Sometimes it gets messy

I recently picked up a copy of Mike Yaconelli's book, Messy Spirituality. If you haven't seen it, it is definitely worth a read. I think it would be an awesome book to use in a Sunday School class or Christian book club. He raises a lot of issues about how it's better to stumble along trying as best we can to follow Jesus than to stand firm on what we believe is solid ground, when what we are standing on is really only our own preconceived ideas about what we think church and spiritual people should be like.

In one section, Yaconelli tells the story about a young couple who went off and lived together before they were married, as so many do today. Their parents weren't happy about it, but what could they do? Eventually, the couple decided to get married, but then they found out that the woman was pregnant, so they decided to use the money they had saved for the wedding to spend on the new baby. They opted for a small courthouse wedding instead with two friends as witnesses.

Later,some friends of the couple got to thinking how much they had missed by not appropriately celebrating their wedding. They decided to throw them a wedding. They invited family and friends, had a big dinner, and a minister in the garden. Everybody told them how much they loved them, and everybody cried.

Some folks, however, thought this was inappropriate. They thought that it was condoning "unspiritual behavior" and perhaps it was. But this is where Mike Yaconelli shines. He said the nay-sayers would essentially be correct. "Christians don't condone unbiblical living; we redeem it. Now that is an awesome line!

Not so Random

Every time I think that much of life is filled with random, unconnected events, I get a knock upside the head that reminds me how completely un-random life really is. There is a God who is in charge, and who brings all things together in organized, loving ways.

As an example, I have been preaching my way through 1 Peter, and just going through the book, begun on a seemingly random date (although, it was actually set by the Lectionary) and taking random chunks,(two verses this week, five verses last week) lo and behold, on the Fourth of July, I had the passage, 1 Peter 2:13-17 in which we are to accept and honor those in government over us. Strong words on the anniversary of this country's rebellion against its former government. Also at issue is how to relate to our own country's government, especially when and if we don't agree with its policies.

A mere coincidence? I don't think so. It has happened before. Several years ago I was preaching through the Lord's Prayer, and got to "Thy will be done" on the week of Sept 11, 2001. I could never have planned or expected that one. I had to re-think all I was going to say that next Sunday.

All this is merely to say, that what some people call random coincidence, I think is much more. I see connections. I see organization. I see "the hand of God" in many ways. I realize that some people would claim that I see this because I want to, and not because it actually exists; that it is my own mind that is organizing these events into patterns, and the patterns aren't really there. I respectfully disagree. I believe God is there, and makes himself known to those who are willing to perceive. "Let him who has an ear, hear".