Metallica are one of my favourite bands, i just love the power they provide in their music. Now one of their songs is called "The God who failed" and is about faith and how it's abused and some of the stupidity that goes with faith. Anyway while listening to this the other day it got me to thinking and the thought pattern was interesting. You see i know a lot of Christians who spend so much time saying God can't won't don't do, that they are full of negativity. Everything has to have a logical answer and everything needs to have the i's dotted and the t's crossed before they listen. They also always think of God in human terms, by this i mean they say well "i could not, i will not, i don't agree" now all these things are good in moderation. Yes we should question things, we should apply our God given brains to the situation but when we start to relegate the king of kings down to a party trickster we fail miserably, God does not fail we fail. You see when we try to put God into our understanding it does not work, we cannot stiffle God we can try but we cannot stiffle him in anyway whatsoever. You see God is above and beyond human understanding not because we are stupid but because God is God and before all things, and we try and stop him doing what he want's because we do not get it.
Those Christians who spend all their time on the side of the fence of God can't, tend to be negative, they tend to always want to pick an argument, they rarely admit to a change of view because in a lot of cases because God did not do for them they are hurt and bitter and drag it around with them.It's about time we started spending our time discussing GOD CAN, not GOD CAN'T, you see when we start doing God can we see changes, yes sometimes it will not work and we may look foolish. But if we actually got out of the boat and tried to walk on water we would be surprised at how great it can be. Once we get into God can our perspective changes, we become doers as well as speakers, we see lives touched for the better, we see people healed and our faith is strengthened. From now on in i'm going to try and spend more time on God can, than God can't because the negativity that goes with it drags me down. I'm going to listen to some Metallica now as i want to play my custom built Air guitar.
Peace peeps
One of my favourite Metallica tracks! I don't disagree with what you say but I think we do have to be careful when being critical of those who seem overly of the "God can't/won't/doesn't" type because often there is a lot of pain and hurt behind that position, hurt and pain which has often been caused by the Church, and by bad theology which has failed to speak to their situation as they perceive it and we have to be open to hearing and acting upon that hurt and pain so that, through us, God's healing power can be seen. So, for example, as you know, I'm rather a fan of grand worship in the Catholic style, with much pomp & circumstance and colourful vestments. But when someone denounces that style of worship I have to recognise that there may be good reasons for that view, that such worship may, in the past, have left them feeling excluded, either because it wasn't what they needed at that time, or because it wasn't explained properly, or explained at all. Anyway, all that isn't to disagree with what you said, just to add to it :-)
ReplyDeleteTom
DeleteI agree with what you say, and i have said that for those people they tend to carry hurt around with them, which can be a major factor especially if it involves a loved ones death or something that the church has done. These things we need to deal with and deal with them sensitively, there has to be a willingness to let go of the hurt and a willingness to accept that if we have caused hurt we need to seek forgiveness and rebuild. As for your style of worship, i gave you a shout out on Sunday morning. I was trying to highlight a point about forms of worship, and that you and i are poles apart on certain things, but we have a respect for each other and can listen to each other. Hope your well bud
Now I'll need to find an opportunity to give you a shout-out in return - I'm sure one'll come up soon enough!
DeleteI'm doing ok, on a managed return to work after time off for ill health (my blog probably gives a clue as to what kind of ill health!) Hope you're doing alright.