So you may have noticed that I've added a few new things to the blog, including a list of books I'm currently reading. I'm hoping to put up new Sermon Samplers every Monday, and on Wednesday's post some reflections based on my readings. This will hopefully prove to not only allow me an outlet to reflect upon my reading, but will also provide some thought provoking reading for you as well. Either way fell free to let me know what you think.
This week I'm going to reflect on some of my reading from "The Shack". In case you're unfamiliar with the story, it's a fictional story about a man who loses his young daughter, and then spends a weekend in a shack with God. I'm about half way through the book, and have so far found it to be a pretty good read. As a matter of fact, we'll be offering a book study of it this fall (probably Octoberish), so keep your eye out for that!
What I'd like to discuss specifically today though is how each of us thinks of God. In the book, the three persons of the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) appear to the main character as a large African American woman (God the Father), an olive skinned "plain" looking man (God the Son), and an Asian woman who can't quite be seen clearly (God the Holy Spirit).
What do you think of this? Is God a woman? Can we think of two persons of the Trinity as being women? What about the notion that God is NOT white? What do you make of that?
Likely for many of us, the description of Jesus isn't too problematic, but the descriptions of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit may be more difficult. I must admit that I have always thought of God as a male (that does seem to be the most prevalent description of God in the Bible), but I wonder if that's necessarily the only way we have to or even should think about God? After all in Genesis 1:27 it does say that God created men and women in God's image. Of course at this point some are almost certainly interjecting that God is Spirit, and therefore neither male nor female. Some might argue that maleness or femaleness are qualities that we as male and female human beings impose upon God in the hopes of better understanding the qualities and characteristics of God.
So what do you think? Is God a man? Is God a woman? Is God neither? Is God White, African, Middle Eastern, Asian, or something wholly other? Allow these questions to sit a while. Maybe this is the first time you've ever thought about some of these things, maybe not. Either way, think. Maybe even read your Bible a little and decide for yourself. Feel free to let me know what you think.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
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