When We Speak of God.

How do we understand God?

This past week has been crazy in more ways than I can begin to express. So many things happened here locally. A murder suicide, random acceleration of a vehicle that ended up taking the life of a local resident, our dogs got into a fight requiring one to be taken to the vet, and taking Maddie home to her dad. Any of these events could be enough to at the bare minimum raise an eyebrow and wonder, what is going on in our community.

Each of us in one way or another have been affected by these events, even if it is just to say, “Wow, sorry to hear that.” Some will be asking a question that the more I study and think about, it not really a good question, but we have to start somewhere. That question deal with God’s presence or absence in the midst of these all too often human events.

As a church, and by church I mean a gathering of people centered around certain beliefs about God, how do we respond? How do we experience these moments and bare witness to them? How do we bare witness to God’s love for all people in the midst of the reality of the world as we know and experience it?

Some of these happenings we respond with sadness. I can’t imagine what Chuy’s wife is feeling right now after the incident. I look at Zoey and she knows she did something bad and diverts her eyes. I look at Lacy, who now looks interesting to say the least, and I feel her pain. I see Maddie happy in a picture with a friend on Facebook and I cycle through emotions and after a while I eventually settle on being thankful that she can smile and be happy, even in Texas. We live in a real world and these are just a couple of real things that happened. Some events may not be something we really want, or feel, the need bare witness too or share with others.

Other events that happened this week include giving the opportunity to Maddie and her Sister Brittany to see the Grand Canyon from a viewpoint I had never experienced before. There was a storm in the area that caused the skywalk to be closed so we didn’t get that view, but to see the wonder on their faces at the beauty of that place, even though our cameras were unable to truly capture it, was a moment where I believe God’s presence was known.

In the opening to John’s first Epistle there is a proclamation that God can be known. What is this knowing? What does it mean to know God? How have we heard, seen, and touched God in the reality of our lives?

As I have been reading through the wonder what experience in David’s life brought him to write what we know as the 139th Psalm () Or what about Asaph who writes in , “God, why have you abandoned us forever?” A complete reading of this Psalm makes it obvious that this was during Jerusalem’s exile.

We all have experiences in this life that we need to share. Places where we have encountered God as well as those places where God doesn’t appear to be around. We share not so we can brag or boast, but so people can know the God we know, love, and proclaim.

When we speak of God in these situations, what do we say? How do we say it? Is there a right answer? What is your understanding of God in the midst of various experiences? These are the questions I will look at over the next few weeks.

Today I want to discuss why it is important to at least have something prepared in the back of your mind that is solid.

John is writing about his experience. Not just his experience with Jesus, it goes beyond that.