Author: Wick

Beliefs about the future can be interesting. Where we get those beliefs can be even more so. Back in the day, I began to read the “Left Behind” series as a young teenager. I thought those books made sense, from what I saw in the Bible. Turns out, they are great fiction, but seriously misinterpret what’s written.

For me, that begged the question: Okay, so what DOES the Bible/Christianity say? This is something I’ve been studying purposefully now for at least 6-7 years. The journey has been very rewarding. It continues today. Many of the things I’ve gained over the years have surprised me, and they may surprise you as well.

For many, when the subject is raised, we take on a defensive stance. Maybe because we really want our beliefs to stay what they are. Maybe because honestly, we haven’t given it all much thought. These issues, because they’ve not been spoken of much from pulpits in the past 10-20 years, have been relegated to non-issues, or peripherals of our faith.

I’ll admit, they can be. Unfortunately. There can be discussions at great length on these things, and we can walk away thinking, “huh, that’s kinda neat”.

But lately I’ve been realizing the importance of these things. The lens of Hope that we view all of life through. What we believe Christianity “saves us” to. The Life and Christ that have gone ahead of us, and the Spirit which is here with us today…what are they guiding/drawing us towards?

There are a lot of problems/issues within churches today, and many books published telling us what they are. If you want to write a book, and have it sell well, just bash on the church, and throw a marketable cover on it.

For whatever might be wrong with the church, I believe an important part of being the Church better has to do with reclaiming the Hope for tomorrow, TODAY. We have an incredible gift as God’s people, and a power of the Holy Spirit that we are leaving in the pew, if even there. Most of our church either:

1. Hasn’t really heard much about God’s plan for us and creation, other than fanciful descriptions of Heaven and Greek-influenced descriptions of Hell.
2. Believes life is all about “doing good things” until we can get “raptured” out of here, because everything that matters is “in Heaven”.

If all this piques your interest, I encourage you to read the scriptures again. Read a book like “Answers for Chicken Little” by Dan Boone, or “In God’s Time” by Craig C. Hill, or even my current read “Surprised by Hope” by N.T. Wright. Talk about these things with others, not because you know exactly what’s going on, but because you KNOW that our HOPE (lens) can give life TODAY.

N.T. Wright quote of the day,

“If I say to a friend, “I’ve kept some beer in the fridge for you,” that doesn’t mean that he has to climb into the fridge in order to drink the beer. God’s future inheritance, the incorruptible new world and the new bodies that are to inhabit the world, are already kept safe, waiting for us, not so that we can go to heaven and put them on there but so that they can be brought to birth in this world or rather in the new heavens and new earth, the renewed world…”

But being that today is Trinity Sunday, I wanna give a shout out to the 3-in-1 God.
Recognizing that there is only one God…but that separating different aspects of this God allows us a much deeper understanding/experience of that God.

No way I could describe any of these aspects completely, and even here, it might be more helpful if all of the following words wrapped around in a giant squiggly circle or something, and moved out of your screen towards you, and drew you into them as well….but that’d be one heck of a programming feat.

To the Father -(the Giver) Who is really more “parent” and “source” than Father. All the attributes that make up a good parenting foundation, and so much more than we can put into words. The creator. The source from which all things came, and the authority by which all things are accomplished. The definition of all existence. Who IS Justice. Who’s nature is Love. Who does not “send people to Hell”, but simply gives us each freedom to respond to His Love. Whether you believe all things came into being in an actual 7 days, or you believe God used other methods over longer periods of time….whether you believe God’s gonna “rapture” us all the heck outta here, or you believe God is going to establish His new creation and do something crazy new somewhere around here……you gotta admit…God is a pretty Good source.

May our Church, and all of creation echo this God more and more…(on earth as it is in Heaven)