Note: You can view this teaching on our YouTube Channel.
Monica was raped. Jimmy struggles with the threat of hell. Rochelle questions the relevance of prayer. Kyler and his husband, Gary, adopted baby girls and wonder what to teach them about God. Chad lost his wife, Jenny, to COVID-induced complications. I bet you really don’t need many more details about these stories to recognize that they represent very difficult questions about the character and nature of God. Many of the answers coming from conventional theology have left some people wanting and others walking away from faithful pursuits entirely. What questions have you struggled with? How many times have you had to play the mystery card, giving God a pass on tough questions?
The reason I want to teach about Open and Relational Theology is because I think it could be extraordinarily helpful for your life. It has for mine. There are very big questions about life and God that conventional Christian theology struggles to answer satisfactorily, leaving many people feeling unsure about themselves and God and life. Our paradigms matter because they help us make sense of the world. How we see the world shapes our vision for everything. In the Church, sometimes certain questions have not been encouraged or even welcome, sometimes they are discouraged because the very question appears to imply doubt. A robust faith does not shy away from challenging questions, it runs toward them, not as enemies to be fought and conquered but as a new vista to behold. We can only play the mystery card for so long before we lose confidence in our faith. Another major reason why I want to teach this is because the way we see God and everything else deeply affects how we think about ourselves and our place in the world. There are some really valuable aspects of conventional theology which obviously resonate with a lot of people, and yet parts of it have also contributed to some of the most horrific acts of humanity ever committed, even with God’s “blessing.” If large-scale atrocities can be mitigated against with some new ways of thinking, this venture is worth it. Yet our individual lives can be deeply impacted as well. We human beings tend to create God in our image, and then return the favor. Parts of conventional theology may work to shape us into jerks more than Jesus. If that’s the case, change is worth looking into.
Theology is not fixed. While there are some central themes about the character and nature of God in the Bible, there is no single, complete systematic theology offered in its pages. Theology – the study of God – has always been fluid, shaped by new discoveries, insights, and experiences over time. When popular models of theology are challenged, there is always a mixture of rejoicing and backlash. Jesus certainly experienced this as he offered new ways to think about God and life. When you feel a little anxious as certain tenets of comfortable theological are challenged, remember that such feelings are normal when new ideas are floated. And remember that the author and perfecter of the Christian faith, Jesus, chose to push the envelope, discovering and proclaiming a bigger God so that we could, too.
Over the next several weeks we will examine some conventional ways of thinking and consider some new ways. The key components we will examine include the following:
· Open. Our lives are not written. God does not know the specifics of the future. Everything may “happen for a reason”, but it’s not necessarily God’s will or something predetermined. The future is open and undetermined. It doesn’t imply a lack of interconnectedness – on the contrary, it respects and is dependent upon it. When we really believe that God is open, we become more empowered, not less. This is different than conventional views.
· Relational. God is deeply engaged with all of creation because God is in all parts of creation. The relationship is a two-way street – we are always affected by God and God is always affected by us. This means God is altered in some ways by creation itself. This is different than conventional views.
· Amipotent. God is the most powerful force anywhere and everywhere, yet God’s power is self-limited by God’s uncontrolling love and our subsequent freedom. This is different than conventional views.
· Present. God is in everything and everyone everywhere all the time and therefore deeply present with us in every moment, every experience – we are never alone. This is very familiar and welcome by most people even if it is a departure from conventional theology.
· Loving. The nature of God is uncontrolling love which we really love for ourselves, but don’t love as much for others. This means we have freedom to do as we please, but it also means other people do, too. No matter what, God’s love prevails. This feel like it should be part of conventional theology, but it is not.
Each week we will consider the above subjects with the help of some biblical examples of each concept and the writing of Tom Oord in his book, Open and Relational Theology. On Wednesdays at noon and 7:00 we will work through the questions at the end of each of the respective chapters, where you will also find a link to content from Oord himself – podcasts, lectures, interviews, etc.
This matters to me. I teach this because it is home for me. It’s not like I found myself swimming in ORT one Tuesday morning a few years ago. Over (decades of) time I gradually began to question the conventional views that had shaped me and began wondering about what “more” there might be. I believe I am one of a large, growing number of people who are on that adventure. Oord’s books have helped give me words to express what I’m thinking, feeling, and experiencing. His work has provided a well-reasoned-and-articulated framework that makes a lot of sense and enlivens my faith. I want that for everyone. I hope you’ll join me for the ongoing conversation.
Open My Eyes That I May See
Open my eyes that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free
Silently now I wait for Thee
Ready my God Thy will to see
Open my eyes illumine me
Spirit divine
Open my ears that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear
And while the wave notes fall on my ear
Everything false will disappear
Open my mouth and let me bear
Gladly the warm truth everywhere
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share