Thursday Theology
Pastor Steve has been leading a Bible study on Sunday nights through the book of Malachi - great study of a great book of the Bible.
So, part of the problem that Malachi points out to the people of Israel is that they've been involved in paganism - that their worship of the One True God has been infiltrated by paganism. Now we defined paganism as "trying to manipulate God." Now that takes a variety of forms, but usually it's "if I get the sacrifice just right, then it doesn't matter how I live, God has to do..." whatever or say the right things, do the right things, etc. Like magic formulas.
And if we think that's just an artifact of an ancient time (okay, most people don't think in terms exactly like that...but I'm not most people, either, am I?) we're chock full of paganism these days.
There's whole strains of folk religion out there that just spring up out of...well, I'm not sure. It sure isn't the Bible. No one could read the Bible and believe, for example, that God has to do what they tell him to do. Though one of my friends tells the story of being in the hospital when folks came to pray for the guy in the next bed and they prayed (in part), "God we expect you to heal our brother. And if you don't, we'll hold you accountable..." Um...really?
I used to get weirded out if I put anything (even another book) on top of my Bible. Now, yeah, it's probably not a good idea to use your Bible as a coaster, but there are limits... Why was I like that? Dunno, I was a kid...
The Prayer of Jabez says, and I quote, "1. Pray the Jabez prayer every morning... 2. Write out the prayer and tape it in your Bible...or some other place where you'll be reminded of your new vision. 3. Reread this little book once a week during the next month... 4. Tell one other person of your commitment to your new prayer habit... 5. Begin to keep a record of changes in your life... 6. Start praying the Jabez prayer for your family, friends, and local church..." And that sounds just a little too much like a magic formula for making do "expand my borders" to me. And maybe Wilkinson doesn't intend that (though I just heard an interview with him on the radio and he says the same kind of stuff in his new book) - the application that is implied to me is: If you do this stuff just right, God HAS to do what you want.
I have friends who follow Kenneth Copeland - not a teacher I would recommend - but they hold fast to the tenant that "if you have enough faith" nothing bad will ever happen to you - and if bad stuff DOES happen, it is because of your lack of faith (and that's the tip of the Copeland iceberg - the whole Name it and Claim it stuff...argh...)
And on and on it goes.
So here's the thing about paganism - it's pretty attractive, isn't it? I mean, controlling God sounds like a pretty good gig to me.*** But there's a reason that the Spirit of God is called wind and fire - have you ever tried to tame wind and fire - I mean, yeah, I guess we can mostly do it - but sometime, somewhere, somehow, they always get beyond our control. And God will not be controlled. We may THINK we can manipulate God - but that's just the enemy whispering what we want to here - and that story is as old as humanity:
So let me leave you with one of my favorite cultural moments of paganism:
I don't care if it rains or freezes
Long as I've got my plastic Jesus
Sitting on the dashboard of my car
Comes in colors pink and pleasant
Glows in the dark cause it's iridescent
Take it with you ... when you travel far.
Get yourself a sweet Madonna
Dressed in rhinestones sitting on a
Pedestal of abalone shell
Going ninety I ain't scary
Cause I've got the Virgin Mary
Assuring me that I won't go to hell.
(repeat 1 time)
*** Actually, I think controlling God would be a terrible gig - even if it could be done - and, really, I can't even control a six-year-old, so what chance do I have in controlling the creator of the universe?
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