over it
I’m kinda over the whole, drop down on one knee in the end-zone after a touchdown, pointing to heaven after your homer thing. It feels… religiously shallow to me… like you have to acknowledge that you were just infused with Jesus-like kryptonite and you have to keep paying homage to the sports gods who help you. Maybe it would go down easier if a QB pointed to heaven after the interception he just threw or when a reliever blows a chance to end the World Series with one more strike out, but to my knowledge, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that display. So is He the God of the good, the winner, the achiever only? Too often I hear or read of how good He is because someone got what they wanted or what they needed.. We get some kind of “special” treatment and it had to be God at the source of it. Is He any less God when I suck at something, or wreck something, or fail miserably? Although, Jesus had issues with public displays of religiousness without the proper heart condition, a person’s heart condition is not my point. I’m urging for overall consistency, that we rant of His goodness, especially when we are going through hell on earth; when we’re lost or while we are hurting, as we pick ourselves up from devastating loss and the ash heap of life’s fire. I know this won’t sit well with most good Christian church folk because this is contrary to what we’ve been taught… God like winners. Right? But nonetheless, my personal experience has taught me that He is more real in my loss than in my gain and I have some serious experience with that topic.
Job 13:15 “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.”
Job said, “I will…”, a choice, to point up when it all appears to be down.
-MDP-
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SO GOOD! It made me think of this blog by Ann VosKamp that I read this morning. “Even if He isn’t…” http://bit.ly/s8G81n
as usual…a message we need to hear over and over again. we can count on you to keep our hearts in check :o) i agree…i have found god’s goodness more in my weakness, mess & low points than the mountain tops. i’ve been able to see & feel how tender, sweet, loving, grace-giving, true, faithful, nurturing, convicting & giving he is…helping me to embrace my bumps, bruises, scars & limps…trusting that & learning how they are part of my story. thank you for always calling more out of us & for never never letting us settle. see you SOON!!
I’m with you in this and I definitely hear you. Unfortunately it kind of puts me in a tailspin- So what are we really trying to do? If God is God no matter what, then what’s the point in “bringing Heaven to Earth?” (Doesn’t this mean Heaven’s no less here, now, as it will be after all the “stuff” happens?) To be honest, I sometimes question the need to “do the stuff” at all, because if God really is who He says He is, then His love is present whether the hungry are fed or not. We just have this idea that hunger is void of His Love… Thoughts?
I picture myself, you, in a pub, eye to eye, nose to nose, heart to heart, with a guy, a gal, who is looking for some answers. To what? It doesn’t matter. The fact that you and I have an opportunity to be involved in those kinds of transaction that become the liminal space (Rohr) is why we do what we do. When the Spirit shows up, we’re all reminded of “what we are really trying to do”! Love you man of God!
True. Thanks for this. Love you.
love this. love you.
thank you for this. 🙂
this was an excellent mesg. and a griping story style – thank you mike! XOX
Love this Mike!! Definitely trying to proclaim an choose His goodness as a long busy season doesn’t seem to be coming to an end! Ha! He is good when the busyness keeps on coming!
oh yes – papa preach it… Good through the storms and through the sunny days when peace prevails… but it truly is those storms that we see His power and His love helping us through…
this last time that was especially dark for me (very recently) i remembered how to try my best to have a grateful heart in the midst of the crap i was dealing with… i could only describe it as hardly being able to breath (the heaviness on my heart)… and i felt bad, i apologized to the Lord that i couldn’t muster up gratitude readily and with sincerity… i just hurt too much… i didn’t know how…
He said it was alright, He knew that season was going to be hard and that He looked forward to hearing the praises and thanks as i come out of the darkness with Him… HE UNDERSTANDS! So often we are led into those things to meet Him there and learn more of His goodness in it all! it sucks… but dang near ALWAYS are we grateful at the end of it… THANK YOU for the post and positioning my heart to be checked on the topic.
boom. love this. u rock for realz