After a few minutes watching a famous preacher on TV, I found myself desperate to see any sign of weakness, humanity or reality. From the plastic-surgery-assisted face and immaculate suit to the polished one-liners and slick presentation, the preacher was effortless.
Yet the message, well sprinkled with random verses from the Bible, left me feeling completely empty. This all-too-positive picture of life and faith just didn't ring true for me.
I'm wrestling with my daily reality of life that is painful and confusing, ugly and yet sometimes breath-takingly beautiful, miserable and funny and exhilarating... and more, much more... and this message of positive thinking and self-help was simply not enough.
I couldn't relate to that perfect "Christianity" because I'm so far from perfect, I'm off the scale.
I believe that the Jesus of the Bible understands the failure, the mess, the brokeness, the I-simply-don't-know-what's-going-on moments of life and He doesn't offer me a crossword to keep my mind active.
I believe that God is way bigger than I can grasp or box or pin down or even imagine and that I will never have everything neatly sown up - or else He wouldn't be God.
And then again... sometimes I don't believe and sometimes, I'm not even sure that I want to...
Vulnerability is a painful business. It might be safer to opt for the God-show; the simple formula that answers all life's questions in the very latest seven steps to success.
I hope VOX will never do that. We want to explore faith, life and REALITY. And that means getting real, being honest, taking the risk, admitting the truth - that we don't know all the answers. It means longing to know God who is infinitely greater, mysterious, powerful, surprising and... well... more!
RGW (aka The Editor)
1 comment:
I suppose I must agree - many sermons are seemingly unattainable to us mere mortals - we listen to minister after minister ( always from somewhere else :-) ) tell of stories of amazing manifestations of God's glory here on the earth .....
however ....Jesus said we would do greater works then he did ... why don’t we then .... ( lots of reasons but --- cant get into it … maybe listen to Ryan Wyatt or someone else with a revelation on that )
..... anyway in the short length of time I’ve stood on this particular rock it's paid much more dividends than the "try your best" Christianity that I’ve spent years getting nowhere with… and more satisfying
We are world overcomers because we are born of God
Great to hear that Vox will be a mag exploring the reality but i also hope it investigates the victorious church for this new challenging age.
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