Can God Tell Time?

Well, today's class was probably the kind that only a student of theology could enjoy. We had a two-hour plus discussion about the relation of God to time. Did God create time? Was time just the natural consequence of God creating finite matter? Did humanity in essence begin time when we begin marking off the days? Is God present with us in time, or does he see all of history, and all of the future, from one "above all" position? You might think that these kind of discussions are meaningless (and I'll admit that on some levels they might be!) but when you work out the implications of each question, you begin to realize these are significant matters.

Which brings you to a scary place. In theology, you are studying a subject matter which by nature you have to admit you can never truly comprehend or describe. In most other "ologies", the student sets about on a quest to master the topic. Geology is to discover everything there is to know about the earth, and most would agree that we have the human capability to explain or master our discoveries. With the study of God, however, we have to acknowledge up front that our understanding and ability can only take us so far. At some point, whether the topic is time, predestination, or free will, the student has to say, "I'm not sure. This is what the Bible says, this is what the Spirit has led me to believe, and the rest I'm just leaving in God's hands!"

Remarkable, isn't it, how much that sounds like faith itself? We seek to know God and follow him, but we admit from the beginning that complete knowledge of God and the ability to completely follow him is well beyond us. So, as earnest students, we can also conclude, "This is what the Bible says, this is how the Spirit has led me, and the rest is in His hands!" It's oddly comforting to worship a God that is beyond our comprehension. If we could comprehend him, we would try to control Him or bend Him to our purposes. As we grasp his infinite qualities and immeasurable traits, we can't help but put ourselves in His hands. Because we can't comprehend Him, we are left in a position where we must trust him. And that is worship- willingly placing our hopes, dreams, and very lives in the hands of a Master, Creator and Lord that will always be beyond our ability to fully know.

But that doesn't stop us from trying! And if we keep it in perspective, I believe there is something very healthy in that pursuit. In our quest, we seek not to conquer, master, and change, but to be conquered by His love, mastered by His grace, and changed by His Spirit.

Journey on, my friends.

Nick

And Now It's Snowing, Too!

Well, as the weather outside stays cold, the conversation inside has heated up. Today in theology, we had some lively debate about Mark 10 and the way we are to interpret Jesus' words about the rich and the camel. (Go look at Mark 10:17 and following if you're confused!) What impressed me was the way in which the class was able to enter into debate, bringing strong personal opinions, and yet able to listen well and gain understanding from opposing points. Sometimes in our pursuit of God, we can become so attached to certain ways of viewing God and the Bible that we close ourselves off from good conversation! Are we guilty of only listening to people who think like we do, or are we content enough in our faith that we can allow ourselves to be stretched and challenged? Churches on occasion act like they've cornered the market on truth, and anyone who disagrees with them is a heretic. Individual believers act the same way, and look down their noses as people with "inferior" versions of faith.

What I'm challenged by today is lets learn to really talk. Let's learn to challenge others in their beliefs and allow ours to be challenged as well. Don't get me wrong here- we've got to have some "lines in the sand" that we are unwilling to cross. But in so many other areas of faith, we would grow a great deal if we were willing to honestly consider different ways of looking at and interpreting the Bible. The truth is that the Bible tells us a story in a variety of methods, and we usually approach it looking for a book of rules and principles. As we listen to a variety of interpretations of God's story, however, we can gain a deeper understanding of what God is revealing to us in His word. So enjoy the richness and the depth of God's story, His word, and then enter into healthy dialogue, even debate, yes even arguments, about what God is saying. These conversations will give new life to your faith!

Stay on the journey.

Nick

16 Below Zero Is Cold

As the airplane began to make its descent into Minneapolis/St. Paul, I was awakened by the voice of the pilot informing us that we were preparing to land. I was in a pretty groggy state by this time, but was aware enough to hear the pilot announce that it was 5:30 AM local time- only 3:30 AM back home. Normally, I would have been distressed by this early hour had not the second announcement made me forget completely about the time. In a rather matter of fact tone, the pilot continued to inform us about local conditions, stating rather dryly that the local weather was -16. I laughed a bit and turned to my seat neighbor; "Wow, I must be tired," I said, "I could swear the pilot just said it's -16." When she didn't laugh, I realized that the pilot was being serious. My next thought was to inform the stewardess that I had changed my mind- I would not be de-planing in Minneapolis after all! My plan was to sit resolutely in seat 16F until the aircraft landed somewhere with temperatures more suitable for life to occur. As you may have guessed, this kind of plan doesn't go over real well with the airlines, and so I begrudgingly grabbed my bag and braced myself for the arctic chill that was about to greet me.

The weather here my not be to my liking, but it is good to immerse myself in studies and to consider what God wants to teach me. This week's class is a venture into the world of theology, the study of God. And I can't help but think about the similarities between this kind of study and my attitude towards the weather today. Sometimes we are so willing to stay simple and basic in our understanding of God that we are like a person who would rather stay on the airplane than venture into the cold. But the irony is that no one was made to live in the cozy confines of an aircraft hull. These flying vessels are a means to take us somewhere- to take us places where the journey can begin. If we stay on the plane, we may keep warm, but we miss out on the grander adventure outside the doors.

Sometimes I hear people talk about "having faith like a child" in a way that Jesus never intended. Jesus' intention was that we come to him in simple obedience to follow wherever he leads. We think it means we can stay elementary in our understanding of God and leave the hard work of more mature Godly wisdom to others. But if there's anything the pursuit of theology is teaching me, it's that God is much bigger, much grander, and much more dangerous than we realize. When we get a glimpse of this, it can be a bit frightening and leave us wanting to stay "safe on the plane." But God is calling us to step out of what might be a childish understanding of Him in order that we discover him more and more in His "holy otherness."

God never intended to make us safe or comfortable. He invites us on the ultimate adventure of following Him; a Being who is dangerous, majestic, and awesome beyond all human understanding.

Button up your coat and step out. God is waiting- journey on!

Nick

Praying Too Hard?

I ran across this quote in my reading this morning and thought I would share it. It speaks to our tendency to approach God thinking we need to "try harder" in order to love Him and serve Him. Somehow, this doesn't seem to line up well with the nature of God; a God who calls us into love, joy, and freedom. The quote goes like this; "A friend once told me to quit trying so hard in prayer. He said, 'How does an apple ripen? It just sits in the sun.' A small green apple cannot ripen in one night by tightening all its muscles, squinting its eyes and tightening its jaw in order to find itself the next morning miraculously large, red, ripe, and juicy beside its small green counterparts. Like the birth of a baby or the opening of a rose, the birth of the true self takes place in God's time. We must wait for God, we must be awake; we must trust in his hidden action within us."

This reminds me that ultimately prayer is God's work, not mine. I approach God and open my heart and soul to Him, asking Him to do his work in me. When I approach prayer as my own task or burden, I put myself in control; as if I could force God's hand. Not only is this theologically inaccurate, but it makes prayer a task rather than a delight. As we watch Jesus praying during his time on earth, we don't get the sense that he was working in prayer, but that he was consumed by joy of being with the Father.

I think of the times when I have felt the greatest joy and love towards my little daughter. I do not work or labor to love her. I do not make a plan and then force myself into loving her. The greatest moments of realizing my love for her have come when I am simply holding her, appreciating her and the beauty God has given her. These intense feelings of love sneak up on me, almost as if I had to be first unaware of them in order to truly appreciate them.

Perhaps it is the same with God. Sometimes we try so hard to love him, when we need to learn how to simply rest in the beauty of his presence. And without working for it or thinking about it, an intense joy and love for him sneaks up on us. We simply "sit in the sun" as the apple does and we allow the Greater to act upon us the lesser. As we pray, we can remember that, "God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases Him." (Philippians 2:13)

May His light shine brightly on you as you journey on.

Mysterious Companionship

I ran across a reading this morning and thought I would share it with anyone who stops by here. It speaks to me of the kind of completeness I need in my journey with God. God isn't something or someone I can just step in and out of as I feel the need. Knowing God is about living in this kind of continual companionship. Some of the language is a bit archaic, but I think it makes it seem and feel more substantial.

"O Holy Spirit of God, visit now this soul of mine, and tarry within it until eventide. Inspire all my thoughts. Pervade all my imaginations. Suggest all my decisions. Lodge in my will's most inward citadel and order all my doings. Be with me in my silence and in my speech, in my haste and in my leisure, in company and in solitude, in the freshness of morning and in the weariness of the evening; and give me the grace at all times to rejoice in thy mysterious companionship." - from "A Diary of Private Prayer" by John Baillie

If Christmas reminds us of anything, it is the abiding presence of God with us. This presence is not meant to be a token offering of God's goodwill toward us, but a constant consuming reality of the Divine in every aspect of life. I long to have God "pervade my imagination." What a great thought! I know I have a good imagination, but how infrequently do I feel that God's Spirit is filling and directing it!

My prayer for you this Christmas season is that you would link the birth of a baby Jesus with the promise and reality of God among us, right here and right now. In everything we do, and in everything we say, God is with us as our mysterious companion.

May you enjoy Him more than ever before. Many blessings as you journey on.