Some pictures are worth a lot. Personally, I would value this picture at aproximately $50,000.
Why $50,000? That’s a great question. It could be more or less, depending on the type of seminary you attended or the amount of time you had to do there. For me, $50,000 was the cost of my degree and reflected the amount of time I spent at a university trying to learn more about Christ and His Church. I was recently having a conversation with another brother in the church community I am a part of when he showed me this picture and shared a bit of how He saw Christ and the Church expressed through it. When I saw this picture, the first thought that came to me was:
Wow, this picture communicates more about the reality of who Christ is, and life ’in Him’ than all the information I recieved trying to learn about Christ and His Church from an academic institution.
The next thought that I had was this:
A spiritual revelation about Christ & His church in one second is more effective than an academic degree about Him that takes several years to obtain.
Information about Christ & His Church comes from ‘knowledge’. A revelation about Christ & His Church, however, comes from Spirit & Life. (It seems the two trees in the Garden of Eden really are alive and well today)
I am often asked about what church life is like outside of the institution. It is always hard to describe for the same reason that spirit is hard to describe using information. Nevertheless, Jon Scherdin does a great job communicating what New Testament church life is like in a recent blog post about this very picture. I would encourage you to read it. Afterall, it may be worth $50,000.
Click here to read Jon Scherdin’s description of this picture
For the ultimate Tree,
Jamal Jivanjee
The truth is so refreshing and encouraging.
The churches have an ingrown toenail. The world is that part of the nail that ever so gradually and subtly grows into the churches (the toe) and it’s not realized until the pain is felt.
Thx for reading Lisa. I’m glad this article was an encouragement to you.
Jamal,
Absolutely!
We can read books upon books, year after year, and discuss things upon things, but when we experience Christ OUR Life, even if only for a moment, we realize all these things mean absolutely nothing. He is not a subject, a thing, to be studied. He is not known by a certificate of achievement through an educational institution. Christ Jesus is alive. The Person, Jesus Christ is not a series of required classes in a credited school, nor a book, nor a thing, but Himself, Jesus Christ. Why is there so much confusion? Could it be because we say He is alive, we say He lives in us, yet we treat Him like He is a thing, a subject, an it to be studied, accredited, and officiated.
Kat,
Amen! As usual sister, well said. I wish I would have had that perspective years ago. The reality of Him as a living indwelling Person is a truth that is easy to give a ‘head nod’ to, but is extremely profound with many implications. This is why only a few actually live in this reality. It is a tragedy.
Amen bro. A revelation is where it’s at, not amassing of head-knowledge/doctrine/theology.