It's not that I'm not studying. Rather, it's that I'm studying people who believe, what they believe, and the why of it, instead of limiting my study to the Bible. If the purpose of this blog is to make a history of my thoughts so I can reflect and grow from my learning, then the original title, Bible Studies, indicating that I would record my thoughts only when I was studying the Bible, became a dead end for making notes. Although the Bible (actually, the study of God) is primary in my thoughts, the Bible isn't the only resource I use.
My quest for understanding and growth stems from one premise: There is one God, not many gods. Because I believe ethnic origins can't create the reality of many gods, then all peoples who seek God must be seeking the same (and only) God. Firmly believing that, then I am lead to wonder about the religious beliefs of those whose expression of god is different from mine.
Among Christians, there are different expressions of who God is and what he wants for and from us. And even among LCMS Christians, a group of Lutherans who band together under one banner (myself included), there is some lack of agreement about God and the ways we should live.
I know I will never understand all these things, but what better to do with my life than to spend some time in study and meditation and gain some glimpses of the "why."
The thing that I need to be wary of is getting off on a wrong track and losing something which I've already gained. It is my hope that my life experience in the presence of the One God I worship will remind me always that there is, indeed, a straight and narrow. It's the straight and narrow described by Jesus, though - not the straight and narrow prescribed by a brand of church. And it's on Jesus' straight and narrow that I must stay, even while my journey may give me a view of many paths chosen by others.
For myself, because I am a natural skeptic of the mandates and expositions of others, at least on the face of it, I feel compelled - even as a religious obligation - to understand God through my own eyes. So I read and listen to others for whom I have respect, and then I evaluate and fortify my own beliefs where I feel changed because of something new I learn. Here are some of my core beliefs and practices:
- There is only one God, and that God is the god of the Christian Bible.
- Jesus is God incarnate.
- The Holy Spirit is God within me (but the Holy Spirit is NOT me).
- Although Triune God is a concept I could never explain, I ascribe to the mystery. The Triune God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but only one God. The Athenasian Creed says it best. (Amazing that the site where I found this is maintained by a 16-year-old (now 17) boy!)
- I will never fully understand or know God, but because of the relationship I believe we should have with God, I feel compelled to learn to know him better throughout my life. (If I were in a business meeting, I might say that God is compelling!)
- My religious bend is Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). That's not to say that "if the LCMS says it, I believe it," because that would be irresponsible of me, in my opinion. But I believe the basic fundamentals of the church is good; there are serious scholars throughout the history of the church and it's conservative enough to meet my liberal needs. I like the LCMS theology and its way of establishing it.
- I find myself naturally disinterested in excitable religion, light religion (a brand I would characterize as religion without study, including feel-good religion), or prosperity religion (I've never thought my relationship with God is about me, and prosperity is definitely about me. God might want me to be prosperous - He's definitely provided comfort for us during our lives, but that's not the point of the relationship.)
- God is a God of renewal (that's the work of the Holy Spirit within me). So I expect that I will be continually renewed and even changed as I continue my journey. The best example of renewal or change is a simple Christian thought. I am a sinner (Biblical terms). God continually changes that and counts me ok (without sin) in Jesus. So I expect to be changed as I go along; and I expect to be able to know the difference (discern) between changes that keep me on the straight and narrow path vs changes that lead me astray. I must continually be on guard for the latter! But I trust God to make that knowledge known to me.
So, Bible study really is God study for me. Changing the title of this blog opens the way for me to use it as I really wanted to - to make notes about my study of God during this period of time.
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