abba

"This Holy 'abba' is a God who can be trusted the way children trust their father, who loves Israel as a father loves his children, who can be talked to the way children talk to their father, and wants Israel to respect him and obey him in the same way a father deserves respect and obedience." (Scot McKnight, A New Vision for Israel, 65).

Beyond the boundaries of anthropomorphic description lies the true essence of God the Father. The nature of anthropomorphisms has constantly been a struggle within theology. On one extreme there is the thought that since God's ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) we cannot accurately describe him with human terminology, and on the other extreme is the thought that since all language about God is anthropomorphic then our theology is simply a mask for conducting anthropology.

Yes, the Bible teaches the incomprehensibility of God - God cannot be known unless he chooses to reveal himself. But (and I believe this comes from Barth), the mystery of understanding God does not come from the limits of language but from the metaphysical distinction between Creator and creation. In other words, it is not the fault of human reason and communication that keeps us from understanding God, it is the very essence of who he is in comparison to the very essence of who we are.

Abraham Heschel once wrote, "God's unconditional concern for justice is not an anthropomorphism. Rather, man's concern for justice is a theomorphism . . . Prophecy is essentially a proclamation that God's ways are not man's ways" (The Prophets, 2:51-52).

Thus, understanding the Almighty as Father pushes the limits of human reason, not because our language doesn't properly hold to the notion of 'abba' but because his ways are not our ways. Jesus also pointed to this when he compared the goodness of God the Father with human fathers (Matthew 7:9-11). All of the reasons why we do not understand or accept the blessings of fatherhood with our God is found in the distinction that our ways are different than his ways.

Of course, this does not negate the reality of his loving, fathering presence. The Bible is filled with accounts of God's enduring love for his people, a point which Jesus often reiterates with his own message. It is a covenantal love with his people, and it is an intimate love which whispers into the heart of everyone who hungers and thirsts for his presence. The prophetic message of Scripture is not a condemnation of our failure as it is a reality of our ways moving to destruction while his ways are moving toward life - a life to which he beckons us come.

wonder and connection

"What if the healing of the cancer patient and attracting the attention of a child with a passing butterfly are of equal importance in moving people toward a relationship with God?"

This question is found within Matt Litton's well-written book, The Mockingbird Parables (Tyndale, 2010, p. 32). There is a profundity embedded in such a query, for it reminds us why wonder exists, and demonstrates the workings of God as nothing short of miraculous regardless of when and where they are found. Too often we forget about such things.

But what if we were to stop, for a moment, and recognize the wonder that encompasses us in this world? Right now it is snowing outside of my window. There was a time when I marveled at the event, which somewhere turned into the cause of grumbling about the inconvenience it brings to my life. Rather than being fascinated by the way in which God chose to make the world he created for his own enjoyment, I am distracted by self.

Without wonder we cannot find God.

The delight within a laughing child from the liveliness of a butterfly in the air is a moment of connection to the Creator. For it is the Maker who also chose to delight in the liveliness of that flying insect, now becoming a shared moment of joy with the innocent response of the young. Have we yet to realize that when we have grown old enough to overlook the wonders of the world we have also lost a sense of his presence?

Along with the passing butterfly, Litton's comment speaks of the healing of cancer. It is human nature to place the latter event into a more powerful and profound category than the former, but neither is the case for God - though one may be a more serious and reflective event - for he is equally able to accomplish any task that he wills. Yes, our world is complex and troublesome, but that should not lead us to believe that anything is too impossible for the Almighty.

So, what is the purpose of God interacting in our world. Whether found in butterflies or healing, God comes to us with one singular purpose: to reveal himself and connect with our hearts. He does this through the story of our life, sometimes while we are captured with the sheer brilliance of the world, other times when we are struggling to make it through the challenges which surround us.

But, nevertheless, he is there . . . waiting to catch our attention.

of all places

The phrase came to mind today, "of all places." Typically we use this phrase to indicate an event which has happened in an area which is assumed to be the exact opposite of the event itself. If good thing happens in a bad situation, we might think that "of all places" it is interesting that it should happen there.

So, the phrase intends to convey a sense of irony. "Of all places, it happened there." It's quite an interesting sentiment. Many times it is thrown in as part of a story, often a joke, that indicates a rather interesting twist and/or detail to the narrative.

"So there was a moment of healing at the bar, of all places." "They demonstrated such responsibility in, of all places, Washington D. C." "They played some good baseball, in the American League, of all places."

I wonder if the average churchgoer has this same sense of the world around them. We are often surprised when we see things happen, as though we are shocked that God has done something here, of all places. Or did we forget that the whole earth is filled with God's glory?

The context of the Great Commission, as well as the opening chapters of Acts, is that the whole earth is now encompassed with the glory of God through the Lordship of Jesus. No longer bound to geographic or ethnic boundaries, the gospel message extends to the earth now waiting for the people of God to carry it forward.

Of all places, this hurting and dirtied earth now witnesses to the coming glory of God. Perhaps the amount of our surprise is directly related to our lack of believing what God has done to restore the earth. Amazement will always be present, but we should be expectant of what he is doing.

books review: antagonists and stones

Those who know me are familiar with some of the struggles in ministry we have been working through over the past year. It is sad and difficult that the work of the church must go through such battles, but it is a reality found in our world. There has never been a time in history when the people of God have been able to do this thing called church without some sort of conflict from within.

Still, I find myself longing for a time when I could "simply" preach and serve without the internal warring of a congregation. Maybe someday.

In the last few weeks there have been two books that have crossed my path, which I thought might be good to note here. They have been a source of help for me in trying to maintain balance, direction and purpose in the throws of a challenging ministry time.

The first came via recommendation to "those who struggle with conflict in churches" that I heard at our denomination's annual conference. Kenneth C. Haugk, Antagonists in the Church (Augsburg, 1988). For those who are struggling with (or suspect they are struggling with) antagonistic people in their congregation, this is a valuable tool in identifying and approaching the situation. Haugk does well in describing antagonists - I could immediately recall people and situations from a broad spectrum of my own church history.

While being firm in his understanding and approach to such situations, he never fails to keep the flag of caution close. In other words, not everyone you encounter is an antagonist, but those who are should be dealt with swiftly and surely. One of the strengths of the book is Haugk's ability to explore the psychological and spiritual conditions that typically lie beneath the words and actions of antagonists in the church.

The second book I discovered "randomly" as I walked through a not-so-good-used-bookstore near my house. There was almost nothing that interested me, and then this book sat at the edge of one of the tables. Blaine Allen, When People Throw Stones (Kregel, 2005). The subtitle of the book captures it well: "A Leader's Guide to Fielding Personal Criticism." Although most of the principles here could be more universal in application, Allen focuses primarily on the work of the church.

Pastors who are dealing with personal attacks are looking for someone who cares, yes, but they are more interested in finding someone who understands. The opening chapters of Allen's book show that he understands - he has been there - and establishes an atmosphere of meaningful support for the beleaguered pastor. There is much helpful information here, including guidelines for when to blow off an attack and when/how to respond to personal criticism.

Every pastor and church leader should read at least one book like these, in order to navigate through tough times in ministry. My only regret here is not having adequately covered this material before I needed it, so that I could have been more prepared for the rough waters. But it is difficult for us to see the fruit of such labor until we know the season will come for it to bear.