Reflection: "The Majesty of God"“O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
So begins, and concludes, the reading from Psalm 8. If you believe in God, then your idea of a great human being will closely resemble the kind of God you worship. For example, if your God is the supreme Enforcer, then it’s more likely you’ll become like your God and the more you will try to push others around. Or if, for example, your God is vengeful, so will you probably be. It’s natural for any devotee to strive to become like their God. We try to behave like that which we believe in. Therefore, the doctrines we believe, the creeds we say, really matter. The true believers will be shaped by their God. For some people God is the absolute Individualist, the autocratic Dominator. This represents a strong stream of thought, which we find in the Jewish religion, in some classical Greek philosophy, in Islam and also in at least one strand of Christianity. For them, God is the ultimate soloist, the true absolute Monarch, lofty, utterly self-sufficient and not needing any other being for company. For better or worse, this God is usually depicted as masculine. His more fervent worshippers would get very hot under the collar if it were suggested the solo God could be anything but male - he is God the male dominator. If people have this kind of a God, it should not be a surprise to discover that those who are the powerful individualists are seen as most successful. The strong, determined, solo performer is highly admired. In a tennis analogy, the popularity of singles players outranks doubles players, and for many players (thankfully not all) a victory in the team matches of Davis Cup competition ranks nowhere as high as a Grand Slam singles victory. The God who is a dominator is mirrored by -
With these sorts of people, any open display of emotion (except that of excited self-congratulation when they win an Oscar, or an election) is frowned upon. No weakness is ever admitted, no sincere apology likely to be made. Public tears are the ultimate sign of character weakness. Yet the bible presents a different view of God. It’s a Trinitarian formula, which insists that the nature of God is closer to a loving community than to a lofty individuality. The highest form of existence, of personal being, is communal. God is communal and a choir singing at perfect pitch and in perfect harmony is closer to a definition of God than a lone soloist singing their heart out. This communal being is the God we worship and true greatness lies in the direction of community rather than in self-sufficient individuality. We will find the true meaning of being a person in fellowship. The church community reflects God far better than a lone minister or priest, no matter how gifted that pastor may happen to be. Individualism is the way of limitation, diminishment, and death. Growth takes place when we live in harmony with others and when we give to others and receive from others. When we know we need them as much as they need us. That’s certainly a world that I believe God wants us to live in. As we live our individual existence through these months of lockdown, don’t we yearn for the times of sharing and fellowship that encapsulated our lives pre-COVID? Thanks to the love and leading of our majestic and ever-loving God, it seems like we are pulling together as a community by getting vaccinated at an amazing rate, thus allowing the health officials to recommend to the government that we can come out of our isolation and once again be the loving, caring community that God envisaged when he created us. The COVID 19 vaccines that have been developed and tested (in an amazingly short time) can also be seen as a gift from the God who cares for his people. Some people are still hesitant to get vaccinated and we pray that they will come to understand that any risks are infinitesimally small and by being fully vaccinated, they will not only protect themselves from the virus, but also keep their loved ones and the community safer, as well. I look forward to being able to safely welcome you all to church in a very short time, when we are able to worship together as the community of God in Lane Cove. “God, may we be sensitive to the isolation of so many of us. May we seek to build bridges between human beings close by and far away. May we seek ways of living in harmony with all of creation. May we open ourselves to the truth that you are all around us, ……..always alongside us and continually within us.” Amen Pastor Rick
2 Comments
Peter and Heather Andrews
2/10/2021 12:42:30 pm
Thanks Rick. An apt message (and prayer) for the times
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Beryl
5/10/2021 03:58:19 pm
This was a very thoughtful message and you taught is what the true Church should be. I like the prayer.
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