Wow! I Still Have a blog!?
I just found this blog that I haven't posted on in 6 years! Wow! A lot has changed in 6 years and a lot has stayed the same! I feel like I'm typing to no one right now because surely no one is coming and checking out my blog after this long. That is a scary idea because that means I could probably write freely and no one would care, but as soon as I write something controversial I am sure that is when someone will notice this blog.
I am in my 6th year of full time youth ministry and I absolutely love it. I have an awesome group of students and I work with a congregation I love. In this line of work I get to grapple with faith questions often and I have been looking for an outlet where I can express these struggles. So here I go...
Something hit me while at camp this summer and it has affected how I read the Bible and even how I look at life and my walk with Christ. I believe in God, the Creator. I believe he created this world because of his desire for relationship. Relationship with you and me! That actually should blow my mind, but usually causes me to yawn and move on. This is an incredible idea! The one with all power, who has made the entire world, made the world with us in mind. He longed for relationship with us and in the beginning the relationship with Adam and Eve was incredible and intimate. It was about closeness and being together. It was about love and commitment. Yet true love is only possible when there is choice. God told man not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but to continue to eat from the Tree of Life and to live in relationship with him. We all know the story, man chose knowledge and equality with God. This began the century long pursuit to follow the rules and to be good enough.
I think the entire story comes down to two trees.
The tree of life is about relationship with God. Before they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were naked and unashamed.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is about trying to grasp equality with God. It is about pursuing good all on your own.
As I look through scripture, this seems to be the story. Man trying to gain relationship with God through...knowledge...good works...sacrifices...success. Yet, we are sinful and unholy and cannot achieve this for God is set apart from sin and is without blemish.
God's dream of relationship with us, though, never died. His love for us continued as His people continued to choose the wrong tree.
That separation was done away with as Jesus came to the earth and again walked with man. Man, of course, had him killed mainly because he did not fit their idea of what would bring about relationship. They were focused on doing all the right things and he was focused on God's desire for relationship with us. So, he died on A Tree.
This tree though could not defeat him. He rose again! This tree is a tree of life. Again, we have the choice.
Will we choose the Tree of life or the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We can either pursue God and live with him and for him or we choose to pursue being equal to God and spend all our time trying to figure out how we can measure up.
I'm a recovering addict of fruit that comes from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. I long to be addicted to the Tree of Life!
I think that's enough for thinking out loud today! Probably talk to you in another 6 years, Blog!
I am in my 6th year of full time youth ministry and I absolutely love it. I have an awesome group of students and I work with a congregation I love. In this line of work I get to grapple with faith questions often and I have been looking for an outlet where I can express these struggles. So here I go...
Something hit me while at camp this summer and it has affected how I read the Bible and even how I look at life and my walk with Christ. I believe in God, the Creator. I believe he created this world because of his desire for relationship. Relationship with you and me! That actually should blow my mind, but usually causes me to yawn and move on. This is an incredible idea! The one with all power, who has made the entire world, made the world with us in mind. He longed for relationship with us and in the beginning the relationship with Adam and Eve was incredible and intimate. It was about closeness and being together. It was about love and commitment. Yet true love is only possible when there is choice. God told man not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but to continue to eat from the Tree of Life and to live in relationship with him. We all know the story, man chose knowledge and equality with God. This began the century long pursuit to follow the rules and to be good enough.
I think the entire story comes down to two trees.
The tree of life is about relationship with God. Before they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were naked and unashamed.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is about trying to grasp equality with God. It is about pursuing good all on your own.
As I look through scripture, this seems to be the story. Man trying to gain relationship with God through...knowledge...good works...sacrifices...success. Yet, we are sinful and unholy and cannot achieve this for God is set apart from sin and is without blemish.
God's dream of relationship with us, though, never died. His love for us continued as His people continued to choose the wrong tree.
That separation was done away with as Jesus came to the earth and again walked with man. Man, of course, had him killed mainly because he did not fit their idea of what would bring about relationship. They were focused on doing all the right things and he was focused on God's desire for relationship with us. So, he died on A Tree.
This tree though could not defeat him. He rose again! This tree is a tree of life. Again, we have the choice.
Will we choose the Tree of life or the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We can either pursue God and live with him and for him or we choose to pursue being equal to God and spend all our time trying to figure out how we can measure up.
I'm a recovering addict of fruit that comes from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. I long to be addicted to the Tree of Life!
I think that's enough for thinking out loud today! Probably talk to you in another 6 years, Blog!
posted by Ryan @ 9:49 AM
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