The name of God perplexes me. That so elusive statement: "I am who I am" is both so rich and so vague. Like air, it is both necessary and intangible.
A few weeks ago, a chapel speaker got my attention (sadly, a rare happening). He framed God's name in a way I hadn't understood before, although it seems so very simple.
God is who He is, not whom we want Him to be.
Regardless of whom we think God to be, He is who He is.
Regardless of whom we define God to be, He is who He is.
Regardless of whom we teach God to be, He is who He is.
Regardless of whom we learn God to be, He is who He is.
Regardless of whom we desire God to be, He is who He is.
And, His "is-ness" has never changed. He is who He was, and who He always will be. Regardless of how people in the past have defined Him, how others have worshipped Him, written about Him, tried to limit Him--He was who He is.
While none of these thoughts are new, they reframed my ideas of God in a way I haven't defined yet. In a way I don't really need to define. I'm still mulling, especially in regards to Church history and Biblical interpretation. I'm trying to combine this knowledge with the writings--seemingly divergent--of believers through the centuries: Puritans, Quakers, Reformationists, Desert Fathers, Modernists, Emergents, and, of course, Biblical writers.
So much to consider...
9 years ago
4 comments:
As my neighbor's tantrum-prone toddler rages next door, thanks for giving me something worthwhile to think about other than the fact that I'm pretty sure I don't want kids.
And not to be all about me, but your little blog list says I haven't updated in 5 weeks. I'm calling crap, because I've posted no less than 3 spite-filled missives in the last 2 weeks. Work is kind of getting to me lately.
:) Good to see the written product of your fabulous musings.
you've written! Stupid blogspot! I rely on that thing to let me know when I have new reading material. I'm going over right now to read the rants.
I love the rants.
By the way, Ian updates his blog once in a blue moon, when he does, he does not disappoint. His last one was AWESOME. For reference, the other person in the story is Adam Wass.
http://the-swiss-are-coming.blogspot.com/
I used to have Ian's blog linked ... Did I delete him? Bad me! Or, if I didn't, Bad Blogger!
Hilarious. I didn't know Adam, but I knew Jen and Andy. Back as freshmen the girls in my suite tried really hard to set up Andy Wass and Shannon Rainer (Nicole's little sister). It didn't work. Obviously.
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