The Big Question

I invite you to begin a conversation again with me this week.  It is an answer to a great question that has skewed my view from the Open Road.  In fact, being perfectly honest, as a second year seminarian, I have been struggling for most of my seminary career with this question. 

What theological concept do you most struggle with and what options are out there?

Now, I must admit before I go too far that as I read this question, pulled from the “Box of Doom,” aloud to my classmates, I rather jokingly made the admission that I personally struggle with just about all theological concepts. Although this was a flippant response, said in a jokingly good-natured way, I must confess that as I continue to ponder theology and the implications of theology I am more convinced than ever that I will continue to struggle with almost all theological concepts.  Maybe that is a good thing because the struggling builds both clarity and conviction.

 Nonetheless, back to the question:

What Theological concept do you most struggle with?

Recently, upon reading a book titled How to Think Theologically written by Howard Stone and James Duke- two professors from Brite Divinity School in Texas, I stumbled across this definition to theology, “theology is a seeking after understanding- a process of thinking about life in the light of the faith that Christians engage in...”[1]  I like this definition.  As Christians “every aspect of ...life...is a theological testimony.”[2] Did you ever stop to think about that?  As a Christian everything you do, or don’t do, has a theological implication.  Everything!  I never really thought this way before entering seminary.  And, you might not have either.  If you had asked me previously to define theology, my definition would have been something like this: Theos- God; ology- study of= the study of God.  A pretty trivial definition to be sure but nonetheless it’s how I thought.  I would not have considered myself a theologian.  I was a husband, a father, an uncle, a son, a builder, a student...but a theologian?  NO WAY!!  Here lies the real struggle; most of us don’t think that we actively engage in theological study, when really we do.  Theology is not just left to the people with a ton of letters behind their name, rather theology is something you and I, as Christians, are constantly doing- even if we don’t realize it.  Every thought, action, plan, deed....reveals something about how we respond and think about God.  In this light, everything we do is theological reflection.

So, if you’re like me, these thoughts are probably surprising to you, aren’t they?  I mean do we really think about God all the time?  Is every decision I make a decision that is theologically relevant?  If we are honest, the answer is “no.” You see, in our day-to-day reality, for most of us, unless we are actively involved in Bible reading or study, the sad reality is that we tend to run our lives as if we were on self-pilot.  God is a reality that all too often is forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the day-to-day activities. We rely on our own control and only allow God to have control when we lose control of our lives. Reliance is a weakness to us. However, scripture reveals a very different reality, a reality that we would do good to follow.

In Psalm 121 we encounter a God who is our helper (vs. 1&2), our keeper (vs. 3&4), our protector (vs. 5&6), and our guard (vs. 7&8).

Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.”

Isaiah 26:4 says “Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock.”

Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.”

Matthew 6:25-34 Don’t Worry

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Are you beginning to see a theme emerge?  Live in total reliance on God.  It’s that simple!  Not only is it a major scriptural strand, but it also opens us to the reality that indeed all, our entire being, revolves, is centered on, thinking theologically.  When we see that as Christians, we exist and have our being by thinking theologically then the focus we commit to the study of theology takes on a very different meaning as well.

For this week, this has been my view from the Open Road.[3]

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[1]Stone, H.W and James O. Duke. How to Think Theologically. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2006, 2 

[2]Ibid

[3] If you wish to explore living in total reliance upon God and placing God first in everything further, an awesome book (easy to read) is Practicing His Presence by Brother Lawrence.