Revealed Mystery
In How (Not) to Speak of God, Peter Rollins says:
“…our questioning of God is never really a questioning of God but only a means of questioning our understanding of God.”
This is an idea he spends much time on throughout the entire book. God has revealed himself to us, but he is still beyond our comprehension…he is still a mystery. His ways and thoughts are above and beyond ours.
Is our struggle then with God, or our understanding of who God is?
How have you experienced God as personal and intimate…and yet still mysterious and other?
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section!
The Unquenchable Thirst…
In his book, How (Not) To Speak Of God, Peter Rollins says:
“…our religious desire is never satisfied in God but rather deepened there. We cannot grasp God, not because God is absent, but because God is always given in excess of our ability to grasp.”
It may take reading that statement a couple of times to really feel the full weight of what he is saying, at least it did for me.
We often think of church or Christianity as a way of satisfying and quenching our hunger and thirst for God. But actually, the more time we spend with God, the more our desire for his presence in our lives should…grow, not be diminished. Rollins uses the example of someone we love to convey this idea. When you spend time with someone you love, it does not decrease your love for them…it makes it stronger.
I love that he says, “We cannot grasp God…” No matter how much we think we understand him or have reduced him to a set of dogmas or doctrines, he is still beyond our figuring out. Not because he is absent from us, but because he engulfs us. As Rollins says, “…God is always given in excess of our ability to grasp.”
How many of us have wondered where God was during a difficult or confusing time? How many times have I felt like God was somehow absent from my situation?
Maybe he wasn’t after all. Maybe he was there is such a powerful way, that I couldn’t fully grasp it.
I found these words challenging. What do you think?
I’ve got to get something off my chest…
If you read Intersections regularly, then you know I have not posted in a while. The reason is simple: I felt like I didn’t have anything to really say…and I have been very busy.
But, something has happened that I must post about. Something has gone wrong, gotten so out of hand, that I feel the need to take a stand, even if I must stand alone.
What could be such a big deal, you ask? Let me tell you. The problem is composed of three simple letters: “lol.” As in “laugh out loud.”
In our world of text messages, twitter, and other social networking media, we have developed a kind of short hand to save time and keep us from getting carpal tunnel syndrome. I am all for it.
What I am not all for, is what I have seen happening, specifically with the use of “lol,” which seems to be a fan favorite.
LOL is being used and abused and someone must stand up and be a champion for this over-used acronym.
People are using “lol” in the following contexts [these are just examples]:
“Sitting in my room, lol.”
“Going to the movies, lol.”
“Just had a root canal, lol.”
“Watching paint dry, lol.”
When I read “lol” in this context I always wonder, are you really laughing out loud? Is it so funny that you burst forth with hilarious laughter?
I do not intend to be a critic only. I want to offer the world a solution to this travesty of acronymal justice.
May I introduce you to: “limim.” LIMIM proudly stands for “laughing in my inner monologue.” It may have been humorous, but not hilarious enough to force an actual “lol” experience…so, I am simply laughing to myself…in my head.
Citizens of earth, my brothers and sisters of the human race…please join me in limim-ing. Use it freely. Embrace it. Cherish it. It is good.
I hope after reading this no one who frequently uses “lol” will be offended. It is meant only in jest. But seriously, feel free to “limim.” It’s liberating.
What text-acronyms do you think are over-used? Do you have an alternative?
Good Words and Mother’s Day…
This past Sunday at MCC was a blast! Worship was lead by Carmen Flener and my wife Carla…and they did a great job. Also, Teri Curry, our Children’s Minister, joined me for the message. The “Good Word” for the day was Love.
If you missed, or just want to hear the teaching again, click here.
This coming Sunday, May 17, we are wrapping up the “Good Words” series, and also honoring our graduates.
Don’t forget about Q and A Sunday coming up on May 24. You can submit your questions about the Bible, theology, or church in the following three ways:
email: QandA@mcconline.org
on-line: www.mcconline.org
in person: drop your written question in the “Q and A” box at the Connection Point.
Have a great day!
josh
Hope is a good word…
Yesterday at MCC we continued our “Good Words” series by talking about “Hope.” During the teaching, Katrina Graham shared her family’s story…if you missed it, you can click here to download a copy of the message.
Next week is Mother’s day…and we are going to be talking about “Love.”
Hope you have a great week!
good words and more good words…
Last Sunday we continued our new series at MCC, “Good Words,” by talking about faith. If you missed the teaching you can find it here.
This Sunday, we are continuing the “Good Words” series with a look at hope.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject. How do you define hope?
Pardon my booger breath…
As many of you may know, my wife Carla and I are foster parents. We have been blessed to have our first foster daughter since early January. She is a beautiful, brilliant little girl…with a great big- little personality [and a wee bit of a temper!]. She was a great fit for our family, and we have been hoping a praying for the opportunity to keep her. However, we found out recently that she will be leaving us this week to go live with a family member.
Needless to say, it has been a little gloomy around our house this past few weeks and days leading up to her leaving us. But, she did something the other night that had us in stitches…I told you she had a big personality for a little girl.
So, here’s the story: We were watching TV on the couch…all three of us. Our little one was putting her finger near my mouth, wanting me to pretend to eat it. She gets a kick out of that. All of the sudden, I felt something weird in my mouth…it had the strangest texture. I quickly spit it out. It was a booger. Fresh picked. She thought it was hilarious. Strangely enough…so did I!
She has provided us with memories for a life-time. We love her so much, and it is breaking our hearts to see her go.
So, pardon my booger breath…but I wouldn’t trade it for anything!
What’s the good word?
This past Sunday we began a new teaching series at MCC, called “Good Words.” Our world is saturated in the negative and the bad. We began our search for something better by looking at the new vocabulary Paul challenges us to embrace in Philippians 4v8.
When Paul says we should think about the true, good, pure, right, excellent, and praiseworthy he is not telling us to ignore reality. He is inviting us to embrace how things really are now…because Christ is risen!!! The tomb is empty!!! All the rules have changed.
Are you looking for the good?
If you would like to listen to/download this teaching…click here.
New series begins this Sunday at MCC!
It seems that everywhere you look there is bad news. Relationally. Economically. Nationally. Globally. We hear lots of bad words.
So, the next 5 weeks at Morgantown Community Church, we are going to spend time looking at some words that inspire us…Good Words.
This coming Sunday, we will spend time being challenged by Paul’s words in Philippians 4:
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
What “good word” do you need to think about today?
The Reason for God…
Tim Keller says in his book The Reason for God:
“In the most radical way, God has adjusted to us–in his incarnation and atonement. In Jesus Christ he became a limited human being, vulnerable to suffering and death. On the cross, he submitted to our condition–as sinners–and died in our place to forgive us. In the most profound way, God has said to us, in Christ, “I will adjust to you. I will change for you. I’ll serve you though it means a sacrifice for me.” If he has done this for us, we can and should say the same to God and others.” [p.49]
As I read these words, and re-read them a couple times, I began wrestling with this question: How often to I simply accept Christ’s sacrifice as something done for me…but not something that I have been called and invited to participate in. As a follower of Jesus, I am invited to take Jesus’ example of self-giving love to all those I encounter.
The cross is more than an invitation to trust Christ for me. It is an invitation to model that same kind of love and sacrifice to others.
What are your thoughts?
