Getting God Right

At a conference this week I heard a powerful statement that made me think, if you have an incorrect fundamental view of God "you would be better off an Athiest." Why? Because any other view of God but the deep lover of your soul that was so moved by you upon creation that he wrote himself into the story of life to have an intimate relationship with us, would not draw us to him but leave us crippled by him.

Imagine if you believed God to be a game master who on his finger spun the world in motion and stepped back to watch it play out amused by our life and choices both good and bad.  A sarcastic view of God lends to a life of resentment. Or what if there was many God's each responsible for different aspects of life each for us to pay homage to? Such a view would produce a life compartmentalized as well as our soul.

If these or any other view of God is your view than I would think you better off to not believe at all.   And then you are left to the view of Darwin "eat or be eaten." Me, I think I will stick to the radical love of Jesus that started a revolution of care and meaning who I can experience each and every day in a deep relationship of significance. After all, that's the God of the Bible.

21 Flavors

 Thank God for Baskin Robins who carved new horizons and took us on an adventure in flavor.  Now each trip a new, deep, and meaningful experience of moosetracks, birthday cake, cookie dough, funfetti, mint chocolate chip and so much more.   Now plain vanilla experiences though good are no longer the limit of our soul fulfilling relationship with creamy goodness.  

 

I wonder if Baskin Robins was not a Jesus creation to giving us a window to the real kingdom of God is like?  I have had too many conversations of late with good hearted people of God who seemed to want to force me to see God's kingdom as one flavor.  Ask yourself why so many different way's to express the deep love of Jesus Christ for people evident in the thousands upon thousands of churches in the world each with their own personality and unique vision yet each an expression of God's heart for people?  Is it that one of those churches and only one of them is the right way of helping people to experience the love of God through Jesus, or is it that Jesus himself is an eclectic ice cream lover?  

While Grace River church has a unique vision our mission is the same as so many other churches you may have attended or heard of.  Why?  Because it was the mission given to us all from Jesus himself when he said, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."  I guess God realized that to reach all of his people with his unrelenting love he knew that just Vanilla would not do.  So what flavor are you?  Because your flavor is not an accident but a unique expression of God for the world?

Playship

 It feels like at times we believe that closer proximity to God means the removal of play, fun, and laughter from our lives. But what if play was a way of worship. The Prodigal Son returns home and the Father throws a party, Sarah has a baby at the ripe age of 90 and responds, "God has brought me laughter." I have found in my life that when play isn't happening I feel most distant from him. So maybe play is a gift from God to be returned to him. That makes it worship. So in the words of America's favorite past time, "Play Ball!"

Learning to Listen

 What would happen if a person decided to stop talking for a week and really listen?  What would they learn, experience, understand in a new way?  My one week adventure in listening starts today.  Don't have any expectations just a question, "How will learning to listen change me?"  Here is how I am doing it.  Consciously making as few statements as possible turning statements I would have said into questions to ask.  I want to listen to my own heart, "what am I feeling and why?".  I want to listen to God's heart, "What is He saying and why?".  I want to listen to my family, "what are they experiencing and why?"  I want to listen to nature, "what is it teaching me about God and life and what does that mean?"  I want to listen to people, "what are you really wanting someone to hear?"  I'll keep you posted on an ADD pastor's journey for understanding.