Monday, February 5, 2007

Death to self

"You and I have need of the strongest spell that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment of worldliness."
C.S. Lewis - The Weight of Glory
what's the strongest spell? Love. Perfect Love. Perfect love is manifest in holiness. Fearless living.
Here's a series of photos... it is an enactment of dying to self and living again.


A fearless volunteer went first - on the holiness table he died to himself and his sin, to death, the law and rebellion. And then after declaring himself dead... we all declared him to live again to newness of life - resurrection power, to live free from sin, self, the world and the enemy... to live unto God. To love without fear.
Wow.
I think it was the best use of the holiness table I've ever seen... the idea is taken from early convents when Nuns would take their vows. They would be declared dead - covered with a black cloth and then they would sing a requiem... candles lit - the whole thing - like a real funeral. Then they would live again to a new life... they'd be given a new name (Mother Theresa... not many remember her 'old' name) and a habit (new clothes) and would live a new life as a nun. Wow.
That's some kind of spell... dying to the evil enchantment of worldliness is an odd way to wake up - but it just might be the only way to stay awake for long.
Grace.
Danielle

1 comment:

Denise said...

Agreed. The best use for a holiness table I've seen thus far.
The pictures bring back good memories, and the reminder of some things I currently need to die to. PTL!
You kinda got the Britney Spears things going on with that mic!! ;)