Cross Training - Doctrines of Faith

Woody Allen once quipped, "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work: I want to achieve immortality by not dying." He goes on to say: "It's very important to realize that we're up against an evil, insidious, hostile universe, a hostile force. It'll make you ill and age you, and kill you. And there's somebody-or something-out there who, for some irrational, unexplainable reason, is killing us."

The last several weeks has allowed us to study together the topic of the Disciplines of our Faith as we look at ways in which we can develop personal Godliness.  I have come to enjoy the pursuit of the disciplines of faith especially as a means to know God more and make him more known in my walk.  The disciplines mean very little, however, when they are left unconnected to doctrine.  Thus, the reason for phase 2 of our study - "Cross Training - Doctrines of Faith."

Woody Allen's comment didn't surprise me when I read it, because I really didn't expect any different from him.  But as I thought about what he said, I started to wonder if what he stated had greater support than what I would like to admit.  

As I began looking at what I see as the fundamental starting point for the doctrines of our faith I naturally began with God the Father.   When Allen stated, "there's somebody-or something-out there who, for some irrational, unexplainable reason, is killing us," I started looking at what I believe to be a good to discover one of the attributes of God - that He is personal.  

When Moses stood before the burning bush in Exodus 3, he asked the Lord in v. 13 - "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"  And the Lord responded in v. 14 - "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"  

The Lord's statement never stops amazing me because in v. 12, the Lord kind of prefaces was He is about to share with Moses in v. 14, with a definition of His name and nature by stating, "I will be with you."  Allen suggests that there is a God that wants nothing more then to bring unexplainable hardships and death to us, while the story of Moses suggests nothing of the sort.  This story reminds us that God desires intimacy with us while, at the same time, not drawing us out of our life-experiences which include both joy and hardship.  Tell me why you think the world today has found it so hard to accept a "personal / intimate God" that chooses to walk with us in adverse circumstances.  Is what we think to be love and intimacy skewed a bit?

 Love to hear from you.

Randy