wonderful wonderful writing getting at the heart of MacDonald's tireless message. Loving God is awful, painful, terribly consuming. But we are called to be fountains of living water, constantly giving. How miraculous that I can in any way pour out my meagre love on God, and He accepts it and embraces me in my attempts at loving. This is so relational, so anti-passive, so anti-self-focused. Love it!
Beautiful articulation of the gospel. Thank you for this reminder to seek first the law of the kingdom, for he can add all the other things. It is so easy to get burdened by the brokenness, but as I love him, and let that circulatory system of love flow through me, his love will bring the renewal. He makes all things beautiful in his time.
Just read this through a second time and wanted to say that this was so beautiful. The circulatory metaphor will stay with me. And I'm inspired to read more MacDonald!
The idea of "loving as he loves" makes me think of this from Nouwen's Return of the Prodigal Son: "Indeed, as son and heir I am to become successor. I am destined to step into my Father’s place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge to become the Father."
(Unrelated to the piece, but it made me smile to see A. A. and Abigail already here offering thoughtful responses and genuine encouragement. I am never surprised to see them in a comment section, cheering people on! They are the best.)
This article is excellent, and I have been edified by several of your other pieces. Praise God, and well-done. A note: over my life God has brought me different “teachers” when the time was right, when my heart was ready. Through all of high school (and beyond) it was CS Lewis, George MacDonald has been luminous the past 6 years, and for the past two years it’s been Dallas Willard (lately transitioning to Dietrich Von Hildebrand). That’s what I wanted to share with you - if you haven’t read Dallas Willard, I strongly urge you to check him out. Your essay on fasting had many similar points that I learned from Willard about walking in the kingdom and living in eternal life now, and it’s a hugely, hugely important point. Our restored relationship with God in Christ is supposed to change our lives now, and we have agency and a role to play as we walk out our salvation with Him. Obedience to Christ matters, what we do matters. And as Jesus said, “the one who loves me will obey what I command” and “this is my command - that you love one another.” Your essay caused some ideas to click and clarify: the living water we flow with *is* love - how amazing! Thanks again!
Oh wow, thanks for this link. Will check it out. And Consuming Fire changed my life. So glad to hear it has had an influence on you as well! I feel like Macdonald is still so under appreciated.
Beautiful words, Kate. Thank you for this. Glad it resonated! I am familiar with Dallas Willard, but I confess not familiar enough. This may be the push I need to give him another try. Everything I have read I like.
I think any time you choose to invest in Willard would yield rich fruit. There is a podcast that just recently started sharing many of his teachings, and also some excellent series on YouTube under Dallas Willard ministries. The one on “Healing the Heart and Life by Walking with Jesus Daily” is just amazing. This article might give a quick taste: https://renovare.org/articles/truly-believing-the-twenty-third-psalm.
By the way, I meant to mention that I found your site because I just reread “Consuming Fire” from George MacDonald’s Unseen Sermons and just searched it up to see if anyone had written about it - I’m always so happy to find others who have been impacted by the same things I have!
You have stirred a passion for MacDonald in me~ absolutely beautiful and poetic depiction of the Love between the Prince and Princess and it’s correlation to the Gospel and God’s Love for us! Bravo! Lucky Surfcamp Staff!
Thank you! This is incredibly insightful and makes me want to love God and neighbour even more …. which is about the best thing any work of art or exhortation can do! Thank you
wonderful wonderful writing getting at the heart of MacDonald's tireless message. Loving God is awful, painful, terribly consuming. But we are called to be fountains of living water, constantly giving. How miraculous that I can in any way pour out my meagre love on God, and He accepts it and embraces me in my attempts at loving. This is so relational, so anti-passive, so anti-self-focused. Love it!
Man, couldn’t have said it better myself. Thanks so much for this comment.
Beautiful articulation of the gospel. Thank you for this reminder to seek first the law of the kingdom, for he can add all the other things. It is so easy to get burdened by the brokenness, but as I love him, and let that circulatory system of love flow through me, his love will bring the renewal. He makes all things beautiful in his time.
Yes, he does. He is the vine and we are the branches. Thanks for this beautiful comment, Abigail.
Thanks for this, Ross. It's almost like if we really believed this it would heal everything.
Agreed! Thanks man.
Also we need to talk!
Yessir! Holler at me sometime soon and we'll set it up. Looking forward to it!
Just read this through a second time and wanted to say that this was so beautiful. The circulatory metaphor will stay with me. And I'm inspired to read more MacDonald!
The idea of "loving as he loves" makes me think of this from Nouwen's Return of the Prodigal Son: "Indeed, as son and heir I am to become successor. I am destined to step into my Father’s place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge to become the Father."
(Unrelated to the piece, but it made me smile to see A. A. and Abigail already here offering thoughtful responses and genuine encouragement. I am never surprised to see them in a comment section, cheering people on! They are the best.)
Thank you, Hannah. So glad it was helpful. And yes, you, AA, and Abigail are quite the encouragers. Means a lot.
This article is excellent, and I have been edified by several of your other pieces. Praise God, and well-done. A note: over my life God has brought me different “teachers” when the time was right, when my heart was ready. Through all of high school (and beyond) it was CS Lewis, George MacDonald has been luminous the past 6 years, and for the past two years it’s been Dallas Willard (lately transitioning to Dietrich Von Hildebrand). That’s what I wanted to share with you - if you haven’t read Dallas Willard, I strongly urge you to check him out. Your essay on fasting had many similar points that I learned from Willard about walking in the kingdom and living in eternal life now, and it’s a hugely, hugely important point. Our restored relationship with God in Christ is supposed to change our lives now, and we have agency and a role to play as we walk out our salvation with Him. Obedience to Christ matters, what we do matters. And as Jesus said, “the one who loves me will obey what I command” and “this is my command - that you love one another.” Your essay caused some ideas to click and clarify: the living water we flow with *is* love - how amazing! Thanks again!
Oh wow, thanks for this link. Will check it out. And Consuming Fire changed my life. So glad to hear it has had an influence on you as well! I feel like Macdonald is still so under appreciated.
Beautiful words, Kate. Thank you for this. Glad it resonated! I am familiar with Dallas Willard, but I confess not familiar enough. This may be the push I need to give him another try. Everything I have read I like.
I think any time you choose to invest in Willard would yield rich fruit. There is a podcast that just recently started sharing many of his teachings, and also some excellent series on YouTube under Dallas Willard ministries. The one on “Healing the Heart and Life by Walking with Jesus Daily” is just amazing. This article might give a quick taste: https://renovare.org/articles/truly-believing-the-twenty-third-psalm.
By the way, I meant to mention that I found your site because I just reread “Consuming Fire” from George MacDonald’s Unseen Sermons and just searched it up to see if anyone had written about it - I’m always so happy to find others who have been impacted by the same things I have!
You have stirred a passion for MacDonald in me~ absolutely beautiful and poetic depiction of the Love between the Prince and Princess and it’s correlation to the Gospel and God’s Love for us! Bravo! Lucky Surfcamp Staff!
Thank you for this sharing!
Thank you! This is incredibly insightful and makes me want to love God and neighbour even more …. which is about the best thing any work of art or exhortation can do! Thank you
This is the best compliment I can receive! Thanks Marty, and Praise God.