Tag Archives: Awesome God

Awe Not Fear

Living in the Spirit
August 15, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 111

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
   all those who practice it have a good understanding.
   His praise endures forever. –Psalm 111:10

While visiting a friend attending college in Austin, Texas many years ago, I toured a museum either on the campus or it near it while she was in class. Rounding a corner in one of the ancient history sections, I came face-to-face with a monstrous effigy set in an outdoor scene that was five or six times my height and nearly as wide as it was tall. It was one great stone with eyes and mouth carved to make a face. It may have had a nose I do not remember. I screamed very loudly and jumped back in fear. Quickly getting my wits about me I looked around to see who heard or saw me and was relieved to see no one near or anyone coming to investigate. The effigy was no doubt created to bring about the same fearful response I had among its worshippers. The concept of humans desiring something greater than themselves to have some control over the world is present in the origins of history. Such entities brought people together in a shared sense of fear or reverence or awe depending on their understanding of the god. In my tradition Abram, later to be renamed Abraham, was the first to recognize one God of all not hewn by human hands.

My mother shared God as an entity to be revered and held in awe. I think part of that was from her understanding of the devil from her childhood. She shared once that she would run as fast as she could to the outhouse at night. Having been taught in church that the devil would get her if she ever sinned, she envisioned the devil grabbing her legs and pulling her into hell if she didn’t run fast enough. I always wondered what horrible sin she thought she had done to deserve such treatment. She later grew up in the understanding of the God of Love in whose image all of us are made who was and is more awesome than any evil.

I thus have never experienced God as the source of wrath but One who restores to wholeness those who are broken in any sense of the word. I hope I never lose the sense of the unmeasurable depth and breadth and mercy of God’s grace and love that is beyond all imagination. We are not alone.

Prayer:
Lo! the hosts of evil round us
scorn the Christ, assail his ways!
From the fears that long have bound us
free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the living of these days,
for the living of these days*. Amen

*Verse 2 of God of Grace and God of Glory by Harry Emerson Fosdick see at https://hymnary.org/text/god_of_grace_and_god_of_glory

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Discernment

TeamLent
March 6, 2015

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. — 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

We spend a lot of time trying to discern the will of God. Small groups meet about it. Books are written about it. Particularly when working together as a congregation or a committee in a congregation, we prayerfully consider everyone’s views, discuss pros and cons, and even quote scripture. In general, I think such discernment is good unless it becomes the end unto itself.

I am a basketball fan. If a basketball team operated like a church, they would never win a game. Players individually and collectively must stay in great physical and mental shape. They must eat right, exercise, get plenty of rest, learn how to handle the barrage of pundits attacking them one day and almost worshiping them the next. Most importantly they need to practice, individually and collectively. Basketball games move so fast that players must function instinctively, automatically knowing where their teammates are at any given time, being attuned to when a teammate needs a block or to be bailed out of a tight situation. One of the phrases most often heard from an unhappy coach is, “You guys are just standing around.” They must be engaged every minute they are on the court. In all honesty, players must be engaged when they are sitting on the bench, because they have to be ready to pick up in the midst of play the minute they hit the court. It works when they share a common goal, winning, and when they are willing to sacrifice themselves for the team to win.

I think Paul may be saying something similar to the Corinthians. “You guys are just standing around. Have you forgotten why you are out there in the first place?” We serve an awesome God who is with us every step of the way, whose weakness is stronger than our greatest strength. God sent his Son with the game plan, to love God, to love our neighbors, and to tell all of God’s children about God’s love by word and by deed. This is our goal and nothing should be allowed to get in the way of attaining it.

Prayer: Lord, help us be doers of the word. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

We Serve an Awesome God

awesome GodLiving in the Spirit
Light a Candle for Children
September 17, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
   make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
   tell of all his wonderful works. …
They asked, and he brought quails,
   and gave them food from heaven in abundance.
He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
   it flowed through the desert like a river. — Psalm 105:1-2, 40-41

We have spent a week dealing with poverty and barely scratched the service of all the issues that could have been addressed. It is depressing. Dealing with poverty can sometimes pull us into its wake of hopelessness. Such a poverty of the soul can render us inert, unable to be the active Body of Christ in the world today.

I attended a presentation of Jesus Christ, Superstar, many years ago. One of the scenes had Jesus walking up a steep pathway with all sorts of humanity grasping and pulling at him. While watching that, I was struck by the question, “How was he able to keep moving forward, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and teaching a better way?” Of course, the answer is simple, Jesus worked equally hard at remaining in close communion with God—the source of all strength and stamina—and we ultimately find our hope in God.

I have probably mentioned this before but I think it is very important. J. B. Phillips wrote a little book several years ago that changed my life. Its title says it all, Your God is Too Small. When we let the drain of ending poverty pull us down, we have reached that point when we are settling for a too small God. We can only do so much, but we need to do the much that we can do. When all of God’s children do that much that we can do the synergy of God comes shining through.

 Oklahoma Fact: in 2013, 621,831 persons living in 287,298 households participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

 Prayer: Oh God, when we get weary, and we do get weary of the constancy and pernicious nature of poverty, help us always remember that Jesus experienced the same pulls and tugs at his heart when he walked this earth. You gave him strength to go forward and we are confident that you will grant us the strength we need. Amen.

 *http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/snap/2013-state-activity.pdf
 All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.