Abraham's Test

So I was heading back from Orlando yesterday after my seminary class got out and I popped in a CD of a PODcast of a Rick McKinley sermon at the Imago Dei Church in Portland, OR. If you are not familiar with that particular church, you might also know it as Donald Miller's church (author of Blue Like Jazz). Rick has done a series on the faithfulness of Abraham and this one had to do with Abraham's test of faith, offering to sacrifice his son.

I won't go into the entire sermon but one of the most startling points for me was that Rick began to distinguish between believing in God and believing in God's promises. In other words, are we more interested in just hanging onto the benefits, the good stuff that comes with knowing God or are we willing to travel the long and difficult road that requires us to lay down those very benefits, those good things so that nothing comes in the way of our relationship with God. That struck me kind of hard and I had to think about it for a while.

I like to think that I am willing to endure difficulty, that I will not always just choose the easy road. But I also know that as God blesses me (my wonderful wife, my kids, my job, school, etc.) it is increasingly easy for my relationship with God to be more about those blessings than God himself. And is God just interested in giving me things or does he want an actual relationship with me, one that is unimpeded by "stuff"? Not that God may ask me to destroy those blessings, but perhaps God wants me to keep things in perspective, the blessings are the side benefit of KNOWING God and being in relationship with God. It's not that God is a miser but God is not just a sugar daddy. If my kids only loved me because I bought them toys and ice cream, that's indicative of a very shallow relationship. So the blame either lies with me thinking that I can buy their love or they are satisfied with temporary, shallow things. Because I believe God is perfect and would not condescend to buy my love, I am left to conclude that I am often satisfied with temporary things, things that though beautiful and fulfilling to a degree are only reflections of a greater love, a greater reality.

Those of you who know me kind of well know that I bristle at most TV preachers (just read back a few posts to my thoughts about Rev. Rod). I think this sermon helped me to see why I bristle but also helped me to extend a little more grace. So much of TV preaching centers on what God wants to give us; money, power, prestige, debt relief, better sex, better lives, etc. (yes I have heard sermons on better sex). And yes, to some extent that is true (though power is probably not at the top of God's list of blessings, at least in the western context in which we understand power). But God is more interested in a relationship with us, with me, with you. The blessings are natural outpourings of God's love for his creation just as I love to give special treats to my wife and children, but it is not he focus of my love for them.

So, the message is often less than it should be, shallower if you will. But as I mentioned, I am also guilty of viewing God in that same light which means that I am a lot closer to many TV evangelists than I might want to believe. If I want grace than I should be willing to extend it. That doesn't mean you won't find the occasional rant here but hopefully I will be a bit more forgiving.

In other news I have a ticket to the UF/Tennessee game this Saturday and I am seriously pumped. Go Gators!!!