In my last reflection I shared a bit of my own story — where I’ve been, where I am now, and why I still believe the church matters even when it feels fragile. Some of you have walked parts of that journey with me. Others are just joining the conversation. Either way, I’m glad you’re here.
As I look back, I see that our small experiments in community — gathering on Saturday evenings, serving together, choosing to live a little “out of step” with the culture around us — were really about one thing: learning to risk love.
And the more I think about it, the more I realize this isn’t just our story. It’s God’s story too. From the first pages of Scripture to the life of Jesus, we see a God who doesn’t play it safe. God creates people who can say “no.” God makes promises to a people who don’t always keep theirs. God shows up in flesh and blood, knowing full well that rejection and suffering might follow.
That’s not the sovereignty of control from a puppet master pulling strings. It’s the sovereignty of freedom from a God who can choose to hold back power for the sake of relationship. Love like that is beautiful — but it’s also risky.
Broad Views Of A God Who Risks.
I enjoy diving into scholarly books about Scripture and theology, and I am just as drawn to insights from neuroscience and psychology. But that’s not what this series of articles will be because the pastor in me always asks, “How does this help us live?” That’s what I am after here. So instead I will take broad brush strokes through the Bible’s story and considering how God’s truth can be felt and lived today. Along the way, I will lightly draw from science – not to add or take away from Scripture, but as a tool to help us notice and internalize God’s faithfulness in fresh ways. And that’s because I’m not a fan of dangling the proverbial elusive carrot in your face.
Where We’re Headed.
Over the next little while, I purpose to explore this with you:
how Scripture shows God’s love always carrying risk,
what it means that God’s sovereignty includes self-restraint,
and how all of this invites us to live and love differently as followers of Jesus.
If love is risky business for God, then it will be for us too. But I’m convinced it’s worth it.