Category / Life With God

by Greg

Dryer Sheets

I needed to do a couple loads of laundry tonight, so I was a little disappointed when I went downstairs and found some laundry sort of “in process”. (Note: our 7 year old does most of our laundry, and usually pretty well. But, well… he’s seven. Nuff said.) For some reason this time he had left a small load of partially dried clothes in the dryer. Very strange.

As I was inspecting the scene, I noticed that we also were out of dryer sheets. I checked with Jen and sure enough, there were no more. Not too bad… clothes just wouldn’t smell quite as nice.

I went back upstairs to do a couple more things then went down to get the now fully dried load from the dryer and move the one I just washed into the dryer when…

I saw a dryer sheet. Right there on the ground in front of the dryer!

My first thought was, “Wow! Neat. A dryer sheet!” My second thought was, “Whoa. Wonder if God put that there? It wasn’t there before…” My third thought was, “Does God give you dryer sheets?” 🙂

Those are my thoughts. Not sure if the tiny piece of scented cloth was divinely placed but… I’m grateful.

And I’ll be smelling a little better, too.

by Greg

Rough Week

It’s been a harder-than-normal week, I think. I’m feeling it this morning, the 6th work day of my week. I’m just a little extra tired.

Based on events of the week and/or recent weeks, at one point (or many points) I have thought:

  • I hate religion.
  • I hate self-righteousness.
  • I hate sin/evil
  • I hate sickness, and death
  • I hate debt
  • I hate when people think they are better than other people
  • I hate institutional thinking

There were probably more, but I need to stop. In fact, I could likely wax eloquently on each of those bullet points and perhaps even sway a mind or two toward my perspective on the matter. But I won’t.

This week—though it’s been harder because of other stuff—I have also been super thankful for:

  • A year and now slightly more of no additional debt. None.
  • The provision we’ve seen by our Father to make that happen – in all sorts of ways!
  • In an economic downtime for the whole world I have almost more work than I can handle
  • Good friends, even if they’re far away
  • Most of all: Jen, and Ian, Alex, Kirsten, Julia, and Emma Campbell.

Almost done with this week. Ready to enjoy the week’s end (Sunday evening and Monday, for me) and glad to know that no matter how hard the week is, when I am connected to the Vine, I have all I need, since he is Eternal Life. And beyond what I need, I have a life full of great things from my Father who loves me.

So I am tired… and burdened… but even more blessed.

by Greg

It’s Not About Church

It’s about Jesus.

That may seem simplistic, but I really believe it’s true.

If you’ll permit me… I just need to lay down some thoughts I’ve been working through on this.

The Kingdom is not about what we can do (with or without Jesus’ help). Life as a follower of Jesus is not about going (or NOT going) to the Sunday morning gathering – or any other one really. It’s not about making the stuff we do together more effective, better, more focused on Jesus, more fruitful…

It’s really, truly, only, about him.

This truth has just been in the forefront of my mind for many weeks now, seeing it in various ways at various times… through books I read, stuff I see in Scripture, conversations with friends…

It’s just about Jesus. He did say, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Focus in on that last one. He is life. In John 17:3, Jesus said, “This is eternal life: to know you the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.” (I added the italics…) 😉

We squabble over what parts of “Christian” life are most important. We quarrel over doctrines and even “worship” styles and preferences. We know the Scriptures because we think they have eternal life, but the Scriptures point to Jesus. (See John 5:39.)

How does that look? How does the church live life together … just as the body of Christ? I’m not sure. Not sure I’ll ever be sure. But I am sure that we put a lot of other stuff in the way that doesn’t need to be there. We work so hard at being the church, we just need to know and follow Jesus, and he will shape his church. That doesn’t make sense in the world, but I really think it does in the Kingdom.

Sorry for the brief rant. I must be bothered by something these days. (Remember the rant on tips from a few days ago?) I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I do love the idea of living life together (real, everyday life) with other believers not under the banner of some “local church” or denomination or whatever… but just as believers, excited to follow Jesus as he leads and to share that life with others.

That’s so the church… and at the moment in our lives, it seems to be muted by all the other stuff we call “church”. Looking forward to the next season of life where we see Jesus building his church all around us.

by Greg

The Dichotomy of Trust and Control

Life is full of options. There are choices everywhere. I think maybe in America we are overwhelmed by choices. We have such an abundance of material wealth (yes, even in “this economy”) that we have probably thousands of choices to make each day.

But even though there are so many choices, for we who follow Jesus, they often fall into one of two categories: trusting, or attempting to control. That may at first seem oversimplified, but I keep noticing that most choices (on some level) lean one way or the other.

It makes sense, too. Life with God seems to be all about getting to know him, and in that, learning to trust him. Jesus asked that we would have eternal life, and then he said, “And this is eternal life: to know you the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent.” (John 17:3, emphasis added) And from that knowing, that deeper relationship, grows a trust that allows us to follow his lead, his voice. Conversely, when we don’t know him, we can’t trust him. And so, we can’t live the life to the full that he has for us.

When we fully trust God, we don’t need to take or get for ourselves. Basically, that’s what sin is. Sin is when we take for ourselves something that God hasn’t given to us. That can be something tangible like stealing, or adultery, even murder. Or, it can be less obvious. It can be just trying to control our circumstances with a “little white lie” or gossip, or other forms of manipulation. But the heart that is content in relationship to our Father – completely trusting him in and for everything – I dare say, will not sin.

This dichotomy plays out through every facet of life as a believer. In your financial decisions, are you bearing the weight of providing for your family (or just worrying about how that will happen), or are you content, knowing God is the provider. In your schedule, do you have every moment of every day scheduled and planned even days, months, years out into the future, or do you wake up in the morning and say, “What do you have for me today, God?”

It also applies to life together as the church.

As a church, do we not attempt to control how God will speak to us, planning out lesson series and other structures that will ensure that everything that needs to be said, will be said? Even a whole year or more in advance? Don’t we attempt to implement structures that will ensure that everyone’s needs are met, spiritually and otherwise?

Also, do we not feel the need to keep people in line doctrinally, making sure that everyone is (as we see it) “right”?

Of course there is a balance in all things. There is nothing wrong with preferring to have a schedule versus not having a schedule. Life doesn’t always (or usually?) go the way you want it to, so flexibility is obviously important, but scheduling is not bad. Structuring your day so that everything can get done, including time with others and God, can be a good thing. It can become a bad thing though when structure becomes a substitute for the relationship(s) and even worse, when we begin to feel the need (in our own desire for structure) to begin structuring the lives of other people around us. (This is another example that can be readily seen in the “church”.)

I’ve been thinking about all of this a lot lately. I’m becoming more and more convinced that there are basically two ways to live … institutionally (implementing systems and structures attempting to control your surroundings, regulate your life, and the lives of others) and “organically” (though I don’t like that word much) meaning, I suppose, the opposite. Interacting with life as it happens, enjoying and living life in the moment, and allowing others to live their lives as God leads them – still alongside each other, but without the need to manipulate, intentionally or not.

I read an article (here) yesterday that sparked more thinking on this. Here’s a quote from the second paragraph of that article:

“It seems all of this stems from the fact that we really don’t trust that Jesus is capable of building his church—that he cannot give rise to the reality of his family if we don’t “start something”. It’s as if living loved and loving just won’t be enough to let him do all he wants to do.”

That’s another big piece of the dichotomy. Why would we not build systems and structures to accomplish worthy tasks unless we didn’t really think God was capable of it on his own… unless we didn’t trust him? And, conversely, why would we if we really did?

I posted a link to that article on Facebook, and a discussion ensued with a couple friends. I was going to pull out some pieces of it and then re-word it here, but I think I’ll just let you listen in if you’d like…

STEVE: Greg, I think you’re oversimplying things here. As I understand your position, there “ways to live” actually comes down to “enjoying and living life in the moment” and systems. This is too limiting. I would offer that there are many different degrees of ways to live, and our goal should be to strike a balance between the two extremes offered.

Structures are often lambasted and distrusted because they can be easily manipulated. Therefore, many Christians today are flocking towards a freer expression of faith. Yet purely organic expression can yield utter chaos and this is not part of God’s plan either.

Systems do not require that we constrict organic expression and growth. Here’s a not-well-developed metaphor off the top of my head: I can grow an organic garden and yet I need to be meticulous in my planning of the garden in order to get the most out of it.

ME: Hey Steve, totally agree on grey areas (life in between “extremes”) … but do you think that perhaps one could loosely say there are those two ways of doing life? One attempts to control/plan/structure it (to varying degrees) and the other attempts to not, instead following Jesus lead, and intentionally living free of structure and schedule and obligation, to be able to react to life as it happens?

This does not mean there aren’t plans… it means the plans are secondary. It also is not limited to schedule. One of the big differences in the way we are living now, and the way I think I may have been living before is, I’m not trying to get anyone to do anything. I was before. That’s what structures do. They attempt to control the flow of life – including “organic” relationship… rather than let it happen, and let Jesus be the head?

You’re right… it is a broad brush. But I was only speaking in generalities here. Boiling it down to the very basic foundational paradigms … I really think there’s a lot of room for the church to let Jesus lead.

An interesting quote I heard recently… some Bible college professor I believe, said, “Churches are always looking for where God ISN’T working, and then they try to “fill in the holes” there, instead of looking/watching for what he IS doing, and following him there.” And that’s so true! If there’s a group of people, or some “ministry” that is lacking or falling behind, church leadership will attempt to address that “need” … rather than (I think) let Jesus lead his church, and do the work HE wants to do…

What do you think?

STEVE: I think the distinguished “two ways” of this discussion is based upon the assumption that truly following Jesus means freedom from structure. Does the sound right? I think this is assumption is based on our observance of Jesus’ life as described in the Gospels. He seemed to live his life like Forrest Gump’s feather, floating off from town to town however he wished (dated reference?).

Ironically, he see in the book of Acts and the Epistles that structure of the church is essential to its survival. I’m currently teaching through 1 Corinthians and Paul’s major gripe of that church was that they were essentially living in chaos. His demand of them was to get some structure in their church before God took care of it for them (specifically see that latter part of chapter 14).

I hope this isn’t getting too far away from your contention, because I do see your perspective here . . . The church growth movement was too heavy on specific structures for growth. The book of Acts taught us that God grows the church as he sees fit. This is why in our church, I have reacted much as you have described. We are in no way seeker sensitive but are resigned to simply being the church and being available when God leads. That’s what I meant earlier— we are striving to be structurally organic.

The structure is to ensure biblical accountibility. The organic is so that we don’t blaze a trail where God never intended for one to be.

MARCIA: I’m taking a break & thought I’d check FB while drinking my tea. You two are giving me a headache 😉 and getting too engrossed in analyzing this. I like what Oswald Chambers said “My Goal is God himself, not. . .” I long ago had the “revelation” that I shouldn’t get stuck on the “dos” and “don’ts” and “how-tos” but I should listen and follow the Holy Spirit inside me–then I will do right. If that means staying with a structure-fine; if it means something freer, fine

ME: Steve, good thoughts. Sounds like you guys are enjoying a good measure of freedom together as a church, that is cool. I think what you said is accurate, life with Jesus is about freedom (from lots of things) and that can include structure.

Like, the structures of religious obligations, either self-imposed, or imposed by whatever group of people (church) we have aligned ourselves with. It seems to me that anytime we “commit” ourselves to anything beyond living with Jesus and loving the people around us… it can become less than free, to varying degrees of course.

As for the “where God is working” thing, of course that’s right. I may be not perfectly quoting him, also. But the gist was re: what I said earlier, how churches seem consumed with “providing” for places where there are “needs” … when, maybe that is either not a “need” or perhaps Jesus is meeting that need in other ways.

ME: Marcia! That’s it! Totally it. And the point that I was agreeing with in the article I posted a link to. (Did anyone read that yet??) 🙂 “To each his own” would apply well here… and the issue is that we, the church, get bogged down in the “dos” and “don’ts” – especially for others! – and we forget to just listen to what God is asking us to do. Certainly, since he is the head of a body that is joined together, that could mean that groups of us may do the “same” thing together, but the problem arises, I think, when we try to capture that and structure that and put systems in place to make that happen…. often eliminating the believer’s need to listen to and follow Jesus – the Shepherd’s – voice.

STEVE: I just have to say, Marcia, that this SHOULD be thoroughly analyzed, even more-so than this. The issue is critical since there are many who simplistically respond, “I’ll do what the Holy Spirit tells me” but confuse those messages with birthed from their own will.

I’ve heard many a person remark “well, this is what God told me,” when God would say no such thing. Hence, the importance of submitting to some sort of spiritual structure beyond ourselved and our biblical interpretations. Otherwise, we come perilously close to the sin of Eden (becoming our own gods).

MARCIA: I agree that this and many other things need to be questioned, discussed and analyzed. How can one know and grow in their faith without questioning, thinking? I’m a structure person & God knows that and, therefore, has kept me in the church I’m in (there have been temptations to leave in the past), BUT things can also be over-analyzed, over-structured, over-loose, etc., etc. I felt led to share my 2-cents worth, that’s all. Or I just wanted to butt it on an on-going conversation.

ME: This is exactly what I’m talking about! 🙂 Steve, I think you are saying that (totally my paraphrase), “People are going to get it wrong, and not really be hearing God when they think they are, or even just be deceptive about it, deceiving themselves and others, [implied here…] and God is not going to take care of that, SO we need to manage that with a system or structure to ensure that the good thing(s) happen.”

What I’m saying is, structures will never fix that. I think that Jesus cares about that. He wants each of us to live in Truth (which, I believe he said is… him) and the thing is, he is patient to ridiculous extremes. Way beyond us. So, he’s ok with people not getting it yet. But we aren’t. We want them to get it now, and not be self-deceived or otherwise. So, we create structures.

What we could do is, talk with the people God puts on our hearts. Share with them the life we know in him. Offer stuff for them to chew on – NOT stuff they “should” or “shouldn’t” do. Rather, we live in the freedom of just being loved by God (which includes him working in our lives to know him better) and loving other people whom he puts in our path, or even specifically asks us to do something for.

Structure can often eliminate God from the picture. It certainly does not always – as you said, “Is there anywhere God ISN’T working?” Of course not! But the issue I have been thinking on for a long time, and working out through Scripture and conversations with God and other folks is how do we live a life where we are so available to listen to the Head that whether it’s in the context of some structure we’ve made up, or completely separate from that, we ourselves have the freedom to act on it, and we also allow others the freedom to live and learn from the Master/Head/Shepherd himself, and his Holy Spirit, who “teaches us everything we need to know”

I think the issue is that, again, often, not always, structures end up becoming a substitute for that direct connection to the Vine, that each of us has, or needs to have. (This was mentioned in the article as well… structures becoming a substitute.)

One more thing I’d like to point out here. Structure, as I have said, is not the bad thing. When it is a substitute for what God has given us, it becomes a bad thing. There is structure to the body, the church. The fact that we’re referred to as Jesus’ body means that it is a unit, a container, with edges. It is not just an amorphous blob, but an actual entity. With Jesus as the head. That’s an important part that so many of the “churches” I have known are missing.

When we get into trouble is when we begin building our own structures and systems, and imposing those on either ourselves, or worse, on other people. Structures and systems are only meant to limit – even in a good way. Limits are not bad, either. Again, the problem for us is when these tools that we put in place become a substitute for our direct connection to our Father, through Jesus, the vine.

I’ll leave you with a few verses to chew on, penned by Jesus’ friend John… and I’m sure I’ll be revisiting this topic. (This seems more like a topic for a new book rather than just an article or two!)

1 John 2:27: But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

John 10:4: After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.

John 14:17: He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

John 15:1-5: “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

by Greg

Distorted View of God

Now, hear me out. I have a feeling my words here could be misunderstood. But I also think I may be seeing something from a slightly new angle (for me) that may also be helpful to you.

As I’ve been reading Genesis again, I’ve been watching for how God is interacting with us (people) in the stories. What seems to be his heart. Where is the person we see in Jesus in the gospels. I’ve commented here already on how much I can see that God is with us, and wants to be. Even though we have been a mess pretty much from the start. That’s amazingly cool.

Another line stood out to me.

When Seth [son of Adam and Eve, after Cain killed Abel] grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. It was during his lifetime that people first began to worship the Lord.
Genesis 4:26

Wait. Say that again?

It was during his [Enosh, grandson of Adam] lifetime that people first began to worship the Lord.

Really? What about Adam? And Eve? And Cain and Abel… what about the offerings that they brought, the ones that were acceptable and unacceptable. Didn’t God establish some kind of worship rules and schedule for them to follow? He didn’t?

Huh.

Strangely, in this brief, overviewish jaunt through Genesis so far, one thing I have noticed is that God did not require worship. At least, I haven’t seen it. What I have noticed is a slow progression in the way we (people) feel towards him and interact with him.

In Genesis 2, Adam and Eve spent time literally in God’s presence. And he with them. When they had to fess up to eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, God was walking around in the garden. He was right there.

There is a line in this account that I remember just chuckling at as a kid. Remember it? “Now, although Adam and his wife were both naked, neither of them felt any shame.” Tee hee! They were naked! Isn’t that funny!?

Until this day, I don’t think I really understood the significance of that. The fact that there is no shame was revealing much more than the basis for a life of nudism.

Consider the role shame seems to play not only in the next chapter, but the next ten chapters of Genesis, as sin completely overwhelms the human race, and Genesis says, “all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil.” The first effect of shame was that they felt they had to cover up their bodies. God found them hiding from him, the account says, because they realized they were naked. But could it also have been that they realized they had chosen what God had told them not to?

Following that, notice that Cain and Abel both start bringing offerings to God. Already, they are separating God from themselves. Adam did not do that. Adam and Eve did not. But one generation later, that is what is happening. And God continued to be with them.

Then Seth was born, and as I wrote above, it was during his son Enosh’s lifetime that people first began worshipping the Lord. Another step towards removing ourselves from God, distancing ourselves from him.

By the time Noah and his family got on the ark, God told them to make provisions for sacrifices which they offered after the flood was over and they were all alone on the planet.

Now, did God command them to offer sacrifices? Didn’t he by saying bring enough animals for a sacrifice demand to be worshipped? I don’t think so. Jesus said that God allows for divorce because the people had hardened their hearts. God knew that even “righteous” Noah and his family felt the need to offer sacrifices – which seems to be another step further down the road of separating ourselves from God than Cain and Abel’s offerings. (Says nothing of a “sacrifice” in that instance.)

Do you see how important it was that we had no shame?

The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

We’re almost to Easter. Easter is often a time when we implore people to feel shame. Remember that it was our fault that Jesus went to the cross! He grudgingly took our guilt upon him, all the way to the cross, scorning its shame. Wait, what? It doesn’t say “grudgingly”? Oh? Right! It says this:

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
Ephesians 1:5

Great pleasure. From the beginning of time, all God has wanted is to have a relationship with us. Him… with us. He pursues us. I submit that we, out of understandable shame, are the ones who separate ourselves from him. Not that he is not deserving of reverence and awe and worship. He is. But I believe he made us to be his kids… not his subservient subjugated subjects.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

Jesus defeated sin, death, and shame on the cross that day. “For the joy set before him.” We’ve read before that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” It’s so hard to see it, because we live with shame. We move God off to a distance because we know our shortcomings. He is holy, different, other. And he is. But I think what he wanted us to see in Jesus – the perfect representation of who he is – is that he’s not afraid to get a little dirty.

I think it’s great to sing to and worship God and even remind ourselves just how amazing and awesome he really is. But in the end, what he seems to want most of all, is for us to just be with him. To know him.

Jesus, and the cross, gives us the freedom to do that. The freedom to be ourselves – naked – with him.

That’s something worth celebrating.

by Greg

The Icing on the Cake

Last night I was discussing Sunday morning worship services with some friends who lead such an event and said something in a way I am not sure I had prior to that. I think the general thinking had been there, but the thoughts came out more coherently than I expected.

We were talking about the desire for people to really worship – which is a rather nebulous concept, I suppose – at least, in some visible, tangible way for each person there to connect with God in a meaningful way. Be it an experience, a thought, perhaps even an emotion… some authentic expression of their hearts to God, and/or something received from him.

As we discussed possible changes to the setting which might allow people the freedom, or a better opportunity for that to happen, I just realized… we’ve been here before.

Lots of churches in lots of places have tried changing the configuration of the stage, of the chairs (even going from pews to chairs), the lighting on stage, the lighting in the room – all with the goal of facilitating more participatory worship. But mostly, to no avail.

The problem is the mindset. We come expecting to be served something. We come for the good teaching, perhaps the good music. Whatever it is we’re coming for, the general mindset (even if it’s not intended) is that something will be given to you at that place, during that hour. The goal these guys had in mind was that everyone would come together and bring something. To engage. Participate. But until that is the mindset going in, it’s probably not going to happen.

I was talking with a friend a few weeks ago now who also leads such events. He was feeling the same thing. When he is leading people in singing songs of worship to God, he does not see the engagement of their hearts through their faces. That’s not always the best gauge, but he’s probably right. There’s not always the full heart connection that he’s looking for in that setting. We talked about all the reasons it could be, but I thought (and told him) probably the main one is that he’s looking for something in that one hour that is not necessarily true the the rest of the week – the other 167 hours.

If we want engaged, participatory, worship/celebration – we need to assemble worshippers.

We know what worship is. It’s not the music. It’s not the service we attend. It’s not any number of positions, incantations, genuflections, or meditations. All of those can be worship, but Romans 12 says to, “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” A life lived everyday with God, in close relationship with him (see my previous post below) is the main goal, and from whence worship originates.

For so many years we’ve tried to get people to live everyday life with God through the one hour service at the end of the week, when really, that should be the culmination of a week lived with God – then that hour would be great. We’ve been doing it backwards.

I’m not sure exactly how we get to the point that the large group gathering is filled with believers who are living in, learning from, and just enjoying close relationship with Father every day of their lives. The only way is, I suppose, to, “make disciples of all nations,” as Jesus told his first group of followers to do.

Right now we “feed” people. We prepare tasty meals of truth applied nicely to life-lesson sandwiches. We sprinkle in some good music, maybe some other relevant media to spice it up a bit. And then, we send them home, until the next service. When they come back for more. Perhaps instead of feeding, what might work better would be to focus on helping people learn to be disciples. To learn to “feed” directly on the Source – the Bread of Life, the Living Water. He is who we follow, not anyone who might teach us about him, or help us “worship” him. It’s all about him.

I still don’t think there is any structure we can create, and programs we can organize that will accomplish this. I still believe we are made to relate. And in relating – as brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, rather than any spiritual hierarchy – we can pass along what we have learned (and are learning) as we consistently follow God’s will, and live in close relationship with him.

I believe that as we do that, as we help people become disciples of Jesus – for real – then the church will thrive, and any large gatherings of the church will be joyous celebrations of the Life that is in us. Every day. Not just among us one hour of the week. That is just the icing on the cake!

The good news is, God is with us. Everywhere, every day.

by Greg

God With Us

You have probably seen the words, “God With Us,” around Christmas time. Perhaps along with the word, “Emmanuel.” In my mind, it conjures up images of the baby Jesus, lying in a feed box. They are Chrismas words. In fact, it’s the theme and title (sort of) of our Christmas album.

As I’ve been reading through Genesis, I’ve noticed that from the very beginning, those words have always been true.

It’s apparently not just a New Testament idea. God did not suddenly change his mind about us, deciding it would be OK to hang out with us, once he fixed everything on the cross. Certainly that moment in history was important in restoring our relationship with God (see Romans 5), but as I’ve seen again from even the very moment we chose to separate from God, he was with us.

In Genesis 2, the account of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden and the serpent and the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil… yeah, that story… God was with us. He walked with them in the garden. Even when they were hiding in shame, he was there – and made them coverings.

Even when he posted angels with flaming swords at the entrance of the garden (where the Tree of Life was) God did not remain there, he was present with Adam and Eve and their kids. The next chapters are the unfolding story of how people began to multiply. There were many more people, and God was with them. We see even the story of Cain and Abel, sons of Adam & Eve… God was there to receive their offerings, it seems like he was there in person. The relationship continued, even though it was now different. There was no record of Adam or Eve bringing “offerings” to God before that.

(Interestingly, there’s no record of God asking for those yet, either…)

God even talks to Cain after he killed Abel. He gives him a mark, so that others won’t kill him. As the story unfolds, God is there – right there – throughout. Even though it’s getting worse and worse. Shouldn’t the sin scare him away?

As the story continues, it doesn’t scare him… but it does “break his heart.” It gets so bad that he resolved to get rid of everything. Start over. He chooses to save one person, because his is “righteous”. The qualifications for “righteous” were interesting to me.

He [Noah] consistently followed God’s will, and enjoyed a close relationship with him.
Genesis 6:9

We talk about having a “relationship” with Jesus today, but I don’t remember seeing that as the major qualification of “righteousness” in the Old Testament. Wasn’t it about sacrifices and offerings and repentance and all that? (Actually, Hebrews says that all of those who were “righteous” from the OT were made righteous by their faith…. hmm…)

So God found someone who “had a close relationship” with him, and proclaimed him as the only righteous person on earth. I like, also, that he “consistently” rather than “always” followed God’s will. It was about a relationship, rather than 100% obedience to a code of laws.

The biggest thing I get from the first 10 chapters of Genesis is that God is with us. From the beginning when all was perfect, through the time that we separated ourselves from him, to after that, through the cleansing of the giant Flood, and afterward… God is there. He’s not afraid to be near “sinful” people. The whole story of human history I think is one of God wanting to be in a close relationship – like with Noah – with us. That’s the point. Everything he does, everything he did from the beginning points to that.

More to come…

by Greg

The Story of Creation

I have been wanting to intentionally, methodically read through the Old Testament again recently, and somehow chose today to start that process. I almost started in a book other than Genesis, but decided, how can you not start there?

I’m glad I did.

I noticed a few things in what I read that I wanted to write out here.

First, I noticed that there was an order to things. There was definitely a process to the story. From formless and void to separating the waters. From separating water from water (which is pretty interesting) to separating water from land. Then the lights: sun, moon & stars. Then plants, animals – also in a sequence – and then finally, people. There was an order.

Why did he do that? Why didn’t he just—POOF—make everything? How did he choose the order? Did one thing build on the other? Was each step part of his original blue print? Is God such an artist that he was even just “making it up” as he goes? Could he have been that spontaneous? Was he simply enjoying the process?

Who can know? Not I. But the fact that he built one thing upon another stuck out to me. Maybe not the way I would have done it. (But, thankfully, I’m not God.)

Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

This was another cool thing I noticed. Not only did he make stuff, he made it so that the stuff could make stuff. Amazing. We can’t really imagine infusing life into anything, especially from nothing… but he infused so much life, and such a pattern, that the life he created could also re-create. Plants, fish, birds, animals, even people. He built in the ability to reproduce “of the same kind.” That really should be amazing, I think. Perhaps we’re so used to it—it’s just how it is—but, really… it is astounding.

Jesus did say, “I am the Life.”

Mostly, I noticed that God is incredible, and I hope to see him more in the pages of the Old Testament again, through the slightly dimmer vision of those who knew him before he was fully revealed in Jesus. We’re pretty lucky in that regard. Jesus – the full representation of God – made himself known, and after defeating sin, and death, and shame by dying on the cross, he got back up and lives with us today. Here. Now.

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Hebrews 1:1-3

by Greg

Made Me Smile…

Kirstie's Signature
On a lighter note, on my way home to my family yesterday afternoon (from my work that morning) I spotted a piece of paper with some drawings our five-year-old had made sometime earlier that week. I smiled at their amorphous cuteness. Fun to see what her mind and tiny hands had created.

But then I spotted her signature. Somehow, my heart welled with emotion and my smile got even bigger. (It is again as I type this.) There was something about the little dot over the “i”, and the backwards letters. The determination and pride with which they were applied to her creation, yet the beautiful, innocent simplicity in them. It was just perfect and made me so love that I get to be her Daddy. 🙂

Made me wonder if that’s how our Daddy feels when he sees our creations? Does he love to see the creations of his creations? They aren’t always spectacular, but they are unique and a piece of who we are. Doesn’t have to be art… can be anything we do or say perhaps. But is bears our signature.

And I just bet it does make him smile.

by Greg

A Journey Shared… Again

Yesterday a friend called and said that she had been reading my book, A Journey Shared, and was really enjoying. She talked about the conversational style of the writing, but how it made her really think about the content. I was really glad to hear it, especially almost four years now after I published it.

In fact, I was intrigued, so I picked up a copy of the book – one of the two we have in the house I think! – and read the brief introduction, as well as the first “chapter”. (Chapter is in quotes because they really are just short “entries” more than chapters, as a chapter seems worthy of more lengthy prose. At least to me.)

As I read the introduction, I was glad for what I had written. Made me want to read more. (Some of it was kinda funny… a little advertisement for iUniverse.com, the publishing company I chose… but, that’s nice too.) And, I thought about what my friend had said. She was right. It does make you think. 🙂

At the end of the intro, I recommended that people might buy a copy for a friend. Some have. But it’s been a long while since there was any talk about this little book. I thought it might be good to change that.

Below is the introduction to the book, A Journey Shared. You can purchase it in many places actually. Probably easiest via Amazon.com (linked to the right.) I actually don’t make much money at all from the royalties on the book, believe it or not. But I would love to hear that you have a copy, or gave a copy to a friend. There are some cool thoughts about life with God in there, and perhaps it would be an encouragement to you or someone you know.

As I say below, “This journey is meant to be shared.”

So, I wanted to share it with you… again. Enjoy.

Introduction
January 31st, 2005

Hi. My name is Greg. You have already seen my head, it’s on the cover of this book. This book has been an adventure for me. A Journey, as the title suggests. Most of the material published herein was first posted (grammatical errors and all) on my blog page. It has had several homes, but has finally rested at www.GregsHead.net.

I am a writer at heart. I always have been. From my earliest childhood memories, that is what I wanted to do! So, the advent of the blog page has been a wonderful thing for me – a simple, fast, and free place to write about anything and everything. And that certainly has been what you can find at that website. There is definitely a good reason to call the page “Random & Wandering Thoughts From Greg’s Head”.

But I began to hear from people. Some simple comments, “Hey, good blog!” But a few were more in-depth. Some people were really touched by my blogs. I have heard that several folks have used them as personal devotionals, or even devotionals for group meetings. That is so great! My primary purpose for writing these “blogs” is not really for the reader. It is, (read Audience) but mostly it is a way for me to process The Journey.

As comments continued to come in, a few suggested that I should print the blog for those who can not access the internet. (Namely, my Grandparents!) I thought it was worth checking into, so I did. I found iUniverse.com. They are the publishers of this book. They offered a great way for me to make the blog page (in an edited, and compiled, and organized way) available without having to go through a publisher who would require printing 1000s of copies up front! I did not want to do that. This way, the book will be available through my website, and through iUniverse.com and at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and more! Sounds like a great deal!

I am excited to share these writings in this format. As I went through and corrected spellings, and grammar and punctuations, and added or repaired sentences a necessary – I also got to relive the journey. What a year it has been. Every day with God is an adventure, but you string a year or a year and a half of those together, and you have quite a Journey.

And the Journey was meant to be shared.

You may not agree with all of the things I say. I have a friend who doesn’t agree with most of the things I say. But hopefully you will hear things from my Journey with our Father that will encourage you. That will ring true in you. That perhaps, you can share with someone else.

Thank you for purchasing this book. It certainly helps us when you do. I encourage you to purchase copies for people who may be strengthened by reading the life shared within. But money is not the goal with this book. If you can share my Journey with another, please do. Please visit the blog page. It is updated quite often. Please send a friend there.

The Journey is meant to be shared. So please do.

See you inside…
Greg Campbell