understanding God ... from a distance

Our staff at the Vineyard Church has been reading some really solid books on understanding scripture. When we started reading, I did a little research on the authors, and I rightly assumed I would agree with some of their conclusions/arguments, and disagree with others. 

(Aside -- doing doctoral work helped me learn how to appreciate someone's contributions, even if I think their findings are wrong.)

I dug in, and I learned a lot. I read a lot of things that challenged my long-held assumptions and dared me to think differently. Some things I believed, I now believe even more strongly. Other things I believed, I've had to rethink and reconsider. On one hand, I'm not super-excited when this happens; it's much more comfortable to continue believing what I've always believed. But on the other hand, I never want to get stuck in my relationship with God.

All that said, here's what the things I've read have led me to believe/rebelieve. It's not earth-shattering, so don't get your hopes up. But it was a good journey for me, and I'm excited for the staff discussions that are coming up.

• The closer we get to God, the more we get closer to understanding him well.

• In the garden, Adam and Eve walked with God, and they messed up when they turned away from God and did things their way.

• One day we'll again see God face to face ... I'll come back to this one later.

• OT writers retold their historic stories with a constantly evolving understanding of God, filtered through their culture, but they didn't understand everything that God said or did.
• In places of confusion, they filled in their blanks with an understanding of God shaped by their experiences.

• Jesus was the perfect image of God but the disciples still misunderstood some things.
• In places of confusion, they filled in the blanks with what they knew from the OT or their culture.

• Paul (and other NT writers) write as people processing a NT experience with an OT background, but they may not be perfectly clear.
• In places of confusion, they filled in the blanks with how they saw Jesus live and reveal the kingdom.

• Today we have a much richer story, but we still misunderstand things, partly because of our confusion, partly because God is bigger than we are: more loving, more just, more giving, etc.

• One day we'll see God face-to-face, and in places of confusion, how do we decide what's right today? My answer - in order of importance:

1. We immerse ourselves in the written story of God that is historically accepted by the church - the canon.
2. We do everything we can to see God clearly and listen to his spirit - spiritual rhythms.
3. We yield to our micro community - the people we live life with everyday.
4. We yield to our macro community - the church historical and global.
5. We act in faith with a listening ear to all of the above.

I believe the authors of the books I've been reading would have some variance in their answers, probably both in the list itself and in the importance they place on each one. I appreciate the differences we share, and I believe the authors are (for the most part) being faithful to God in the midst of their own journeys.

I hope you're reading things that continue to stretch your faith and your thinking. Fight ruthlessly against getting stuck. And don't just read things you know you'll agree with.

The two books I'm most referencing in this blog:

• Derek Flood's Disarming Scripture
• Peter Enns' The Bible Tells Me So

What do you think?