... AND THE PENDULUM SWINGS...
what does our relationship with God actually look like? There are many who would claim that God is a distant being who loves us, yet is quite removed from our immediate world. There are still others who would claim that God is so close, we can only really recognize Him by engaging our neighbor. The pendulum swings between these two extremes.
Example: Last night I was at P&W, considering what I had just read from my 20th Century Theology book and the conversations from Gen 300, and I considered this God/human relationship. Around here, it is understood that if you are a good Christian, you will go to P&W, Gift, Church, and sing along with the songs. Being obedient is no more than showing up and singing mindlessly. Singing is good, don't get me wrong, but it's become more of the same, lacking zeal. But anyway, back to my experience at P&W -- We were singing, and two people in front of me were talking throughout the whole worship time. At first this bothered me, but I came to appreciate what was happening. They were enjoying fellowship and experiencing worship through their conversation. I watched the smiles on their faces as they told stories and joked about the events of their day.
I witnessed the joy that I thought was now gone from our worship times, and saw it in something other than singing... I saw it in 'something you're not supposed to do at P&W'.
What if God was near, and he was distant? We could experience that joy and show our respect for the God of the universe.
I think the pendulum is slowing down, getting closer and closer to hanging out in the middle. And when that day comes, we will see His glory here.