Thoughts and Questions from Aramis Thorn: June 2021

30 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Closing Thoughts

Song-walk with me. This series is a walk through the song The Lion’s Share by Dan Fogelberg. If you have not heard the song, you may wish to listen to it first. Also, if you are arriving in the middle, you might want to start from the beginning of the series. You can do that by clicking here.

Mark Keathley

As we finalize our discussion of this song, I am going to do something I do often with humans but rarely in writing. I find it appropriate to explain the bargain. What is the process of the bargain? What do we have to do?

First, I would be very clear. We cannot do anything to earn, merit, or purchase our redemption. We have all failed to love the Father with all we are. This creates separation from him. Although it is unpopular these days, it is called sin. If we say we have not sinned, we lie and we have no understanding of the truth.

The remedy for our separation from the Father is the payment for our sin by his death and resurrection. We cannot redeem ourselves so Jesus dies for our sin and the Father signifies his acceptance of the substitutionary payment through the resurrection.

The bargain is this then; If we accept this payment for our redemption by faith, we are restored to our relationship with the Father. As lost lambs, we can receive the right to follow the Lion of Judah, Jesus without fear. We are the Prodigal Children who can return to the Father through Christ and follow him home.

The bargain at hand, Dear Reader, asks us to accept by faith the redemption offered by Christ. It is a choice we can only make because of the grace and mercy of the Father. We must, however, choose. Today my final thought is for you. Will you accept this bargain? If you already have, I would love to know your story. If you have not, please ignore all the stupid things my fellow travelers try to add to the bargain.

Jesus expresses it this way; The Father loved the world so much; he sent his only Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. The bargain is based on faith alone. It is a conversation between you and God simply accepting his reclamation of your soul. I have accepted the bargain and it is a good one. I hope you will too. If you need help with this get in touch with me.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

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The bargain is a simple one but vital to our journey.

29 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ The Bargain is All

Greetings Dear Reader,

Grand slam, your moments at hand
The day holds a costly bargain
Lost lamb asking the lion's share

So we come to the closure of our song. It is not the closing of the series yet. I do wish to summarize the song before I summarize the series. Grand Slam and Nonesuch have both faced a choice. Nonesuch has walked away. Grand Slam stands at the moment of decision still, but nothing has changed.

Until we walk into the path of faith and following, there is only one bargain that matters. We are all lost lambs asking to share in what the Lion has won for us. Until we put our faith into play, grace and mercy call to us. The Father beacons us to love him. The Son stands ready in every moment to receive us. The Spirit reminds us of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Every aspect of God, the angels, and all of creation longs for us to enter into the eternal bargain. The Father, however, does not force us. He calls and waits. He longs for us and lingers at the edge of decision. The song asks us to understand the bargain and its ever-present offer.

When we enter into the pace, we can become part of the side offering the contract. We can love the Father in a way so our love draws others to him. We get to be part of turning death into a fighting chance to live. We then turn each moment into the one at hand for someone else to strike the bargain. We get to invite other Prodigal Sons home. Our humility and love will beacon others to join us.

As the song ends, we are all left with the choice. If we have entered into the faith bargain, we can invite others to join us. If we have not, it is the only choice with any significance until we do so. Tomorrow, I wish to lay out the contract clearly, Dear Reader. The thing I long for the most, is for you to find faith and receive the Lion’s share.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Until we choose, we are always on the edge of the choice.

28 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Lost and Unchosen

Greetings Dear Reader,

You may stop the hunger
But you'll never slake the thirst
For the nectar you remember
But you'll never taste again

There is another Dan Fogelberg song, The Reach which to me is a perfect image of the hell I imagine. It is painted in ice rather than fire. The defining line is, “And the Reach will lie frozen for the lost and unchosen to row.” In the moment of the costly bargain, we remain frozen until we choose.

As long as there is life, there is a choice. It is never too late and we are never too far from God. There is a reconning coming. We will either give account for the ways in which we have followed the Son or our failure to choose him.

I am not sure how the Father works all of this out. I do know I will not wager on his absence. If his first two commands are to love him and each other, I get a good place to stand. We are all offered the same purchase through the purchase of our redemption by Jesus. The very worst human on the earth at any time can avail him or her self of this redemption through faith alone.

Where we fail is to understand this simplicity. Jesus spoke of a narrow way. I become increasingly convinced it is the simplicity of loving others. Few find the courage to love others without placing their own conditions and expectations on it.

As we move toward the end of our Song-walk, we must consider our role in this. Whilst Nonesuch is vital to the decision, it is our obligation to love him so he is drawn to the truth. It is not my place to judge or condemn. It is my duty to love him without demand or expectation. It is the path of love leading to the right to be heard. It is our part in helping others choose the blessing over the curse, Dear Reader. What do you think?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

You are never too far away.

27 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ We are Always Torn

Greetings Dear Reader,

Living in the shadows
Of the things that might have been
Torn between the blessing and the curse

After hearing from Nonesuch, we see the chorus again. The Spirit in the song is showing us something very important. The answer to the one who stands at the moment of choice is the same. Nonesuch has to make the same choice as Grand Slam.

Every life has regrets. We have all made choices hurting ourselves and others. We have failed to love as we should. I was just speaking yesterday about how my Sister-in-Law is excellent about expressing honest feelings about the past without dwelling on what might have been. It is a good example for me

As a writer, I can compose an entire story of what would have happened had I made different choices. It is some of my best fiction. Unless I am using it to craft a story, I am wasting my time and resources. I am abusing my God-given creativity to hurt my heart and mind. Then, sometimes standing in this ungodly counsel, I walk the path of being determined to change what cannot be changed by me.

You see, Dear Reader, every moment holds the choice between the blessing and the curse. We choose to live in the past but we are constantly drawn into the now. Every moment I ponder what the past could have been, I miss a moment where it can be a blessing. People spend too much life dwelling on the dead past. We are constantly hearing the voices of our past trying to siren us away from now.

The past failures are part of the curse. They will not live forever. The moments I give to the Father now; loving him with all I am will become a blessing and will last forever. The things that might have been haunt us like ghosts. Nonesuch has made the choice to live in the shadows of the past. He allows that which is already dead to try and feed him. He has chosen the curse over the blessings.

It all seems hopeless when we dwell on what cannot be changed. All the things remaining are what we have chosen. I must leave the past as it is and use this moment to accept the blessings given to me and be a blessing to others through constant love. It is not always easy but Christ is here to meet me and walk with me toward home. It is not the dirge of death we are called to sing but rather, the song of faith and following. You are always welcome to sing with me, Dear Reader. It is never too late to start. Besides, I need your chorus there when I drop a note in our shared eternal song.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

“Two roads diverged in a wood.”

26 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Bargains and Gambles

Greetings Dear Reader,

Hell-bent, empty, and spent
Just look what your gambles got you
Exiled, far from the sacred ground

Nonesuch only gets two stanzas in comparison to Grand Slam’s four. The second shows the ultimate result of gambling on the rejection of Christ. I have a friend who explains hell in this way: If we spend our mortal lives wishing to be separated from God, then he gives us what we wish. There are those who say a loving God would never do this. Still, we live in a world where we readily separate from those who we feel are no longer worthy of our love.

There is a vast difference between the bargain of faith offered to us all and taking the gamble there is no God. If I accept loving the Father and by faith his reclamation through Jesus, I lose nothing if I am wrong. If, however, I gamble there is no God, I will earn exile if I am wrong.

There are those who have seen the power of God and still choose to reject him. There are also people who walk away because they have judged God to be wanting. Some even claim God does not exist but are still angry with him. The Father does not wish for anyone to be separate from him. Jesus wants to draw everyone to himself.

If I am going to follow Christ well, I must see those rejecting him as people with a need. It is not my place to judge or condemn them. It is my duty and privilege to show them love no matter what they have done to me or anyone else. The Father reserves judgment, condemnation, and vengeance for himself. I cannot grasp them and love him, Dear Reader.

There is a vast difference between the gamble and the bargain. I choose to take the bargain. I will follow Christ. I will sometimes fail, flag, and fall. Then again, how powerful can this forgiveness be if I can break it? It is the kind of forgiveness causing the Father to forget my failures and remember them no more. We definitely have the better end of the bargain. I will choose to wager my life on it.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

“I was living to run and running to live; Never worried about paying or even how much I owed” – Bob Seger

25 June 2021

Second Thoughts ~ Against the Wind

Greetings Dear Reader,

This past week I was privileged to attend a baseball game with some friends. I had a wonderful time getting to know some people better and meeting some new folks. There were things under the surface, however, I have pushed away until they came crashing in on me this afternoon.

I love baseball. I love the game but there is more. I love the memories of baseball with my Grandfather, with my sons, and with my Grandsons. I am missing them all terribly right now. I would say missing them has to do with many things.

My Grandfather’s birthday is in June. He would have been 111 this year. I miss talking to him and knowing he got me and loved me. My Sons and Grandsons are 800 miles away. It may as well be a 1000 Light Years. I sought and was denied permission to travel to see them for my younger Son’s birthday. My excellent and compassionate physician says I am not yet healed enough.

All these things have orchestrated to sound the deep notes of loneliness living in my heart. The Father is faithful and is a comfort to me. There may never be an end to the well of loneliness until I reach Home. At times like this, however, I feel like my struggle is against the wind when I am in this frame of mind. I do not wish to ever be that man again.

I am writing this because I wish to always be genuine with you, Dear Reader. I do not have it all together nor do I possess all the answers. I have driven people away and there those who promised to never leave who have left. I am in a much better place now in heart and mind.

The Father promises to meet my needs and he will care for me in this. I will not make the mistakes of the past and try to find solace anywhere but in Christ and following him. The Man of Sorrows; acquainted with grief is here and will carry me if necessary. I will try, rather, to stand in this love I have found and remember my needs are met.

Still, there will come the quiet dark and I will wish for a fellow traveler to share my heart and hurt. When I truly need this, if I ever do, it will be there as well because the Father provides for all that I need. What I wish never to do again, Dear Reader, is run against the Wind. I wish only to be bourn on the Wind. ^“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” For those of you who pray for me, this is my current urgent need, your prayers.

Against the Wind – Bob Segar

It seems like yesterday
But it was long ago
Janey was lovely she was the queen of my nights
There in the darkness with the radio playing low, and
And the secrets that we shared
The mountains that we moved
Caught like a wildfire out of control
'Til there was nothing left to burn and nothing left to prove
And I remember what she said to me
How she swore that it never would end
I remember how she held me oh-so-tight
Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then

Against the wind
We were runnin' against the wind
We were young and strong, we were runnin' against the wind

The years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends
I found myself further and further from my home, and I
Guess I lost my way
There were oh-so-many roads
I was living to run and running to live
Never worried about paying or even how much I owed
Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time
Breaking all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searching
Searching for shelter again and again

Against the wind
A little something against the wind
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind

Well those drifter's days are past me now
I've got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out

Against the wind
I'm still runnin' against the wind
I'm older now but still runnin' against the wind
Well I'm older now and still runnin'
Against the wind
Against the wind
Against the wind

Still runnin' (against the wind)
I'm still runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) I'm still runnin'
(Against the wind)
I'm still runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) still runnin'
(Against the wind)runnin' against the wind, runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) see the young man run
(Against the wind) watch the young man run
(Against the wind) watch the young man runnin'
(Against the wind) he'll be runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) let the cowboys ride
(Against the wind) aah
(Against the wind) let the cowboys ride
(Against the wind) they'll be ridin' against the wind
(Against the wind) against the wind
(Against the wind) ridin' against the wind...

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

We are meant to be carried on and not run against the WIND.

The Lion’s Share ~ Midas Touch

Greetings Dear Reader,

Nonesuch, your Midas' touch
Has gilded your heart and left you
So much playing the prince of clowns

We meet the second person in our song. Nonesuch is standing in the same place as Grand Slam. The difference is his posture in this moment. One of Dan Fogelberg’s first hits is The Power of Gold. It asks the question of how we view wealth and how it impacts us.

Nonesuch, however, has a deeper problem. He faces a dilemma common to us all. His heart has been hardened by his own skills, abilities, or talents. Pride and self-assurance lead him to think he does not need reclamation and redemption.

Worse, he may have tasted the nectar of following Christ and then left behind faith and following, believing he can make it on his own. It is dangerous to believe we are self-sufficient. It is deadly to think our good fortune will redeem us.

To think we do not need God every moment is surely dangerous. Job tells us if the Father stopped thinking about us for even an instant, we would cease to exist. It is not enough to acknowledge the Father. It is vital to see how all we are is because of him.

I was discussing the way in which some cultures have prayers for every situation to not only acknowledge the Father but to also include him in every moment. It is about being present with the Father in all we do so as to show him the love we owe him. It is seeking Christ in every instant to follow him. Yielding to the Spirit at every turn gives us the power to do this.

If I follow in faith with all I am, Dear Reader, I can come close to this. It is not easy but it is worth it. I find it is not my touch turning the grain of sand; each moment to gold. Rather, it is the encounter with Christ changing things from lost to redeemed. I may seem a fool but I am never the clown.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

24 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Hunger and Thirst

Greetings Dear Reader,

You may starve the hunger
But you'll never slake the thirst
For the nectar you remember
But you'll never taste again

As we complete the chorus, we find Grand Slam in a dire place. He has lost his innocence. He is at the place where he must choose between faith and faithlessness. The moment holds everything for him. I think we all have a memory of the innocence we have lost. The Germans call it Sehnsucht. I wrote about it a year ago. You can read it here.

The drive we have to seek good and grace is the species memory of the time when we were in harmony with the Father. We long to return home to a place we have never visited. We hunger and thirst for things to be right and good again.

There is something unique to encountering genuine love. When it is free of expectations and demands, we feel the value created in us. We cannot, however, return to innocence. It is lost to us forever. Instead, we try to starve the hunger for it by dining on things unwholesome for us.

The challenges and failures besetting us are a product of our attempt to fill the hunger for life we all carry. Jesus is the bread of life and we are born starving for him. Until we see it is only he who will satisfy, we are starving the hunger of our creation. We are starving the primal need with which we enter the world.

We may succeed in starving this hunger. We cannot, however, slake the thirst we have for innocence until we have true redemption. The sweetness of redemption and reconciliation eclipses all we think we need. In this Jesus said he is The Water of Life and he will make it so we never thirst again.

I remind my mind and heart of this daily. When the moment is at hand where I choose who I will be, I ask for the Water of Life. I ask to keep my side of the bargain to follow in faith, Dear Reader. I ask to be returned to the place where I hunger and thirst for righteousness. You and I can then share this bread and water with those who have forgotten that for which they truly hunger and thirst. What do you think?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

We long to go home to a place we have never visited.

23 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Living in the Shadows

Greetings Dear Reader,

Living in the shadows
Of the things that might have been
Torn between the blessing and the curse

As we chorus the end of Grand Slam’s part of our story, we are reminded of where he is as he seeks the Lion’s share. The shadows of the past cast long becoming darkness over the moment. He is going to ask for the thing we all need but the voices of the past call to him.

Even though the curse is death, there are things still claiming to be beautiful about the darkness. We ponder the what-ifs of our past failures. We remain tethered to what we wish we had done or what we might have done. We spend time rehearsing the things that might have been had we made the right choice.

When we are in the moment of approaching Christ, we stand between the blessing of following Jesus and remaining in the curse of our failure to love the Father as we should. It is the moment we all face where we stand between the living and the dead. The vital moment is the one where we are going to choose life or death.

This is the choice we all make. Even if we choose not to choose, we have chosen. The call issues for us to return to the Father our entire lives. We must hear, listen, and respond. The moment of the bargain is a simple one. We either accept by faith the redemption won through Christ or we do not. There are no half measures, Dear Reader.

We stand between the blessing and the curse. We must look honestly at what Jesus offers and choose. It is not an earning. It is a gift. The bargain is costly but the entire cost is paid by Christ. We need only accept by faith the grace offered. We need to accept the Lion’s offer of reclamation. There is a cost either way. We will look at it tomorrow.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

The first chorus tells us something new.

22 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ We are Moons

Greetings Dear Reader,

Star bright, a constant delight
To those in the dark and still your
Birthrights to shine in the night alone

As we begin the last stanza regarding our first subject, Grand Slam we learn a bit more about where he is versus his destiny. This good man seems to be a bright star in the darkness to those who still live in the night. He is somehow better to their eyes. The difficulty is the source of the approval.

It is good when others view us as a delight. It is good to be good. This, however, is not our destiny. It is not what we are made for. We are created to shine as unique individuals as satellites of the Son. Like our own star, we cannot look directly at it. We can look at the moon and admire the beautiful light it reflects.

All of our brilliance must come from the ways in which we reflect Christ. Further, we are meant to shine uniquely to all other lights in the lives of others. It is our birthright to shine. We are to be a light to others. None of this, however, comes from our own internal light. It is our reflection of the Light of the World, Jesus allowing us to be a delight to others.

When I focus on being a reflection of Christ over being my own light, I can do good to others. I can be a delight to those still in the darkness in the right way. We are created to reflect the love of the Father in all we do, Dear Reader. When we are born through the Son’s redemption, we can do this. It is the Spirit controlling our place in the darkness. It is through faith and following we realize our place to shine in the night alone.

As we conclude the first part of this song’s story, we realize we are moons. We are meant to reflect the Light in the lives of others. When we approach the first chorus, we must keep in mind Grand Slam and all he is. We will see his challenge and understand the first half of the bargain. Stay with me, Dear Reader, and please, share with me your thoughts and questions.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

“Look at the stars. See how they shine for you.”

21 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Wanderers

Greetings Dear Reader,

Lone star, you've wandered so far
And long in the unfamiliar
Now you travel a map unknown

Our first subject is a wanderer. Whether in the guise of the Prodigal Son or of some star-crossed vagabond, we all wander a fallen wilderness. We think we know the world but the truth is we are wandering until we find faith. We have poor direction until we follow Christ.

All of the paths we choose are unsatisfactory without Christ. We may think we know the way or others may try to lead us. Following Christ, however, is exclusive. Anyone who wishes may follow. Before faith and following, however, we are homeless wanderers. We have no place to go.

Then, when we begin to follow in faith, we do not have all the answers. We are asked to live in the moment with Jesus as our sufficiency. We travel a map unknown to us in the company of our guide. We have a destination but it is an undiscovered country.

The idea of following Christ is to travel the unknown map leading home. We find our way by seeking Jesus in every step. We walk by faith, in grace, preparing our minds and hearts to become more like the Light of the World. We are each, individually lone stars without satellite or purpose until we enter the binary dance of faith and following.

I must become the lesser star orbiting the Light of the World; pulsing with the power and light provided by faith in Christ. I must travel the unknown map knowing it will lead me home. I do not need to know what is over the next hill or in the dark valleys. The Spirit in me provides the light and the way. Loving the Father in each step allows me to share grace, mercy, and love with others. This is how we find our way, Dear Reader. What do you think?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

We are the lone stars seeking a binary destination.

Thoughts and Questions from Aramis Thorn

30 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Closing Thoughts

29 June 2021

28 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Lost and Unchosen

27 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ We are Always Torn

26 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Bargains and Gambles

25 June 2021

Second Thoughts ~ Against the Wind

The Lion’s Share ~ Midas Touch

24 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Hunger and Thirst

23 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Living in the Shadows

22 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ We are Moons

21 June 2021

The Lion’s Share ~ Wanderers

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