The reality of God’s presence has taken on a whole new meaning.
I have recently been doing some reading by Michael Lodahl, Michael Brierly, and John Cobb on creation, God’s immanence, ecology, God’s need for humanity, and panentheism (not to be confused with pantheism). After writing a number of more academic pieces on these ideas it is difficult to fully process through my thoughts in a brief post. Nonetheless, I have been experiencing a renewal to take more seriously my position as a human on this earth with the responsibility of representing God and allowing God’s presence to be known. As a pastor, priest, and poet, all of which I aspire to be but typically fall short, it is a privilege to be a distributor of the sacraments. Sacraments, quite simply, may be defined as an outward sign of inward grace or any physical things “under,” “in,” or “through” which God comes. Might God come to make himself known through all things? ALL things? And if he does, as a giver and partaker of sacraments, shouldn’t I consider how I treat the created world?
When difficult things happen in life it seems quite normal for us to ask or lament, “Where is God?” Even when things are good, we wonder, “Hmmm… Where is God?”
If God is really everywhere, then where is he? Don’t we typically think that God is somewhere in the space that we call “air,” “space,” or “the heavens” that is infinitely over-and-above us? But what about the space that is infinitely near, local, proximal, breathable, and touchable?
Is it possible that God is present and comes to be known in and through all created things?
I think it’s a huge point that you make at the very end. “Is it possible that god is present and comes to be known in and through all created things?” Being in something just really stuck with me, as we use this phrase so often, but do we really understand what this means? It’s more than just a presence, God has a hand in everything.
As I’m studying for a Christian Beliefs exam for tomorrow, it reminds me of the concept of foresakeness experienced by Christ. The Cry of Dereliction, “My God, My God, why have you foresaken me” isn’t a story of God leaving Christ. Jesus willingly took on every pain of the world, including the feeling of foresakeness. I view this as the same way we as Christians sometimes view God. Something terrible happens, and we immediately begin to question Where is God?
Now as I think about it though, how often do we ask Where is God? when something positive happens as well? Who is the first person we go to with our praises and with our sorrows?
Just a thought.
what about when a “worship leader” says something like, “let’s pray for god’s presence in this place”. isn’t that a silly thing to pray for? i think that the whole way “we” approach spirituality as a whole is comedic. as if our gatherings and efforts really determine where god will choose to be. maybe we pray for the wrong things. maybe we ask silly questions. maybe we should stop passing along bad theology. maybe.
Maybe you’re right, Matt. Maybe. Maybe especially the part about spirituality being comedic.
“even though You’re here, God, come” -shane&shane
if we’re created in His image, doesn’t that make us responsible to bear that image? or do we always bear it, whether aware or not?
frye… totally with you, man. that is one of those things that drives me crazy in services… let’s think about what we’re really saying.
steph… you are really onto something here – something many wouldn’t initially see. i just wrote around a thousand words this weekend along the themes of humanity cooperating with God, and panentheism, which ultimately must begin with dialogue on imago dei. i think a separate post may be necessary. if you have some thoughts on imago send me an e-mail and you could be a contributor for a post.
mark… thanks for your comment. it did not appear initially because i had to “approve you.”
making sure my spam filter is working correctly.
love your thought on Jesus’ cry.
I think God is ultimately free.
I think God chooses to reveal himself in creation.
That’s what I think.
I would be interested in reading more posts on the topic. I’m especially interested in hearing you state the thoughts you’ve been thinking. Don’t feel like you have to find questions to provoke discussion. I’m interested in reading the thoughts of TK.
And, I do not understand what “panentheism” is or means. It was part of a list here, no problem. But if you develp these thoughts any further out here for us to read them, I’d ask for definitions of any terms-of-the-trade you choose to use. (eg. I’d find a simple but precise definition of “panentheism” very helpful if that is a term that will be recurring.)
He speaks through his Word, His Creation, His Spirit,and …. It seems some only listen when they get “goose bumps”. Perhaps we need to focus on listening which also includes listening to the silence when in His presence.
Don’t we show love when we embrace someone without saying a word?
Perhaps our prayer should be that we be able to sense His presence. After all, isn’t He omni present?
Can’t help but think of the rainbow. He cleanses the air with rain and paints the rainbow sending us a message.
“Be still and hear my voice
The poem “Silence” in part says, “we are voiceless in the presence of reality, we can not speak.”
And this is what it means to live a sacramental life. God takes the very ordinary and makes it pregnant with the extraordinary. The incarnation serves as the archetype, so to speak, of how God chooses to interact with God’s creation. This also makes the traditional lines of “secular” and “sacred” much more blurry and difficult to discern.
Great thoughts, TK. Its good to see God’s work in you.