February 13, 2009
Googling
Some of the keys on my computer are shiny with wear, while others are dull because of lack of use…or no use at all. No doubt all the keys can all do wonderful things, but I have visions of opening Pandora’s Box and releasing a plague that will send my files into computer space. Or I might even become Alice in Computer-land and never find my way back to the desktop. In the same way I avoid exploring the power of my computer and the internet, I think many of us avoid exploring the power of God. I’ve never thought about Googling God…but He does have his own Search Engine. “…The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” (1 Cor 2:10b NIV)
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Gail;
Each key on your keyboard performs a specific task. Some just print a symbol to a file, others direct the computer to do something. Some of those keys are a bit dangerous, like the delete key. And sometimes you can find a little forgiveness, like an “undo delete” function on the right mouse button. Every key is individually unique, except some of those function keys (F1 through F12.) They do nothing unless they are programmed by the user, and who knows how to do that? So the keyboard, and the apprehension you have of it remind me of both the Bible in the hands of the believer, and of the church.
The Bible is a collection of many messages, all focused towards a common theme, but each uniquely individual. In the hands of the believer, any particular message receives attention as selected for the function its message performs. Also, like the keyboard, most of the messages are not variable. Their meaning is specific, at least as the Lord intended it and knows it. But to man, some of the messages are so obscure, they are treated like the function keys. The user tends to fill their meaning and then use them for that meaning. In Rev 2:1 John uses the word for “messenger”. It could mean the preacher of the church. But it could mean the angel of the church, since the Greek for “angel” is the same word used in Rev 2:1. Then there are some messages we are really uncomfortable about exploring, even though they definitely are there and they say something specific. I Cor. 14: 33b-34 is an excellent example, “As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silence in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says.” And making this message even more uncomfortable, Paul continues a couple sentences later to say, “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.” (I Cor. 14:37-38.) We are all really reluctant to poke at that key! The Bible, like the keyboard is a set of messages that are all components of the main message. Like the keyboard, the particular messages have their definite uses assigned and intended by their Maker. Like we make messes when improperly using keys on the keyboard we don’t understand, with the Word we make messes when we improperly use Scripture we don’t understand.
But the keyboard also reminds me of the church. Paul was very direct to tell us that the church is made of members having deferent functions, and that they must be allowed to perform according to their function. From what God called each to be, all the saints work together to give God a set of keys He can use to type out a continuing message in speech, writing, and action to the world and to His people. When He is allowed to use the keyboard, scary keys are not avoided when needed, and the function keys are both understood and properly used. All the keys are used at the right time for their right purposes. Nor are any of the keys shuffled around and changed. And although He uses the whole keyboard, He presses each key individually. However, church leaders have somehow developed for themselves the idea that the Holy Spirit does not press all the keys of the keyboard directly. As evidenced by their actions and behavior, they think the Holy Spirit uses themselves to press most of the keys. They actually see themselves sitting at the keyboard, running the church, writing her message to the world. With words they deny this, but with actions they shout it. No wonder the church’s message has been so garbled and the print so illegible that the world is now far from believing Jesus was sent by the Father (John 17:21.) Children are at play with both keyboards.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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