Themes of God in Scripture

A recent thread on the Ooze got some of us debating the "Word of God" and what that means. Here's what I posted several days ago:

i think we should talk more in terms of the "themes" of god, instead of putting actual words in his mouth...i mean does anyone know what language he speaks? what literal words did he say to put the stars, the sun and moon in place? "let there be light"? was that in king james english?

i mean, honestly, "word of god" is really just a metaphor anyway, isn't it? if someone were to record the literal word of god today, with our technology, could we then download it as an mp3? would it hold up in the court of christianity?

i'd rather see a discussion about the "themes of god" and where we see them woven throughout scripture, human nature, the intrinsic beauty of the world around us, etc.

was the "word" actually spoken audibly to the prophets or did they receive some divine impression in their spirit or mind? and how does the word actually become flesh? either it's in verbal or printed form...i mean if it is a literal word, right?

but if word is just a metaphor for divine themes, then we can see how those themes were lived out by jesus...how they provided an impetus for everything he did or said...and how they can motivate us to righteous action

because when jesus actually spoke "divine words" he often put them in parable form, but we seem to want to take every literal word printed in the bible as a literal story about a historic event...if jesus is the "word made flesh" and he dealt in metaphors and parables, then what's to say that's not how god has been speaking all along?

and if we do strictly deal in themes, taking literal accounts of the flood, per se, and taking them as parables with a theme, then have we really changed anything? wasn't gods intent to get us to think about the things in our heart? not to see if we'd build an ark every time it rains, or an altar every time we see a rainbow

so, what are some of your favorite themes?


btw, if you're interested in weighing in on the discussion over at the ooze, click here

High School Reunions

I've been working diligently on save the date postcards for my 20-year high school reunion. Here's the artwork that my wife and I came up with for the front of the card. The back just has the dates and contact information on one side and mailing info on the other. I'm pretty proud of what we came up with. We're thinking about turning this into a mock movie poster for the reunion, but using this version for letterhead for future mailings, etc.

It's funny that I even volunteered to help plan this one...more out of pure disgust over the 15-year reunion than anything. Not "ha ha" funny, but peculiar, only because my high school experience wasn't all that great. However, I broke down and went back five years ago and had a blast! Despite the reunion itself--in the basement cafeteria of our old high school in August with no A/C--I had a great time catching up with some old friends...and a few classmates that only now do I count as such.

I have to give many thanks to my Indy counterparts who are doing the lion's share of the work, as I am currently living 900 miles away. To Amy, Mike, Suzie, Joe and Annie...my sincerest thanks! This is going to be one helluva reunion.

King's X, Baby!

Okay, tonight/this morning I had an out of body experience. For the first time, I got to experience King's X live in concert. This is one of my all-time favorite bands, made up of Ty Tabor (guitars), Doug Pinnick (lead vocals, bass) and Jerry Gaskill (drums). They played in a small bar in Tallahassee, providing a very intimate setting. There were probably only 50-60 people there...and I was literally 10 feet from Ty, stage right.

It was incredible!

They played a lot of their new music which I'm not yet familiar with...but what made my night was the song "A Box" (which serves as my sig line on the Ooze), followed by a classic "Visions" from their very first cd Out of the Silent Planet.

Just to put this in perspective for you...I've been following this band for over 18 years. A friend put said cassette in my hands in 1988 and it blew me away. I wore out the cassette player in my Fiero, especially on long trips to Atlanta. King's X was grunge/hardcore before those terms were even popular.

I only reconnected with their music on a deeper level recently, as I began my journey into postmodern/emergent Christianity...and their lyrics became so much more poignant! I thanked Doug Pinnick last night for impacting my faith...what a cool, once-in-a-lifetime moment!

It was a truly spiritual experience.

If you want to learn more about this underground success, now entering their 25th year together, check out their Official Website.

Okay, I'm going to bed with a really big smile on my face...thank you, God, for simple pleasures and once-in-a-lifetime encounters!