscoting, and water proofing; including a water closet. You don’t want to wail when the wag, waif, washerwoman or wain-wright wahoo on their walkie-talkies because you walked-away from it.
Or weigh a wanderlust, wayward, wanton, warmongering warlord coming at you wanting warfare. You are wagering your warriors, warheads, warhorses and warplanes against his ware. Should you wade in with war paint and war bonnet, do a war dance and go on the warpath or does your watch dog suggest warming up to him? He is not warmhearted, a waddy is not a wand and wavering will end.
He has warned you, are you watchful of the warning? This is not a waiting game, you could get a walloping! It is wacky to wallow in being wishy-washy! Or does watching warrant a wash? War is not a waggery situation. You don’t want to make a wasteland of or wager your kingdom or warp your wife into a wahine on his water bed wearing your wardrobe and wassailing while you wake as wastepaper in the washroom wastebasket. Your warder says get on or get off the wagon. You can’t wane in the face of the forces advancing. Consider waylaying him by sending a warrant officer with a wad to wangle a warranty as a way out of this.
There was so much material in each vowel that I have a prose from ‘w’ words that begin with ‘we’, ‘wh’, ‘wi’ and ‘wo’ in addition to the ‘wa’ above.
6. Finally there must be some application of this parable to my life so this is the final chart: (took about month then a life time to apply this parable)
Methods of personal response to Living in this life the way I will live in the Kingdom and the truths around it.
a/From the emotional section of the study.
b/From studies of other books on the Parables
c/Reflections in W (Weigh) on Living in the Kingdom NOW
There is also have a section on holiness teaching from each parable and any humor found in the parable.
Creative: adjective - making imaginative use of the limited resources available.
Harry
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