...no words in the small hours.
But this morning I found some after reading some of the story of Job.
Maybe faith is not about avoiding failure, but rather what we believe and what we do when failure happens to us. Maybe that's what Job teaches us. What would we rather do: believe in a God who is surrounded by mystery and imagination and wonder, a God who allows us to experience failure as well as fulfilment? Or believe in a God who only deals with success stories?
12 comments:
I'm up for mystery imagination and wonder every time ....even if it means living through the shit sometimes. MAybe the lows make the highs betters when they come .m
it is catching.....though much more thought provoking here than at my place. :)
sign me up for the mystery tour. I figure i'll be in very good company....we can learn it all together.
father and dana (you two should sing a duet!!)
Tour commencing....was reading some of the Gospel of Johnny boy the other day too and realised that Jesus wasn't 'in control' all of the time - i mean when his friend died, he not only wept openly but was deeply angry that it ad happened.
I guess faith is not a passive thing, but an invitation, an invitation to an adventure of believing (whether in Job or Jesus) that whatever we believe about God, God actually believes in us....maybe
singing's good....more fun singing in a duet. i'd love to learn a few new songs
i think being in control is over rated. it's wonderful to know Jesus is a role model in this respect as well.
we spend so much of our lives a passive receivers dont we? I want spiritual work to be emotionally interactive.
i agree, i could see you two singing that great number of joe Cocker's 'up where we belong' - the father looks great in uniform!
the other thing about jesus i was thinking about was how many of his stories depended on his listening to the experiences of women in the kitchen, men working in the field so that he knew just how to talk with women in the kitchen and men in the field wisely and well...he didn't know it all after all
I total agree with you Paul....my life is sweeter because of my failures.....isn't that where you see God clearly? In your own weakness? I am so grateful He shows up for me there...everytime...without fail...reminding me that He is indeed the only truth I can count on....
Thanks Paul for this short but powerful reminder of why I love God.
PS, some friends of mine are playing at Greenbelt this year....I am not sure of the category, I will have to get you the details.
even in the darkest hour His presence was seen and now it was seen the little things. my focus became so narrow when at my height but became so wide at His height in my life. I like seeing the little things.
If faith is about avoiding failure then I have failed. I tried to write about need/want today and somehow your post makes me see balance - God is balanced, he's not all or nothing and I think sometimes us humans try to be. I have no idea if that made sense - lol !!
Was blog surfing earlier and this stuff from richard rohr on steves website seemed relevant - check it out .
http://flibbityfluent.blogspot.com/
Ughh, just the thought that God is only interested in success is enough to jolt me out of self-absorbtion. (I am not opposed to introspection) But hang it! I am to apt to get stuck.
Being in control is over-rated. I am not a human doing.
Paul, we are not the sum of what we accomplish.
I struggle with this, I really do.
On a theoretical level I totally agree that it is great that God encompasses the chaos and the failure and all the yucky bits.
But from my own point of feeling a chaotic failure, I'd quite like God to be in control, have all the answers and make it all perfect again, please.
If only life were that tidy - at least some of the time...
Caroline...I think it's a both/and...God is up to his ears in the mess but at the same time is loving it and us into wholeness and who won't let go of us in the failures.
(sorry to borrow your comments Paul...hope you'll forgive the intrusion)
Post a Comment