God is just like jesus

"Deep in our bones all of us believe things about God that we would never circle as the right answer on a theology test."

This is an opening contention for Axiom 3 in Ben Sternke and Matt Tebbe's book 'Having The Mind of Christ: Eight Axioms to Cultivate a Robust Faith.' 

Matt writes about uncovering this while attending a Christian college:

"My mind was learning all the right answers about God and prayer and how it all worked, but my bones held the memory of absence, disappointment, and silence. We think our brains run the show, but in reality, our bones do." 

The chapter could probably be summed up with this statement: "Sometimes the hardest part of learning who God is, is to unlearn who God is not." They address three popular false attachment styles in our society:The Distant Diety, The Demanding Judge, and The Deterministic Micromanager. 

In contrast to these false understandings of who God is, they contend that God is fully revealed in Jesus, who is always present, loving, and gracious.

Two things that also stood out in this chapter:

1. This quote from theologian Randy Woodley: "If God is love, and love means being vulnerable, then God must represent the essence of vulnerability... The opposite of vulnerability is control." **
2. Each chapter concludes with an "Experiment of Trust" - Ways we can take what we learn and put it into practice. I like it. I particularly like this one. First we are to notice the God in our imagination - and actually write it down (there's more detail in the book). Then, after spending a few days on that, we are to set aside 30 minutes to read and meditate on John 8:1-11, Luke 5:1-11, John 21:1-19, and Luke 19:1-10. For each passage, see what you notice as you imagine the scene, and write down the good news Jesus declares in each passage. What does he say to people in their badness? What does he do for people in their badness? How does Jesus communicate God's goodness to people in the midst of their badness?

Good stuff.

***

Matthew 11:28-30

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”