Theology Evolved?

Readers,

Tomorrow (Monday, March 12, 2007) I will be leaving at 3pm to head to Oregon. This trip was originally planned to leave a few days later and under happier circumstances. However, urgency has ushered me into leaving sooner than anticipated. I will be departing because my grandpa, Thomas, is in the ICU unit suffering Kidney Failure, Congestive Heart Failure, and Pneumonia, he is not slated to last very long. He has been amazing grandpa to me thus far, and I do not hesitate to believe that the artist inside of me that I embrace is because of his influence in my life. On my trip I will be taking some pictures of the paintings he has done to share them with you.

Also my great-grandma, Faith, is also nearing the end of quite the journey for her. To her I accredit my belief in faith. She has never hesitated to show me love both as a grandma, but also echoing the love of Christ. She is 96, and has lived a long fruitful life, and hey, she even got to meet Kevin Costner, when they used her ranch for a portion of the filming of "The Postman."

I love both of these people very dearly, and knowing that they are passing on soon is tearing me apart. But I take a certain peace in knowing that they both love the Lord, and will be going on to something so much better.

I will update you when I can.

Please be praying for myself and my family as we prepare for all that is to come this weekend.

Zach

Of Complements and Catalysts (God and the Old Testament)

Yesterday I visited the way various people influence our everyday life, speaking of those who are complements, people who are with us constantly perfecting and tempering us, as well as catalysts who are there to cause internal revolution in our very beings, both very good.

Now though, we look at a different paradigm. The all encompassing nature regarding God, and His presence in the Old Testament.

Catalyst

It is impossible to start with the complement portion when we approach the Old Testament, or even New Testament when we see God acting. He acts first as a catalyst, then presides over as a complement. For the purpose of this blog, I am going to fast forward past the creation and flood accounts, moving directly to Abraham. The world God had created has perhaps truly hit the rock bottom of its fall point, we like to think it is now, but really when God has to start all over again by picking a seemingly random patriarch of a seemingly random tribe, we are really scraping. God calls Abraham out, out of Ur, and He commands Abraham to follow. This is the initial catalyst moment of humanity as we know it today. God has begun the process of rebuilding humanity into right position with Him. The foundation of the very faith we live by is set, smoothed, and God's hand is imprinted in our development forever.

Complement

I know, short catalyst segment, but really that is the space of time catalysts normally do take, short, but severe portions of time. The development lies in the complement phase. Which is what we see happen when Abraham chooses to make God the complement to for him and his family, and through the blessings and covenants all of those following Abraham. And the more Abraham trusts in his relationship with God, and loves God, and relishes his presence, the more God helps protect and begin perfecting humanity, a still unfinished process in some aspects. This is an interesting relationship as well, because unlike human complements where we mutually act as the iron sharpening one another, in no way does humanity ever sharpen God, this is a one way relationship. Perhaps this is why the effort takes so long, not because we can't sharpen God, but because we cannot accept the fact that we cannot do anything for God.

Granted there phases as God's children enter into slavery that God acts again as a catalyst inside his complementing nature, freeing his people so that they may again begin to fully rely on him. We observe the transition process as Israel learns that God really is present in the form of pillars of smoke and fire, parting seas, and defeating enemies. They are a confused people nonetheless, needing direction from their leader, Moses the voice of God's words. God never stops the process where he continues to build up and perfect Israel. Israel in the meantime tries to give God a hand by creating idols for themselves, prompting disciplinary efforts from God. This will become quite the pattern for a God who never gives up, and perhaps a blog series of its own at a later time.

God's direct supervision is his complementing in the Old Testament. His use of judges, prophets, and kings are His tools for this process. His judges help represent God in the faces of adversity when others come to harm Israel from the outside, the prophets go to represent God to the people of Israel when they turn against God, and the king represents all the people before God, taking responsibility for there actions and also there protection as a judge himself. Nothing compares though, to God's direct interaction with his people, sending them into exile, and bringing them back to remind them of who they are in Him. This process is what sets up the core of the faith. That we in our identity need to be with God, need to be reliant on his provision, and accepting him as our Complement.

In the next portion of this series we will look at how the Complement and Catalyst concept is made more evident in the New Testament, and its impact today.

Thanks for Reading,

Zach

Complement
com·ple·ment n
1. something that completes or perfects something else
2. either of two things that form a unit

I believe that there are times in life when we receive a complement or two. Those of course that abide by the definition above, and not to be confused with a compliment or two, you know, nice words. These complements never leave us, there affects are continual, and reside with us forever, at least, in order for them to be effective. Should a complement be removed, we find ourselves, lacking, and well imperfect.

I think, since I cannot know, yet, that those who are married to the one whom they truly love, have found their total complement. That one that balances them, that tempers, and perfects them. This relationship is actually mutually complementing, since the perfecting, balancing, tempering goes both ways. I wish I could say more, but I am not married, yet.

This though, can also be said to be found to a lesser degree in the "best friend." Since there are times when we receive someone in our lives, who we are not intended to marry, and yet still they have a profound impact on the way our lives go, the way we develop, mature, and contribute to our own and others lives. I have one of these, he is named for the purpose of this blog "Ben" and well, we have been friends since I followed him home on his first day at my school in the 3rd grade. Over time he has been a complement to me, walking alongside me yet also pushing me to toughen up here and there, stand up for myself, and teaching me how to take a jab physically and emotionally. I think it is safe to say that I became outgoing because Ben started the process to make me so, and has remained a steadfast friend to this day.

Then there are something totally different a...
Catalyst
cat·a·lyst n
1. a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any change
2. somebody or something that makes a change happen or brings about an event

Catalysts appear throughout our lives, we don't really realize what they are doing till well after the fact normally. These can be found in the people who only appear for a short time for one reason or another, but who have tremendous impact on the lives, so tremendous it can be called "life-changing." I would say every person receives a lot of these people. I think I can say that I have had close to 20 catalysts in my life of varying degrees of influence. These are called... School Teachers.

But even greater than them (no disrespect, I loved my teachers) are those who reach into us on a personal level. Who very words and actions ingrain themselves into the core of our being, not just affecting the way we think about life, but the very way we experience it. For the purpose of this blog, I will refer to one such catalyst by the name of "Sarah." This catalyst has broken through barriers that I placed both high and thick regarding issues of spirituality. They have forced me to take on a new perspective and embrace things I never would have expected. Sarah brought me past looking at the "Gifts of the Holy Spirit" and "Walking in Power" as only for those who God occasionally gifts with magnificent displays of glory to the concept that we can walk in both of these on a more subtle level, embracing them as a part of being the host of Christ within. A difficult style of thinking for a young man who grew up in a very conservative non-"signs and wonders" church. This thinking has gotten me to a place where I feel comfortable in my own "spiritual" skin. Not shedding it to be safe from my fears, but to live in the risk of partaking in glory.

This is the Catalyst.

See the next Blog for a further dive into the world of Catalysts and Complements.

Okay so here is the deal. I have hated my old '99 Saturn SL1 since the day I received it. Why? Because it replaced my beloved 1990 Camry. That thing was amazing till it received a hole in its oil pan on a trip down I-5 and threw a rod at the Siskiyou Summit, 120 miles from my school. Anyways yeah, hated the car even more when a 4 point buck ran in front of me and started a long chain of bad things happening to the car. So this weekend, with the advent of me working for a Duck that sells Insurance, I decided I needed a car that would look good when I pull up in front of businesses to get them started up with insurance. So I went out and bought one.

With no further ado, my 2004 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V


It is 6 Speeds of Joy, a fun and sporty ride, and is just plain slick looking. I love it.



Zach

Prophets, Kings, and the New Testament

In my theological wonderings and conversations I recently got to talk to an amazingly good friend about some of the stuff I come in contact with, and have had to deal with internally. You see I grew up in a very conservative very non-charismatic church, never seen a person healed, never heard a prophecy, never even heard tongues till I was in college. And when I did get to college I had some guy tell me that if I didn't speak in tongues I didn't have the Holy Spirit. I knew he was wrong, but that did cause me to research my own personal theology regarding tongues, and thus opened myself up to begin to understand the concept of "walking in power." This being that I was trying to understand how to show all those things that Christ called us to do in Matthew 10:8. Honestly to this day I have prayed many times to heal people and it has never happened. But others have told great testimony to this happening, and I know it to be true. But it does not happen for me. But what if there are other ways that the spirit is evident, even to the extent of that of what is found in the Old Testament.

I would say that after the passing of Moses, and perhaps even past the judges, we see two models of those who were filled with God's blessing and power. For generalizing purposes I will label these the "prophet" and the "king." One walked in mighty power, making sure that the true supernatural powers of God evident and unmistakeable, the other was filled with the wisdom, and strength, and charisma of God. This is not to say that the prophets did not, but there is a reason for these divisions I promise. For the most part in the book of the prophets, the key figures are those who are proclaiming amazing feats, and God supports those with their corresponding actions, however they are a person, whom Israel does not want to listen to. Israel puts up their blinders because what amazing things these people have to share is too much from someone who is not their leader. The Prophets are amazing people, I cannot emphasize this enough and God does amazing miracles through them, but alas they are almost despised by their people.

Then there are the kings. Those bound with having to maintain the very people who so do not want responsibility for their way of life. The king must hear the word of God and distribute it with authority, and in a way that the people accept. A serious burden for sure. But these people are not out raising the dead, instead they are trying to keep a people from extinction. They are attempting to trust God for wisdom beyond their ability. They are those that the people listen to. The king is bound to not lose the sight of the people and their trust. When the prophets end up speaking to the king, it is later in private. For the king, he must hear those words, pray that God will give him the wisdom to make sense of it so he can apply it towards his people. I am sure the king wishes he could just go about healing, raising the dead, and casting out demons. But perhaps he cannot? And maintain the respoect of his people?

These are all conjectures, I don't know. But I do know that both these types were in touch with God. They both carried around the authority of God, but sometimes I believe that those who cannot do, well teach. Perhaps if those of us have not had the pleasure of God healing someone through our prayers must continue to teach others to go out and do so. To make sure that others remember that all people should be going out in power.

I hope this was interest, sparked thoughts, and who knows maybe you will gather around the local watering hole and discuss this. I am not sayign that those who have not healed will never heal, I am just saying until then that they can take a certain comfort in the ways that God has given them until they have such an opportunity.

Theology Thursday over and out

Zach