Great Thoughts From Chapter 3
From Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God:
Sadly, many Christians have no higher goal, no greater aspiration, than to become “normal.” Their desires are limited to measuring up to others… Paul rebuked the church at Corinth because they walked, “like mere men” (1Cor 3:3). God has more for us than merely becoming better people; He wants to flood our lives with the same power that raised Christ from the dead! We must understand: God does not merely want us “normal,” He wants us Christ - like!
and
For most people, however, our sense of reality, and hence our security, is often rooted in the familiar. How difiicult it is to grow spiritually if our security is based upon the stability of outward things! Our security must come from God, not circumstances, nor even relationships. Our sense of reality needs to be rooted in Christ.
Our security must come from God, not circumstances...
I think Francis hits the heart of people’s issues with the modern age of Christianity here. I think people were/are seeking their security in the familiar. I know I did - my whole goal was to have all my beans in one bag. I still do struggle with it… I’m also reading A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren, thanks to Kari. McLaren’s got a couple pages explaining the hallmarks of the modern era. I wonder if things were changing so fast on a world-wide scale that unconsciously and spiritually people were reaching out for a something stable to hold on to. So they grabbed hold of Jesus, hoping He would keep still. But being a Lion that’s certainly not safe, He cannot be tamed. And so in His Name, the Church constructed an paradigm of stability that we now know (and love to hate) as fundamentalism.
…nor even relationships.
And I wonder if the postmodern era, with the emphasis on community and the emergent church stuff (crap? another modern wrap-up?), will struggle with demanding security in relationships - seeming that most of the population suffers in some way from the brokenness of families…?
Brothers and Sisters, let us cling to Christ with all our hearts. He may not be tame or still, but He is the Prince of Peace. My heart says of You, “Seek His face!” Your face, LORD , I will seek. (Psalm 27:8)