Against the norm

Hello.

I've been struck recently about how much God just doesn't fit into our neat little boxes.  So often we try to categorise God or to believe in this and that and the other when actually God is so much bigger.  He doesn't always fit into our mindsets, our views and the moulds that we often make for Him.  He is bigger.

Just over a week ago I had a picture at this Christian conference of a pretty neat, pink bow being unravelled and undone.  I really felt God challenging me and the others at the conference to think about our viewpoints and our neatly packaged and labelled boxes we have for God.  We go to church on a Sunday and have certain expectations.  Anything out of those expectations is often considered wrong, unjust, unfair, not right, a challenge..... But God is bigger.  What would we do if a prostitute walked in off the streets, or a drug addict, or even an atheist? Are we willing to be disrupted for the One who is BIGGER than our normality?

Two things have jumped out at me in the readings over the last couple of days.  The first one I want to mention is in Samuel 7v2-7.  David says to Nathan the prophet 'Here I am, living in a palace of ceder, while the ark of God remains in a tent'... God later replies through Nathan saying (v7) 'Wherever I have moved with all of the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers... "Why have you not built me a house of ceder?"' We cannot 'house' God.  We cannot limit him.  Remember in the old testament God was seen to dwell in the Holy of Holies in the temple?  And when Jesus died, the temple curtain, separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the world, tore in two?  God broke out of there.  He tore through the man-made container because He is just too big.  God cannot be boxed off or limited.  He does things out of the norm.  He challenges our preconceived ideas and stereotypes.  He goes across cultures and genders and ages and races.  He is not limited.  We must therefore not limit Him.

Secondly I love it in 2 Samuel 6 where David is dancing before the Lord with all of his might, wearing only a linen ephod (v14).  You can just imagine the gossip and stares and look of shock and surprise on the faces of some of the people with him that day thinking 'what the heck' and 'woah that's not right, that's not the done thing'.  But David challenges the people saying (v21-22) 'I will celebrate before the Lord.  I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes'.  Wow.  He is so focussed on pleasing the Lord that he is prepared to step outside of the box, to go beyond the norm, to break the boundaries in order to please God and give God glory.

So a challenge to us today...

1 - How prepared are we to go beyond the norm and what's acceptable (obviously still in line with God's will) to spread and further the Kingdom?  How are we prepared to allow our view points and preconceptions to be challenged?  How much have we limited God and placed boundaries on our faith and on His power?

2 - Are we willing to make a fool of ourselves if it means God is being glorified?  Are we prepared to step out of our comfort zones and other people's comfort zones, going beyond boarders and beyond 'the norm' to give glory to God, further the Kingdom, and be accepting of other people in our midst who are doing the same?

Some interesting challenges and thoughts today.  And a final thought, how far can we go and still be acceptable?

Many blessings