LRC, Houston - the weekends-free church in Houston, Texas

What’s your impression of God: how do you see Him? If your view is that He’s looking down from some place up there waiting for you to mess up, you need another paradigm. In fact, He isn’t all that concerned about your theology, and I’m sure He isn’t wasting any time over what the beliefs of your denomination are. He could care less if you are Catholic or Assembly Of God. Marcus Borg says, “God is not concerned about our right ideas or beliefs. But it is our concepts of God that really matter. Our images of God shape our sense of the character of God and of what taking God seriously is about, indeed what the Christian life is all about.”

I realize that when I am asking you about how you see God, it’s about a slice in time. We all change our views on God over time. Unfortunately we cover some of the same territory more than just a couple of times. So, your answer is how you see and relate to God in January 12, 2006. Hopefully it’s progressing and not stale or lukewarm. God’s in charge of a lot of things, but you’ve got the watch over your attitude: free will you know!

Thankfully, one thing that we can count on is that God doesn’t change! I’d like to take a major detour here and ask you how the OT and NT match up then, but I digress. Another thing I could do here is to try and make a formula out of the process; how we all love to have those seven steps to nirvana! You know, one of those seven steps to really, really knowing God. If it were that easy! But, unfortunately, it’s different for everyone.

Briefly, my journey began at age seventeen (no, I don’t remember the day, week, or month). What I do know is that it was a Sunday morning after one of those seemingly hour-long alter calls. I started out in liberal Baptist circles (North American Convention) and then I had to join those Southern Baptists churches whom I was trained to trash. There were the yo-yo years, and until I heard God say “It’s time to go”. So, after a year of trying to talk others into starting a church, I did it myself (but not as the pastor). There was NO WAY I ever wanted to be THAT! Being pastor though did become a reality nine months later. Did I mention that God tricks people?

I, like the Hebrews heading out of Egypt, left my home base of bondage, but I wasn’t yet free. Sure the food was free, it came fresh every day, and my shoes never wore out- but! But, it wasn’t until a year ago that real inner transformation of my life started in earnest (no pun intended). Oh yes, I had changed much of the exterior trappings. The church didn’t look like one, we had tables, the thinking was different, yada, yada, yada! The death to the false self, the awesome intimacy with God: that all began in earnest in January ‘05. So how do I see God TODAY? Wow!

And you know, I think God isn’t really working out all that well for most Christians. I am only responsible for a few hundred. So, I’ll find out how many want to take this journey with me. Please do not hear any arrogance or pride when I say that my experience is that most of church is more about not rocking the boat than setting sail for places not yet visited. Church is about staying put, and not being moved, rather than following Him to places unkown that risk loss. Church is about not offending anyone, rather than being worried about if we’re offending God, by not trusting Him.

So, what’s your impression of God- at this moment, January 12th? Got your stuff with Him together? Or are you a little dry, parched, and looking for His fresh living waters? Scary stuff, but that’s where I am TODAY, and there is no turning back. His three words have captured me, are captivating to me…….COME AND SEE!