Do you see that hand?

Scroll back up and take a look at the facinating art that Giotto painted for us. Focus on the man standing to the right of the mummified body of Lazarus emerging from the tomb. Look closely. Do you see that one hand stretched out gently grabbing a piece of the gravecloth of Lazarus? It's an important part of this wonderful art. Giotto was telling us visually what Jesus said in words. Lazarus could not free himself of the graveclothes. We cannot free ourselves of our own graveclothes. It's going to take a hand--a hand that is different from the ones you've got.

I often wonder about this in my life. Who is it that seems to care enough about me to reach out and grab something in life to really help me free myself from it. This kind of effort, does not just happen. It doesn't happen just because you attend a church. It only happens when love, intentionality and saftey are present.

Oh...for a hand to help us get free. God, send the people into my life...into our lives who can help free us to move forward to Jesus.

The Lazarus Life begins...

Dear Friends,

What follows is the beginning of a journey that I am inviting you to join me on. This is a journey that I am calling, "The Lazarus Life." It's a jouney full of ups and downs, hard encounters, disappointments and disillusionments. But it's also a journey of encounter with God and ourself.

The painting that you are looking at is one done by Giotto de Bondone, an Italian pre-renassiance painter who spear-headed all of art to transform. Giotto gave expression, emotion and meaning to scenes that he painted and this painting will serve as the backdrop to the blog and the forth-coming book.

Speaking of the book, The Lazarus Life: Spiritual Transformation for Ordinary People is being published this June and will be available in bookstores soon. In fact, soon, a brand new web site is being devoted to this journey and it too will be launched soon. I hope this site and blog will become a place for us to exchange stories, hunches, experiences and encounters along the way.

The journey I am calling the Lazarus life is based on John's account of an ordinary man named Lazarus who lived in the time of Jesus. His story will become our story. His life can become a life where we are mentored by a person who knew what it was like to be truly transformed. Lazarus experienced many of the same things that you and I experience and he has much to say to us today.

Transformation--the experience of truly changing is something must of us need to know more about. Many it seems are skeptical as to whether people can really change at all. The change that Lazarus experienced is something for us to learn by and something we need to share. Your story and my story of our efforts to change things we don't like about ourselves, the church and even God are worth sharing. Some of us have tasted change. Some have died for it. Others are suspicious of it but all of us want it.

I hope you'll come back from time to time; add your comments and share your feelings. As the book is released and you learn more about this man Lazarus, I believe he will become one of the most important people in your life. He has become huge for me. I look forward to the journey with you.

You can go ahead and check out the new web page. Nothing much up there but we'll be adding resources, small group ideas, talk outlines and a gallery for you to use with resources for music and media about experiencing the Lazarus kind of life. http://www.lazaruslife.com

Blessings on the Journey Ahead,

Stephen W. Smith