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Julie and I, this past week, have faced an unordinary amount of death.  Her grandpa and my grandpa passed away within four days of each other.  I don’t think anybody likes death but this experience opened up some old scars of imagery and pain that I faced when I was twelve years old with my own dad.  It’s strange because a lot of people say, “It’s ok to be mad at God around times like this.”  However, I’m not mad at God.  Even with the death of my own dad–I wasn’t mad at God.  The thing that I’m completely and utterly outraged with is death itself.

Upon processing my thoughts over the last week about death I think I have finally come up with a good illustration of what death looks like to me.  Be prepared, this is a bit graphic.  To me, death is like the rapist that takes complete advantage of and has its way with the innocent virgin.  I’ve watched people who are strong and courageous be swallowed up and left vulnerable by death.  Death doesn’t have a conscience that tells it when it’s overstayed its welcome.  Death chooses its victims.

So, what does it mean when I read Scriptures that proclaim death has lost its sting and that Jesus beat death?  What does it mean when I hear song lyrics that repetitively chant, “The Love of God is stronger than the power of death!”  DANG!  If I think death is powerful–what does that say about Jesus?

“Most of all, we must not live as if God’s mission is somehow contingent upon our plans and strategies.  God remains on the throne and continues his redemptive work with or without our frantic sense of urgency.”

Serving with Eyes Wide Open
David A. Livermore

I read this quote in Collide Magazine.

“The church has a responsibility to be innovators, not duplicators.”

There may or may not be a few blogs coming from my recent immersion in the Pentateuch or the Torah or the first five books of the Bible or Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy or whatever you want to call it.

I just heard about the Greek thought creatio ex nihilo.  It means created out of nothing.  The first verb associated with God and His attributes in the Bible is created.

In the beginnning God created the heavens and the earth.

So God is Creator and in the midst of nothingness and chaos God creates…He just speaks it!  God speaks and creates something out of nothing.

Usually, when I’m channel surfing I’ll stop on Discovery Channel’s, “How It’s Made”.  I’ve seen them make anything from doughnuts to furniture–which is pretty impressive.  But they had to get there supplies from somewhere.  If they’re making furniture, they have to cut down a tree for the wood or get the cotton or leather to upholster the furniture.  They can’t just wave their magic wand and it appears.  Creatio ex nihilo is the thought or should I say truth, that God has created and creates things out of nothing.  At the sound of His voice…it’s created.  Pretty amazing, right?

The even more amazing part is this:

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:  everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!  2 Corinthians 5:17

There it is again!  The word creation.  I guess you can look at this in a couple of different ways.  One way you can look at this is through the lens of an individual.  When an individual is in the midst of chaos, nothingness, sin, death–God has the power to take that nothing and make it into something.  He has the power to make an individual into something brand new!

What if we look at this through a communal lens and the impact it brings to individuals around us?  Something I’ve been struggling with for some time now is bringing hope to what seems to be hopeless situations.  I’m sure I’m putting too much pressure on myself and am certain I alone cannot bring hope.  But with God’s promise of being a new creation and creating something new out of nothing, maybe me just being in Christ and Christ being in me is just enough.  Through the work of the Holy Spirit, maybe me just being who I am in Christ brings hope, newness and life amidst chaos and darkness in the community and people around me.

When all is said and done, when all is chaotic, when all is dark, when it seems there’s nothing else, nowhere to go, nowhere to turn, when people around you seem hopeless, helpless and hurt–remember creatio ex nihilo.  Created out of nothing.  God can create anything out of nothing.

It’s been a crazy past couple of weeks.  Nothing crazy has happened–just very busy.  Lately, I’ve been using the phrase “I’ve got nothin’ left in the tank.”  I feel like I’m running on empty.  I’ve been working everyday for the past 11 days.  Not necessarily at church but I’ve been doing some freelance work as well.

(I’m not writing this for pity, just hang with me!)

After creating well, everything, God took a day of rest.  And then, in the ten commandments, we’re commanded to take a day of rest.  Also, Jesus withdrew fairly often to rest and so on and so on…  This is how I know I’m made in the image of God.  I’m TIRED.  I haven’t taken a day of rest in which the “Creator of the Heavens and Earth” even took.

So here’s a theological question, not necessarily dogmatic, about my previous statements:

Is it sinful to not take a Sabbath or a “day of rest”?

zzz…