Thursday, July 28, 2005
Stairway(s) to heaven
The world has become gnostic! or at least America has. The more I look at the state of religion today the more I see a world that is trying to find God in some hidden or distant rather than within its midst. The church today treats God as if he is playing a game of hide and seek with humanity; like Christ came and told us to count to ten and then he ascended into the clouds and we are left to find Him. some look for him within the libraries and acadamies, others look for Him in rigid moral structures, and others look for Him in emotional fervor. These three catagories have made to quite clear that seeking God here on Earth is folly. We must transcend this world, become more than human, and allow our soul to free itself from its flesh tomb by way of the mind, will, or emotions. Only then can we find Him. But is this a Christian belief? i think not.
All we can do is humbly accept Him. This is what people have forgotten today. Some may say that it is different now that Christ has ascended and he is no longer with us. they would argue that we have to find ways to ascend beyond this word as Christ did. This idea is proliferated by the disregard for Word and sacrament in the church today. But they are mistaken. If you want to hear the voice of God, you have no further to look than His Word. If you want to be with Christ then come to the baptismal waters and become one with Him. If you want to feel Him then come to the table to recieve His flesh and blood. If you want to know his mercy, then confess to him and be forgiven. This is truly the greatest miracle known to Man! Anywhere at anytime anyone can be tangibly presesnt with the Creator of the Universe!
it reminds me of the U2 song, "I Still haven't found what I'm looking for." Some people think its a song about losing faith, but it is just the opposite. It is a confession from a man who has tried everything to find God, self sacrifice (climbing the mountain, crawling in the field), emotional fervor (speaking in tongues), and finding the "right" theology ("i believe in the kingdom come") and has realized that you don't find God, He finds you.
It's so simple that it's hard to believe, but God is here! he is not hidden away in a book, he is not only visible to those who live righteous lives, and he is not locked away in the "third heaven" waiting for us to ascend. Any attempts that we make to find God these ways end in a type of self worship.
in the end, if we don't see God here on this dirty earth in this dirty flawed flesh, we never will.
All we can do is humbly accept Him. This is what people have forgotten today. Some may say that it is different now that Christ has ascended and he is no longer with us. they would argue that we have to find ways to ascend beyond this word as Christ did. This idea is proliferated by the disregard for Word and sacrament in the church today. But they are mistaken. If you want to hear the voice of God, you have no further to look than His Word. If you want to be with Christ then come to the baptismal waters and become one with Him. If you want to feel Him then come to the table to recieve His flesh and blood. If you want to know his mercy, then confess to him and be forgiven. This is truly the greatest miracle known to Man! Anywhere at anytime anyone can be tangibly presesnt with the Creator of the Universe!
it reminds me of the U2 song, "I Still haven't found what I'm looking for." Some people think its a song about losing faith, but it is just the opposite. It is a confession from a man who has tried everything to find God, self sacrifice (climbing the mountain, crawling in the field), emotional fervor (speaking in tongues), and finding the "right" theology ("i believe in the kingdom come") and has realized that you don't find God, He finds you.
It's so simple that it's hard to believe, but God is here! he is not hidden away in a book, he is not only visible to those who live righteous lives, and he is not locked away in the "third heaven" waiting for us to ascend. Any attempts that we make to find God these ways end in a type of self worship.
in the end, if we don't see God here on this dirty earth in this dirty flawed flesh, we never will.
Dan, 6:30 AM
2 Comments:
Ahem.
And I quote:
"The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say 'Lo here, or lo there' for behold, the Kingdom of God is WITHIN you." - Luke 17:20-21
Even the bible tells us to seek God within, which is EXACTLY the Gnostic perspective.
- A Gnostic Minister
And I quote:
"The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say 'Lo here, or lo there' for behold, the Kingdom of God is WITHIN you." - Luke 17:20-21
Even the bible tells us to seek God within, which is EXACTLY the Gnostic perspective.
- A Gnostic Minister
i think that you are making a stretch there. That particular verse is most often translated as among rather than within. Among would be much more consistent with the gospel message as well as the context of that section of Luke. You should probably find something a little more concrete as a proof text.
