Paradigm- the way you see the world. the systems and organization of ideas and beliefs that a person has that allows them to make sense of the world. [my definition]
Someone asked me why I was pushing on their paradigm. Why was there pastor pushing on their belief system? The answer is simple. I want you to know the God that is beyond your paradigm.
Any human belief system by nature is going to limit God. But God cannot be contained in our paradigms or systems. To the degree that we hold fast to our paradigms, we attempt to condense God into our brain power. To the degree that we allow our paradigms to be opened, we begin to consider the greatness of God. As we open our paradigm, we see that the Creator is greater than our inklings of Him. We see that he is awesome and amazing.
Toward the end of the book of Job, Job is tired of not getting his fair shake in life. He cuts into God and begins to ask why. God answers him in chapters 38-40. Here is how it starts:
1 Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: 2 “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—
The next few chapters of Job contain some of the most humbling challenges to the human paradigm. God reminds Job and anyone else who reads 38-40, that God is God and he lives quite comfortably outside of, beyond our human paradigms or notions of him.
So, I know that it is painful when your pastor challenges your life paradigms, but it is the only way for us to come to know the God that lives beyond them. I want you to know the God that causes us to worship as we consider His mystery. I want you to know the God who is amazing and fantastic and awesome and indescribable.
I hope that helps.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
2 comments:
Thank you Jeff, for caring for your congregation so much that you put helping people know and experience God in new ways, above being popular and comfortable.
Love takes risks. Placating people, by sharing only the things they would like to hear is the easy route. It doesn't feel good to a pastor or any other human being, to be criticized or second guessed. We can tell how very much you love your congregation, by taking the route of sharing things that we all can learn from.
Jeff, what you posted today is such good stuff. But then your blog posts are always full of good things.
Count your blessings if you only have a few people who feel that their paradigms are being challenged and shifted. You got me to thinking about Jesus, and the fact that everything he was about, in coming to earth, was about paradigm shifting. In fact, he caused paradigm-al earthquakes, for all eternity. He shifted the paradigms of fishermen, of the downtrodden and ill, of sinners, of the Pharisees, and on and on. In fact this guy was continually moving someone's cheese. I'm so thankful.
Follow on. Follow Him.
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