Cubist grace; or what grace looks like in process

On Friday we drove two cars to Seattle to leave one of them for our son Josh who is staying there for the summer.

"I should get him a lug wrench just in case he has a flat," I said before we left.

300 miles later, right before the 520 bridge into Seattle, kaboom, I get a flat. Cars backed up to kingdom come.

"Go on ahead," I cell-phoned to Valerie in the other car, "I'll take care of this..."

Two hours, 1 kind policeman, 400 bucks and 4 new tires later, we're eating at the Ram restaurant near the UW campus (students these days much be rich). "How would you like your meat done?"

"Medium rare," I said.

Big mistake.

On Saturday, between barfs, I was flat on my back in a friend's house, having displaced them out of their master bedroom (we protested but it was no use) -- while Valerie and Joshua spent the day out. Some weekend with our son. They brought back Chinese food. I wasn't able to eat any of it.

Today (Sunday) we went to Mars Hill Church and saw Mark Driscoll preach on a big video screen. The live Mark was at the Crystal Cathedral. The Crystal Cathedral in California.

The church is massive, and growing. It's one of the happening places in American evangelicalism. Josh is really into it. It's the reason he's staying in Seattle.

I've never been in a sanctuary all in black, with black chairs, atmospheric lights, really loud electric music. And grungy graphics. In fact, there's an overall grungy-ness to it.

But deep inside I sensed I was seeing the Message framed appropriately for this demographic.

I felt old.

Out in the lobby, Bob, one of the many church members, said, "You know, we're the third fastest growing church in the country, and the fastest growing for the 20-45 demographic..."

Hmm.

Driscoll mentioned Noah in his sermon -- who all his life was derided for building his boat. Nobody joined up with him. He went in with 8. He got out with 8. His was not a fast-growing demographic. But he was one BIG life-line in the overall Story.

So there are two kinds of lifelines. The Driscoll kind. The Noah kind. I need to remember that.

On the drive back I read an article by Marvin Olasky on art. The medieval painters painted conceptions rather than perceptions. I need to remember that.

Cubist painters, however, paint scenes juxtaposed together, so you get a face in profile and frontal view at the same time.

This weekend was all in pieces. Cubist pieces.

But maybe that's what grace looks like in process.

Logos2Go

1 Peter 3.20-23 God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also - not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand - with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; ... (9) if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment ...