Wednesday 19 August 2009

I read some of this stuff and it is stuff we know...and yet it is never old news...it is always so GOOD.

Although the question of your individual, eternal destiny is important, Paul says that it is tied to a consideration of the whole of God's purpose for Creation. First Timothy declares that God "desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4). Considering the incredible lengths to which God went to retrieve us, in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, is it possible that god's desire will be thwarted? (Richard) Neuhaus asks, if God is severely limited in God's attainment of God's desires, can we call the one so limited "God"? It's one thing for God's purpose to be stymied by our sin in the present moment, but will God never ever get what God wants? I would be the last to claim that everything that is happening right now is "God's will," but will God purposes for humanity be forever contested? John 3:16, the first scripture I was made to memorize as a child, says, "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son." has god's love of the world been reduced by the world to apply to only some of the world? Was the incredible sacrifice of Christ on the cross truly, universally effective for all or only conditionally effective for a few?

Can one that is limited be called "God"? Wow. And yet again and again, religious folk are busy attempting to make arguments as to how and why we must open up the door but make sure we have control of the door so that we can close it when needed - because we are "doing God's will." Ha! God's will!?! God is on the outside gathering in all...throwing out the net and pulling us in with the "them" and "those" and all else that might be pulled in. God has set the party guidelines and as is often the case, we play with them so that they will fit our vision. When we let ourselves do that, the banquet - the party - is taken away from God and it becomes our party...and not the grand, festive party of promise. Personally, I have such a hard time keeping the door open. It becomes a daily reminder...a spiritual exercise...an adventure in hilarity because I can be such a fool.

Connection: Wide open are the arms of God. What an wonderful statement to consider as we enter into whatever will come next in our day...as God's beloved.

We will fight with your way, O God, and therefore we count on your unbending love that will not let us go even as we kick and scream and want to make our way into the way of truth. Thanks to you for never letting go and daily showing us glimpses of your saving power. Amen.