An Explosion of Words
How do you describe the Indescribable?
I love your pictures of the sea and the mountains. I love your photos of forests, flowers, and every kind of creature. Now imagine we lived in a time before cameras. How would you help me see that sunrise? How would you portray that platypus? Our family recently played the game Catch Phrase; it's so hard to describe even the simplest things.
Now here's a challenge: describe God. Isaiah, a great Old Testament prophet, makes a good effort in Isaiah 40. It's an explosion of words. But I come away feeling he barely scratched the surface. How do you describe the Indescribable? Now, we know in part; now, we see a reflection in a mirror. One day we'll see fully; one day we'll see face-to-face. How awesome will that be? There aren't enough words!
Spoken Word
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
“Be filled with the Spirit by speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (singing and making music with your hearts to the Lord), by always giving thanks for everything to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by submitting to one another in reverence for Christ. ”
For millennia, Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs have helped to encourage and to lift spirits. Here, Paul tells the Ephesian church to take what's helpful personally and offer it to one another. The Church is a distinct, called-out body that's in the world but not of it. Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs remind us of where we're really from and whose we really are. Over the next few weeks, can we be generous with one another in this way?
Evangelism and Re-evangelism
Share the Good News with believers too.
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you.”
So often we think of this verse as a call to evangelism. People outside the faith may be surprised by your hope in dark times and wonder where it comes from. But in these times, it's helpful to share the reason for our hope with others inside the faith too — with one another. The gospel is good news and we need some good news right now. Let's re-evangelize our hearts regularly.
- love
- Holy Spirit
- humility
- church
- politics & society
- mission & witness
- holiness
- parable & metaphor
- identity
- eternal life
- doubt & deconstruction
- leadership
- grace
- justice
- scripture
- spiritual life
- advent & christmas
- poverty & compassion
- imagination & creativity
- technology & ai
- knowing God
- human dignity
- faith & trust
- incarnation & cross
- kingdom of God
- community
- reconciliation
- spiritual formation
- epistemology
- prayer
- gratitude
- culture
- creation & nature
- discipleship
The God of the Bible looks like Jesus, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being. It would be just like him to go to the cross.