Wednesday, December 07, 2005
In my morning quiet time, God told me...
Howard Butt says, "The source of all relational leadership comes from a relational God."
I like relational theology--the idea that my faith becomes real in my relationships, rather than in my theological doctrine. Relational theology doesn't dismiss doctrine entirely, it just places relationships with real live people above relationships with abstractions discussed in the texts of dead people.
I love my church, but...
I am disturbed by the number of people who talk as if they have some direct link to God.
Maybe my faith is weak, but God doesn't speak to me. At least not directly enough that I can invoke his name to support the little bit of insight I found in the scripture this morning. (I was studying Joy, it was cool.)
So many Christians talk about their personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
That sounds good, but what does it mean? I can barely maintain my relationships with people I can see and touch. I am pretty much out of sight, out of mind.
So you can imagine that I don't feel as close to Jesus as I do to my wife. How can I? I've never seen Jesus!
I'm not talking about some metaphysical conversion experience that transcends space and time. I'm not talking about Jesus in others, the least of these kind of stuff.
I'm talking about the Jewish guy from 2000 years ago. Like Thomas, I want to see him if I'm expected to have a relationship with him that is more than just an analogy.
So to those people who say, "This morning in my quiet time, God told me..." What are you talking about? How does God tell you things? Do you mean your personal insight into God's Word through scripture? If that's what you mean, why do you say "God told me" in a way that sets yourself up as some sort of prophet?
I like relational theology--the idea that my faith becomes real in my relationships, rather than in my theological doctrine. Relational theology doesn't dismiss doctrine entirely, it just places relationships with real live people above relationships with abstractions discussed in the texts of dead people.
I love my church, but...
I am disturbed by the number of people who talk as if they have some direct link to God.
Maybe my faith is weak, but God doesn't speak to me. At least not directly enough that I can invoke his name to support the little bit of insight I found in the scripture this morning. (I was studying Joy, it was cool.)
So many Christians talk about their personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
That sounds good, but what does it mean? I can barely maintain my relationships with people I can see and touch. I am pretty much out of sight, out of mind.
So you can imagine that I don't feel as close to Jesus as I do to my wife. How can I? I've never seen Jesus!
I'm not talking about some metaphysical conversion experience that transcends space and time. I'm not talking about Jesus in others, the least of these kind of stuff.
I'm talking about the Jewish guy from 2000 years ago. Like Thomas, I want to see him if I'm expected to have a relationship with him that is more than just an analogy.
So to those people who say, "This morning in my quiet time, God told me..." What are you talking about? How does God tell you things? Do you mean your personal insight into God's Word through scripture? If that's what you mean, why do you say "God told me" in a way that sets yourself up as some sort of prophet?
