Digging Deep...

Psalm 42:7 - "Deep calls unto deep."

In my quest to read through all of the Christian literature available for free through Bibles for America, I've come across a basic, but extremely profound and enlightening chapter written by Watchman Nee called "Deep Calls unto Deep".

Some quotes I highlighted:

The only thing that touches us is something that has issued from the depths of others.

If nothing comes from the depths, the help we receive is just superficial.

If we want to render spiritual help to others, (which I believe every genuine Christian does) something must issue from our depths.

Only deep calls unto deep. 

When deep touches deep, deep will respond to deep.

Though I am having some difficulty figuring out how to express what I've  read, I do have the sensation that I have touched something that came from the depths of a person that knew the depths of God's heart and lived a life that matched it.

As human beings we all have the desire to be deep beings...hence the phrase "dude...that's deep", "digging deep", etc. However, how deep am I, no really. In the light of reading such a chapter, I have the realization that even though everything may appear okay on the outside (my "leaves" so to speak are green and flourishing) there may be a lack of depth underneath the soil, the part that is just me and the Lord.
"Lord, deepen my roots and my hidden life with You."

Check out the recognition of Watchman Nee on the Congressional record in the Library of Congress.

Stiff Neck..:(

Yup that's right. For the 5th time within the last two years I have managed to some how give myself what most people would call a stiff neck, also known as a major pain in my neck in the physical and literal sense of the terms. It's a muscle spasm that won't away, limits your peripheral vision, makes you a robot of sorts and drives you absolutely crazy. So needless to say having a stiff neck in the physical sense is at minimum not fun at all and at the opposite extreme completely debilitating and demoralizing. 


So how can this be applied to us spiritually, after all the purpose of this blog is to offer some spiritual refreshment in the middle of the day no matter what the season, even a stiff necked season. 


What better way to find out the spiritual significance than to look to the Bible... so I did a search for verses in the Bible reference a stiff neck. Depending on the translation, you get roughly 15-20 results of verses that reference a stiff neck in relation to to rebelliousness and stubbornness of God's people, the children of Israel. Actually though, we are the same in nature as they are and we should have no trust in ourselves. Rather we need to continually come to the Lord and receive Him into our being. And for this we need some flexible, pliable, supportive necks that match our Head. 


So what exactly are the functions of the neck anyway? We don't really think about these things until it it stops functioning in the proper way. But for the most part the neck...

• Attaches the head to the trunk, or the rest of the body. (Wow...very significant if you look at in from the perspective of the Body of Christ. The neck is what connects the head, Christ, to the body, the church.)
• Supports the head and facilitates its movements (also significant, since without the neck the body can't move or support the head. God needs us for His move.)
• It is a conduit for: the respiratory, digestive and nervous system (That means our neck can affect our breathing, eating, feeling/sensitivity.)
• It accommodates the larynx, endocrine glands (It also affects our speaking and proper growth.)
• Conducts arteries, veins and lymphatics to/from the body to/from the head (Finally, it affects the circulation and fellowship of the body to the head and the head to the body)

I know I could be totally off in these things, but I think there may be something here. (The Lord cover me. I'm not preaching this as a doctrine or anything.) However, it does seem to me that our spiritual "neck" so to speak is very much related to our relationship with Christ our head and the His body, all the other believers on the earth. What we need in our spiritual life is a neck that is beautiful and flexible. This is a matter of our transformed (or our being transformed as we speak) will, which is submissive and obedient to the Lord. If we have such a will, there will be no pain for the Head or the Body...and wouldn't that be nice? I can't really remember, where I got this stuff, but I'm hoping that it is something that has been constituted into me from the ministry of our dear brother Witness Lee. Anyway...may the Lord soften our "necks" for His purpose and my physical neck also, unless it is working out something for His purpose. 

My personal goal... having a mid-day refreshment.

So... I've set some personal goals for myself related to being and staying refreshed the best I can. One of the best ways, I've found to do so is by taking some time in the middle of my work day to do some personal reading for spiritual enlightenment and refreshment. This is how I figure... since I work for a non-profit that distributes the Bible and Christian literature for free, the best thing I could do was read all of the stuff that we offer...imagine that.

Current reading list from two of my favorite Christian authors, Witness Lee & Watchman Nee (Yes, that is really their names, and yes these are pretty legit.) Oh and a clarification... By current reading list I mean books that I am currently in the middle of. How often I touch them and how long I have been in them vary quite a bit. But let's face it, some books, like the Bible are always going to be on my current reading list:
-How to Enjoy God and How to Practice the Enjoyment of God - Witness Lee
-Life-Study of Exodus - Witness Lee
-Life Study of Isaiah - Witness Lee
-Basic Elements of the Christian Life, Vol. 1 - Witness Lee & Watchman Nee
-oh and the Bible of course. - God, with the help of some divinely inspired men, God-breathed, Inspired by the Holy Spirit

A couple other books I've been wanting to sink my teeth into:
-Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies - Charlene Li & Josh Bernoff
-Domino: The Book of Decorating: A Room-by-Room Guide to Creating a Home That Makes You Happy
-The Song of Songs - Watchman Nee
-The Prayer Ministry of the Church - Watchman Nee

I know this sounds like a completely random mix of things, but well I think we are all kind of mixed up sometimes. But coming back to the refreshing part of it, well a refreshment is by principle just a little bit here and there.

Dictionary.com
re·fresh·ment (rĭ-frěsh'mənt) n.

The act of refreshing or the state of being refreshed.
Something, such as food or drink, that refreshes.
refreshments A snack or light meal and drinks.

and Google search - define refreshment turns back:
- snacks and drinks served as a light meal
- activity that refreshes and recreates; activity that renews your health and spirits by enjoyment and relaxation; "time for rest and refreshment by the pool"; "days of joyous recreation with his friends"
- The action of refreshing; a means of restoring strength, energy or vigour; A light snack or fresh drink without alcohol

Regardless...I do feel a bit more refreshed. Don't you? Alcohol free, but spirits high. :)

P.S. If anyone out there is actually reading any of this, please let me know if you would like a copy of any of the titles above and I'll try my best to get one to you.